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Some observations:

• I browse the web more than I did with my Treo 600. I don’t know if it is because of EDGE is the faster data speeds, the higher resolution display, the better fonts, the faster rendering, the better browser, or what. I just know that I find myself using the browser much more than I did on my Treo. Part of it I’m guess too is the OS’s support for multitasking. I can do something else when the page is loading.
• I rarely use the WiFi. Sometimes I have issues connecting. And it uses too much battery life for me to leave it on constantly. EDGE is fast enough most of the time, that I don’t bother with the WiFi. I seem to use WiFI more for checking the number of access points wherever I am.
• Battery life is better than my Treo 600. I think. With an always on GPRS connection on my 600, I barely made out two days. With the Wizard, I can pretty safely make two days.
• It is noticeably larger than the Treo 600/650. Sure on paper it is only one millimeter thicker. However, the thickness is taken at the thickest point on each device. The Treo is tapered while the Wizard is pretty much a constant thickness. So while the Wizard may only be 1 mm thicker at the thickest point, the average thickness for the Wizard is noticeable greater than the average thickness of the Treo. Though the Wizard still fits in the same case I used for my Treo.
• The camera blows just as much as the one on my Treo 600. The Treo 650 has a better camera. The Qtek’s camera is a higher resolution though.
• There are some minor oversights in the 5 way nav support: I haven’t figured out how to change mail folders or get to the URL field in Pocket IE (Mobile IE whatever it is called in this version) without touching the screen. Aren’t these apps the same on the Smartphone platform? How would those users use it?
• Skype support? Just barely. Not really practical though, so don’t count on it.
• Stability? I’m pretty satisfied with the OS’s stability. I haven’t really experienced a reset, so it is definitely more reliable than my Treo. However, there have been a couple instances of the radio locking up or something. This pretty much required a reset. But I won’t blame the OS for this one (directly).
• The keyboard is better than the Treo’s. It is larger. However the numbers are kinda poorly placed. The 9 is on the O (oh) with the 0 (zero) on the P right next to it. I find myself frequently hitting symbol-O when I wanted symbol-P. Backspace also becomes delete in the symbol mode, which means typos when typing phone numbers are particularly annoying.
• Doesn’t show you what mode (shift, symbol) the keyboard is in by default. It does come with a little app, which you can run manually and throw it in your startup. However it doesn’t show if it is in a locked mode. So inevitably, when you’re trying to switch out of shit lock (or maybe you weren’t in shift lock), you’ll have to play around with shift and backspace a lot. Good apps (and all the built in ones) on the Treo, handle this much better. This shift and symbol indicators properly indicate a lock state on the Treo.
• You pretty much can’t copy and paste with the keyboard at this time. On the Palm, at least the copy/cut/paste is on the Edit menu, and accessible through accelerators as well. On WM5, if you’re lucky copy and paste is available as a click and hold context menu.
• My Treo had better reception.
• The Qtek locks solidly when the keyboard is open. Not quite so solid with the keyboard is closed.
• Speakerphone blows. The “stereo” speakers don’t do too much, but they work. The mic, on the other hand, fails spectacularly in speakerphone.
• Some of the paint is flaking off the buttons. I don’t exactly abuse the device. For comparison, in my nearly two years of Treo 600 ownership, the only noticeable button wear is on the upper part of the 5 way nav. And this probably due to the fact that it has an edge that protrudes and comes in constant contact with the case.
• Some apps work. Some don’t work. And other just don’t work well.
• Dialing is easier with the Treo. This is partially due to the keyboard being on the front and being able to skip through your contacts by hitting the letters.
• Came with a nifty handsfree. It is a stereo headset with a mic. It has an answer button and a volume slider. The cord is reinforced with a plastic/synthetic fiber weave. Feels much more durable than most freebie headsets.
• The Qtek uses a standard USB connector. Well, one of those mini ones.

Currently, smartphones/PDA phones are all about compromises. Some are better phones than PDAs, and others are better PDAs than phones. Until some distant day in the future, the question now is “Which device’s compromises are best aligned with my needs/wants?” I’m not sure if the Wizard is the best compromise. I find myself wishing there was a keyboard on the front and better one hand nav support. But I definitely like the EDGE, the stability of the OS, and the ability to multitask. Is the Windows Mobile based Treo (the 700w) the answer? Will it be a combination of the best parts: good working camera, great one hand nav support, easy dialing, great web browsing experience, stable OS? Or will it somehow bring together the worst of both worlds (ie tiny screen with a slow CPU hampering the web experience)?

Besides the 700w, other upcoming devices (or new devices) with a similar form factor (and a better OS) include the Motorola Q and the Blackberry 8700 series. Neither have a touchscreen but maybe that would guarantee better one hand navigation. The Blackberry seems kinda interesting (bigger keyboard than the Treo, same resolution display as the Qtek and permanently landscape). They should probably license some nicer fonts for the UI though.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 15th, 2005 at 6:09 pm and is filed under Life in Review, Toys. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.