Does your cell phone ring all day and night?  Do you triage email every time you are in front of your computer. Text  and picture messaging, emails to jl3@johnluongo.com, and phone calls at 845 527 5129 are all a part of this business.  Plus checking my internet lead capture system at www.johnluongo.com  I wouldn't have have all these modes of contact if it wasn't important to be in touch.  

My Palm TX is a great piece of tech that keeps everything in order.  Emails, time block, ekey, PITI caculator, the web, all thanks to the wifi are at my fingertips with a touch of my stylus.  The wifi is also its greatest liablility. It can't connect to the web without a wifi signal. In Orange and Dutchess county hotspots are few and far between. 

There is also one other draw back. 

Remembering to charge and carry all of my devices can be a hassle. Where is my laptop, my bluetooth, my phone, my palm pilot, my keys, my wallet.  What has the most up to date calendar on it, which way do I sync these things. What did I do with my coffee cup?  What shoes go with these pants? Can I wear cargo pants to work? Who hasn't done that search in the morning?  Only to forget your sandwich at lunch.

So for me it is time for a convergence device.  Treo,Q or Blackberry.  Which way to go?  I have given both phones some exhaustive research as well as which OS I like the best.  

 

So what did I find out?

Blackberry- Great email device, great thumb wheel, decent phone, not that great mulitmedia experience.

700P- Is a pda with a phone attached, same software as my TX.  It is a PDA first and a phone second.  Call quality and voice dialing are not the main feature.  I love my voice dialing.

700w- is the same as above but running a different OS which I guess make it completely different. :) It runs the clumsy Windows Mobile PC, but doesn't tether to the laptop (meaning the phone can't be attached and allow you to connect to the internet while on the road, or at a listing presentation.)  Into the garbage can with this one.

Don't worry they released the 700wx that gives you the tether options and has some improvements to the WOS.

Moto Q runs Windows Mobile Smart Phone Edition. It is a phone first and PDA second but certainly an advanced data device.  It runs a trimmed down version of the Mobile PC OS.  It seems that you can get some third party apps. and some great hacks if you need more functionality.  It searches the web, I think I can force my Ekey to it as it has IR and the calendar isn't too hard to use. It appears to have everything I need.

"But wait" you say "there is no touch screen, you will have to use the wheel they are hard to use"! 

A wheel hard to use? It's not a big heavy stone wheel. After spending some time playing with the devices in the store the stylus on the Treo is pretty useless IMO.  The beauty of my Palm TX is that the graffiti program is that it recognizes my sloppy handwriting and turns it into the digital characters.  The Treos don't, they use the stylus for navigation only. What the benefit in that?  I don't see one.  I can wheel where I want to go, and then click the wheel to select the application.   

Price- the Treos with VZ assorted credits like the NE2 and Advance device put the treo at $200.00 while the Q comes up free.  Thats right in this business where we are constantly laying out money I think I found something free.

Can you guess which way I am going?

The Q seems to be the way I am going to go.  I will use it for a few days and let you know how I make out.  If you have an opinion on these devices or more info please share.