Why is there not a really good PDA Phone?

[TheForce]

About once or twice a year I go looking for the perfect PDA/Phone and always come up with nothing. This year has been the same so far.

Here is what I'm looking for in a PDA/Phone.

Windows OS since it has the most support
At least 400mhz cpu
Min of 128 ROM
Min of 128 RAM
Camera - not really important but anything in the 2-3mp area. I'll even take less.
GPS - Don't care about included software but device must have GPS receiver.
Full keyboard - I like the hidden flip out kind the best but will settle for one that is on the outside and fixed.
Must have some kind of high capacity storage like microSD.
Must support 802.11g
Must support Bluetooth
and finally must be usable in the USA.

Here is what I have found so far according to PDAdb.net - Comprehensive Database of PDA, PDA Phone, PNA & Smartphone Specifications

The Tilt/Kaiser/tytan II
Has everything I want in a PDA/Phone including a nice tilted screen feature. Its perfect! Then I go to read the reviews. Seems like the video drivers are missing causing very sluggish OS performance. Video playback is almost impossible. And the camera really sucks. I could live with the camera sucking but video playback is a must. Take this one off my list.

The I-Mate Ultimate 9502
Specs are pretty much the same as the Tilt except for a VERY nice VGA screen. Also has hidden keyboard. Another perfect PDA/Phone! Then I go to read the reviews and it seems to do better than the Tilt but still has the same sluggish performance. Take this one off my list.

The Samsung i-780
Has everything I want plus a really fast CPU. 600+mhz! Only downside is that it has a non standard 320x320 screen resolution which make some software not work correctly. There is software out there to fix this issue so I'm not concerned with it. It also does not have a hard reset option but after reading the reviews this issue has been fixed with a software upgrade. After reading some reviews this device is very quick and does not have the issues of the Tilt and the 9502. Great another perfect device! Well no not really. It only support gsm1900 over here in the USA. This could be a problem for me so mark it off the list.

Last is the Ipaq 910c/912c/914c what ever those models are.
about the same speed at the tilt and the 9502 but its a different chipset so it should not have the issues that the Tilt and 9502 have. Plus its an Ipaq. They always seem to do very well. Since its not released yet or just released there are no good review that I can find. It looks like this is also a quad band??? device so it should work fine here in the USA. This is my last hope this round.

My idea of a perfect PDA/Phone would be the Tilt running a VGA screen or hell keep the QVGA and a 600mhz cpu. This would be the perfect PDA/Phone.

Are there any other PDA/Phones I'm missing from my list that you think I should look at?

I don't have a phone contract and never had a Windows PDA. The reason I don't have either is because if a had a PDA I would hardly ever use it and if it had a phone function with it I thing I would use it a little more. I just don't want to carry around a cell phone and a PDA. I do have a cell phone but its on my brothers $10 extra phone account and I rarely ever use it. I really want a PDA More than a phone but like I said I don't want to Carry around two devices.

[Spoid]

Well, it is clearly the Democrat's fault. They prevent everything. Oh, maybe this should be moved to a different section...

[TheForce]

Yeah wrong forum! Could a mod move this out of Politics and up to the main FHOP forum please? Ron Paul could make a good PDA/Phone. Maybe now it can stay in politics.

[eagle33199]

Here's the reason:

Windows OS since it has the most support

but in all honesty, the problem comes down to trying to fit so much into such a small space. It is really difficult to give all the features people generally want without a huge footprint.

I'd say more importantly than the specs you've listed above are the typical use cases you expect with the smart phone. Do you expect to use the calendar a lot? Open/edit Word/Excel/Power Point files a lot? Browse the internet a lot? Use it for mobile entertainment (music/movies)? check e-mail with it constantly? Get driving directions?

Limiting yourself to Windows OS cuts out a lot of great phones, IMO. For example, the iPhone has (from your spec req's):

620mhz cpu
16GB ROM
128MB RAM
2 MP Camera
No GPS currently, expected in G2 this summer
Full keyboard
high capacity storage (read 16GB ROM above)
802.11 b/g (maybe N with G2 this summer)
Bluetooth (works great with my Prius)
Usable in the US and Europe

It's compatible with Mac and Windows, and the iTunes store is one of the biggest around for both music and video. The 2.0 software and gen 2 being released this summer are sure to bring some marked improvements. The screen is huge and amazing to look at. I wouldn't throw this one out the window just because it's not Windows. I'd carefully look at your use case and what you want to do with it, and see if the iPhone does everything you want (or at least if Gen 2 will).

[TheForce]

I thought about the iphone but like you said it has no gps. There is more and more software coming out for it which is a plus. I might settle on the 2g iphone when it comes out. But by that time there might be a windows phone that does everything I want. I'm not a fan of apple because everything they make is expensive but they are nice. I want to stick with a windows device because of better support for software and apps. At least at the moment windows devices have more stuff.

I have seen that samsung is releasing an i788 soon. Some say its for the USA and some say its for Japan. If its for Japan and has an english keyboard and supports gsm850 and gsm1900 I think I might get it unless something better is out. I don't need 3G right now. In fact I don't think 3G will be available where I live for many many years.

[dogfriend]

Originally Posted by TheForce

I thought about the iphone but like you said it has no gps. .

Rumor is that the next iPhone will include GPS. IIRC, the current one will triangulate your position based on cell tower locations. I don't own one though, I'm not a big phone user.

I'm waiting until the hands free requirement takes affect in June (? maybe July?) in California, so I can use my hands free phone to call the CHP and report the other a-holes who are trying to text message while driving.

[qbee42]

Dump the Windows OS requirement. Windows is hardly a top choice for full computers, let alone a light-weight embedded system. Microsoft has produced some good software along with the bad, but no one ever accused them of making software lean and mean. On the contrary, Microsoft is usually associated with bloat-ware.

Tom

[eagle33199]

Originally Posted by TheForce

I want to stick with a windows device because of better support for software and apps. At least at the moment windows devices have more stuff.

My only response to that is to ask what apps, in particular, are you planning on using? If there are some very specific apps you want to use, then yeah, you'll probably be tied to whatever OS those apps run on. If instead you're looking for all the "standard" smart phone apps (e-mail, browser, calendar, note pad, etc) then you really won't be tied to a particular OS. I don't want o try to pressure you into anything, but i think it's at least worth considering other platforms. Heck, go into an Apple store and just play with an iPhone for 15 minutes... the sexiness and usability of the phone is far better than any other smartphone i've seen.

[slair]

iPhone triangulation is more than fine for the GPS requirement. It'll map out where you are at and want to go using google maps, and unless your a complete fool, giving you a good sized circle of the area you're currently in should be just fine.

[ewxlt66]

I love my iPhone.

My Treo was ok but was huge and crashed daily and never synced well with my computer and the browsing sucked.

I absolutely LOVED by Blackberry but it was huge, didn't sync well and didn't take pics and the browsing sucked.

I'm smitten by the iPhone. I miss expandable storage and external keys, but the sync is spot on, size is perfect and the browsing is stellar.