From Treo 650 to Nokia E61i: A Paradigm Shift

I've been a Palm user since the early 2000's. That's almost seven years of loyalty to a family of devices that was embodied by the so-called "Zen of Palm" -- a principle of keeping things simple and uncomplicated. However, I have somewhat matured in my choice of gadgets. The last Palm device I had (and actually still have) is the Palm Treo 650 -- a phone/PDA combo that fitted my life when I first got it. It did all I wanted and I was really happy with it.

But technology moved on but Palm seems to have been left in the cold. Their PDA line still uses somewhat outdated operating system (PalmOS 5.x). When the need arose, I had to opt for another phone. That's when the Nokia E61i caught my eye. I was actually tought I'll get a Samsung SGH-i600 but my experiences with Windows Mobile is not really pleasant so I took the plunge and got the E61i instead.


Th Nokia E61i is a Smartphone that runs Symbian. A really big jump from PalmOS. I'll the first one to admit that this phone is a big jump from my Treo 650. I had to change the way I use my phone because this doesn't have a touch screen. Instead, everything must be done through its QWERTY thumb board. The specific Symbian version this phone runs on doesn't have as much 3rd party applications as Palm but as long as it has a version of iSilo running, I'm a happy techie.

Now, my phone/PDA device can access data through wifi (which costs significantly less compared to data access via GPRS/EDGE/3G/HSDPA). I have configured it to synchronize with the PIM data of my MacBook. I have also configured it to get emails from a newly created account I made through its bundled "Mail for Exchange" application. Another impressive bundled application is its "Podcasting" program -- it searches, updates and downloads my favorite podcasts!

I will be posting more Nokia E61I-related posts in the very near future. But in the meantime, I'll continue enjoying this new toy, and my paradigm shift.

NextGen Windows Mobile Screens Leaked: Ho hum!

MSMobileNews has leaked some screenshots of the upcoming Windows Mobile version code named "CrossBow". They look, well, Windows.

I've been "lucky" enough to used at least three "flavors" of Windows Mobile and I can say that even though the latest version is their most stable so far, it has yet to reach the level of "maturity" where normal, non-geek users would be comfortable in using it. Despite its stability compared to earlier versions, it has yet to reach a point where a users can simply turn it on and forget it -- it still needs a regular reset to maintain a certain zippyness. And my biggest gripe against Windows Mobile? Its need for an "installer" before one can add an application -- a category where PalmOS still shine.

Rumors has it that "Crossbow" will be available in the first or second quarter of next year. Will it be better than the present offering of Microsoft in the Portable Digital Assistant (PDA) arena? I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

Treo 680 (Lowrider) is Definitely Coming

Rumored to be the low-cost alternative to the newly released Treo 700v, the Treo 680 (a.k.a. Lowrider) may be the low-end PDA/Phone Palm had been talking about in recent press releases.



Like its bigger brother the Treo 750v, the Treo 680 is rumored to have a 64MB RAM and no 3G capabilities but will instead just have EDGE connectivity. Now judging from the known network connectivity options, the Treo 680 will definitely come to the local shores because EDGE and 3G are both GSM technology -- compatible with local telcos.

Will I be rushing out to get one once the Lowrider (Treo 680) is released? Probably not... yet.

source: wm247, clieuk, gadgetsonthego, mobilewhack, engadget

Motorola MING Now Available Locally!

While walking around the mall last Friday, I was able to spot the Motolora MING on an authorized Motorola Distributor here in Makati. At first, I thought it was just a dummy unit and that it is not really available but when I inquired, the store clerk told me that it is indeed available locally and it costs around Php 26,000 (approximately $500).


The unit itself looks pretty good and its a PDA/Phone I wouldn't mind having but I reserve final judgement until I get to handle one.

The store where one can get a Motorola MING is at the Motorola store at the Digital Exchange in Glorieta, Makati.