Choose a PDA (Part II)
Now you know how to shop for a PDA to suit your own needs, but just in case you don't feel like shopping around, here are CNET's top rated PDAs.
The third generation AT&T 8525 smart phone has integrated Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi, support for music and video, push email, a 2 -megapixel camera, a QWERTY keyboard, and high quality calls. It's heavy and expensive ($200-$300) with a cramped navigation array, but it's also fast and powerful.
The RIM BlackBerry Curve may not have as many features as some of its competitors, but it's light and sleek. It doesn't have a touch screen but is still easy to navigate. The smart phone features a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, a media player, and a spell-checker, and at $100-$200, it's also relatively less expensive.
The Palm TX is not a smart phone, but it comes with integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a large screen, and a strong battery. The Intel processor works quickly, and the device plays music and video smoothly and loudly. The battery is unfortunately not replaceable, and the $249-$315 price tag is a bit steep.
Comments
The AT&T 8525 is being replaced with the 8925 (AT&T Tilt), also called the the HTC Kaiser. Should be out August/September. Also look at the HTC Cavalier S630, and the HTC Vox S710/HTC Libra S720 (Verizon UTStarcom XV5800).
RIM's BlackBerry Curve (8300) now includes the new 8320 which has integrated WiFi. Also of interest might be the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition which includes GSM and CDMA, or the BlackBerry 8820 which includes wifi.
My wife wants a PDA phone but has no need to receive email, that is, she doesn't need a data plan. She uses a Mac and would like to easily sync her phone with iCal and Address Book. She has been using a Handspring for years and just wants to have a single device that makes it easy for her to enter appointments (by QWERTY or stylus, not by a phone keypad). She likes the BlackBerry Curve but it doesn't seem possible to buy it without a data plan. Do you have a recommendation?
Um... Didn't you leave out a rather significant new contender?