choosing a new pda

Lisa,

First welcome to the group, hope you not only ask questions but add your 2 cents when you can.

I don't think you should base buying a phone solely on using while out of the country, you have to live with it rest of the year. I am say this again, I don't think REALTORS should ever buy the first release of a new Smartphone. Ask the folks who bought the Treo 600 or even better the Treo 700w. Even iPhone people are going hey I wish I would have waited for the one just released.

Please read below an article I wrote that has been pushed all over the internet;

Many folks have seen my "Everywhere is my Office" presentation either live or webinar. My goal is not to persuade anybody on what phone they should buy rather what features they should shop for to get the most out of their purchase. Some of the big features are does the phone work well, does it have email and data, can you load it with MLS info both static and live, does the organizer sync with your contact and time management software on your computer, what else is in the box, MP3 player, does the Microsoft bundle work on your Smartphone, can you print directly from your handheld, does it have a build in Financial Calculator, can you add 3rd party software to help you with your career and does your area use IR lockboxes.

Whew with that said there's more, are you color blind, have you used a PDA or Smartphone in the past and here's the biggest question you should ask before you;

Can you turn your Smartphone into a wireless modem giving you Internet access on your laptop any place in the country for free? Yep, not wireless rather pulling the data from the tower converting it to give you Internet anywhere. Can you say goodbye to wireless cards? Can you say goodbye to that $15 to $20 a month tethering fee.

A one time fee of $34 and you can buy a program which I bought 3 years ago and enjoy having your laptop on the web looking at full computer screen when doing open houses, showing homes and they say what about that house, staying in hotels that charge you $12.95 a day for Internet.

These are things I look for in my Smartphone, so next time somebody says I love my Smartphone give them the test to see if they are aware what functions and features that device offers.

Sorry for the run on sentences, my mind was in overdrive!

Dick Betts

National Speaker Real Estate

Dick,

Will PDAnet work with Blackberry's?

Debbie Redditt
Prudential Florida WCI
Palm City, Florida

Debbie,

PDA Net does not work on Blackberry or iPhones. Here's more info;

is one of the most popular software for Windows Mobile phones. This software allows your laptop (or desktop) to go online wirelessly by connecting it to your Windows Mobile Phone through the Sync cable, Bluetooth or even Wifi. PdaNet goes through the unlimited data plan on your phone and does not require any extra service. Supports almost all Windows Mobile phones including but not limited to the Treo series, Motorola Q series, Samsung i730/5800/Ace/Blackjack II or any HTC brand (6700/6800/Mogul/Touch/8525/Tilt). Simply download and install the software from your computer and it will be online within a few seconds.

And on the Palm OS side it works with;

Centro/Treo 755p/700p/680/650 (PalmOS 5.x versions),

Love this program, yes it's a little slower then an aircard, but at $34 one time fee until you die I can live with the slowness when I think about not paying $50 or more a month for the card.

Dick

Dick,

I have decided to postpone my pda decision until after my trip. I'll rent an international phone. My current pocketpc is windows based. It has an mp3 player and I access the mls on it, as well as getting both my personal and business email. It is also my calendar. I enjoy the touch screen because I used palm devices for a long time and I like using graffiti. My complaints are that the volume on the phone is lousy unlesss I use the bluetooth earpiece, the mp3 function doesn't work with the bluetooth earpiece and the battery doesn't last very long (not even 1/2 a day). Verizon replaced it last fall because it kept freezing up. Our board isn't using the IR lockboxes yet, but I understand that is going to change in the fall. I hadn't heard about pdanet until today but was looking for a device that I could use as a modem for my laptop and will now look to see what devices are compatible with PDANET. I am concerned about battery length if I am using it to connect my laptop to the internet. I vowed to never buy another palm product because I had so many problems with my treo 650 that Verizon replaced it 3 times. I had thought Blackberry was the way to go because everyone I know who has one has been happy with it. So I guess I am still trying to figure out which device will work best for me.

Lisa,

Good move on not rushing the purchase of a phone. Let's address your concerns one at a time. You can add Graffiti to Palm OS Smartphones for free, it's on my website. The volume issue can be corrected with an add on product called Volume Care, it's on my website. I carry and use a stereo Bluetooth Headset for my music, it's on my website. Battery life is a problem with any Smartphone due to the number of hours we use them, buy extra chargers including car chargers. The great thing about PDA Net is when you are connected to your laptop your Smartphone screen goes black so not using major amounts of battery. I can drain my laptop battery and only use 10% of the battery of the Smartphone.

You will not go thru phones like you did before because I will share with you information that when it crashes or loops you will have a way to test it to see why.

My goal is to improve your life and we can!

Dick