In late 2006, Palm’s Treo 700w received a quiet upgrade to the 700wx, which has the same design and runs the same OS but contains enhancements under the hood. Most notable is the RAM upgrade: With 48MB after a hard reset, the 700wx (available from Sprint) gives the user double the amount of program memory that the 700w does, which goes a long way toward making the new Treo quicker to refresh screens and generally more responsive.

My few criticisms of this device, like my gripes about other Windows Mobile-based Treos, revolve around the unit’s unintuitive interface and the excessive number of taps and button presses required to launch any program that isn’t reachable from the Today home screen. The 700wx includes the usual complement of Mobile Office applications. You can handle e-mail perfectly serviceably through Mobile Outlook; but as with the 700w and other Treos, typing on the 700wx’s keypad becomes an unpleasant chore because the keys are slightly too big, too stiff, and too close together.

The 700wx resembles other Treos in its phone capabilities. Its voice quality is average, but it performs nicely as a speakerphone or with the included headset. With a talk time of 5 hours, 28 minutes in our lab test, the 700wx’s battery life is subpar, but similar to that of other Treos we’ve tested.

At $500, the 700wx carries the same price as the 700w. Of the two, I definitely prefer the 700wx.

If you’re a fan of the Palm OS, you don’t have many options in PDA phones–basically, your choice is between the Treo700p and the Treo 680. (The Treo 680 wasn’t ready in time for us to test it for this story.Years of refinement have molded the 700p into an intuitive and useful PDA phone. Setting up and accessing e-mail is painlessly simple, whether you are tapping at the screen with the stylus or using the navigation controls to get around. Only the lack of a thumbwheel makes the Treo at all frustrating to use, though people with large fingers may find the keyboard somewhat cramped.

Like all Treos, the 700p feels a bit unwieldy during extended conversations, but its audio quality is fine and the speakerphone is exceptional. Talk-time battery life is on the weak side, however, at just 4 hours, 59 minutes in our lab tests.

The great software bundle includes a trial version of Documents to Go for file viewing and editing, the Pocket Tunes music player, and more. Overall, the 700p is a great little–well, not that little–PDA phone, especially if you’re a fan of the Palm OS.

Focused more on fun than on work, the neet T-Mobile Dash is a device designed to appeal to the Sidekick set. Though it resembles the Motorola Q, this candy-bar-style phone is rubberized, rounded, and in general made friendlier for riding along in a pocket when you hit the road.

Unfortunately, the Dash lacks some key software components. The handset includes Wi-Fi, and its e-mail works well, but it has little in the way of office applications, bundling only the ClearVue suite for viewing–but not editing–documents. Typing on the cramped keyboard is tricky, too, as the tiny buttons feel mashed together.

As an entertainment-oriented gadget, the Dash is a hit, with a standout media player and a microSD expansion slot so you can add music to the device. But as a phone, despite lasting 10 hours in our battery tests, it has faults. Calls are loud and clear, but dialing them is difficult: Unlike every other smart phone, the Dash lacks an on-screen dialpad for dialing digits by their letter alternatives. Whoops!

Hollywood’s “it” phone is now in its third revision. The Sidekick 3 packs an impressive set of features, headlined by a suite of easy-to-use e-mail, text messaging, and Web browsing applications.

As a phone, the Sidekick 3 is a bit bulky and difficult to hold for long, and you have to flip it open to dial a call. But its speaker is clear and loud. The Sidekick 3 turned in an excellent talk-time battery life of 9 hours in our lab tests. Navigating with the unit’s light-up trackball is a pleasure–you may never want to use a thumbwheel again.

Features new to the Sidekick 3 include a music player (which handles only MP3 files) and a faster CPU. The camera has been upgraded to a resolution of 1.3 megapixels, and you can expand storage beyond the included 64MB via a miniSD card.

Ultimately, the Sidekick 3’s Achilles’ heel is attributable to T-Mobile: In lieu of a genuine 3G network, the company continues to offer its roughly 120-kbps EDGE network as its fastest service. Compared with phones that use a 3G network, the Sidekick 3 feels dated (and decidedly slower). And lacking Wi-Fi, the $350 phone gives you no way to bypass the cell network to take advantage of the device’s otherwise sweet Internet capabilities. It’s too bad, because the performance shortcomings really hamstring the Sidekick 3’s usefulness.

At first glance the Nokia E70 doesn’t look like a PDA phone at all: It’s an unassuming candy-bar-style handset, with a smallish screen and a tiny numeric keypad. But flip the keypad up, and the E70 reveals its hidden charms–namely, a unique QWERTY keyboard, half of which falls on the right of the screen and the other half on the left.

Overall, the E70’s audio quality is about average, and dialing with the miniature buttons on the keypad can be tricky. Talk-time battery life in our tests was quite impressive, at 9 hours, 52 minutes.

But the Symbian-based E70 is more than a cell phone. Its spacious keyboard invites delving into the device’s substantial data features. The handset offers standard e-mail support, a full collection of Symbian’s office-document viewers and editors, and Web browsing (via GPRS/EDGE or Wi-Fi).

The phone has a full complement of entertainment features, too. The included MP3 player works perfectly well, but the 2-megapixel camera is the real standout, producing excellent images.

Unfortunately, the Symbian OS isn’t up for all the things this phone wants to do. Screen refreshes took ages, and switching applications was slow. Even worse: The unit has no HSDPA 3G support.

The E70 is compatible with Cingular and T-Mobile networks, but neither carrier offers it yet. An unlocked handset will cost you $450.

It’s almost inconceivable that a handset as svelte as the Motorola Q could be a fully functioning PDA phone, and an awfully good one at that.

This $200 phone weighs a mere 4.2 ounces and is just 1.45 inches thick, and it slips into practically any pocket. It’s easy on the eyes, too, with a bright 2.5-inch display and a 1.3-megapixel camera. Its keyboard–which ranks among the best QWERTY thumb-keyboards I’ve ever used–feels spacious.

The unit’s familiar thumbwheel makes navigating through long e-mail messages and Web pages a breeze. Unfortunately, the Q lacks key office applications that other phones provide, so you’ll have to upgrade if you intend to edit documents while you’re on the road. Without Wi-Fi, the Q relies on Verizon’s EvDO network to send bits, but to me this 3G network felt terribly slow in actual use.

As a phone, the Q is easy to hold and simple to dial, but its speaker is fairly quiet. Talk-time battery life was mediocre in our formal tests, at just 5 hours, 38 minutes. Nevertheless, for users who want access to e-mail without incurring the bulk of a business-focused device, the Q is worth a look.

The newcomer to the PDA phone (Nokia E62) scene has quickly emerged as a top contender thanks to a bevy of features and an impressive keyboard. Available from Cingular, this handset lacks high-speed HSDPA support (though it does support EDGE) and has a few interface quirks, but it’s one of the most capable PDA phones on the market.

The biggest draw of the E62 is its roomy keyboard: It’s one of the most spacious arrangements I’ve ever seen on a candy-bar handset, with wide, flat keys that are beautifully sized and spaced. Setting up e-mail is a breeze, the E62 handles attachments with aplomb, and its included office suite lets you view and edit documents easily.

As a phone, the E62 is on the quiet side, so you may have trouble hearing your callers. Dialing is easy, however, and the unit is comfortably light to hold. Talk-time battery life is excellent, reaching the 10-hour maximum in PC World’s lab testing. An MP3 player and a headset are also bundled.

My few complaints center on features that the E62 lacks: It has no camera and no 3G service. The Symbian OS is surprisingly sluggish, too; I found myself hitting commands several times, thinking that the button presses hadn’t registered, when in reality the E62 was just processing them slowly.

Otherwise, it’s a stellar little device. Factor in its reasonable $200 price (Note: All prices in this story are with a two-year contract, before any rebates), and the E62 comes out number one on our chart.

Just about every cell phone maker now offers a PDA phone–and my, how they’ve grown. No longer just workhorses for high-powered professionals, PDA phones offer more versatility than ever, with many models boasting a high-quality camera, media players, and full-color Web browsing capabilities.

We looked at the latest crop of PDA phones to see which ones were at the top of their game. But what separates a regular cell phone from a PDA phone, anyway? Many cell phone vendors claim that their offerings are “smart phones,” meaning phones that can access e-mail. For our review, however, we set out some basic criteria that each phone had to meet. First, it had to come with a full QWERTY keyboard (which meant that some impressive devices such as the BlackBerry Pearl failed to make the cut); second, it had to run an operating system capable of supporting at least some basic productivity applications.

PDA phones have a huge range of capabilities, and selecting a handset means weighing the features you care about most. First consider how well the device handles calls. PDA phones are bigger and bulkier than standard cell phones, but they should still be comfortable to hold against your ear. Also look for a device that meets your needs. If you want to edit documents, don’t buy a BlackBerry; it lets you view documents, but its OS has no editing applications. And don’t forget that some QWERTY keyboards are roomier than others.

High-speed data access, commonly known as third-generation or 3G service, is yet another important issue to weigh. The technology can provide transfer rates of 350 kilobits per second or more, approaching wired-broadband speeds. This kind of performance can be crucial if you send large files via e-mail or spend a lot of time browsing the Web on your phone. Sprint’s and Verizon’s 3G network is called EvDO, while Cingular’s is known as HSDPA. Both Cingular and T-Mobile offer EDGE service–a 2.5G data network (not a true 3G service) that commonly reaches about 100 kbps.

Keep contracts to one year and charge less for an ETF. Or how about prorating ETFs so the longer we stay with the contract, the less the fee becomes? If that means we pay more for our phones, then so be it. And don’t make us sign a new contract when we do something as simple as sign up for a new service feature.

Once in a while carriers can cut you a break for moving into an area where they don’t have coverage but even that’s not a firm guarantee. Carriers reserve the right to end your contract prematurely if they cut service in your area so customers should have the same right. To suggest otherwise is ridiculous and frankly a bit petty.

Last October, some Sprint customers were able to leave their contracts without an ETF after the carrier upped its text-messaging rate. The customers cited a clause in the contract that allowed premature termination due to a “material change in service.” In the future carriers should be more flexible about significant service changes and let people out of their contracts when they’re affected adversely.

I always get the sense that when you call a carrier with a problem, customer service representatives are reading from a script that doesn’t allow for any deviation from the standard company line. Reps should be allowed to think creatively and have the power to decide when customers can leave a contract.

Here’s an idea. Sell us unlocked phones with a one-year contract. Yes, this would only apply to GSM users, but at least they could take their phone with them when they want to move on.

Consumers should understand that ETFs aren’t going away and they should be honest when trying to get out of them. On the other hand, the industry should accept that the public isn’t happy with exorbitant ETFs. So instead of trying to educate the government on how great they are, perhaps they should talk to consumers instead. Also, while I agree with the CTIA’s position that having 50 states trying to regulate ETFs won’t help the situation, some federally imposed limitations won’t be the death of the industry.

It should come as no surprise that the cell phone industry has a lot of people in Washington, D.C., looking after it. Granted, lobbyists haven’t been too popular lately with the public thanks to Jack Abramoff, but that hasn’t stopped industry organizations such as CTIA from representing the interests of carrier and manufacturers. Last week, I spoke with CTIA CEO and President Steve Largent and Executive Vice President Bobby Franklin. We spent much of our meeting discussing early-termination fees (ETFs). I’m not a fan of ETFs–and I’m certain my readers agree–but they’ll be around for a long time if the industry gets its way.

I’d bet that cell phone users who favor early-termination fees are like travelers who always choose the middle seat on airplanes: They simply don’t exist. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see why ETFs are the bane of most mobile users. They lock customers into a carrier for two long years and penalize them as much as $200 when they try to switch. But here I go telling you something you already know, so let’s look at how the industry views them instead.

The CTIA contends that ETFs benefit consumers because they allow carriers to offer phones and plans at a lower monthly price. “ETFs are a means of holding customers to the ‘bargain’ they made with their carrier,” said a recent CTIA position paper. “They allow carriers to offer their most attractive rate plans to their customers who commit to a specific term.” The paper also pointed out that ETFs are “a common practice in many industries.”

While I dismiss the “everyone is doing it so why can’t we?” argument immediately, I have to admit the first point isn’t so cut and dry. Consumers may hate ETFs, but I think many don’t realize ETFs (and contracts) are one reason why they’re able to get a free phone in the first place. Personally, I’d rather pay more for a phone than be locked into a contract, but I’m not so sure every other cell phone owner would concur. Largent admitted that many consumers don’t see cell phone carriers for what they are: for-profit companies competing to make the most money rather than a public utility providing service because they have to. “People don’t understand we are not a utility,” he said. “We’re a highly competitive industry.” Yet I think there has to be some give from both sides. Yes, the carriers have the right to make money, but they also need to provide friendlier practices that allow more freedom. And yes, consumers should be able to switch providers more frequently, but they may have to say goodbye to free phones. So can we have our cake and eat it, too? Here’s how carriers and consumers can help.

The IPhone frenzy described in part1 was meant to enlighten people regarding the hypnotic psychedelic media frenzy over the past months. Other Giant manufactures like Palm, BlackBerry or Symbian offer a large variety of professional phones designed for business related issues. These phones provide certain freaky features that the IPhone does not offer in its official release packages. On the waiting list there is support for Exchange and Domino servers, and the ability to edit and view Office documents.

Have I managed to frighten you just yet?

So in part I’ve told you about the Safari desktop browser feel, relatively the only one to appear on a phone. But very strict enhancements which do not include the necessary plug-ins, players, Java support, Windows Media, Real or Flash Video. Even the included YouTube feature won’t allow you to watch all videos posted of the catalog.

How long will the iPhone battery survive? Its developers say for about 250 of idle time, up to 8 hours of talk time, up to 6 hours of Internet Playback, and up to 24 hours of audio playback. 8 Hours of talk time? Is this a joke? Executives say absolutely not, the feature being achieved by turning off a certain Wi-Fi feature. Although Apple didn’t make it quite clear on what technique they relied on to achieve an outstanding 8 hours of talk time, let us hope they overwhelm other competitor products.

If by chance, your iPhone’s battery hits about 6.5 minutes per charge or something weird happens to the battery, you might want to consider sending your iPhone for a look see.

If you’re an MSN, AIM, GAIM, IM freak and want to stay connected at all time, iPhone is not the path to choose from. You are limited to SMS messages.  

So the bottom line: Everyone wants an iPhone, almost all technology freaks are curious regarding its maximum capabilities.

What are you waiting for? Don’t be troubled about the 2-4 weeks waiting list.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.

iPhone is now available after 2 long years of excruciating pain and development.

What the hell. I might join in to see what the fuss is all about.

The grotesque frenzy imposed by the media and Apple manufactures regarding the recent release of the IPhone, has made me consider IPhone’s drawbacks. Before purchasing a product, certainly one of the season’s most highlighted software, you should find out about it. What advantages and disadvantages are imposed? Here’s a quick view.

Today with fabulous 3G technologies that deliver data at several hundred kbps, Apple has made the decision not to support the AT&T UMTS-HSDPA 3G network. This seems a little bit peculiar, considering IPhone’s long investment in the data browsing technology. Basically AT&T has taken into consideration potential issues that might occur during recent announced upgrades. Nevertheless, it’s a well know issue that IPhone supports Wi-Fi, which definitely makes web downloads more flexible.

 A certain online petition of protest had invaded the Apple environment, concerning limited 3^rd party apps. Now users can create apps that run in Safari. First of all, these apps may be kind of unstable considering IPhone’s network connection. Second, who in their right minds writes in Safari?

iPhone’s soft keyboard keys with its implacable screen may seem like the typical walk in the park for almost everyone, but for those who have their work cut out with PDA units, it may seem quite difficult at first.

Now let’s talk about the price. The monstrous prices announced by the executives of Apple seemed a little bit rash to me: $500 for a 4GB model and $600 for 8GB. Come on, are we joking or what? You’ll have to make a two-year commitment to AT&T at a per-month cost that starts at $60. If you’re in the midst of a prior two-year commitment with a competing carrier, your cost of iPhone ownership could be further inflated by the early termination penalty you’ll pay your current carrier. Now that doesn’t bother me that much, but what happens if you want to buy another brilliant piece of software technology (which may come out in the following years) which is better that the iPhone?

The now popular ITunes, the award winning digital software, can now be found under Mac and Windows. Mac clients receive the same benefits as Windows users, with the same music catalog, personal rights from various music Giants. The new features include over 1 million songs, features including more than 200 free internet radio stations, burning custom playlists to CD’s and MP3 CDs, burning DVDs or creating smart playlists. The last version of software enables easy navigation by album covers, high tech movies and certain backup options. Last but not least, version 7.3 supports IPhone.

The newest enhancements available with version7+ are quite lovely. Now finding your videos and music can be done quite easily, with benefits by flipping through CDs in style. With the attachment of full length movies at the ITunes Store, customers can now see DVD quality movies at a 640×480 resolution.

If you have a stable internet connection, you can easily download movies in about a half hour. The newest version of ITunes provides music purchase at a higher quality.

Features that have been part of the older versions of ITunes are seemingly the same. This includes CD burning, label printing, multiple format file ripping, network sharing, the professional ITunes Store and IPod integration.

Now available in newer versions are parental controls, appealing shuffle features or integrated pod casts.

There are some problems installing the product on Windows Vista, telling the customers that VBScript is not installed. This can be a terrible drawback for people who can’t find their way through Apple forums for more additional setup help. So if you want to install ITunes on Windows Vista, here are the paces to take:

1 - Click on the start menu (Windows orb)

2 - Click “All Programs”

3 - Click “Accessories”

4 - RIGHT CLICK on “Command Prompt”

5 - Click “Run as Administrator”

6 - Select “Continue” from the dialog box

7 - In the command prompt, type regsvr32 vbscript.dll

8 - A message will alert that the dll was registered successfully

9 - Close the message and close the command prompt

10 - Install iTunes

If you’re music fanatic and you want the best in media player quality, ITunes is the way to go.

For common individuals who are willing to sacrifice a little bit of space and compromise on sound quality, there is always a single speaker system that can be mounted above or below of a TV, creating a simulated surround system. Some manufactures provide over 20 speakers incorporated in a case, reflecting the sound off adjacent wall, for producing the sublime illusion of rear surround.

Remote controls are/ and should be an integral part of your home theater system. Universal remotes from giants like Sony or Logitech can solve much of the confronted remote problems so far. Various companies build furniture with motorized lifts, so that your LCD or plasma screen can be retracted when not in use. Also some companies offer flat screen mounting by an appealing technique, so that when the TV is on, it remains visible, and when it’s off, it disappears behind the mirror.

Taking full advantage of the technology available in stores is something hard to come by. Without the professional help of some authorized personal you may risk over-populating your living room. This is totally unacceptable. By not ending up storing more and more unnecessary gear, be sure to take a look of what companies can offer you at a fairly reasonable price.

If you want to go all the way, a little bit insane, I suggest contacting someone specialized in that area, to give you classy recommendations.

Whatever decorative frames or utilities you may want to store into your living room, be aware that sound/ picture quality comes first.

Be down to earth, aggressive and insightful when it comes to tuning up your home theater system.

The home theater system’s gear can be mounted quite conveniently if you know the limits of your living room. Racks and stands are quite popular and they can provide exactly what you’re looking for.

For hiding any cable, you can conceal it with tops of furniture. Different Giant manufactures offer a large display of systems that can store your flat screen TV on the top side and electronics on the lower side. You can choose from a large variety of offers. It’s strictly your decision to make.

Though it’s almost impossible to base your home theater system on the type of furniture desired that can fit perfectly, all is not lost. The vast majority of people do not own a wide living room for storing that kind of entertainment devices. The most acceptable solution is that you “pimp” your home theater system, by specifying all the necessary details regarding space, technology required, the number of units etc. And you’ll find out that it’s well worth it, personalizing your home theater system rather than deluding yourself with all sorts of contraptions and freaky combinations.

Relatively tiny speakers are the way to go. For a great high quality LCD screen we need top speakers. Manufactures had answered our calls of despair by creating low-profile speakers, some designed to perfectly unite with flat screen displays. You can easily store the subwoofers anywhere you want depending on your ability to compromise.

However, rear surround speakers are often a bit of a problem, considering the fact that they must be mounted at a certain height for the maximum sound quality. A good option would be, mounting in-wall speakers.