Re: Which 'phone, which plan ... ?

["patrick_o_matic" <patrick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Behalf Of
> Chris Hunter
> Sent: 25 November 2006 11:50
> Cc: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject: [ukha_d] Which 'phone, which plan ... ?
>
>
>
> All this talk about Vario II has made me look into changing ... for
the
> network, T-mobile do seem to be ahead of the game, with Flext &
> Web'n'Walk at quite reasoanble prices ... can't decide though between
> Vario II, Blackberry 8100, and Nokia E61 ... with there was a Palm
> option (Treo 680, say) ...

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Ian Lowe" <ianlowe@...> wrote:
>
> On the straight merits of the device, I would have to say Vario II -
it
> remains the best phone I have ever seen.

[snip]

> Best bet is going to be trying to find somewhere that will demo
these things
> for you.

Flext+web'n'walk is a great tariff for anybody who uses data more than
occasionally - the best on the UK market today, in my opinion. But be
aware that t-mobile's coverage is very town-centre centric, and
coverage in the sticks is generally patchy.

My advice would be to think about how you want to use the device. For
example, if one handed operation is important to you, that may
influence your choice.

If you intend to browse the web whilst commuting, the demands placed
on the device are quite different from those involved in being static
at one location. Some are more persistent or tentative than others in
terms of retaining an open connection.

If the content you browse is AJAX rich, javascript rich or uses
"unusual" layouts, it may not be compatible with your browser.
For
commonly accessed content, I would also recommend Opera's
mini-browser, which is a free download whilst in beta. It reformats
the code, but strips a lot of junk in the process. As an example, a
133k Transport for London page is reduced to 4k. (Thanks to image
rationalisation and pre-processing of CSS). That makes for a much
snappier end-user experience in general, albeit with a slightly
rearranged page layout and content.

If you are looking for faithful rendition of web pages, the mozilla
derived E61 browser is very, very good. It also a little slow.
Although there is nothing stopping you mixing and matching with Opera
mini.

The blackberry is a bit of a curved ball - web browsing is not a
particular blackberry strength, but the e-mail client is best of breed
in my opinion. Battery life is pants for heavy users, especially if
you need a long talk time, but at least you can recharge it via USB.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the E61's form factor - it slips
nicely into a pocket - and for my needs, it is the best nokia phone I
have used by a long, long way. It suits *my* needs far better than the
Vario, but it *is* a very personal choice.

Hope this helps - this post has turned into a "how long is a piece of
string" kind of response, but as Ian says, if possible do try and
evaluate the different choices, and make sure the device you choose
fits with the way you intend to use it.

Patrick



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