Potential Q User

[AE1M]

Hello Q folk,

I am a Treo 650 (Verizon) user and have the opportunity to move to Q. It's always a tough decision moving to a new technology on a device you use so much. I understand I am moving from Palm OS to Win.

Wondering if there are others who switched and can comment about new features, or ones you miss from Treo?

I will use Goodlink for Outlook (company policy) but I also need a pop client for my personal mail, use Versamail on Treo (Outlook additional personality not an option here).

How about the phone, is the radio section as good as Treo and what's the user interface like.

Sure would like some reccomendations. We can move offline with discussion if you prefer.

Thanks,
B

[inf3st]

I'm not a treo convert but I do know someone has come out with a palm os emulator for smartphones that works with the Q.

[VTDr0p0ut]

I've always been a fan of the PalmOS (I think anyone that likes it will take it over Windows Mobile SmartPhone anyday). Coming from the 650, you might actually notice the RF frontend is a little better (time and technology can do wonders), but you might REALLY miss the touchscreen (although you probably find that you can navigate on the Q quicker than you could the 650 once you get used to it). The applications on the Q are not as robust as those available to Palm/PocketPC, but they are functional and get the job done. As far as connectivity, I dont' think I've used a better solution than the WirelessSync provided by VZW (free of charge). Unfortunately, Windows Mobile isn't blessed with the plethora of software options Palm is, so you will basically be stuch with Pocket Outlook as your e-mail client, both for personal and work. I'm not familiar with Goodlink, so I'm not sure if it will stick your e-mail in a folder/account different than "Outlook", but if not, everything would get jumbled together if you use WirelessSync. If you simply use the POP portion of Outlook, however, it will store it in a seperate folder for you.

[Pony99CA]

Originally Posted by VTDr0p0ut

Unfortunately, Windows Mobile isn't blessed with the plethora of software options Palm is, so you will basically be stuch with Pocket Outlook as your e-mail client, both for personal and work.

First, you mean that Windows Mobile Smartphone doesn't have all the software available that Palm does. I think Windows Mobile Pocket PC is right up there.

However, as the Q is a Smartphone, I assume that's what you meant. Personally, I find the Q E-mail client adequate for POP3 E-mail. You won't be able to view HTML mail, of course, but that can be a positive if you get lots of spam.

Steve

[VTDr0p0ut]

I meant Windows Mobile in general. My experience between a Treo 700w and a Palm Tungsten E, that I have always been able to find whatever I desired for the E, at a lower price (if not free), than for the 700w. If the app even existed for the 700w, it was $20 for an "applet" and $35 minimum for a decent application. I was always amazed by that simply because it is frighteningly easy to publish an application for the Windows Mobile platform (I say frighteningly easy due to some of the poor content that is published and *cough* sold for WM5). Of course, the tagline 'The statements above represent little-to-no factual content and are strictly the opinion of the author' should appear below all my posts....

On the point of no HTML support in Pocket Outlook... that is something I wish they would have implemented.... if nothing but limited support. I've always found it frustrating that Pocket IE has made such great strides in the last year, but Pocket Outlook remains one step above text-based e-mail (it does try to guess at a phone-number or hyperlink occasionally...)

but that can be a positive if you get lots of spam.

There is always the silver lining

[Pony99CA]

Originally Posted by VTDr0p0ut

I meant Windows Mobile in general. My experience between a Treo 700w and a Palm Tungsten E, that I have always been able to find whatever I desired for the E, at a lower price (if not free), than for the 700w. If the app even existed for the 700w, it was $20 for an "applet" and $35 minimum for a decent application.

Well, you should check out the Software Archives section of my site. There are links for sites dedicated to Pocket PC (and probably Smartphone) freeware.

If you didn't know about those sites, maybe you'll change your mind.

Steve

[swagner]

I am a 650 convert and there are a number of things I miss as well as a number of things I like better about the Q. Obviously I do not miss the size of the Treo as the Q size is very nice. The radio on the Q and the call quality is MUCH better. I can do everything on the Q that I did on the Treo (including editing Office documents as DocsToGo is now available for the Q).

Here's what I miss - The touchscreen was nice, especially for games and quick taps on an icon to something. The simplicity of the palm interface, I have to dig through things with many clicks on the Q. The wealth of free and affordable Palm software.

I listen to loads of music, watch full length movies using TCPMP (which is what I used on the palm anyway), email, document viewing and ocassional editing, take and view pictures, and keep a complex schedule synced with outlook. Oy yeah... and I make and recieve some phone calls too .

I would not go back to my Treo.

[Marvelous Merv]

Originally Posted by Pony99CA

Well, you should check out the Software Archives section of my site. There are links for sites dedicated to Pocket PC (and probably Smartphone) freeware.

If you didn't know about those sites, maybe you'll change your mind.

Steve

The fact is that there is nowhere NEAR as much software available for WM5 Smartphone as there is for Palm, or WM5-PPC. I have run into this issue in the past, and on other forums. One of my concerns in moving to the Q from a Treo 700p was that there wasn't going to be as much: a) software, b) freeware. And the truth is, there is not.

There are many people out there using WM5-PPC who don't understand the important differentiation (I am not suggesting that is the case with Pony) between WM5-Smartphone and WM5-PPC who pile onto a discussion string to say how much WM software is available. My personal experience is that there is NOT. I still haven't found a tide tool program or flight view program for WM5-Smartphone, though there are PPC programs that won't load on my Q.

That being said, while I miss a couple of my favorite Palm OS programs, I still like my Q. Pocket Outlook is nifty, PIE is better than Blazer on the Treo, Avantgo renders better on the Q than the Treo too.

[Pony99CA]

Originally Posted by Marvelous Merv

The fact is that there is nowhere NEAR as much software available for WM5 Smartphone as there is for Palm, or WM5-PPC.

Agreed, which is basically what I said in my first post here. The Pocket PC has tons of good software available, probably rivaling (if not surpassing by now) Palm.

Originally Posted by Marvelous Merv

There are many people out there using WM5-PPC who don't understand the important differentiation (I am not suggesting that is the case with Pony) between WM5-Smartphone and WM5-PPC who pile onto a discussion string to say how much WM software is available.

True. The Smartphone hasn't been around as long as the Pocket PC and probably hasn't been as popular (until the Q, Dash, StarTrek and BlackJack, at least), so there's not as much software.

Also, developing for the Smartphone is probably a steeper learning curve for Pocket PC developers who are used to touch screens (and bigger ones, at least before WM 2003 SE or WM 5).

With more cool Smartphones hitting the market, maybe we'll start seeing some of more applications for them. However, with a connected PDA, you're not as tied to installable applications as you are with a more basic PDA. You can easily visit Web sites which have similar information (tides or flights in your case).

Steve

[larsdennert]

Isn't verizon supposed to come out with a new phone? The scratchpad or something? Supposed to be thin like an open razr.