Slashdot Mirror
The Ultimate Phone/PDA?
P800guy writes "Psion Place has a review of the SonyEricsson P800 available in Q3, this looks to be the best PDA/phone combined in the world. Running Symbian OS v7.0, 208x320 color touchscreen, triple-band GSM compatible, Multimedia Messaging (MMS), Bluetooth, GPRS always-on internet connection,
built-in digital camera, support for HTML, xHTML, Java, iMode, WAP, Word, Excel, PPT. Check out the pictures,
open, closed.
In the US it'll work on Voicestream,
ATT Wireless, and Cingular just don't expect it to be offically supported from day 1 of release." Getting closer- now if it just had a few gigs of memory for MP3s ;)
I was on the beta testing team of the next-generation Nokia Communicator which also uses Symbian OS v7.0. It was pretty snappy and responsive and the hardware is sleek, but I was less than impressed by the 'office software' capabilities: In their attempt to support proprietary Microsoft formats they've neglected to offer export filters for open file formats. For example, the word processor can only export Microsoft .DOC, not .RTF or even .TXT. Similarly, the spreadsheet can only export .XLS and not CSV or tab-separated data. This is a step backwards, IMO, but sadly I doubt that few mainstream users will complain. It's just a bit ironic that even the office software counterparts in Microsoft Windows CE offer file filters for 'open standard' formats -- why can't Symbian?
On GDC (Game Developers Conference) I saw this thing demonstrated and had time to play with it.
:)
Its small, smaller than the image suggests. Its fast, screen is awesome. The biggest worry "running time on one battery charge" couldn't be answered, the guys said the hardware wasn't final they had.
Also the flip cover with the keys simply presses the touchscreen below it. Advantage: saves hardware, disadvantage: flimsy plastic look on the back and the display has to be fully powered all the time.
They showed Lord of the Rings as MPG on it and demonstrated some PC-Phone connection stuff which looked pretty polished.
This is a phone for me, can't wait
The register has another review that's a little more in-depth...
The new zaurus keyboard on their latest is, imo, much more useful. I realize this is a 'phone' with PDA capabilities second, but it seems that these things are converging more quickly and if someone would keep all capabilities equal (PDA v phone v whatever else) the ultimate handheld device would be the outcome.
creation science book
You mean this one?
I wonder what functions the API will provide access to? One of my peeves with 3G (or near 3G) devices is the inability to programatically control the telephony functions of the device. For example it would be very desirable to be able to filter incoming calls. Particularly all the phone spam that these devices are going to be magnets for. If this device would allow for this then that would be *very* cool. At any rate, I want one!
Fighting in the domestic entertainment appliance arena today are:
Microsoft:
XBox - success uncertain
Other attempts at (non-hardware) domestic entertainment products
MSN - dissapointing - not very profitable - failed to unseat AOL
Microsoft Bob - 'domestic OS' - laughable failure
Pocket PC operating system for phones and PDAs - moderate success, not a significant revenue generator yet
Various TV/cable ventures - moderate success or failure
Microsoft games - successful and profitable
Sony
TVs, music systems, VCRs, DVD players etc - very successful globally over many years
Sony Walkman, personal stereos, mini-disc players - very successful globablly over many years
PlayStation 1 and 2 - very successful worldwide
Mobile phones - increasingly successful collaboration with major service providers
Other domestic ventures (not hardware):
Sony entertainment products (movies, record lables), generally successful or very successful over many years.
Who would you bet on winning in the domestic appliance ring - the 900lb gorrilla or Godzilla?
Look at the number pad on your keyboard, and then look at the number pad on your phone. They're opposite. The keyboard starts at the bottom and works it's way up, while the phone starts at the top and works down.
Each are standard in their own field; You'll never find a keyboard with a phone-style pad and you'll never find a phone with a keyboard-style pad, but they're opposite from eachother. When I finally get a computer/phone combination, what kind of pad will it have? And who was the monkey that allowed these standards to differ so drastically?
Sam
-
to have phone numbers duplicated and eventually get out of sync between those in a PDA and those in a phone;
-
to carry two things around rather than one.
If I'm going to carry a PDA around anyway, which is larger than most cell phones, adding cell-phone functionality to it doesn't make it any/much larger than the PDA.I also don't understand my so many people want microscopic-sized phones. Sure, they're kind of cute; but the buttons and screens are so damned small. Also, one's home/land-line phone is "normal phone sized" so why insist on much smaller cell phones?
I take my Kyocera QCP-6035 with me everywhere and use it more as a PDA than a phone. I use it in the supermarket (HandyShopper), the gym (thinkDB2), and other places.But those times when either I need to make a call or the select few people who have my cell number need to get a hold of me, it's great. In the Address Book app, I also keep store hours so I can know if they're open before I bother to call.
The phone even does a number look-up in the Address Book app for the caller's name when no caller-ID information is transmitted. Nice touch.
Not when it comes to the Address Book app where there is lots of overlap. The Speed Dial app also links to the numbers in the Address Book. Again, nice touch. Fine: that's your choice. Nobody is putting a gun to your head.If you reply, do so only to what I explicitly wrote. If I didn't write it, don't assume or infer it.
Its got Java so yes you can program apps for this phone. The java will be the J2me edition.
/b
[Please type your sig here.]
Just bought one of these ingenious gadgets for my T39:u lt.asp ?VareID=355
http://www.wanna-save.dk/specialtilbud/defa
Price: About $50.
I plan on buying a P800 ASAP (MP3 or not - it ROCKS) and sent SONY-Ericsson a letter asking about MP3 support, they answered:
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for contacting Sony Ericsson,
With regard to your enquiry, the P800 does not have a built in MP3 player.
Details of compatibility with accessories are not currently available.
For further available information regarding this product you should log onto
our website www.sonyericsson.com
Should you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to
contact us.
Kind regards
Mike Rowlands
SonyEricsson Customer Support
Telephone: 08705 237 237
Fax: 0845 300 2439
Email: questions.gb@sonyericssonmobile.com
-----Original Message-----
Sent: 23 April 2002 18:49
To: questions.gb@support.sonyericsson.com
Subject: Contact form CWS
Product: MP3 Handsfree HPM-10
Opinion: Buying a HPM-10 I wonder: Will it work with the P800 or will the
P800 have a more practical builtin MP3 capabilities and a flashmemory
expansion slot of sorts? (yes, I can actually imagine listening to music
during a boring meeting).
Thanks
Best regards.
I've seen computer keyboards that are designed for use in call centres where workers can dial out via the modem in the cvomputer & the computer's in effect also gets used as a phone.
When used with the dialer software the number pad changes to the phone layout, while otherwise it uses the standard PC keyboard layout.
To add to the confusion the keys have both numbers on it.
So for example the '7' key has a little grey '1' printed on it next to where the '7' is printed, & 'home' is printed underneath. While the '8' key has a little grey '2' printed next to where the '8' is printed, & also has the up arrow printed on it to. Etc, etc.