Rant & Raves

We are definitely spoiled by choice. There are thousands of electronic devices to help us to work better, communicate better, or just simply provide us with entertainment. I dare to admit that I love technology and I embrace them, and I love to try them out when they are newly launched.

Unfortunately, I have yet to find the perfect handphone for my taste.

Current Handphone: Nokia E61.

Dream Handphone: None.

I like the new Dopod 838 Pro, even thought it is running on Windows Mobile 5.0, but I find the design of the phone is functional and the sliding keypad/keyboard is a very nice touch. Yes, it can appear sluggish but it has 3G (with HSPDA), WiFi, Quad-Band, so it means I can use the phone wherever I go, except maybe Japan and Korea. Furthermore, it works extremely well with Microsoft Windows and Office products. Unfortunately, that’s exactly how it works; working best with Microsoft products but you will have tough luck to get it to work with non-Microsoft products.

I am using a MacBook so I won’t have any software available to ensure that I can synchronize my MacBook with Windows Mobile 5.0 products. Not to mention the most important feature at all: push e-mail. I am currently using Blackberry and I just can’t imagine how I can survive without push email anymore. The beauty of Blackberry is that you can use any POP3 email or IMAP mail, and it will work. You don’t need to pay that extra to change your mail server, unless you want to upgrade your server with BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Unfortunately, the same thing cannot be said on Microsoft Direct Push solution. You will need to implement the Microsoft Exchange Server, which will empty your wallet and you might need to hang on to bread and water for months.

How about some of the very nice phones that you see but do not come with WiFi? The reason behind this is that those phone manufacturers had mutual understanding with your local telco to push you, as their valued consumer, to spend more on their data. WiFi can be free on hotspots, so who doesn’t want to earn more revenue from you?

I understand the agenda of this and the companies just wanted to protect and promote their own products, but life is already filled with choices, and now this kind of choices are simply making our life more difficult. Why can’t someone just draft out a standard on how those device should work? Why can’t I synchronize a Windows Mobile 5.0 phone with my Macbook? Does that mean if I were to buy a Windows Mobile 5.0 phone, I shall change my laptop as well, and also upgrade my mailserver in order to use the Direct Push mail application? I don’t think that’s worth the money to simply switch to Windows Mobile 5.0 phones. Its too darn expensive.

I just wish someone could design something that will suit my taste and requirements, and the requirements are:-

• Small form factor - Must not be bulky. I don’t want to give the ladies the wrong impression when I put the phone in my pants pocket.
• Fast - I hate to wait for minutes, if not for hours, for an application to launch. It will be great if they have a 1GHz processor for phone.
• Blackberry - It must have blackberry (or other cheaper push email application)
• Connectivity - WiFi, 3G, EDGE, quad-band, and Bluetooth. It will be a god-send if it can do fax as well.
• Office Suit - It must be able to work on documents, be it word or excel.
• Personal Digital Assistant (or Personal Information Manager) - Yes, it must have good calendar, to-do list, appointments, etc, and it MUST be able to remind me of my mother-in-law’s birthday or else I’ll be cooked.
• Battery Life - It must have long battery life. I hate it when my phone died on me during mid-day, especially during an important call.

Camera is not that important to me, unless it has ultra high quality camera built-in that can totally replace my digital camera.

Currently Nokia E61 has a few shortcomings:-

1. Form Factor - it is on a big-bone structure, so long conversation can strain your hand.
2. Slow - Sometimes it can be a tad slow, especially when sending SMS and MMS.
3. Personal Digital Assistant / Personal Information Manager - The PIM function of the phone left a lot to be desired.
4. Handsfree - For some unknown reasons, when you are using Bluetooth headset, the Call Waiting just refuse to give you any form of alert, so I have shitloads of missed-calls whenever I am on the phone.

But it has fantastic connectivity (WiFi, 3G, EDGE, Bluetooth, etc), and it has Blackberry which works flawlessly. The best part is of course the battery life, which could last me at least 2 days without recharging and I am a heavy user.

Now I just wish somoene could read the above and come up with something that will fulfill my dreams.