I had almost convinced myself that I needed an iPhone but talked myself out of it. Instead, I compromised with a Smartphone/PDA. I played with the iPhone and Palm Treo before deciding on the BlackJack II. The deciding factor was that I could not get insurance on the other two models. That is key since I have two children. Here’s the breakdown one week down the road. SCREEN: 2.4”, good color/graphics. It is not a touch-screen like iPhone or Palm but that was not a deal breaker. It has an iPod-like navigation ring that works well. SOFTWARE: Comes with Windows Mobile 6, IE Mobile, Office Mobile (Word, Excel, PowerPoint – view only), Media Player, etc. Also has some other features that you can try for 3 days and purchase later. I downloaded Google Maps for free instead of purchasing the GPS Telenav upgrade. AUDIO: Plays MP3s (what doesn’t). It doesn’t have a standard headphone jack so you have to buy the Samsung headset ($40*) or an adapter ($20*) *AT&T in-store prices. VIDEO: Plays WMV, MP4 and maybe more (that’s all I’ve tried.) It doesn’t play 24 FPS smoothly but it’s visible. KEYPAD: Full QWERTY pad. The buttons are tiny but workable. The email functions pretty well. There is a Message Center that can track your text messages and emails on a single screen. Also works with Outlook. ETC: It’s Bluetooth ready. It will exchange info with a Palm PDA (I have a Tungsten E2) via Bluetooth. Decent web browser (IE Mobile). Not Wi-Fi but I added an unlimited web plan for $20/month. The battery doesn’t last very long because the backlight and web browsing is power intensive (and I play with it constantly). PRICE: $99 (after rebate and with extended plan, of course). BOTTOM LINE: For the money (if you don’t want to drop $400 on an iPhone) it’s pretty good. I still like the Palm Treo but without the insurance, my kids would certainly destroy it.
I had a BlackJack (first model) - I was disappointed that it did not survive the "Full Cycle Washing Machine while Turned On" test, but aside from that, I loved the phone. I ended up getting a Palm Treo to replace it (because I didn't insure it), and I think I prefer the Palm. I don't think I could do without the touch screen now that I'm accustomed to it.
I am pretty sasified with my blackberry 8830. It doesnt have the touch-screen, but the service is outstanding and the web capabilities are pretty good as well. The battery life is really good, compared to the Q I used to have. Plus with the blackberry, and an associated server, I dont have to use vzsync for my email. It's lightning fast when sending or receiving. Unlike the Q (or any verizon phone) that needed the Wireless Sync to send emails, which could take up to 4 hours to 'sync'.
I with you. The insurance issue was the only thing that kept me from the Treo. I find myself reaching for the screen on the Blackjack to tap an icon.
Does work not pay for yours? I like the touch screen as well, but since I dont pay, I take what they gives. Im not a big fanboy of Palm software anyway. It would be nice if the BB had a touch screen and a firefox version of browsing software.
