The 81-day experiment

Case Studies: Treo 755p from Sprint, Nokia N95 used with Cingular, and HTC MTeoR also used with Cingular!

In these case studies, Antoine who has recently reviewed several smartphones, shares his experience with the Treo 755p from Sprint, the Nokia N95 used with Cingular, and the HTC MTeoR also used with Cingular (If you would like to contribute your case study, please e-mail it in the same format as shown below to the81dayexperiment@people-onthego.com with Case Study in the subject line).

Here is what Antoine reported about these devices starting with the Treo 755p

Manufacturer/Brand? Palm
Model? Treo 755p
Carrier? Sprint
Desktop Operating System? Windows XP

How do you rank the device and the related services in the following areas (rankings are 1 to 5, where 5 is the best)

Overall satisfaction? 3
Features? 4
Usability? 5
Compatibility with your desktop? 5
Technical support? not needed

Would you recommend this device to others who have similar needs to yours?

Yes (depending on price).

Your industry, size of your company, and role within your company?

Web development (5); writer (5)

What specific things do you like about the device and related services?

Device design and feel, user interface, battery life.

Which devices have you used in the past? Please list them starting with the most recent device and then going backward and answer the following questions about each of these devices:

Device Manufacturer/Model/Carrier? Treo 680 Unlocked but used with Cingular, Nokia N95 Unlocked but used with Cingular, HTC MTeor Unlocked but used with Cingular , Treo 650 Cingular; Treo 600 Cingular

How long did you use the device? 2 weeks

Why did you switch? Haven't switched yet ;)

Here is what Antoine reported about the Nokia N95

Manufacturer/Brand? Nokia
Model? N95
Carrier? Unlocked but used with Cingular
Desktop Operating System? Windows XP

How do you rank the device and the related services in the following areas (rankings are 1 to 5, where 5 is the best)

Overall satisfaction? 4
Features? 5
Usability? 4
Compatibility with your desktop? 5
Technical support? not needed

Would you recommend this device to others who have similar needs to yours?

Overwhelmingly, yes.

What specific things do you like about the device and related services?

Excellent camera (5 megapixels); very nice web browser; small size for all the features

What things don't you like or that can be improved and related services?

Better battery life; more usable/functional user interface

How long did you use the device? 1 month

Why did you switch? Haven't switched yet ;)

Here is what Antoine reported about the HTC MTeoR

Manufacturer/Brand? HTC
Model? MTeoR
Carrier? Unlocked but used with Cingular
Desktop Operating System? Windows XP

How do you rank the device and the related services in the following areas (rankings are 1 to 5, where 5 is the best)

Overall satisfaction? 3
Features? 4
Usability? 4
Compatibility with your desktop? 4
Technical support? not needed

Would you recommend this device to others who have similar needs to yours?

No.

What specific things do you like about the device and related services?

Excellent device weight; great screen; good camera; Today Screen

What things don't you like or that can be improved and related services?

user interface; handling of text and email messages

How long did you use the device? 1 month

Why did you switch? Haven't switched yet ;)

Thanks Antoine!

The Samsung BlackJack helping out with the menu

Oh well, why do you need a camera in a smartphone afterall? Yesterday, the camera of the Samsung BlackJack from Cingular came to the rescue at our favorite sushi place, and helped us capture the handwritten "specials" menu which was hanging on the wall next to the sushi bar, as we walked to our table. The wait staff went over the menu anyway, but the captured photo and the BlackJack zooming capabilities were the real savior. We were able to take our time to review the menu and make sure we didn't miss any new and unique items.

So if you're in the process of selecting a smartphone, and you're wondering on whether you need this camera or not, it is almost certain that you will have many good uses for it. Not necessarily capturing menus at restuarants, but maybe caputring company and product information at tradeshows and conferences, or whatever else is important to your business.

However, you want to keep in mind that some companies do not allow you to take your smartphone with you inside their premises if it has a built-in camera for security reasons--something to keep in mind as you make your smartphone selection.

Oh well again, the BlackBerry 8300 announced and released, now a BlackBerry for everyone

In the old days, it used to be that BlackBerry devices were bulky and not so good looking, and known to be for the "techies" (when they were mostly like pagers or large devices that took real technical expertise to setup). Then they became the smartphone of choice for the busy executives, and then with the introduction of the 7100 series, and the fact that they started to look more like phones rather than a piece of machinery, they appealed to broader audiences who are more "design" conscious. Finally with the Pearl, they really won the hearts of new market segments. Finally the 8800 recently, brought to the business world some of the cool enhancements that the Pearl introduced. And now with the 8300, the multi-media capabilities are taken a step further, and combined with a QWERTY keyboard that makes this small and light smartphone a serious contender to the business/social smartphone category I defined earlier (see the BlackBerry 8800 day #9 summary for more information about the categories), which was previously occupied by the Windows Mobile lineup, ranging from the Motorola Q, to the T-Mobile Dash, and recently the Samsung BlackJack.

And now, there is a BLackBerry for everyone

For the socially-active minimalist: The BLackBerry Pearl
For the strictly-business user: The BlackBerry 8800
For the business-minded socially-active multi-media-addict: The BlackBerry 8300

For more details, visit the BlackBerry 8300 press release.