Smartphones

[gh]

Just seeing what the most popular type of smartphone OS is with Campus Dakota students...

[pmp6nl]

Windows Mobile for me

[Sal Atticum]

If I had a phone that was smart, I guess I would prefer Android since their application development platform is open, unlike some of the others. 

[Plantains]

I think it depends on what you want to do/what sort of product forced loyalty you have.

Example... my dad has been using "smart" things for nearly a decade in Palm Pilot. In our latest round of smart phone shopping I had been explaining to him that updating his palm software to use outlook was a waste because there is "better" technology that will more aptly unify his productivity. While he agreed that android/google is probably the "best" platform for him to use, there is no way to update his technology to a usable format within the android system without first going through windows and as such, something like the android phones just won't work for him.

That is, as it may be, one of Googles faults... that perhaps they've entered the market too late and will have low uptake to their technology, which speaking from having direct experience between mac and my droid... is at this exact time, superior.

[Meest]

Blackberry now. Did winmo and palm for a while.... Windows mobile 7 is looking KILLER though. I haven't done android yet because alltel doesn't offer any phones on that platform yet.

Looking forward to WINMO7 because of the data management.... I'm still more used to the layout of winmo than blackberry, but will admit for the corporate sector BB has their stuff together.

[pmp6nl]

I started with Windows Mobile because it was the best option at the time and integrated well with Windows.  It mostly does what I need, but of course there is always room in improvement.  I have no desire to use black berry, simply because I dont want to pay that extra $30/month or what not for their services.

I would be up for trying something else like Palm or Android, but right now windows mobile works for me.  Windows Mobile 7 does looks pretty sweet.

[Meest]

extra 30 a month?? I don't pay anything more for mine when i switched from winmo to BB?? Maybe its a provider thing??

[pmp6nl]

It must be a provider thing, who is your provider?

[Plantains]

Its $30 extra if you don't have a data plan and want one. Some providers trick you into thinking you HAVE to have one to get one of the phones. You don't. I could've bought my droid off of wirefly for the price of the phone (like 200 with the discounts) and renewed my contract with just the most basic package (ie not data) and been fine. But I wouldn't have been able to use ANY internet or marketplace or email etc over the 3G network or I would've been charged like 3 tribillion dollars. I could've just used wireless internet tho... but that defeated the purpose for me.

[Meest]

I have alltel. My single smart phone runs me like 75 a month (its split right now between 2 smart phones on the same plan... i'll have to do some math to see what it is solo... probably 85 or so.... not bad considering my monthly bill with verizon when i had them for just my normal phone and texting was like 65 with all the fee's and stuff....

Just did some math. Alltel has a 69.99 plan with 500 anytime minutes and 5-in calling (who calls more than that anymore I haven't used more than 250 anytime minutes in the last 4 years of my life) and you can cheat with google voice, if you really feel like a penny pincher.

so you throw the other fee's and FCC crap on there and its probably around 82 bucks... Which is not bad at all, for unlimited (True unlimited) data, text, and voice. not to mention I can tether to my lappy tops via bluetooth and get RevA speeds. so its pretty damn sweet.

[pmp6nl]

Some carriers use to do the $30 because that is what blackberry charges.. but its changing with some.

Right now I think Sprint has the best plan.  Its called Everything Data - with Any Mobile, Anytime.  Unlimited mobile to mobile any network, 450 mins to land lines,  unlimited texting, unlimited data, unlimited mms, tv/music,  and free roaming all for $69.99.  Plus if you are referred by someone (like me) we both get a $25 Visa giftcard.. you cant beat it.