Smart Phones and PDAs

<p>The <a href="http://www.wirelessgalaxy.com/mobilephones/nokia-brand.asp">nokia E90</a> communicator is the latest addition to the communicator line started by Nokia almost 10 years ago, but unlike its predecessors, it has the type of features that are both fun and practical. It is equipped with a
  3.0 mega pixel camera with autofocus lens and VGA video recording, full GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, good multimedia and the latest versions of the Symbian OS (9.2) and Series 60 3rd edition Feature Pack 1.
 
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The i Phone is the first mobile phone by Apple and has various features including a camera, media player and an array of Internet services. It is the combination of an iPod, a mobile phone and a portable Internet device.  The iphone will be available in two models. The first being a 4 GB model that costs US$499 and an 8 GB model which US$599.   

Palm CEO Ed Colligan today announced the company is canceling its Foleo smartphone companion “in its current configuration.” Palm has decided to concentrate its efforts on its next generation software platform, the Linux-based system the company has been discussing and developing for some time. Palm wants to present a unified user experience regardless of form factor. When the new platform is finally launched, Palm may decide to resurrect the Foleo running the new OS.

Today Palm unveiled an email and browsing device that will compliment its Treo line of smartphones. The Foleo, which looks like a laptop, runs a Linux operating system and features instant-on and 5 hours of battery life. In addition to an email application and browser, it will include basic Word, Excel and PowerPoint editing. The Foleo has a 10-inch screen, full-size QWERTY keyboard and weighs 2.5 pounds.

In a recent conference call, Palm CEO Ed Colligan reversed course on earlier statements that Palm would introduce a Linux-Garnet hybrid operating system on devices later this year. He was quoted saying that the new OS will not be available to consumers until sometime in 2008. Palm Treo smartphones will continue to be sold with the current Garnet OS and Windows Mobile until this new OS, called Palm OS II, is available.

Palm has launched an update for its latest Palm OS smartphone to allow the devices to Sync with Microsoft Exchange servers. Not only will it allow users to sync their Palms directly with Exchange, but it will also allow Windows Mobile Messaging and Security Feature Pack-like functionality, including direct push messaging, and remote device administration and wipe. The update will be available as a free download for Treo 680 and 700p owners on Monday.

PalmOne today made the transition back to being just Palm. Almost two years ago, Palm split into PalmSource (software) and PalmOne (hardware). The changeback was announced earlier this year.

Palm is the maker of several handheld devices, including the popular Treo 650.

"For some unknown reason Motorola did change the name of Motorola Q q9 smartphone. At least the official site calls it MOTO Q 9h. The smartphone debuted at 3GSM Congress as Motorola Q q9. It works in GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks and supports HSDPA high speed data transfer standard. Powered by Windows Mobile 6 Standard OS the device comes with a QWERTY-keyboard, a 2-megapixel camera and Bluetooth 2.0 interface.
On the face of it, the specs remained the same, the device got only renamed. Maybe the h stands for HSDPA? Nobody knows, and Motorola keeps it a mystery."

A smartphone is really just a PDA with a mobile phone built into it. A Treo 600 is just as much a handheld computer as a Toshiba e405 is, but you can also make phone calls with it.

In the future, there are going to be even more handhelds than there are now, but they'll be able to make phone calls and we'll call them smartphones.

European market research firm Canalys predicts shipments of "smart phones" (phones with PDA capabilities) will double in the "EMEA" region (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) this year, and will exceed those of ordinary PDA-like handheld computers by year end.

These results come from Canalys' new report, EMEA Mobile Device Trends 2003, which projects that smart phone shipments will hit 3.3 million units in 2003 and handhelds (including wireless-enabled ones) will reach 2.8 million units, representing growth in both segments.

So what is a Smartphone, anyway? With almost every new phone offering text Internet access (that almost nobody uses), what's all the noise about? The latest batch of wireless phones sport new features, but not all of them really qualify as smart.

The PDA has some basic features:

• Datebook--This is most important part of the organizer. You can input meetings, appointments, etc., all in basically the same format as a large, bulky Day Planner.
• Memo Pad--A place to jot notes, write a book, whatever.
• Calculator--Math.
• To-Do List--Helps you accomplish those nagging tasks.
• Address Book--Keeps track of all your important contacts.