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Wireless email roundup (continued)
| Device |
Memory |
Display |
Keyboard |
Wireless |
Expandable |
IR |
USB |
| Siemens SX56 |
32MB |
Color |
No |
GSM/GPRS |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Handspring Treo 270 |
16MB |
Color |
Yes |
GSM/GPRS |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Danger Sidekick |
16MB |
Grayscale |
Yes |
GSM/GPRS |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Palm i705 |
8MB |
Monochrome |
No |
Mobitex |
Yes |
Yes |
(No) |
| RIM 957 |
5MB |
Monochrome |
Yes |
Mobitex |
No |
No |
No |
In terms of software I wanted to look just mainly at messaging and compare the devices based on email, Web browsing, Instant Messaging, and SMS. None of the devices I looked at literally had it all, but the high-end devices were loaded with messaging features. All of the devices came with PIM applications, but only the Siemens SX56 and the Palm i705 came with bundled office suites to integrate with Microsoft Office on the desktop. See Table B for the complete breakdown.
| Device |
Email |
Web |
IM |
SMS |
Phone |
PIM |
Office |
| Siemens SX56 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Handspring Treo 270 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Danger Sidekick |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Palm i705 |
Yes |
(Yes) |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| RIM 957 |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
When we put all of this information (and a few of my own opinions) together we can see that no one product dominates in every category. As I pointed out earlier, the devices that focus primarily on email are especially good at it, while the cutting-edge devices get high marks for pretty displays and large capacities but don't outshine more specialized products in their specific niche. In Figure F, you can see how the devices rate by category.
FIGURE F
 
Device ratings by category. Roll over picture for a larger image.
So what's "the best" device?
The best device for your needs depends on what your needs are. If you need secure reliable wireless email with good coverage in the U.S. and you don't care about anything else, the RIM 957 or a Palm i705 is perfect for you. If you're tired of juggling multiple devices, a PDA/phone combo like the Handspring Treo or Siemens SX56 is worth considering: both are excellent devices with just a few drawbacks like limited battery life and some usability issues related to PDA/phone integration.
Overall, I found the SX56 to be the most aesthetically appealing device because of its design and display, but the Handspring Treo was packed with more features. I was surprised to find that if I just looked at email functionality, the RIM and the Palm OS devices were better than the PDA/phone devices, and I was pleased with the innovative messaging features of the Danger Hiptop despite its not officially being a business tool.
Product availability and resources
For more information on Palm handhelds, visit http://www.palm.com.
For more information on Danger Research, visit http://www.danger.com.
For more information on Siemens AG, visit http://www.my-siemens.com.
For more information on Handspring, Inc., visit
http://www.handspring.com.
For more information on the Treo 270, visit http://www.handspring.com/products/treo270/.
For more information on Research In Motion, Ltd., visit http://www.blackberry.com.
For more information on the RIM 957, visit http://www.blackberry.com/products/rim857_957/index.shtml.
For more information on Pumatech's Intellisync, visit http://www.pumatech.com/is_desktop_main.html.
For more information on DataViz Documents To Go, visit http://www.dataviz.com/products/documentstogo/index.html.
For more information on IBM Lotus EasySync Pro, visit http://www.lotus.com/products/easysyncpro.nsf
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DominoPower Technical Editor Ron Herardian is CEO and Chief Technical Consultant at Global System Services (GSS). You can reach Ron via email at rherardi@gssnet.com, or via his Web page at http://www.gssnet.com. GSS also sponsors Messaging Central (at http://www.messagingcentral.com/), a Web-based resource devoted to electronic messaging integration, Internet messaging standards, and migration.
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