Running a web design business as a sole proprietor means that most of the day-to-day revolves around me. Whilst I may outsource some of the work, interacting with clients remains my sole responsibility.
This responsibility includes answering any client queries as well as managing the development of projects. Along with this responsibility comes the requirement to be online and contactable even when I’m out of the office.
This isn’t anything new and I’ve been doing just fine with my trusted duo of a Nokia 6230 and Palm TX PDA which, together, serve as my portable office.
The Nokia is an excellent workhorse of a phone with excellent battery life and a good range of features which make it a good choice for business and personal use.
My TX is one of the more recent, higher-end Palm PDAs, offering such features as Wifi, Bluetooth, 320×320 display and 256MB of flash memory to prevent data loss in the event of complete power loss.
This kit combination has allowed me to stay connected anywhere with GPRS network connectivity. With it, I’ve been able to send and receive email, surf the web, edit office documents, read PDFs and generally organise my thoughts and schedule.
Another week, another OS!
Since my initial foray into the world of Ubuntu Linux recently, I’ve gone and purchased a T-Mobile MDA Vario II (a rebranded version of the HTC TyTN); a Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC mobile phone that will hopefully replace my Nokia and Palm with a single piece of kit.
So why the change? Whilst, I can do most of what I want to, I’m not always able to do it as fast as I’d like. Web browsing over GPRS can be painfully slow at times and unreliable frame rendering makes using WHM impossible. Also, whilst I can get unlimited GPRS connectivity for 24-hours for just £1 with the Orange network, T-Mobile are offering a combined call and Internet for just £22.50 per month. With the MDA Vario II being offered for free, there was a lot of benefit to be gained.
Being familiar with using the more recent versions of Windows, I’m very comfortable with my new Pocket PC after just over a week of use. There’s a stark difference between using the Palm OS 5 and the Windows Mobile 5 (WM5) OS and there are some things I miss about my TX.
Here are some of my initial thoughts:
- I sorely miss SnapperMail. WM5 comes with a built-in email client, but it’s no match for the feature-packed SnapperMail. I tried replacing it with FlexMail 2007 (which seemed to be the most popular third-party email client according to PocketGear), but unlike the default email client, it can’t poll for emails unless the MDA is switched completely on i.e. the Pocket PC component is awake and the display on. Whilst automatic polling of emails is useful, only SnapperMail can be configured to poll at specific times. I receive emails throughout the night, but I don’t want to be alerted to them whilst I’m asleep!
- The phone component of the MDA is lacking in some of what I’d consider to be basic functionality e.g. profiles for different environments. This I’ve resolved with the help of Profiles for Windows Mobile.
- 64MB just isn’t enough! I’ve installed a few core applications and already I’ve insufficient memory to run Opera Mobile even though I’ve fitted a 2GB micro SD card.
- I’ve had to soft reset the MDA on average once a day. I don’t expect this will be the typical experience as I’m currently still very much in trial mode, installing and uninstalling lots of software in order to find what I can work with (one of the relatively unspoken costs of platform jumping).
- The MDA’s battery life isn’t as good as the Nokia/Palm combination and even though I’ve backup capabilities with the MDA I’m much more aware of keeping its battery topped up. Fortunately, charging options are plentiful and an in-car charging cradle means it’s well positioned for hands-free, speakerphone calling.
- The Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard I purchased for use with my TX not only works with my MDA, but also has additional functionality with WM5-oriented keyboard shortcuts.
- Just like desktop Windows, WM5 allows me to have multiple applications running concurrently and flip between them. Unfortunately, attempting to close an application by tapping on the ‘X’ in the top right-hand corner only minimises an application. Applications can be closed properly through the use of the Running Programs List or by installing Spb Pocket Plus, but this is a problem that shouldn’t exist.
- My first experiences of using the MDA are less friendly than those I had with the TX. Setting up wireless connections, especially.
Overall, it’s so far, so good, but I’ve yet to be able to connect the MDA to the TX in case I want to stick with Palm and still use the Internet connectivity provided by T-Mobile.
If any Pocket PC veterans can help with suggestions for a more functional email client then I’m all ears!
Technorati Tags: Running a business, Pocket PC, Palm OS, Windows Mobile 5, T-Mobile MDA Vario II, Email clients
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