It's two...two...two electronic toys in one!
Written: Dec 20 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great technology, two helpful tools in one
Cons: Way too expensive for me
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| basilisk4's Full Review: Qualcomm PDQ Cell Phone |
The Qualcomm pdQ Smartphone is an $800 way to have the coolest little hand-held device on the block. Every now and then, something comes along which is destined to be the next industry standard -- a product that will eventually be found in the home of any average American. Many of those products begin as luxuries or toys for either those who have enough money to purchase the latest and greatest of everything, or those who possess the dangerous combination of bad judgment and a high credit limit.
Basically, Qualcomm's new pdQ Smartphone is a hybrid digital CDMA phone and wireless Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). This snazzy, new item takes the idea of a PDA one step further and turns it into a cell phone as well. Once web-enabled cellular phones and personal digital assistants became available, it seemed obvious to me that it would only be a matter of time before someone came up with something like this product.
One thing that may be annoying but may also be a little surprising about this phone is its size. Measuring in at 6.2 inches long, 2.6 inches wide, and 1.4 inches deep, the Qualcomm pdQ Smartphone is bigger than most of the latest cell phones that are out there. However, given the fact that it's also a pocket organizer with stylus navigation capabilities (basically, this means having a touch screen and the little box you write in, just like a Palm Pilot has), that's really not all that big. The Smartphone does weigh in at just about ten ounces, though, which will probably feel a bit heavy if carried in your front shirt pocket.
The PDA aspect of the Qualcomm pdQ Smartphone is certainly one of its strong points. The built-in, 3Com-based Palm III platform is fairly standard and should be similar to what most people who are used to Palm Pilot organizers are used to. The programs and options available to you seem to be exactly the same as those available on a standard Palm III unit (e.g., Date Book, To Do List, Calculator, Address Book, etc.). One nice thing which bears noting is that from the Address Book, you will be able to place voice calls, open websites, or send e-mail messages directly from the address book, with the touch of a button. The standard price you pay for this phone includes the phone itself (duh), the HotSync cradle, cable, and software, which you'll use to connect and synchronize the phone with your home computer, a stylus, a long-life lithium-ion battery, and an earbud headset.
The Qualcomm pdQ Smartphone also features just about any function you could think of which is available on standard cellular phones, such as support for caller ID, as well as numeric, text, and voice messaging. Also included is a nice feature common to all Sprint wireless phones as far as I know, which is one-touch voice mail access. This is exactly what it sounds like -- you can dial your voice mail and listen to all of your messages without pressing another button (other than to hang up when finished). As I'm sure you could figure out, this can be extremely useful for checking your messages when you are driving or otherwise distracted at that time.
Another useful feature of the pdQ Smartphone is its excellent storage capacity, which would be expected from a phone which doubles as a PDA. The electronic address book is huge, and can hold a seemingly unlimited amount of data about your friends, family members, co-workers, and anyone else whose information you need to retain. Also, this phone allows you to review your last several incoming, outgoing, and missed calls.
Overall, this phone would be an excellent purchase for someone with both the use and money for it. That's not to say that I think this could possibly be absolutely necessary for anyone to have, but it could certainly be a nice convenience. Beyond that, like I stated at the beginning of this review, the Qualcomm pdQ Smartphone is basically a nice, but expensive, toy. If you're willing to shell out close to a thousand dollars for a toy, then be my guest. Most of us, however, will be waiting awhile before purchasing something like this.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
basilisk4
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 - Top 500 |
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Location: Atlanta, GA
Reviews written: 233
Trusted by: 214 members
About Me:
Soon-to-be married 26-year-old lawyer who likes electronics, computers, and cars.
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