debcook

I talk a lot about my iPhone 3G but I still have a real soft spot for my Windows Mobile 6 PDA phone. It was (still is) my ATT 8525. I miss the features such as the slide down QWERTY keyboard, the cut/copy/paste, the notes that I could write with the stylus (that would turn to type) and the familiar feel of the Windows software.

Out of curiosity I checked out Windows Mobile 6.1 to see what had been improved. There does seem to be some interesting changes.

• Instant messaging is better. Like the iPhone it keeps the conversation in a single thread so it is easier to read.
• Email and Bluetooth setup. I did not have an issue with this in Mobile 6.
• Home Screen – The sliding feature that allows more on the home screen is totally cool. Improved also by keeping the user up to date with what is going on. This would be great for missed calls, appointments and as already mentioned – threaded messages.
• Improved Internet Browser – Internet browsing is what made me switch to the iPhone. This is exciting to me and I may switch back to a PDA phone once Mobile 6.1 and the phones to go with it are available on a broad basis. I read today on the “Boy Genius Report” that the ATT Q9h (Smartphone) is officially able to upgrade to 6.1.
• The ability to flag, delete and move groups of messages – This would definitely be handy. I had learned to highlight and delete several emails at the same time but if there was a keeper in between I had to start over.

A couple of things I do not miss from my 8525 include the weird calling feature that made it difficult to know when you had hung up after a call. I learned quickly that you better check the call status screen before you said something you’d regret. (This was probably a phone issue and not a Windows Mobile 6.0 issue). I do not miss the hassles of browsing the web – yes I know that I’ve said that before but it is still true.

My 8525 is still in my bag. I use it as a PDA for things that I need to keep track of such as notes and tasks. Sometimes I need to compose items that need Microsoft Word. As you know that is not yet available for the iPhone on a local basis (I still do not care for the Cloud concept).

Looks like I have the best of both worlds at this time. It’s not always convenient but it works for me for now.