Phone Fun
17 Sep 2008 22:17 Filed in: Technology
Why did I change phones?
The Three Contenders!
I loved my Treo 650, which I've had for over three years, but it was starting to bug me because of its size. It just felt too big when I took it out and about, expecially for more social does. I wanted something smaller, ideally with a touch screen, and with an intuitive OS. The iPhone was out – even through I'm a Mac fan – as it was locked into O2 and I'm still happy with Orange. In the end, I decided to go for the sleek and svelte and bendy Motorola Z8. This is a consumer smartphone, with Symbian and UIQ as the interface. And it's bendy. I had a bad case of tech lust for it.
However, we've split up now, and I went back to the Treo! Why, I hear you ask? Well, a number of reasons. The Z8 crashes more than the Treo. The keypad is very small. But these are minor quibbles, something that any geek with a taste for stylish tech will happily ignore. The real reason I decided to change was the battery life, or lack thereof. I was lucky if I got a day and a half if I used the phone, and even a new battery didn't change things. The Treo did 5 days happily at a similar usage rate. Ok, so it's built like a brick and 2.5G not 3G, but I preferred it. The other thing about the Z8 was that even though it was unlocked, I couldn't ever get MMS to work. So it'll go on eBay shortly. It's a good phone, but not for me.
Banana Bendy Z8 vs the Centro Candybar
That left me with the Treo, which still irked for the same reason - size! And then I discovered the Palm Centro. Now, Palm have lost their way recently, embracing WinCE, sorry, Windows Mobile as a stop gap until they get their new OS ready. The Centro is probably their last PalmOS machine in it's current form. Spec wise, it's not a million miles different to the Treo 650. OS 5.4.9 vs OS 5.4.7, 4 days life vs 5 days, 320x320 touchscreen, but oh-so-small by comparison. I was sold, and I got an unlocked one for my birthday. And it is gorgeous. Hits all the spots the Z8 was supposed to and more - it is a 'small Treo'. Huzzah!
The waistline challenge
The waistline challenge from another side
Not really that small, Mr Z8...
Needless to say, my phone tech-lust is now sated!
The Three Contenders!
I loved my Treo 650, which I've had for over three years, but it was starting to bug me because of its size. It just felt too big when I took it out and about, expecially for more social does. I wanted something smaller, ideally with a touch screen, and with an intuitive OS. The iPhone was out – even through I'm a Mac fan – as it was locked into O2 and I'm still happy with Orange. In the end, I decided to go for the sleek and svelte and bendy Motorola Z8. This is a consumer smartphone, with Symbian and UIQ as the interface. And it's bendy. I had a bad case of tech lust for it.
However, we've split up now, and I went back to the Treo! Why, I hear you ask? Well, a number of reasons. The Z8 crashes more than the Treo. The keypad is very small. But these are minor quibbles, something that any geek with a taste for stylish tech will happily ignore. The real reason I decided to change was the battery life, or lack thereof. I was lucky if I got a day and a half if I used the phone, and even a new battery didn't change things. The Treo did 5 days happily at a similar usage rate. Ok, so it's built like a brick and 2.5G not 3G, but I preferred it. The other thing about the Z8 was that even though it was unlocked, I couldn't ever get MMS to work. So it'll go on eBay shortly. It's a good phone, but not for me.
Banana Bendy Z8 vs the Centro Candybar
That left me with the Treo, which still irked for the same reason - size! And then I discovered the Palm Centro. Now, Palm have lost their way recently, embracing WinCE, sorry, Windows Mobile as a stop gap until they get their new OS ready. The Centro is probably their last PalmOS machine in it's current form. Spec wise, it's not a million miles different to the Treo 650. OS 5.4.9 vs OS 5.4.7, 4 days life vs 5 days, 320x320 touchscreen, but oh-so-small by comparison. I was sold, and I got an unlocked one for my birthday. And it is gorgeous. Hits all the spots the Z8 was supposed to and more - it is a 'small Treo'. Huzzah!
The waistline challenge
The waistline challenge from another side
Not really that small, Mr Z8...
Needless to say, my phone tech-lust is now sated!