Rating: 
Summary: More than I expected! A wonderful surprise...
Review: I purchased the T-Mobile PocketPC Phone Edition as a necessary replacement for both a failing cell phone and an outdated palm-pilot. At first, I was just going to purchase a new phone, but since I was not entering into a new cell-phone contract (just replacing the phone itself), the prices of cell phones nowadays didn't seem very much worth their limited functionality. So I decided to try out this PocketPC Phone Edition.Let's just say that I am wonderfully surprised by the utility of this little unit. It does everything that I could desire, truly! It syncs effortlessly with other devices (my computer via IR, although you can use a USB connection; other devices by BlueTooth), making file transfer a breeze. I can view and edit documents in various common formats: Word, Excel, text/rich-text, PDF, Microsoft Reader, etc. The media capabilities allow me to store pictures, which display quite nicely on the large (~2x3") high-res screen; and I can play music and video, too -- although that is limited practically by the 32Mb internal storage (an expansion card is available). The PocketPC Phone Edition has a built-in IE web browser that functions via a GPRS connection. I have not paid for this service (appx $20/mo.), but I use the web browser often with download web pages, such as via AvantGo for news and views. Having your morning e-mail downloaded to the unit is wonderful, and makes my morning commute more productive. I greatly enjoy using the SMS message function on the phone, which allows me to text message other cell phones -- it's easier to use writing w/ a stylus than punching keys on a cell phone -- and there is an integrated In Box that stores and categorizes text messages, e-mails, sent items, etc. The Microsoft Windows CE operating system feels familiar, intuitive and functional. I will add here that the one feature that to me makes this all worthwhile is that it syncs perfectly with Microsoft Outlook, using its addressbook. No more entering numbers into my phone! I just view the addressbook entry (which shows name, address, home/work/cell phone, e-mail, etc.). Tap on e-mail, and I can write that person an e-mail. I can send an instant text message to that person's mobile phone. Tap on a phone number, and it dials. Some people may comment that T-Mobile's service lags behind other companies. In the past, I would have agreed. But, over the past few years, I believe it is on par with a lot of other companies, at least in Houston, Dallas and New York City, where I have lived, and major metropolitan areas, where I have travelled. This phone has great amplification of signal. The sound quality is good, too, and speakerphone is helpful when you are trying to talk on a noisy street. Overall, this phone has proved jam-packed with features that I use and enjoy. I am pleased with this purchase.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad phone; worse service
Review: I received this phone/pda from Amazon. Unit was defective. T-mobile replaced, but only after spending HOURS with tech support (which by the way takes at least 20 minutes to reach after the CSR transfer the call). T-Mobile's coverage was really bad -- could not make calls in urban areas in California (e.g., LA, SF). I cancelled the unit during the 14 day trial period. I just received a bill from T-Mobile for "partial service"! Would not recommend this phone or service to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Don't worry
Review: I shopped for a month for the right pda/phone. THis is it. I am very happy with both my phone and my service through T-Mobile. Everything works as promised, and the service in COlorado Springs is better than anyone else. I love th epda features and have enjoyed the easy interface to my pc.
Rating:
Summary: Buy this Phone!
Review: I switched over to T-Mobil and in the process I got a Pocket PC Phone Edition. As a phone it is very clear and it can be used as a speaker phone. It doesn't have any keys just a few buttons. I puts up a picture of a keyboard with large keys and you just touch them with your finger to dial a number. It can also receive and send email because it contains Outlook and many other Microsoft applications like Word and Excel. It is basically a PDA and a phone at the same time. I can highlight a name in the contacts list and either email or phone by clicking with the stylus. You can enter text by taping a keyboard which looks like a real keyboard, or by writing or printing and it will convert it to type. My wife got one too and she uses AOL 2.0 for Pocket PC on it. The best part is that it synchronizes your contacts list to your PC so you don't have to reenter email address and phone numbers. T-Mobil offers unlimited GPRS for $20 dollars a month which means you can use the internet or email as much as you want without worrying about minutes. The only negative is that I can't use the phone as a modem to access the email and internet from my PC while on the road. I had this feature with my Siemens SX45. I am hoping that the upcoming Microsoft Pocket PC 2003 upgrade will solve this. The direct access to Email the internet from the phone is good but if your PC is available it is much easier with the full screen and keyboard.
Rating:
Summary: The best PDA that I've ever had!
Review: I was a palm user for many years and thought to give a try to pocket pc. I really wanted to combine the phone and PDA features together and carry 1 less device. This phone/pda is the answer to my prayers. It does everything that I wanted it to do and a lot more. I added a SD memory card to it and I play musics, carry all my pictures with me, use ms-money and flexwallet excessively, have all my contacts, tasks, appointements,... in my PDA phone. The reception is also so great in my area (Los Angeles). In simple words, I love this device. Thanks T-Mobile and HTC.
Rating: 
Summary: Upgrade your phone's software
Review: I was an early adopter of this phone. It was almost unuseable at first because it froze up all the time. After upgrading the operating system on the phone with a download from T-mobile, all of these problems went away. Most of the bad reviews I have noticed are from early adopters who hadn't discovered that their software was defective and could be fixed. That's sad because the phone is excellent. It can do far more than any Palm/OS PDA or phone I have owned. And because it integrates so seamlessly with Outlook, I always have a complete set of information on my contacts everywhere I go. Because there is so much software and hardware out there for this platform, the phone has limitless potential. You can plug a GPS device with maps into the phone. I added a briliantly written star chart that is updated in realtime. And don't worry about where to store all the software and data: you can slide in up to 1GB of memory in the form of a tiny memory card. The phone has virtually infinite battery life. In practice, it never runs out. I've gone away to another city for the weekend without bringing a charger and without concern. The phone has provided me with excellent reception from Chicago to Patong Beach in Thailand. Sadly, the reception is poor in many parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, although Silicon Valley and San Francisco are quite acceptable. The antenna on the phone is one of the least obtrusive. Since it is curved and thick, it doesn't get as readily caught and damaged as those that protrude from other phones.
Rating:
Summary: Simply put... Unreliable.
Review: I wont write much about this phone because I do not think it deserves the time and effort... Simply put, the phone is horribly unreliable and I myself have owned many cell phones in the past. There are times where it just doesnt want to work and there are times when it just freezes up for a few minutes which is very annoying when your a busy person like I am (I'm always traveling and need my calls *period*) This coupled with the even worse service brings it even lower. The phone itself has a big screen and is hard to handle without smudging up the screen and the way its designed makes it easily slip out of your hands. The car adapter for this also does not work well... What were they thinking? You plug it in and maybe it might be connected or it might not and youll have to try again and hopefully it will work this time... The way it works as a phone is very uncomfortable and not reasonable but the PDA funsctions work very well and has a nice interface but since it doesnt work half the time and is a hassle to even use It's not worth it. It just can not be tolerated so please save yourself some trouble and not buy this phone and instead pay the extra and buy the PCS Phone Samsung I500. Hopefully I have helped you in staying away... no, FAR away from this phone
Rating:
Summary: Road warrior and email
Review: I'm a heavy traveler with limited access to the traditional WIFI connection we all enjoy. The solution boiled down to the IPAQ or the HTC/ Siemmens SX56/ Pocket PC unit. My choice was made for me. The size of the piggy back unit required to run the GPRS card on the IPAQ is too bulky and heavy. FWI: the Sierra Air Card chews up batteries so the heavy duty optional pack is needed for anything more than a quickie a couple of time a day. Also the Texas heat diminishes the amp hour rating ... major. So in the IPAQ series your talking about a brick. If your needs are cellular based GPRS and not WIFI based this IS the animal. Now for email tie in ... If you trying to get into corporate email some IT department have shut down their POP3 entry points due to security issues. Typically your first thought is VPN and a hard coded IP address to have access. I don't know if this unit has that feature. I have chosen to take advantage of the ability of our servers to take advantage of the new embedded technology and run MAPI in our Outlook Exchange Server which was included from Microsoft. It allows me to get into the server SECURE via https://owa.mycompanydomainname.com in my browser window. If your corporate is running exchange servers try pulling it up and entering your log on name and pass code from your desktop. If you get it there, you get it on your PDA through its browser. This information was hard to get and was not mentioned in the tech tips etc I've exhaustively read out there on the web. I hope this technical note can help other corporate road hounds out there needing a GPRS/56kbs solution. I hope to see software in 2004 that will address the need to reboot often. Lets hope ... otherwise your out of options till something else hits the streets in Nov - Dec 03. Starbucks and Border's and WIFI/T1 looks better all the time.
Rating: 
Summary: Customer Support Totally Absent
Review: I've had my pc for about 2 weeks. I had "issues" trying to figure it out so I called customer service. I can tell you T-Mobile knows NOTHING useful about this product. After over 1 hr (three different occassions) I was transferred to level 2, level 3 and then told I needed to call Microsoft--which I had to pay $35 to fix the problem. When I asked T-Mobile if I could talk to someone knowledgeable about the product they put me on hold again, and came back apologizing that it's a new product! The phone is cool. It's heavy though. It works fine when you finally get support. If you're impatient you may consider another device.
Rating:
Summary: Great PDA......... OK Phone
Review: If your main use for this product is a PDA, it is an excellent choice. If you will primarily be using it as a phone..... maybe other options would be better. I have no complaints about the phone service. As with EVERY carrier you will experience a droppped call now and then. It's not your home phone DON'T expect it to be! My only problem is it's size. Excellent for a PDA, not so great for a phone. I use thousands of minutes a month of phone service and by the end of the day I feel like I've worked out. I KNOW someone will say get a head set, they include one. I don't know about you but I don't want to wear the thing everywhere I go and by the time you find it, untangle it and get that little nub into your your ear not only have you missed the call but your car could be wrapped around a tree! In closing I will say I'm very pleased with this product. The few short comings are greatly out numbered by the positive aspects that it contains.
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