Sunday, July 10, 2011

help me, please

I am behind the times, in the cell-phone world.

My current phone, an HTC Tilt 2, runs Windows Mobile 6.5, and I bought it used for $60 (craigslist) after my prior Tilt was stolen, in Costa Rica last December. I do NOT have a data-plan, and am grand-fathered in at AT&T so that I am not required to have it.

I am quite happy with it, but it's been a little flaky lately, so I am looking to replace it.

I use WiFi to sync my Web calendar and Web email with the phone's calendar and mail clients, and browse the Web with a very lean, free, WAP-compatible browser (UCWeb). I don't really feel deprived, not having always-on Internet - WiFi only works generally fine for me.

It's got Word and Excel, which I use.

I don't use it to listen to music (have a teeny, dedicated MP3 player, that also has an FM radio).

I don't use the camera, since the camera stinks and I have a nice camera.

I have a free eBook reader (Freda) and have loaded several books on the microSD, which is very convenient. Therefore, I don't need a dedicated eReader (although I am very intrigued by the Nook Color).

I have resisted buying into iPhone world, mostly because I feel the need to deprive Steve Jobs of the satisfaction.

Here are the features I want in a phone:

* Sync my calendar
* browse the web
* read eBooks
* Google Maps
* word and excel, or equivalent
* calculator, notepad
* standard Phone stuff

Here's what I don't need:

* Twitter, Facebook, and myspace integration.
* GPS navigation
* fancy games
* movies

I am looking at Windows 7 phones, and Android phones. Anyone have any suggestions?

2 comments:

Uncle Yascha said...

Barry this is probably totally irrelevant to your needs, but here's the direction I'm heading. I got rid of the 2 year contract long ago and went month-to-month. Recently I abandoned month to month and went to pre-paid, $30/month for 1500 minutes or text messages with T-Mobile. You can get an adequate phone for $25. I don't like having mobile internet. I've heard there's a kind of iphone minus the phone, that allows you to access internet where you have wi-fi, and allows you to run iphone apps.

Joe Litton said...

I've been loving android phones. HTC Incredible w/ Verizon for personal; HTC EVO 4G w/ Spring for work. I've got a Kindle, so use the Kindle app on both phones to keep books synched up. Nice to have books always ready to read when time comes available. All the stuff you mention can be done on these phones. Personally, I like the Evo's larger screen a little more vs Incredible... and I believe Sprint is ~$40/month for unlimited everything (mine is through work, so I'm not certain on pricing). They have specials from time to time giving the phone for free (how I got mine). The only extra you'd need is the app to access MS Office docs (I think it's $14).