Pocket PC Phone

I got a hand-me-down Pocket PC Phone from Kartik.  (Thanks Kartik!).

It's the HTC Wallaby (aka O2 XDA, or T-Mobile MDA, etc.).  HTC doesn't advertise itself much, but they make just about every Pocket PC-based phone out there.

This device has replaced my old Sony-Ericsson T68i.  It's quite a bit bigger, but it adds so much that I don't mind.

  • I can get all my email all the time, kept up to date over my unlimited GPRS service.
  • I can browse the web at any time
  • I can use Outlook to manage my contacts, and they get synced up to the device.  Easy.
  • My daily calendar is in my pocket.  I often forget the room number on the way to the meeting, so this is good.
  • I can IM just about anywhere.
  • I got a 512M SD card for only $50.  Put music on it.  With headphones, I have music on my commute.  (iPod shuffle, ha!)

The web browser is a big help for taking the bus, in two ways:

I wish for a slightly larger display, and higher resolution.  Some devices have VGA resolution, which would be very nice.

I wish the GPRS connectivity was slightly more reliable.

The IM is a bit dodgy because the GPRS link comes and goes.  But when it's working, I really wish for a keyboard.

The good news is that I rarely take my laptop anywhere, even to meetings.