Comparison of WM 2003 PPC Phone to Smartphone 2003

[Brad Isaac]

Chris De Herrera from cewindows.net has spent some time carrying both the Pocket PC Phone 2003 and is now carrying the Smartphone. Today he wrote an article Comparing Windows Mobile 2003 Pocket PC Phone Edition and the SmartPhone 2003. He compares the two on several different aspects including Displays, Input Methods, Expandability/Storage, Connectivity, Applications and Overall Usability.
It makes for an interesting read if you are in the market for either of these devices.
"Recently I have been using a SmartPhone 2003 to replace my Windows Mobile 2003 Pocket PC Phone Edition. During my experience with the SmartPhone 2003, I’ve been mulling around how well it will work for enterprise customers. Below is my comparison of Windows Mobile 2003 Pocket PC Phone Edition (Pocket PC in this article) and the SmartPhone 2003 from an enterprise user perspective.
The Windows Mobile 2003 Pocket PC Phone Edition is a full blown Pocket PC and more. The superset features focus on using it as a cell phone and connecting to the internet for data access. David Shier covered the new features introduced with the latest release of the Phone Edition in his article entitled “Windows Mobile 2003 for Phone Edition – Worth the Wait” in the April/May 2004 issue. "

[bkbroil]

Speaking of which....Do you need help choosing between purchasing a PocketPC, Pocket PC Phone or smartphone? Here's a good article that shows the benefits of each device and will help you decide which device is for you.
"When we chat with our users, we find that people have different preferences for the style and usage of their mobile device. Some people are heavy phone users and don't want the bulk of a Pocket PC, so they go with a Smartphone." Neil also explained that while it's a bit more challenging for Smartphone users to enter text, they do get "predictive text entry" which enables you to enter text on your device using just one key press per letter. The software will suggest complete words as you enter text, saving you time, keystrokes, and finger exhaustion (you poor dear).
With regard to Pocket PC Phone Edition, Neil said, "Other users are much more e-mail-centric and prefer a Pocket PC Phone Edition. They'll make the occasional phone call, but prefer a device with a larger screen and touchscreen input for composing messages."
So, the big message I'm getting from Neil is that if you're more phone-centric but still need e-mail, text messaging, and Internet access, the Smartphone is for you— it's a cell phone first and foremost.
But, if you're wanting something that's more like a mini-computer that can sync your Word and Excel files as well as all your Outlook information (and you could give a hoot about phones), the Pocket PC is the way to go.
Finally, if you're looking for something that's a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll, set your dial to the Pocket PC Phone Edition. It's basically a Pocket PC with telephone capabilities.