One of the cruel ironies of the digital age is that every electronic device adds convenience, but at the cost of making our lives more complex. We must not only learn how to use each piece of equipment but also manage and maintain these devices, which can challenge us at times. This challenge is most apparent when we use digital phones and PDAs.
In a perfect world, the two devices would be one—you could carry all your calendar, note, and contact information together without having to look up the data in one device, then use the other device to call or email. This lack of device integration is time-consuming, frustrating, and sometimes maddening; lugging around different pieces of equipment is a pain. Yet, that's exactly what most of us endure on a daily basis.
Falling Short of Expectations
I've grown exasperated by the inability to use phone and PDA functions together. Today's Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) phones are tedious to use—sometimes even impossible to use for handling realtime email—and loading contact and calendar data into these devices can be a chore. I used to carry QUALCOMM's QCP-860 Thin Phone and a Palm V; both are fine devices. But when I often left my Palm V behind because I lacked the pocket space for it, I found myself missing a crucial phone number or address.
When Qualcomm introduced its pdQ smartphone in 1999—the first integrated organizer-phone device—I was intrigued, but not enough to spend as much as $500. Although the pdQ smartphone offered Internet access, email, and the simplicity of the Palm OS—all built into a phone—the more than half-pound electronic brick wasn't practical. So, like many users, I waited for something better. Although I had previously experimented with a Palm VII and considered buying an interactive pager, both would have put more weight in my pocket. What's more, monthly network access fees ran $30 to $50—a high price to pay if you're retrieving email or checking sports scores only occasionally.
Fortunately, recent product introductions, including Kyocera Wireless's QCP 6035 smartphone and Samsung Electronics' SPH-I300 Palm-powered phone, are finally creating opportunities to morph the world of personal data and the Internet into one device. (Qualcomm sold its handset business to Kyocera in 1999, and the QCP 6035 is the follow-up to the pdQ.) Unlike earlier products, these devices are streamlined, usable, and powerful. Handspring's Treo 270 is also making waves with its phone, organizer, messaging and Internet access, and keyboard.
Using the QCP 6035
In 2001, I traded in my Palm V and the QCP-860 Thin Phone for the QCP 6035 smartphone. Although integrated organizer-phone devices will likely evolve during the next few years, they're already far more sophisticated than a WAP-based phone or a dedicated PDA. Moreover, they're affordable—about $400 with service activation.
Setting up the QCP 6035 is a breeze—follow the same routine as you would for a standard Palm device: Connect the docking cradle through your PC's serial port (which also recharges the phone); install the Palm 3.5 OS software on the PC; and designate which, if any, contact management program you're using. After your phone is live, you can import your contacts from Microsoft Outlook, ACT! (by Interact Commerce), or other PC-based contact managers, as well as calendar information, memos, and notes. You can keep the data current by synchronizing your QCP 6035 with your PC. If you're using a notebook PC, you can also connect the device with a serial or USB cable.
The 8MB QCP 6035 offers Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital personal communication services (PCS) and CDMA digital cellular and analog network connections. The Palm component supports Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)encrypted HTML browsers for secure online transactions and multiple wireless data technologies, including HTML, WAP, and Short Message Service (SMS). Offering up to 5 hours of talk time and 180 hours of standby time, the QCP 6035 measures 5.6" x 2.5" x 0.86" and weighs 7.34 ounces.
The QCP 6035's capabilities become apparent from the moment you switch it on. The phone's keypad sits on a small cover on the bottom half of the device and includes four additional buttons. The first button lets you use mnemonic-key entry to find the contact you're looking for. A second button controls the volume—you can change the ring tone and put the phone in vibration-alert mode or display-only (i.e., no sound) mode. The third button controls all messaging functions, including voice, text, and numeric pages; you can also use it to file messages for later use and to adjust settings. The fourth button toggles a speakerphone.
You can access many of the functions by using a jog dial—a small button, similar to a mouse wheel, that you rotate and click. A click of the jog dial displays a main menu, which offers items such as phone information, contacts, recent calls, settings, voice memos, and messages. The QCP 6035 also has built-in voice-recording options, including the ability to auto-append dictations and record a conversation. The unit has a jack for accommodating a headset.
To access the PDA, simply flip open the cover to reveal a screen that's slightly smaller than a Palm display. The tight integration of the phone and Palm 3.5 OS is obvious. By tapping a phone icon on the main screen or on the graffiti area of the device, you can access a soft keypad that displays all the phone's keypad buttons.
A speed-dial icon lets you set up frequently dialed numbers. When you select a number from the PDA's contact list and set it as a speed-dial entry, you can easily access that contact's name and phone number by using the jog dial. A voice-dial feature lets you use speech recognition to add contacts. Unfortunately, ambient noise can interfere with the phone's ability to recognize the name you speak, and similar names can confuse the device.
The unit's real charm is that you can pop open the cover, find a contact in the PDA's address list, and tap the phone number to dial it. Because the QCP 6035's address book holds multiple phone numbers for each contact, you can select any number from a drop-down list. I carry more than 700 contacts in my QCP 6035, and I've found the instant accessibility to phone, email, and address information indispensable.