Question for the tech-savvy: de-phoned smartphones?

[dvandom]

I don't like smartphones, on the grounds they're bulky for phones but a bit small as PDAs, plus a lot of them tend to be tied into a particular service provider. However, my Palm Tungsten won't live forever, and I'd really like something pocket-sized that does the same sorts of things. A friend has suggested the iPod Touch, and it seems reasonable, but I'd like other options.

The question is, how crippled would something like a Treo or an EnV be if I didn't sign up for phone service at all? Are there any smartphones that work just fine as keyboarded PDAs (I reallllly like keyboards, and have largely lost my ability to do stylus writing) and can by synched with a Mac desktop without needing to buy into the wireless plan?

Comments

[rickj.livejournal.com]

IIRC, the iPhone Touch is a phoneless iPhone.

[dvandom.livejournal.com]

Yeah, so said the friend mentioned above who was considering it to replace his own Tungsten.

[robotech-master.livejournal.com]

I'm quite happy with my Touch as a PDA replacement (though ironically, I'm considering going to an iPhone if I have the money when my current AT&T contract comes up for renewal in December). You don't need to worry about stylus writing—the Touch doesn't have one. The virtual keyboard takes a little getting used to, but once you are used to it you can tap along pretty old fast.

The one (major) thing that it can't do that Palms could is read DRM'd Mobipocket e-books—but we all know what to do about that. :P

Though at any rate I'd suggest waiting until June—that's when all signs point to Apple coming out with new iterations of its iPhone and iPod Touch products. If nothing else, it will make refurbed existing ones cheaper.

[dvandom.livejournal.com]

Yeah, thinking long term here. Just spurred to action by the fact that the wireless on my Tungsten is being balky/nonexistent. The only Mobipocket books I read are Baen anyway, and they don't DRM. :)