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

[buckeyebrain.livejournal.com]

I've used the T-mobile Sidekick for years as part of a Data Only plan, which costs only $30 for unlimited email, text messages and net access (though their browser is awfully clunky).

However, I'm probably on my last Sidekick, I think I'm going to move up to Blackberry when this one inevitably bites the dust.