PDA+PHONE+GPS

This question is not very easy to answer. All depends on how many devices you are ready to have with you. The less you need strictly converged (all-in-one) devices, the more, cheaper and the better choices you have.

1. If you're looking for a device that supports all the three functions in one, you may wwant to have a look at the iPAQ hw6515, which will be sold later this year by Cingular (seehttp://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/6200.html andhttp://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=43435 on this). I, personally, wouldn't get it because of its limitations, the lack of the WM5 upgrade, the GPS and compatibility problems. (Please seehttp://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=42822 ,http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=42822 andhttp://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=43082 for more info on the hw6515 problems).

Unfortunately, iPAQ hw6715, which will definitely be better, will only be released in Q1 2006.

2. If you are not against having two devices in your pocket, the choices are a little better.

a. PDA's with built-in GPS + a separate phone: I'd go for, for example, a Fujtisu-Siemens Pocket Loox N520 (a, compared to high-end PPC's, a mediocre; but, compared to other GPS PPC's, a definitely superior QVGA PDA and a SIRF III GPS) and a separate phone. Now, the Pocket Loox N520 is the best Pocket PC with built-in GPS (unfortunately, GPS + PPC combos are all very weak – for example, there're no VGA models as yet). Please seehttp://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=43444 ,http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=43286 andhttp://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=43250 on this.

b. PDA-phone combos + a separate GPS unit: in this case, you have quite a few devices to choose from. I'd ignore the iPAQ h6315 (please do a generic search on the whys). However, almost all (except for the outdated first MDA/XDA) units of HTC are pretty good and their product line even has a high-end device, the HTC Universal. The latter, on the other hand, is very expensive, rather buggy and isn't as good as (while still definitely more expensive!), say, a Pocket Loox 720 (PL720) and a separate Bluetooth (BT) phone combo.

3. Three separate devices: If you don't necessarily need built-in GPS because of the mediocre (even the N520 is quite mediocre as a PDA) PDA part or don't need PDA-phone combos (as has already been pointed out, there're currently no converged devices as good as, say, a PL720 + a separate Bluetooth phone combo), I'd go for the separate PDA (preferably a VGA one – the hx4700, the x50v/ x51v or the Pocket Loox 720) + separate BT GPS + separate phone combnation. Then, you'll have the best of the three worlds – at much cheaper than, say, getting a HTC Universal and a separate GPS unit.

Of course, everything I've said is from a Pocket PC geek who do almost everything on his PDA's and hate built-in thumbboards (because I have a separate ThinkOutside StowAway BT keyboard). "Casual" users may not need, for example, a high-end VGA PDA or a separate BT phone with EDGE/3G (the hw6515 doesn't support 3G and the Universal doesn't support EDGE), depending on their needs. For them, even a hw6515 (with its basic PDA capabilities) may suffice.

If you don't know which route to go or need actual device recommendations, please post the following:

- How many devices are you willing to keep with you? 1? 2? 3?
- Do you need EDGE and/or 3G, or, is plain GPRS fine with you?
- How much money do you want to spend on all this?
- Do you need a high-end (that is, VGA) PDA?
- Do you need built-in thumbboard in the PDA?

HTC has released several PDA + Phone devices. I'm currently using the QTEK 9000 (same as the Imate JASJAR). I also use the Pharos GPS Ostia software and their bluetooth GPS receiver. I have been looking for years for this kind of solution to arrive in the market. Finally a decent spec pocket PC that does it all, and I sincerely mean does it all.

Sorry to revive this old topic. But I've been running iGuidance GPS software on Cingular 8125 (HTC Wizard/Qtek9100/Dopod838) paired with Globalsat BT338 bluetooth GPS. Works extremely well. Now only if HTC can somehow squeeze the GPS into the 8125 then we'll truely have a swiss army knife of PDA.