Hello - I am new here and I have a question regarding PDA's/smartphones in general; I have never owned either type. I found the following information on a website:
"Many carriers require you to purchase a wireless data plan for a smartphone along with a voice plan. This extra monthly fee adds up over time, making smartphones more expensive in the long run. As an example, consider a PDA that costs $300 and a smartphone that costs $99 plus an additional $40 per month for data service. After just one year of service, you will have spent a total of $579 for the smartphone and data service."

This may seem an obvious question but...I understand how the smartphone is billed, but I don't quite understand how it works for a PDA. I understand you pay one large amount, but how do you get service, what type of service, and how much is it monthly (if there is a 'monthly' charge)? (**I would most likely use Verizon Wireless as a carrier.)

Please help me to understand.

Thanks,
Corrinna

hello and welcome.

bascially a pda phone is a pocket computer that can access the data network of a cell carrier and its also a phone so you can make voice calls.

you need a plan that has data usage included AND voice minutes. virtually all carriers have this in a plan with varying levels of data "minutes" and voice "minutes". you would go to verizons website and find a phone you are interested in and then look at the plans they offer. its probably best to just go into a store and have a sales person give you an idea of the phones they have and what plans they offer. they vary form carrier to carrier..

if you need any more help, drop me a note and i will point you in the right direction...

I'm sorry, but this doesn't seem to be any different than a smartphone or any other cell phone. I keep reading online that a PDA is more expensive for the unit itself, but less expensive in the long run because the smartphone requires a monthly voice and data plan. What I'm getting from your answer is that a PDA requires the same. So, if this is true, then the PDA would be more in the long run, because you pay more for the unit and ALSO pay monthly voice/data charges.

Does this make sense what I'm asking?

Thanks again,
Corrinna

you are confusing yourself...

first off you need to pick a particular device--all devices are not created equal.

for example, since you are on verizon, they have a Pocket PC phone called a Mogul. this phone has a full qwerty keyboard and runs microsoft windows mobile 6.x. it has powerpoint, outlook mobile, and a few other microsoft programs on it.

it has pocket internet explorer so you can get online just as you would on your computer at home.

with this unit, you SHOULD get a data package so you can get online... now you DONT have to get a data plan but then why use the Mogul in the first place if you are not going to use it to get online.. thats one if its strengths.

im not sure what you have been reading but the price all comes down to what you want and what the carrier will give you in terms of cost. of course a Pocket PC phone such as the Mogul will cost you more than a regular old fliip phone because they do different things. no one is saying the Pocket PC phone will be cheaper than a conventional flip phone... BUT IT COULD BE depending on what kind of a deal/package you get from your carrier. thats why i am suggesting you go into a verizon store and look at a Pocket PC phone and compare the costs of using a Pocket PC vs. using a regular phone.

clearly you dont have a need for such a device since you think it will cost you a lot of money so i am unclear as to why you really care. i have been using Pocket PC and Palm phones since the mid 90s and i cant live without them. i need the power of a computer on my phone and the Pocket PC phones are great--wifi access, i can even use my phone as a wireless access point (just like the router in your home) so other devices can use my phone as a gateway to the internet--no conventional flip phone can do those things... so you get way more for your money down the road witha Pocket PC phone if you need such services on the go...

if you are still confused, post back or drop a line via email.. but i suggest you stop in at verizon and have a peek at the workd of Pocket PC...

I don't want a data plan ... I don't need email or internet on the go, if I do, I bring my laptop. I have an iPaq, no phone, synchronize with cable. I use it for Quicken, calendar, and notes.
My daughter is about to go to college. She happens to need a new phone. Can she have a phone that synchronizes without wireless data charges, or alternatively, can she have a PDA which can synch by cable or in-home wireless network and also use it as a phone.
We will also get her a laptop, so she won't need any other email platform.

Does this make sense, or am I totally out of it. My husband is a Ph.D. in EE, so a certified geek, but a cheap one!

I find your confusion confusing, Marctronixx: you said "then why use the Mogul in the first place if you are not going to use it to get online.. thats one if its strengths."

I don't know about sportygrly, but:
I'm a mother at home, and my daughter is a student. Neither of those lifestyles calls for instant email. If I think of an email I want to send, I can do it on the PDA, and then synch it to my laptop later. Same with the web. It might be cool to have it on my "phone" but I don't exactly have a large income to pay for it.


With the laptop,if I want the internet, I can go to a library; she will be on a wireless college campus, where if she isn't carrying her laptop, she can find terminals to use. I'm hoping she won't be one of those idiots face-booking in class!

If there is a current PDA/phone combo that can synchronize without the data network, I would like to get it for my daughter. I can't see adding $250 a year date plan to the expense of college just for the cool factor.

Thanks,
Trina

the Mogul is designed for business users so its going to be an overkill device for you if you only want a phone that can sync contacts and dont want to use data. there are many many options out there.. just post up bullet points as to what you want and what you want to spend and we can help further..