I got to play with a few devices before settling on the 8525, like the Samsung Blackjack, Motorola Q, Blackberry Pearl and Cingular 8125. I never got to play with a Treo 750, which I was considering because I use a Treo 650 at work. I like the 650, except for that awful Palm OS and an unsightly antenna; the 750 corrects both of those issues.

When it came down to decision time, I picked the 8525 because:

1. I’m more familiar with Windows Mobile (WM) over RIM OS, knocking out the Pearl.
2. I prefer the full WM Pocket PC OS over the WM Smartphone OS, knocking out the Blackjack and Q.
3. I wanted a large touchscreen, knocking out the 750.
4. I was attracted to DSL-like connection speed, knocking out the 8125.

The 8525 is not without its disadvantages, however. I am very clumsy and have beaten up all of my phones in the past (sometimes by accident, sometimes not). Most phones are more-or-less designed to withstand a beating. Looking at this PDA, I’m not so sure it could take that kind of punishment. I have to exercise a great deal of caution when carrying it around. It is far too large to just stick into my pants pocket. Had I chosen any of the others (aside from the 8125), that wouldn’t be an issue.

That’s a fairly minor issue though. Getting a slide out keyboard that my fat fingers can actually type on, a larger screen and a larger battery makes it worthwhile.

I mentioned the DSL-like speed that Cingular’s high-speed UTMS/HSDPA network offers. That turns out to pretty much be a lie. The phone never comes close to reaching the maximum download speed. Despite my disappointment, it is speedy enough and the connection is very solid. From work to home and back, I have a steady signal, except for one spot on Route 29 and our dinner table. What confuses me is that the phone often has difficultly downloading 50 articles from my RSS feed, but has no problem at all streaming live TV via my Slingbox. I would think it would be the other way around.

Edit: Stoopid WordPress lost all of my edits. They have been reentered.

I talk about my 8525 a lot, and there is no end in sight.

I recently recommended this phone to a coworker a few weeks ago and to a friend last week, and both picked it up. My brother is now in the market for a new smartphone, and he has is sights on this one. With more people getting this phone, I thought I should suggest a few applications.

As a general goal, I’ve been searching for applications that will allow me to remain connected to the world while on the bus to and from work. It is a shame that Windows Mobile does not come with more applications to make it more useful out-of-the-box. As it is, you are forced to buy applications that would normally be free on Windows, and the companies that sell them charge far too much for them. I’m happy that companies like Google give away useful programs.

Here is what I have loaded on my 8525 so far:

1. Instant Messaging: I have yet to find an IM application that I am happy with. Agile Messenger is the best of the bunch, but I won’t pay $45 for an IM program. IM+ is a decent runner up, but I didn’t like its interface at all, and it is also not freeware. Someone recommended OctroTalk to me. While it is free, it is also garbage. With only a 10% chance of it actually connecting to my accounts, I quickly realized that I got exactly what I paid for. Finally, AT&T includes an app that looks like IM software, but all it really does is enable you to use SMS to send IMs. I’m sorry, I don’t pay $40/month for an unlimited data plan to be nickel-and-dimed by SMS fees.
2. Personal E-mail: “Pull e-mail” is so 20th century. For this reason, the included Pocket Outlook is useless to me. Besides, all of my e-mail is web-based: Gmail, Yahoo Mail and (ugh) Live Mail. Luckily, each of these services has a mobile version, so I can get to my email easily enough. AT&T offers an app called Xpress Mail, which allegedly simulates push email by pulling messages from a POP3 email account, then uses SMS to alert your phone that new message is ready, which causes the phone to pull the message down. What actually happens is nothing. Well, not nothing; lots of error messages appear on the handheld. Oh, and Gmail Mobile sucks on Windows Mobile.
3. Work E-mail: My company’s IT vendor uses Blackberry Connect and Good Messaging to keep employees connected to the office. Since at&t often refuses to allow 8525 owners to enable the Blackberry Connect service (despite evidence that it is a feature), I installed Good Messaging. This program’s featureset includes: hijacking the phone’s Contacts and Calendar apps, heavy load on internal storage and memory, occasionally stops receiving email (requiring a reinstall to fix), and an uninstall routine that leaves the Contacts and Calendar shortcuts completely broken (requiring you to dive into the registry to fix, or flashing the ROM). If only the vendor would offer Microsoft Direct Push, Windows Mobile’s native push e-mail technology. I’ve moved to aforementioned Xpress Mail, which works with corporate mail, but not with my personal mail. It also allows me to sync my work email with Pocket Outlook, which is a big plus.
4. SSH: I use PocketPuTTY to SSH into *nix servers for work and personal use. It works just as well as PuTTY, and it is free. My only problem with is it that there is no Today Screen plug-in, nor can you list it in the Start menu. You have to go into File Explorer to use it, which is a chore.
5. TV: I got SlingPlayer Mobile for free because of a promotion Sling Media was running at the time, but this program is normally $40. If you have a SlingPlayer and you want to watch live TV anywhere you have a 3G data connection, then this is the program for you.
6. Internet: The included Pocket Internet Explorer is serviceable. I have used Opera Mobile and I thought it is great, but there is no way I will pay for a browser.
7. RSS: The mobile versions of Google Reader and Bloglines are quite good. I ended up going with the former since I prefer the layout of their full and mobile versions over Bloglines’ layout.
8. Maps: I started using the mobile Google Maps, but then I downloaded the mobile Microsoft Live Search. While Google Maps is a fine map app, Live Search absolutely destroys it. Coupled with Live Search’s map is a directory of various services, like resteraunts and movie theaters. After providing your zip code, you can search through their categories. Once you find one you like, it’ll give you the phone number for the place as well. You can also map the location of contacts you have stored in Pocket Outlook. Finally, you can get directions from your current location to the place you searched for, either by providing your address or via GPS (the latter I have not tried yet).
9. Today Screen: SPB Software’s SPB Today Suite makes the Today screen worth looking at. Almost every bit of information I need can be accessed from that one screen now. I’m currently trying out their Mobile Shell application, which promises to change how I interact with the device.

Do you have any suggestions for programs I could use?

Also known as the HTC Hermes, the Cingular 8525 is my latest phone.

I made the plunge into Windows Mobile once before with Motorola’s MPX200 in 2004, and I was extremely unhappy with it. I was enamored with the idea of PDA functionality built into my phone, but that particular device wasn’t very good. It lacked the processing power needed to perform simple PDA-related tasks, and only having access to AT&T Wireless’ 1900Mhz GSM band made it a poor phone.

I didn’t want a “normal phone” again, since I’ve already had three of those since 2001 (Nokia 8260, Motorola V60, and Motorola RAZR V3). The Nokia was an excellent phone that was built to last, proven by the fact that it sat in my pocket as I tumbled down a hill and only had a small crack on the screen, but it did get awful hot during converstaion. The other two… well, I could spend pages discussing what I hate about those phones. I’ll say this about them though: they both survived being dropped on concrete and getting punted a few feet.

The 8525 is shaping up to best phone of the lot. I’ve only had it for a few days now, so I’m still learning how to use it to its fullest. Later this week I’ll talk about the apps I’ve found for it and how I use it day-to-day.