Choosing the Right Smart Phone
Organizing our lives in business has become a priority for many of my clients. The wireless companies are capitalizing on this desire by offering so many options for all in one phones / pdas. All in one Palm Pilots like the Treo, all in one Pocket PC like the Motorola Q, and of course who can forget the all in one blackberry like the 7130c. But to make the choice on which phone to choose depends on more than just which one is cool. You need to be aware of a few different areas:
1. Usability
2. Compatibility
3. Features
Usability: is the device simple to use? Can you move around with ease? Are your fingers too big or too small for the keyboard? Does the system feel comfortable for you? Does the system work to enhance your business?
These questions seem like simple questions, but many of my clients have complained about these very items. Many of my male clients do not like the Treo because they find the keyboard to be too small. Other clients have not been happy with the blackberry because they came from a palm, and liked being able to tap on the screen or use the stylus pen to write. It is important that you be prepared to adapt and change if the device is what you want, however find one that will make the migration a little easier on you.
Compatibility: Will your new device work with the software on your computer? For example, will it sync with Outlook, ACT or Entourage? Do you need to sync with a server? Does the device support the ability to talk to your company’s server?
ACT for Palm is a separate piece of software that allows ACT users to work on a version of ACT for Palm, but if you buy a new Palm Treo this software will not work on your Treo. You will have the ability to sync using ACT for Palm sync but it is not same. It is no surprise that Macintosh computers prefer the Palm device to the Pocket PC.
Features: This is the area that seems to cause the majority of my clients the most anxiety. What features were you using on your phone? Did you download ring tones? Were you using third party software like zagat.com’s mobile addition? Did you have a mobile service for finding addresses or maps? If you are switching devices will the features for setting up and retrieving email be different?
In setting up a clients new Motorola Q last week, I found that the new version of the Windows Operating system did not support downloading ring tones with ease but they did support making your own ring tones. Is that easier? Depends on the user's personal comfort level with technology?
On another occasion I had a client make a jump from blackberry to a Palm Treo and then back to blackberry because he did not like the way the email feature worked.
Switching back and forth can be costly, investing your time and money in a new device and finding out it is not what you thought it would be. The biggest complaint I hear is that "the salesperson did not warn me about these issues!" That is very normal with technology changing as rapidly as it is and many sales people can not keep up. Or do not get proper training, and just don't think to ask you these questions. As business people it is our responsibility to make purchasing decisions based on understanding about our lives and our businesses. If you don't know where to start then talk to a technical advisor you trust, invest a small fee to pay for some advice on what you want. You may find a half-hour investment will save you hours, rather days of pain and anxiety over what will and will not work for you and your business.
Please tell me how you feel about this. Do you agree? Do you have a story you can share? Help us all grow by sharing your thoughts and comments
1. Usability
2. Compatibility
3. Features
Usability: is the device simple to use? Can you move around with ease? Are your fingers too big or too small for the keyboard? Does the system feel comfortable for you? Does the system work to enhance your business?
These questions seem like simple questions, but many of my clients have complained about these very items. Many of my male clients do not like the Treo because they find the keyboard to be too small. Other clients have not been happy with the blackberry because they came from a palm, and liked being able to tap on the screen or use the stylus pen to write. It is important that you be prepared to adapt and change if the device is what you want, however find one that will make the migration a little easier on you.
Compatibility: Will your new device work with the software on your computer? For example, will it sync with Outlook, ACT or Entourage? Do you need to sync with a server? Does the device support the ability to talk to your company’s server?
ACT for Palm is a separate piece of software that allows ACT users to work on a version of ACT for Palm, but if you buy a new Palm Treo this software will not work on your Treo. You will have the ability to sync using ACT for Palm sync but it is not same. It is no surprise that Macintosh computers prefer the Palm device to the Pocket PC.
Features: This is the area that seems to cause the majority of my clients the most anxiety. What features were you using on your phone? Did you download ring tones? Were you using third party software like zagat.com’s mobile addition? Did you have a mobile service for finding addresses or maps? If you are switching devices will the features for setting up and retrieving email be different?
In setting up a clients new Motorola Q last week, I found that the new version of the Windows Operating system did not support downloading ring tones with ease but they did support making your own ring tones. Is that easier? Depends on the user's personal comfort level with technology?
On another occasion I had a client make a jump from blackberry to a Palm Treo and then back to blackberry because he did not like the way the email feature worked.
Switching back and forth can be costly, investing your time and money in a new device and finding out it is not what you thought it would be. The biggest complaint I hear is that "the salesperson did not warn me about these issues!" That is very normal with technology changing as rapidly as it is and many sales people can not keep up. Or do not get proper training, and just don't think to ask you these questions. As business people it is our responsibility to make purchasing decisions based on understanding about our lives and our businesses. If you don't know where to start then talk to a technical advisor you trust, invest a small fee to pay for some advice on what you want. You may find a half-hour investment will save you hours, rather days of pain and anxiety over what will and will not work for you and your business.
Please tell me how you feel about this. Do you agree? Do you have a story you can share? Help us all grow by sharing your thoughts and comments
