Quickie Review: One Week with the Sidekick II

THE SKINNY: 

A great device, but not right for everyone.  If your primary use would be as a camera or a straight phone, don't even bother.  But if you are a heavy data user and want to stay connected to e-mail, IM, and the web, I have seen nothing better.  (And I have seen almost all of 'em in the SmartPhone sales space.)



The GREAT:

1.  Instant messaging is better on the SK2 than on my laptop.

2.  Always-on, push e-mail is a killer app.  I always know if e-mail is coming in.

3.  Web browser does a better job of rendering pages than any other minibrowser I have seen on any mobile platform.

4.  It is great to type an e-mail, start it sending, go back to a web page you started downloading before the e-mail, and take a picture, e-mail it to Flickr.Com, and then send a text message to my brother… all on the same device with overlapping functional times.

5.  Notes and Address Book cleanly moved from my Kyocera 7135 Palm Phone to the Sidekick 2.



The GOOD:

1.  Nice having unlimited text messaging.

2.  T-Mobile's service has been as good or better in my work areas than Verizon.  (Though I know Verizon has a larger coverage area overall.)

3.  The downloadable ring tones are very cool.

4.  Battery life has been great.  I lose about 1 bar per day, even with heavy use of the data function.

5.  Time Traveler application that is downloadable for a fee, is a great stopwatch/world clock.



The BAD:

1.  The camera is just about useless except in strong light.  Even with the "flash."  People taken in my church at close range with decent lighting are still so blurry as to be unrecognizable.

2.  T-Mobile's service will come and go IN THE SAME SPOT with no perceptible changes in wind, proximity to cars, etc.

3.  Web page loading is MUCH slower than on my Kyocera 7135 on Verizon.  But then, that is with the SK2 doing a full page and the Kyocera downloading just text.

4.  There is no identifiable way to download my calendar from my Palm, and upload it to the T-Mobile "Desktop Interface."

5.  The asteroids game that comes with the SK2 is awful.  I'd much rather have a text adventure or a simple board game.  (These are downloadable for a fee.)