Mobile Internet Devices

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jtaylor
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Mobile Internet Devices

Postby jtaylor » 09 Dec 2009, 23:37

Right now I have a prepaid phone (Virgin Mobile USA) that is almost out of credit and it's about a year and a half old, so I was looking into replacing it. I want a smartphone so I can do smartphone sorts of things. I spent the past half hour looking at my options, and basically I can't afford any of the plans for a smart phone if I'm also paying several hundred for the phone itself.

So what would be far better for me is getting something with wifi that I can put in my pocket. What do you all suggest? I specifically don't want an iPod touch and I don't want to spend more than $360.
I know the DS has wifi, and I am considering getting one. How good is it at web browsing? Is the DSi small and light enough that I would want to carry it around all the time?


tl;dr I can has internet in my pocket, yes?
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby Arius » 09 Dec 2009, 23:54

Well, how much are you willing to pay a month? I've got a Storm, and while the value it is ~$600, I only had to pay $200 in addition to a monthly plan of $110 (which increased to $135 when I added some features)
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby Evil Jim » 10 Dec 2009, 00:39

You could always get the iPhone Alternative.
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby jtaylor » 10 Dec 2009, 07:38

Arius wrote:Well, how much are you willing to pay a month? I've got a Storm, and while the value it is ~$600, I only had to pay $200 in addition to a monthly plan of $110 (which increased to $135 when I added some features)

I think $30 a month is expensive.

Evil Jim wrote:You could always get the iPhone Alternative.

Basically this is what I want to do except without the tape and wire mess.
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby TomBrend » 10 Dec 2009, 07:56

Get a Droid!

I love my Droid. I also get to make fun of iPhone users because mine multitasks, WinMo users because mine is stable, Nokia users because mine isn't 3 inches thick, and other Android users because I have 2.0 and they don't.
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby tak197 » 10 Dec 2009, 12:11

TomBrend, my only gripe with the Droid is that it's a Motorola and everyone of the Motorolas I have owned have a SHIT battery life. But the Droid has some great features and is as close to an iPhone as I will ever get (I like my carrier too much). However, there are TWO Droids out there: Droid by Motorola and Droid Eris by HTC. The Eris is also only like $100.
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby Matt » 10 Dec 2009, 12:19

... get an iPhone?

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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby Kaemon » 10 Dec 2009, 13:08

TomBrend wrote:Get a Droid!

I love my Droid. I also get to make fun of iPhone users because mine multitasks, WinMo users because mine is stable, Nokia users because mine isn't 3 inches thick, and other Android users because I have 2.0 and they don't.


Multitasks? My iPhone can do that.... its stable, and its thin....

So I don't see why anyone would get a droid, which will probably be replaced by something else in another 6 months.
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby Master Gunner » 10 Dec 2009, 13:12

Yes, because the iPhone isn't frequently upgraded at all......
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby jtaylor » 10 Dec 2009, 15:13

Maybe I should have made it more clear that I don't want a phone, since I can't afford a plan?
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby gcninja » 10 Dec 2009, 15:45

nokia N800... nuff said
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby Frost » 10 Dec 2009, 19:16

psp can skype
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby Tim » 10 Dec 2009, 19:42

I was all set to recommend an iPod Touch wholeheartedly...

Any specific reason you're against the Touch?
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby iwashere33 » 13 Dec 2009, 20:14

sony ericsson have a few alternatives. check out the local site for your area (just go to sonyericsson.com and it will direct you to your coutnry) and if you still don't see some good ones, check out the global sonyericsson site which has all the new phones including the up and coming devices.

they have a few interesting products but my last phone was a p900 and i think it was the best phone out there, until i got my iphone (i'm in australia so we have three carriers and about 100 different iphone plans to choose from, starting at $60 a month - on contract).

but other than that i can't recomend any nokia due to sucky programming, i have nothing but lock up and freezing, and motorolla really do have sucky battery life a limited connectivity [that said, the iphone can't even bluetooth pics to other iphones]

perhaps a samsung omnia? and if none of that works, check out phones on ebay. buy one outright and keep the prepaid simcard.
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby tak197 » 13 Dec 2009, 20:28

Alo if he is against the iPod Touch, he's probably gonna be against the iPhone. AND the iPhone is still pretty expensive, and then he'll need the data plan on top of that. The Droid Eris that I suggested earlier would be more appropriate, as it is only $99 with a 2-year plan.
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby jtaylor » 15 Dec 2009, 09:59

I think I am just going to get a DSi.
Thanks gcninja for actually suggesting the kind of thing I was looking for.
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby aurora.melody2 » 15 Dec 2009, 10:06

TomBrend wrote:Get a Droid!

I love my Droid. I also get to make fun of iPhone users because mine multitasks, WinMo users because mine is stable, Nokia users because mine isn't 3 inches thick, and other Android users because I have 2.0 and they don't.


But doesn't it have a really short battery life?
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby Shinoki » 15 Dec 2009, 10:15

jtaylor wrote:I think I am just going to get a DSi.
Thanks gcninja for actually suggesting the kind of thing I was looking for.


Unless they have significantly upgraded the browser on the DS when they leveled up to the DSi, I wouldn't. The old browser has basically no plug-in support. I remember when I used to work at futureshop and we started selling them I had a bunch of angry people trying to return it cause it couldn't do half the web 2.0 stuff they wanted it to.

Honestly even though you say you are against it / can't afford it, the iPod Touch is your best bet for mobile internet. I'd just save up your pocket change for it. It'll be worth the wait.
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby wilson_x1999 » 15 Dec 2009, 10:57

During the weekend I got me a Nokia E71 and I LOVE IT, and you could get an E63 which is pretty much the same but the body is plastic instead of metal and it doesn't have GPS, but that's pretty much it.
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby tamaness » 15 Dec 2009, 11:47

Get a second-hand SIM card enabled Blackberry or other Win-Mobile device; you can use it on WiFi, and when you decide to get phone service on it, you can just get a SIM card.

The DS and DSi are probably going to fall far short of "mobile internet device," and finding one new that doesn't cost an arm and a leg or come with phone service (short of the iPod Touch -- a steal at $200) is going to be difficult at best. Pretty much everything on the market right now is a cell phone.

I would have recommended a Palm, but they only do phones now.

You might look at an iPaq PDA from HP: http://www.shopping.hp.com/handheld?jum ... R1002_USEN

I can't think of anything else you could use that doesn't require a data plan with your mobile carrier.
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby korri » 15 Dec 2009, 15:39

I'm guessing one of those small netbooks are too big if you want to carry it around all the time and don't carry a purse.

I too have been contemplating the purchase of a DS... But I still have not been able to justify the purchase to myself.
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby TomBrend » 15 Dec 2009, 15:53

aurora.melody2 wrote:
TomBrend wrote:Get a Droid!

I love my Droid. I also get to make fun of iPhone users because mine multitasks, WinMo users because mine is stable, Nokia users because mine isn't 3 inches thick, and other Android users because I have 2.0 and they don't.


But doesn't it have a really short battery life?


It lasts two days if I don't use navigation, and about a day if I do.

It's also really thin, especially compared to the N900, and has the awesome physical keyboard so I don't have to use the stupid virtual one like on the Eris.

To address Kaemon, your iPhone can only multitask if it's jailbroken. Stock iPhones can only background iTunes.

tak197: Motorola really gave the droid their all. It's built like their commercial radio gear rather than like the phones they've put out in the last couple of years, you can drop it from height and it'll be fine.

The only complaint I have at present is that the battery cover comes off occasionally, but it's nothing a dot of superglue won't fix.
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby aurora.melody2 » 16 Dec 2009, 05:14

Oh, wow! I knew it was an awesome phone, but I didn't think it lasted long.
Two days is a lot better than I thought!
That isn't great compared to normal phones, but charging it every night is a small price to pay for greatness.
Do you live in an area with a lot of coverage?
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby Kaemon » 17 Dec 2009, 21:58

TomBrend wrote:To address Kaemon, your iPhone can only multitask if it's jailbroken. Stock iPhones can only background iTunes.


Not like doing that stuff isn't something I'd do to any phone :-/
Did it with my PSP, DS, iPhone, any handheld electronic is something I want open to me... so I never considered that a bad thing.

>_> Though even with multitask I really don't use it that often... I keep twitter always running so its always updated and less time to switch to it, and if I'm using IRC on it that goes, but aside from that I don't have much need for it.... I'm sure some people really do though, so I won't take my personal use as the public opinion.
And of course I don't think the iphone is perfect, and I really do like the droid, based off what I've seen... still, I'd rather stick with iphone than switch it after a while. (Though I'm sure there will be a new iphone model next june, like clockwork.)
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Re: Mobile Internet Devices

Postby TomBrend » 18 Dec 2009, 06:37

aurora.melody2 wrote:Oh, wow! I knew it was an awesome phone, but I didn't think it lasted long.
Two days is a lot better than I thought!
That isn't great compared to normal phones, but charging it every night is a small price to pay for greatness.
Do you live in an area with a lot of coverage?


It's verizon. Everywhere has a lot of coverage :) With the exception of when I was in a faraday cage I have never seen the 3G icon disappear.

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