I am thinking of purchasing a PocketPC/iPaq or other somesuch device. I travel a fair amount for work and pleasure. I'd like to find a way to leave my laptop at home, at least on vacation but I need to have access to email and internet. I was reading some of Robspierre's excellent threads on iPaq applications, etc. and it sounds like this is a good way to go for what I need. I was also thinking of picking up a cheap Quad band phone for use in Europe.

My questions is - if I was planning to purchase a PocketPC anyway, is it worthwhile to get a GSM Smartphone that also has WiFi? The absense of WiFi is a dealbreaker, since here in the states I will probably not use it much as a phone. I really want it more for the PocketPC functionality. Do such devices even exist? If so, are they as functional as regular PocketPC's or are they like most convergence devices - do a lot of things, none of them well?

I'd like to be able use it for accessing work related email and websites, and also for travel related stuff (maps, guides, etc.) Are there any that can incorporate GPS?

Did I mention I am trying to pack light? Let me know if I am dreaming or if there is something out there that could fit the bill.

Thanks!

I love my Cingular 8125 Pocket PC. It works all over the world (you call them to activate for whatever countries you're going to); the keyboard is much more user-friendly than, say, a Blackberry's; it has a decent camera and video recorder; it has WiFi and GPS; and comes loaded with MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel and MS Explorer. It also has a dozen other features I haven't even tried yet, and I've had it for more than a year now. Customer service has also been very responsive.

Thanks for the reply, StCirq. Funny, I was just reading about that one. It looks like a great solution. I seems to be more of a PDA with a phone than vice versa, which is what I was hoping to find. Do you know if you can get an unlocked version or do you have to go through Cingular? I really don't want to change my existing carrier for a bunch of reasons.

Although I haven't bought mine yet, I think the best solution for you is the Hewlett Packard iPAQ line. It does everything you have laid out, including GPS.

St. Cirq seems to be happy, and I believe that the Cingular 8125 is just the carrier brand name for the iPAQ 9000 series. Same device I believe. With Cingular you get their email and geographic coverage..

You can read some of the useful threads by clicking on my name and working back to the threads on phones. There are some very knowledgeable posters here who have provided some excellent info on options.

Best, Rouss

I got a smokin' deal on an iPAQ HW6510, a Pocket PC that incorporates GPS, 4-band GSM phone, Bluetooth.

I'm not completely disenchanted by it, but my next one <u>will</u> have integral WiFi and a screen that has at least a 4:3 aspect ratio. The 6510's is 1:1, and applications that assume a rectangular screen don't display well. But it does have SD and Mini-SD slots, so expanding memory capacity will never be limited.

It should be easy for you to find something with GPS, international phone, and WiFi.

Thanks to all of your helpful replies, I have my choices narrowed down to either the iPAQ hw6945 or the HTC TyTN. The hw6945 is basically the same as Robspierre's hw6510 except with WiFi. The HTC TyTN is the unlocked version of the Cingular 8525 (a slightly newer version of StCirq's 8125).

Both are quad band GSM devices and offer WiFi and bluetooth. Both run Windows Mobile 5. The main differences are that the TyTN has a rectangular screen and a larger keypad that slides out and you use it landscape style and does not include GPS. The hw6945 has a small keypad on the bottom, a square screen and does include GPS (which is pretty good for a PDA according to reviews).

So which would you recommend? I think the GPS on the hw6945 nudges me in that direction, however Robspierre's comment about the square aspect ratio has me somewhat concerned. Would this be a big enough issue cause you to forgo GPS for a unit with a rectangular screen? Is switching of screen orientation when using the keyboard on PDA's that slide out sideways (like StCirqs 8125 or the TyTN I am looking at) a liability or is it no big deal.

I have never used any type of PocketPC before - I am still using a 5 year old B&amp;W Palm Pilot. Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks again!

I think the screen issue will be insignificant as soon as I get some of my apps upgraded. The square one still works great for GPS navigation, though.

But if you plan to watch movies on it, a rectangular screen is a must. The square one is quite deficient when a wide-screen version is displayed; the image fills the width but it's 1&quot; high.