When I go away on home exchange I often post to this blog using my Blackberry phone. Originally, Blackberries were primarily used by business people to use their company's email systems when on the road. Now, Blackberry and other portable internet device makers are trying to get an internet connection in everyone's pocket.
CURRENT OPTIONS
Until now, the main options for mobile email and internet use have been phones from Treo (Palm Pilots), Sidekick and Blackberries. All of these phones can also serve as address books and appointment books.
Sidekicks are popular with teens but don't have the expandability or date book sophistication I need. For a long time I used Palm Pilots but there are limited Palm Pilots that also work as phones and I don't like the size of those phones. I have also had trouble with reliability of my Palm Pilots.
We switched to Blackberries when the new Pearl came out. It looks like a regular phone but it downloads emails from our gmail and yahoo accounts as soon as they appear in our in-box. The address book and calendar functions download onto our computer using Microsoft Outlook.
HOME EXCHANGE PHONE FEATURES
My favorite feature of the Blackberry is the built-in mapping program. I can enter and two addresses and get turn-by-turn directions between the two points. For $100 I can buy a Global Positioning System receiver for the Blackberry that lets the phone speak the directions as I drive or walk.
Blackberry is coming out with an even better phone called the Curve that has a built-in GPS receiver but it will only work with one phone company to begin with.
WHICH PHONE PLAN IS RIGHT FOR HOME EXCHANGERS?
Obviously, home exchangers need a nationwide phone plans that includes free roaming out of the home area. Which is the best plan for you? To find out, go to a site such as MyRatePlan.com that compares deals from all the phone companies. It also lets you pick a phone based on the features you need. MyRatePlan even has a "hot list" of phones that are free, or even come with rebates in addition to being free.
In the US, the most expensive way to get a phone is to go directly to the mobile phone company. They never offer phones directly to the consumer at a discount. The best deal on a phone is always found through a dealer. The rate plans are the same whether you sign up through the phone company or their dealer. The cost of the phone can vary by hundreds of dollars when purchased through a dealer or the phone company.
FEATURES FOR EXCHANGERS
I recommend looking for a phone that has a mapping program or GPS, internet access and easy to set up email. At the moment, it seems to me that the Blackberry best meets these criteria. Apple is coming out with a device called the iPhone that promises to revolutionize internet phones but it may initially cost as much as $600, will only work with one phone company that has a slow internet connection, and may not live up to expectations.
INTERNATIONAL PHONE OPTIONS
For home exchangers, domestic calls are not the only issue. Next time: international calling issues.
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