 Technology. |
| Smart Phones, Smart Choices By ROY FURCHGOTT Published: December 1, 2008 |
 The BlackBerry Storm has traded a full keyboard for a detailed larger screen and a touch-pad keyboard. |
| IF you are confident that a phone is the right gift for a friend or loved one, the smart choice this year is a smart phone. The demand for mobile Web access is increasing, and the ability of phones to deliver it is improving. That said, how to match the smart phone to the recipient? Some generalities provide a road map. FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T READ INSTRUCTIONS The choice here is simple. The easiest-to-use phone, right out of the box, is the iPhone. It's that ease that has propelled it to the No. 1 selling position, surpassing the Motorola Razr. The iPhone's touch screen is intuitive and easy to operate. It's also easy to customize. The phone can run applications that can help you lose weight, identify a song on the radio, find a restaurant and do many other things. Apple has nicely corralled more than 5,000 of these, including games and productivity software, in its App Store. On the technical side, it's a GSM/EDGE phone, which means it can be used overseas, and it can work on a Wi-Fi wireless connection, which gives you access to a faster network for Internet browsing. It also has a 2-megapixel camera, and the music player has the familiar iPod menus and up to 16 gigabytes of memory. There are a few quibbles: It doesn't have true GPS, although its locator does pretty well. The Bluetooth wireless link is monaural, so you can't get the full effect of your music on a stereo Bluetooth headset. And there are those who hate the virtual keyboard that makes you type using, essentially, a picture of a keyboard on the touch screen. On the other hand, an application that makes the keyboard bigger, like EasyWriter, makes a nice stocking stuffer. |
 The T-Mobile G1 offers a Google Chrome browser and synchronizes easily with programs like Gmail and Google Maps. Because it features few restrictions on application designs, it shows great potential. More Photos > |
FOR THE FUTURIST The T-Mobile G1 gained attention as the first phone offering a Google Chrome browser, which means that you are getting the real Web on your phone, not a version dumbed down for a slow processor and small screen. It also has the Android operating system, which will allow any developer to build applications for it, virtually without restrictions. The phone has a nice hefty case that contains a triple-threat of Web navigation. For one, there's an actual Qwerty backlit keyboard, not a virtual one. But there's also a touch screen and a built-in track ball, very handy for navigating Web pages shrunk to fit the three-and-a-quarter-inch screen. As a Google product should, the G1 easily synchronizes with applications like Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Talk and, of course, Google Maps. Because it is backed up on the Web, if you lose your phone all of your contacts and data will be restored automatically when you get a new one. The phone has a 3.2-megapixel camera and a slot for a microSD card that lets you expand the memory up to 16 gigabytes, the current card limit. It has a music player and links to Amazon. As a GSM phone, it can also be used overseas. But it's the phone's potential that qualifies it for the futurist. The first applications are interesting, but they don't always work smoothly. The system should improve as it goes, and it holds great promise. By putting few restrictions on the design of applications for the phone, the G1 could be the first to incorporate some of the coolest software. |
 Mark Blinch/Reuters The iPhone's simplicity and ease of use have propelled it to No. 1. |
| FOR THE ROAD WARRIOR The new BlackBerry Storm is something like the electronic equivalent of a mullet — all business up front, party in the back. It still incorporates the serious mail and organizational features that have endeared these phones to businesspeople. One of the attractions on past models was the full keyboard, but the Storm has traded that for a larger screen and a touch-pad keyboard. For some it's a reasonable trade-off. The 3.25-inch screen is bright and detailed. It's a decent size for watching videos while flying. With a 16-gigabyte microSD card, you could store hours of MPEG4 video, and the advertised five hours of battery life means you could watch them. The camera is 3.2 megapixels, and it shoots video as well as still photos. It does have stereo Bluetooth, but no connection to a music store — you'll have to load music by SD card or by connecting to your desktop computer. How much BlackBerry devotees will like this phone depends on how they feel about the SureType keyboard. It is displayed on the touch screen, but to activate a key you have to put a finger on it and depress the screen, which is a giant click button. It can take some getting used to. As always, the BlackBerry has international connectivity. |
 The Jitterbug is for those who don't like the complexity of added features. |
| FOR THE LUDDITE For those who are terrorized by buttons and features, there is the Samsung Jitterbug Dial. Yes, the commercials are cheesy and the phones aren't cheap, but they have just a few large buttons, and they make calls. That's it, just phone calls. That makes it even easier to use than an iPhone. |
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Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Teléfonos inteligentes; alternativas inteligentes.
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