Windows Mobile Smartphone vs. PDA-phone
 

I currently have a Cingular 8125 and I find it to be a perfectly acceptable phone. However, I'm not a fan of the unsightly bulge it produces in my pants (takes away from that other unsightly bulge in my pants :D ) and I also don't really care for the slide out keyboard. It works great two handed, but the darn phone is almost impossible to use one handed.

So, I've decided I need a keyboard-on-the-front design. The Treo has the same unsightly bulge problem. I'm really smitten with the Samsung Blackjack. I can deal with the battery problems because the 8125 isn't very well endowed in that department.

My question is, am I really giving up all that much downgrading to a smartphone? I don't really use my current phone for much more than e-mail, GMail, occasional web browsing, and of course phone calls. I would like to add maybe video streaming from Orb or the Slingbox in the future.

I just bought the T-Mobile Dash and think it is 100% adequate. I really don't like the PDAs with the little pencil you have to dig out of the side every time you want to do something; the d-pad and (on the Dash) touchstrip are plenty. Then there's the smaller size. The e-mail and browser are the same on both PocketPC and Smartphone, so you won't be losing any functionality (well, you do lose Pocket Office but the Dash comes with something essentially the same).

I'm using mine on Cingular, and it works great.

How much was the Dash without a contract? Was it difficult to get unlocked?

I paid about $300 I think. It was about USD$20 do get it unlocked.

I had the Wizard (MDA, 8125, etc...) and couldn't deal with the slider and keyboard also. The slider got loose pretty quickly and the opening and closing of it in my pocket messed with the digitizer.

You can look at the Samsung WM5 smartphone (BlackJack from Cingular). It's very thin and shouldn't bulge too much. However, you do sacrifice battery life because of it.

I carry a Nokia N73 now, and it seems ok in my pocket.

I also just got the T-Mobile Dash. Other then the slightly smaller screen (which doesn't make that big of a difference for practical use), I think it's great. They Windows Mobile Smartphone seems to be a very good operating system, and I also like not having to use the stylus.

It also seems to handle web browsing and email quite adequately (although I can get it to connect to everybody's wifi network except for mine. erg.).

I'd definitely say the transition to no-stylus and such feels a little wierd at first, but once you get used to it it's tons easier, and great to be able to operate everything (including full keyboard) with just one hand.

Oh, and I also plan on using it with my slingbox (well, future slingbox) soon!