Why I switched to a smartphone

Originally published in GP magazine .

Written for GP magazine around 2005. This is the version I submitted - the published article may have been edited.

Surprisingly for a gadget lover, I don’t particularly like mobile phones. I have never texted anyone, and the one time I tried I couldn’t get past the predictive texting, which kept changing what I wanted to say to gibberish. Unfortunately I do have to carry one for when I am on call. However, I do like email, and I do use Outlook for notes, tasks and its calendar, and so I also have a PDA.

Now this can be a problem, as I invariably forget one or the other. When my PDA started acting strangely I decided to replace it. I considered upgrading my phone to one that had a better calendar and contacts. However, when I researched what was available I was impressed by how far smartphones, which are a combination of phone and PDA, had come. Unlike pure phones they tend to run either Windows or a Palm-based operating system, and they have the ability to run software that would normally be found on a laptop. They also tend to include email clients which can connect direct to the internet if you have a GPRS contract.

Smartphones tend to be bigger, as they have bigger screens and more memory, and usually have the ability to add cards and other add-ons. When I last looked at smartphones they tended to be too big and heavy, but now they are much better.

I decided on a Vodafone VPA compact. It is fully Windows-based and just bigger than my old Nokia handset. It fits nicely in a pocket or attaches to a belt. I am thus never without it. It has all the latest toys, including camera, voice dialling, Windows Media Player for music and Bluetooth. I was tempted by a new HP iPAQ smartphone which has a built-in GPS receiver, which combined with TomTom software works as a navigation aid. But it was too expensive and big for me.

The reason I chose to go with a Windows smartphone is that it synchronises perfectly with Outlook. Everything on my computer is on the phone. I can even use it to give PowerPoint presentations via a projector.

There is a large amount of free and cheap software also available to be downloaded and installed from the internet. I have downloaded a chess program I can’t beat, which is useful for boring practice meetings, and a mini database program on which I store learning events I have attended.

If you are interested in a smartphone, make sure you go to the right retailer, as they can be aimed at corporate users and some shops may not be interested. Vodafone’s main website doesn’t list them. Expansys has a website that can be very useful. It has old and new models and will suggest alternatives. What is not commonly known is that one manufacturer tends to make a PDA and sell it to several companies with often minimal restyling. My smartphone is also known as an O2 Xda Mini and as an i-mate JAM. Going for the less well-known makes of the same phone can often save money.

As a practice or individual you might not be able to get the best deal. The NHS, because of its size, can, and currently there is a Vodafone contract available to NHS organisations. Your PCT should be able to access this and, if they are good, should be able to let you join in this deal. They will also have access to the corporate side of the Vodafone website, which has different prices and phones available.