My dream gadget...

It's finally here... The one gadget which I can say has *almost* everything I ever wanted. It's the T-Mobile MDA-IV, and I guess should be out by new names like XDA-IV and what not soon enough. It's availability is predicted to be around mid of 2005. But this sure looks like a winner... like my Nokia 6600 was in its time.

Once, I had been thinking of getting a separate PDA, because of the various advantages it had over a PocketPC phone. But the killer was that I would have to carry 2 separate devices. Then along came the XDA-3, and the iMate JAM. Both of them were awesome devices. I was hooked on the JAM mainly because of the size and the clean looks, but the lack of wifi was a killer. And now the MDA-IV is out. I'll go ahead and list its pros and cons now:

Pros:

• VGA (640x480) screen: I can't wait to see this for real! a VGA quality screen in such a small device is going to be awesome! Browsing websites won't be as cumbersome as it was on QVGA screens.
• Dual wireless (Bluetooth + WiFi): Bluetooth is a must for any high-end phone. Once you've used bluetooth for connectivity, it's hard to go back. I have never used wifi, but it's all the rage, and I plan to get on the bandwagon soon.
• QWERTY keyboard: Chatting on IM using this device is going to be a lot easier than my current Nokia 6600. Granted it's not going to be as comfortable as my PC's keyboard, but it's also not going to be as difficult as T9 on my cellphone (though I'm a real fast texter).
• UMTS, GPRS: GPRS I've used, and it's a godsend for when you're on the move. UMTS, I have never used, and I don't think any network in Pakistan supports it yet.
• Two cameras: For videoconferencing of course! I know video-calling will be a novelty, but let's hope it's not doomed like MMS.
• Megapixel camera: Well I don't really expect it to match up to even the cheapest dedicated camera (I have a better one for pics that really matter) but it's a good tradeoff for that occasion when you want a camera and just don't have one. After all it would definitely be better than my 0.3megapixel 6600.

Cons:

• Expansion slots: High-end dedicated PDA's generally have 2 types of slots: 1 SDIO, and 1 CF slot. This one only has SDIO (I think). But it's not that much of a dealbreaker.
• Triband: I've heard a lot of people bashing this phone in the forums becaus it lacks a 850MHz radio. It's irrelevant for anyone outside North America. For the rest of the world, triband covers all the possibilities of GSM.
• Form Factor: It looks really nice, unless you think about how you're going to answer phone calls when the phone is closed, like the way you close a laptop. The touchscreen would be on the inside, facing the keyboard keys, and I suspect that there is nothing on the back of the device. That would make for an awkward phone. You would have to open it up to answer a call! You could always keep it in a tablet style, with the phone closed and the touchscreen facing outward, but that would leave the touchscreen vulnerable to the elements. It's not a big deal having an exposed touchscreen, but people who are fastidious about keeping there phones scratchfree might mind. I have a strong feeling that HTC must have provided a way to answer the phone without opening it.
• Size: I wish it were as compact as the JAM. Even though in the pic it looks like an updated version of the JAM, I've read that it is more near the PDA2K in size. Just a few cm.sq. would have made all the difference!

All in all, I have a feeling that this device is a winner, and I hope to get it when it's out.