Hi,

I'd like to buy a device which:

1. is a phone
2. I can receive and send e-mail on (in UK and overseas)
3. I can browse the internet on (in UK and overseas)
4. will allow me to upload/download e-mails from/to Outlook on my XP desktop with the minimum fuss and maximum control
5. has a decent sized and good resolution screen
6. will read all major file formats (Word, Excel, PDF, etc)
7. can fit in my jeans front pocket
8. has been on the market for less than nine months
9. I can use anywhere (I guess within a GPRS area)

Also, can anyone recommend a provider too? I won't use the device much for calls, so can be on quite a low call tarrif, possibly with a data provision as I'll probably use it more for e-mail/web. Don't want to pay more than about £30 per month. Don't want to pay more than about £150 for the unit itself.

I really am a novice on this subject, so if anyone can give me any advice, that would be much appreciated. There seems to be so much out there - I can't cope!

Thanks in advance.

[Uridium]

Congratulations - You have just described the Orange M500

Thanks Uridium...I'll look into it.

[the_sanguine]

Without wishing to hijack the thread, I want a device that supports WLAN so that I can load a Skype client and use Skype when at home. Is the XDAi or s my only option?

[Monty Burns]

As stated above the Orange M500 or MDAIII in my case is spot on!

Originally Posted by the_sanguine

Without wishing to hijack the thread, I want a device that supports WLAN so that I can load a Skype client and use Skype when at home. Is the XDAi or s my only option?

Just a word of warning for you, Skype last time I checked for Windows Mobile did not support voice calls from the PDA device. They said on the web site that they are working on it though! I guess it will be Soon(tm).

[the_sanguine]

What's an MDA111?

I would prefer O2 as I get 30% discount

[Monty Burns]

Exactly the same as the Orange 500 just badged t-mobile. I believe its something like the XDA 2i?

[Uridium]

To clear up the I-Mate/Orange SPV-M/T-Mobile MDA/O2 XDA model confusion that I always read on posts here.

MDA (Tmobile) is the same as the O2 XDA

MDAII (Tmobile) is the same as the Orange SPV-M1000 and O2 XDA2

MDAIII (Tmobile) is the same as the Orange SPV-M2000 and O2 XDA2s and I-Mate PDA2k sim free

MDA compact (Tmobile) is the same as the Orange SPV-M500, no O2 equivalent in the UK but O2 mini elsewhere in the world or same as I-Mate Jam sim free .

O2 XDA2i is only available on O2 and is basically the same as the orginal XDAII but with faster CPU/Wireless Lan card and Megapixel cam.

MDA Pro/XDA Exec /I-Mate JasJar is coming soon

[dancingmatt]

Small world - only 30 mins ago I came across this very useful table which summarises which phones are the same model:

http://www.windowsmobile.no/modules....rder=0&thold=0

Although I think the "Magician" M500 on Orange has less RAM than some of the other "Magicians"?

DM