OT...I want to get my wife a new phone.

[Brushy Hollow Bill]

She is an elementary school counselor so she needs a passworded place in it so she can keep notes about the kiddies.

A longer than usual video record thingie. Like maybe 30 minutes.

A really good camera in case she has to take some pics of an abused kiddie and can't find a camera. QUESTION.. Do you want to know the quickest way to get a camera stolen. ANSWER..Take it to school and lock it up in your desk.

Internet, Gotta have that so when we are driving along and need to know all about something that we will forget about 10 minutes later.

Big text messaging board. She has tri-focals.

I want to surprise her so if you know about such things gimme names. Thanks

[gbuskirk]

The iPhone is an incredible piece of technology and well worth a look. Only AT&T has it (in the USA), though. You may find a deal on an iPhone 3G soon because a newer version is due soon.

[Guest]

+1 for the iPhone. I LOVE mine. The applications are addictive!

Sam

[Lee Lee]

Another vote for the iPhone. I'm totally addicted to mine. There's an application called "Speak Easy" that has the BEST recording program. I use that one all the time. Along with the other 36 that I have!!
Lee Lee

[Amontilado]

I vote for high end Nokia, like a Nokia E71 (around $300-$340 unlocked), or like I did, picked up an N95; no keyboard, but that is it's only fault that I've found so far. Since it is several models behind it's respective top of the line model, got it for significantly less than its MSRP, like almost 60% off. Got it at NewEgg.

With an unlocked phone, I get an unlimited data plan for half price what my wife pays for her IPhone, through ATT/Cingular. If you get a smart phone/pda through them, you must get the 30$ data plan. I got mine somewhere else, so I pay only $15. Makes up for the little bit more I paid for my phone plus, without being locked into a contract.

Steve

[ColinP]

The Nokia E71 is a great phone, but the camera on it sucks.

[gbuskirk]

+1 for the iPhone. I LOVE mine. The applications are addictive!
Sam

One of the apps I tried out on mine is called "sleep analyzer". Start the app and set the phone on your nightstand. It listens an analyzes the sounds made during the night. It detects significant events such as snoring, coughing, etc, and preserves snippets of sound. It's no substitute for a sleep study, but it may help to convince someone (such as I) that their snoring is a problem.

[Amontilado]

The Nokia E71 is a great phone, but the camera on it sucks.

True, the camera isn't the quality of my N95, but the N95 doesn't have the keyboard the E71 has. But then again, they are meant for different uses. One leans towards doing the multimedia thing well(the N95; I can even plug it directly in to the tv), while one leans towards the business end( the E71 and the rest of the E-series). The Iphone is a great PDA, but as a phone, well, there are much better choices. It's what one can afford and what is offered. I snap up an N97 when they come out, but at over $800 MSRP, too rich for my blood.

Steve

[Babette]

I am in education, too. The best possible way to for her to secure her cell phone is to WEAR IT ALL TIMES.

You can buy lanyards for this. Or you can just make sure to wear pockets. I try like hell to always wear something to work with POCKETS.

Good luck!
B.

[ColinP]

The Nokia E71 is a great phone, but the camera on it sucks.

True, the camera isn't the quality of my N95, but the N95 doesn't have the keyboard the E71 has. But then again, they are meant for different uses. One leans towards doing the multimedia thing well(the N95; I can even plug it directly in to the tv), while one leans towards the business end( the E71 and the rest of the E-series). The Iphone is a great PDA, but as a phone, well, there are much better choices. It's what one can afford and what is offered. I snap up an N97 when they come out, but at over $800 MSRP, too rich for my blood.

Steve

Even my 3 year old N80's camera was better than the E71's, but as I say it's a great phone, and I'd choose it again, even with the crummy camera (I didn't get it to take pictures). I just don't understand why Nokia manage to make some phones with decent cameras and others are useless - you'd think that they'd be standardising on the same chips to make manufacturing and stock control easier.

[Georgio]

Samsung Instinct is worth taking a look at. It has a touch screen like the IPhone, and is a little smaller. Mine works great. The GPS keeps me from getting lost!

Georgio

[Amontilado]

Even my 3 year old N80's camera was better than the E71's, but as I say it's a great phone, and I'd choose it again, even with the crummy camera (I didn't get it to take pictures). I just don't understand why Nokia manage to make some phones with decent cameras and others are useless - you'd think that they'd be standardising on the same chips to make manufacturing and stock control easier.

Of course the N series would have a better camera than the E series; different series, different purposes overall. There is no comparison between my N95's 5mp with a Carl Zeiss lense (essentually a dedicated camera integrated into the phone)and my old 6102. Different phones with different purposes. And the screen on my N95 beats the smaller screen on the E71, but there again, my N95 is bigger and designed for a different purpose. I wouldn't use a compact car for hauling a bunch of people with stuff around for an extended; I'd go for something larger, designed for the purpose. I chose the N95 for it's multimedia capability over the E71 for it's multimedia capabilities, since I use it a lot for taking pictures of the kids, and don't want to haul a cell and camera around all the time.

Steve

[Amontilado]

Forgot to add for the IPhone lovers, my wife loves hers. A bunch of apps which can be added, a good memo function and a built in GPS. Great for finding those yard sales on the weekend.

Steve

[Brushy Hollow Bill]

Forgot to add for the IPhone lovers, my wife loves hers. A bunch of apps which can be added, a good memo function and a built in GPS. Great for finding those yard sales on the weekend.

Steve

I think that is the one I am going to get but someone said a newer version is coming out in a month so I am going to check on that. Thanks all

[Amontilado]

Bill,

As Babs said, it would be most prudent for your wife to get a case/cover/protector that allows her to keep it on her person at all times. The Apple products, Iphones and Ipods are VARY attractive to thieves.

Steve