So, you are interested in a Windows PDA phone? A smart phone is just not enough and you want that extra screen space? You are also excited by the high speed EV-DO Internet access? You are looking to narrow down your choices I bet. Of course the ever famous Palm Treo 700w shimmers in the distance, but perhaps the specs look sub-par; such as the 240 by 240 screen which only provides 75% of the screen real estate offered by other phones (including the non-Windows Palms). That is a bummer! The amount of memory in the Treo is also less, the cpu is slower, the keyboard buttons are smaller... On top of it all, if you are a developer you might actually need that extra horsepower! So that may lead you away from the Treo and towards something like the XV6700.

I researched and picked out the UTStarcom XV6700 (via Verizon Wireless). Now you can read a couple of reviews here and here. For the most part, these reviews are correct. However, assuming you are fine with the battery life and size (for me they are fine), I am about to tell you how and why I am on my fourth device and have decided to give up on it.

I plan on posting several reviews of new mobile devices I have been using and testing. Usually the headset would not be the first review choice, but after using the Motorola HS850 (and sadly shelling out the money to do so) I felt I needed to put this review at the top of the list. Why? My experience with the HS850 was less than adequate at best (mostly terrible) and I do not want anyone else purchasing this headset without having a fair warning.

Let me start by saying that my expectations were not high when choosing a bluetooth headset (or any headset for that matter). I do not expect a headset to work while in windy conditions, or within range of loud noise, nor do I care particularly what it looks like or whether I can be a full 30 feet away with it still working. In short, I have the same basic requirements I have with wired headsets:

1. I want to make and receive calls
2. I want to be able to hear the call effectively
3. Callers on the other end should be able to hear me reasonably
4. Usable while driving
5. Usable while in the office or home

Those are my basic expectations and the HS850 passed only one of them consistently.

I recently purchased a pair of Sony Fontopia headphones (Black MDR-EX71SL) to go along with the MP3 player I use when working out. Although the MP3 player did come with a pair of headphones, not only were they terribly uncomfortable but they inexplicably died within a few weeks. Within a couple of days, I had scoured the Internet and consulted with those "in the know" about what my options were. I had not purchased a pair of headphones separate from a device in years - however, my requirements were pretty simple: light weight, comfortable, loud enough to keep out ambient sound, good sound quality and reasonably priced. The Sony Fontopia headphones I purchased have met and exceeded my criteria.