[m021478]

I finally switched from windows mobile to iphone (my most recent device was the Verizon XV6800), and have to say that I am very close to switching back in the coming days....

There were obviously things that annoyed me about the windows mobile pocket pc phones but I didn't realize until now how much they did do. The iPhone is very cool but lacks multiple basic functions that seem intentionally left out.

*BUT* I love the iPhone for all of it's other functionality which as I'm sure everyone knows is absolutely amazing, and would rather not switch back to my primitive-yet functional windows mobile device, so I was hoping someone here could recommend some options I have to deal with these issues...

Below is a list of the 'deal-breakers' for me, and unless I can find a solution to address most of them (if not all of them), I am likely to switch back to my Windows Mobile phone...

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1) No ability to synchronize your Outlook inbox and email folders (personal data file or .pst). I have been an Outlook user for years and am not about to change. What's so hard about syncing the emails in my inbox and my email folders? Windows mobile has been doing that for years.

2) No ability to sync tasks. What??!! I've already forgotten to do a couple things since I received my iPhone last week. This is basic. And the fact that Apple is letting a company, Chapura, create an app, "KeyTask" that syncs your Outlook tasks for $10 per year is criminal. This is a basic function that should be included and is in all WM phones.

3) Outlook notes. No support. Enough said.

4) No ability to invite attendees when creating a calendar event. I don't even use this option more than with my wife to remind each other of what we are doing but how then are business users supposed to adopt to this? This is just a basic feature of Calendar that has been on WMobile devices for years.

5) Cut and paste. The day I got my iphone someone texted me and asked me to txt them another person's phone number. Instead of going into my contacts and copying the number I had to find a pen and paper and write it down, then type it back into my txt. No stylus but carry a pen! This is incomprehensible. My pocket pc 2002 device had this feature and palm had this feature in the 1990s.

6) No ability to save files to the hard drive. Why? It's a hard-drive. I own it. Let me use it. What do you care if I save files to it? I don't want to have everything in my email and open it from there. What happens when I'm on the subway for 30 minutes and no internet access? Saving files on hard-drives has been a basic feature of computers since the 1980s. I want to put word docs, excel docs, powerpoint docs, PDFs and other stuff on my device to reference at my whim.

7) Why no T9 dialing to search for contacts? With over 500 contacts in my phone, if someone isn't in my favorites its pretty annoying finding them. The number of steps I need to make to actually call a phone number is multiple times more than on my windows mobile 6 phone. If you would just add T9 it would be a huge help. Then I could find contacts with only my thumb.

8) GPS. Why no turn-by-turn directions?

9) I need Office Mobile suite. Many MACs already have office. Why not the iphone? How is it supposed to be business ready without mobile office?
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Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated... Thanks so much!

[baggss]

1) Too bad. This isn't Windows.

2) I'm not sure I agree as tasks can be entered into and synced via iCal. It's not the same as Windows, but it is doable.

3) Too bad. This isn't Windows and there is no Outlook on the Mac either (although Entourages is *close*).

4) Ya, this should be an option. iCal on the iPhone has a way to go before it catches up with the Mac version.

5) Agreed.

6) You can buy an App like FILEMAGNET for $4.99 and sync it via your wireless network. Works fine and is worth the $$$.

7) Even my Palm had this feature but I almost never used it. I only have ~400 contacts and searching isn't that hard.

8) Good question. We know that companies like TomTom have the software waiting for Apple to let it into the store but who knows if it will ever happen. I'd like to see this too, or at least have Apple add more to the GPS capabilities.

9) I'd like to see iWork, Pages and Keynote and I suspect Apple will eventually release them. I don't expect to ever see M$ Office apps (and don't want to) but who knows.

Perhaps you should have done a bit more research before making the leap or be willing to lose Outlook for Mail. Bottom line, you are being stopped by 1, 2, 3 & 9. If they are absolute show stoppers, then sell your iPhone and go back to Windows Mobile.

EDIT: I would also recommend perusing the iLounge forums. You'll find a lot more Windows/iPhone users there than here.

[theonegod]

The iPhone is NOT a smartphone or pocket pc replacement. It is a iPod +Phone that has good corporate syncing abilities. But it is not a replacement or upgrade for the home smartphone user that is still using outlook and PSTs.

Why do you even use PSTs at home when you could use IMAP or store your email on the web and access it from anywhere? PSTs do a great job of holding people back in the stone ages of email. There is a brave new world of options out there.