Technology Verizon PDA/SmartPhones.....

Hey, feel free to PM me. I take care of all of the Verizon Wireless stuff for my company and can probably tell you more than you want to know about them. A few notes:

1. The smallest of the phones with a full keyboard is the Motorola Q. It's pretty sweet. The PN-820 is cool, and it's a normal flip, but if you ever want to do more than text (eg email), this is NOT the phone for you.

2. Battery life...none of them are great - relative to normal cell phones. Get the phone and then buy a second battery off eBay or something.

3. WM - that's the easy part. All of the phones run it except the one Palm OS that VW sells. When you know which one you want, call VW to find out when they are releasing WM6 on that device and make sure that Epocrates will run on that. Might be too soon to know for sure so you may want to get WM5, if you need/want it urgently.

4. The phones with the best screen size are the ones with the flip out keyboard. I have the xv6700, and the screen size is awesome. (I also LOVE this phone.)

5. Some of the phones have built-in WiFi, which is what I think you're talking about. The Treo - well, Palm is more than happy to sell you a WiFi card for it. Or do you mean a card/cable that allows you to get internet access on your laptop through your phone? If that's the case, you pay separately for the card/cable device and the access.

6. Data plans are pricey, but the unlimited is the best one unless you absolutely WON'T browse for anything. BTW, Blackberries are the only Verizon PDA/Smartphones devices that FORCE you to have some kind of data plan. You can have the other phones and not have a data plan or even get a data block. And you can still use WiFi even with a data block, despite what the reps may tell you.

7. WM or Palm OS - personal preference. Palm is historically more stable. I'm in IT and I like to break/hack stuff. I prefer WM.

8. See no. 6. If you really want to browse using your own wireless network, I would suggest getting a phone with built-in Wifi. If you have to add the WiFi card, then you lose your mini/micro sd slot to the WiFi card.

9. Go and test out the phone during that trial period. Try them all, if you want. Seems silly, but many people take it for granted. Each of the devices has a slightly different weight, look, and comfort level in your hand. Do you want something with a touchscreen or just a scroll? Do you have big fingers? Can you comfortably press the keys? What kind of keyboard do you like? Normal cell phone keypad, slide out keyboard that makes you use two hands or a smaller keypad that allows you to just use one hand? And then of course...accessories. I don't care what anyone says - you will NEED a headset of some sort with any of these phones. The form factor makes it harder to hear so definitely consider investing in one.

So sorry for the long post, but PM me if you have any more questions. I, personally and professionally, have had a number of problems with the Treo 700 series. There is a reason that Verizon no longer lists the original 700w on their site, but still carries phones that came out before it...I'm all for getting the most bang for your buck, but make sure that you try out the phones first. You'll need to keep it for 22 months, and it's gonna cost you a bit so make sure you like it.

One last thing - whatever you do - make sure that you get the insurance.

Chargers...third party city from the web. They all come in nice and handy.

The data block is cool since you never have to worry about "accidental" data costs, which can be pretty steep with VW. And you won't get any picture or video messages either. You can get a texting plan - I have 500 texts plus unlimited in texts for $10/mo. And yeah, you can definitely use the WiFi with the data block, although some VW reps tell people that they can't. They want to make their money, too...

Insurance...I actually had to use it once. Came with a new set of everything for the phone and I just paid the $50 deductible.

By the way, not sure if you're interested, but there is a Skype client for certain WM phones. Nice addition if you go over your VW minutes for the month of if you want the cheapest allowed VW plan, and the cost is nothing compared to your VW plan.

xv6700...yeah, the style/size isn't fantastic, but the keyboard is awesome for me, and I LOVE the screen size. Throw in built-in WiFi and you're all set.

Good luck, and I'll be interested to hear what you decide on. I promise that I'm not trying to sell you on the 6700. I also think that the Q is pretty sweet and reliable for a smartphone, but I like having the touchscreen.