By CNET Staff
03/11/2008
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/mobilephones/0,39050603,39393117,00.htm

When shopping for a new PDA or smart phone, you probably weigh your decision on factors such as the size of the device, its features, and its price. These are important considerations, to be sure, but more importantly what about the operating system, the core software that runs these devices? Most users know the differences between Windows and Macintosh, but what about Palm and BlackBerry? Symbian and Windows Mobile? How do these handheld platforms compare, and should you use them as the basis of your buying decision?

After weeks of poking, prodding, and tapping on screens, we found the answers. We put the BlackBerry, Palm, Symbian, and Windows Mobile operating systems through the wringer, checking their strengths and weakness in areas such as email, multimedia, Microsoft Office compatibility, and ease of use. We looked at the number (and quality) of third-party applications, which can make the devices more like pocket computers than pocket organizers. And we delved into the core apps themselves to see which operating system does the best job managing your contacts, calendars, and other critical info. Read on to see how they compare.

Palm

The Palm operating system is currently in a state of flux. Its developer, PalmSource, was acquired by Japanese software maker Access, after spinning off from Palm a year earlier. Palm OS 6, codenamed Cobalt, has been dead in the water since 2003 with not a single manufacturer, Palm itself included, releasing a device with the updated operating system. All of Palm's latest models run a variant of Palm OS 5 (version 5.4 in most cases), which is now more than three years old. Fortunately, however, what was good then is good now. Save for a few multimedia shortcomings, the Palm operating system is still solid. Ease of use
Simplicity has always been a hallmark of the Palm operating system. Although version 5.4 packs in more features than ever, it's arguably just as easy to operate as the first version. To run a program, tap its icon. To enter data, write onscreen using the character recognition software or tap-type on the virtual keyboard. Everything about the operating system seems logical, intuitive, and uncomplicated. We particularly admire the way the Palm operating system manages applications. You never have to exit a program the way you do on a PC, you just switch to a different one. And unlike some operating systems (yes, we're looking at you, Windows Mobile), Palm's never gets bogged down by multiple memory-hogging apps running simultaneously.

	Palm Treo 680 (click for full review)

Core applications
Already solid when they debuted back in 1996, the Palm operating system's core apps have only improved over the years. For instance, you can now attach a photo to a contact, which is a particularly wonderful feature for camera-equipped models like the Palm Treo 680. The Tasks applet has added new buttons for quick sorting by date and category, and lets you assign alarms to your tasks. In short, Palm's core apps continue to combine power and simplicity, and we still rank them top among PDAs.

Desktop compatibility
Palm PDAs offer two desktop synchronization options, Outlook and Palm Desktop. The latter is a fairly robust information manager that has the advantage of being much more novice-friendly than Outlook. It also supplies the tools you need to copy photos and videos to your device, install new programs, and set up your email.

Office compatibility
Though not an inherent part of the Palm operating system, DataViz Documents To Go comes standard on nearly every Palm handheld (the sole exception being the Palm Z22), so we'd be remiss if we didn't consider it. The program automatically syncs Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents between your Palm and PC while keeping them in their native formats (meaning you can also instantly view documents received as email attachments with no conversion required). You can edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets and compose new ones, though PowerPoint files are read-only. The software also supports PDFs.

	Palm TX (click for full review)

Email
Palm's VersaMail program has the enviable ability to fetch email over a variety of connections: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or even desktop synchronization, which relies on your PC's Internet connection for mail commerce. The applet itself is solid, supporting multiple POP3 and IMAP accounts, embedded images, and virtual private network (VPN) connections.

Multimedia
Although most Palm handhelds offer high-resolution screens and digital-audio capabilities, the Palm operating system isn't the multimedia juggernaut it could be. For instance, you need third-party software (NormSoft's Pocket Tunes Deluxe) to play DRM-protected songs, the kind you get from online music and subscription services. Palm bundles Pocket Tunes with some models, but the DRM-capable Deluxe version will cost you extra.

As for movies, Palm's Media applet can play them, but only MPEG-1 clips converted by Palm Desktop. For anything else you'll need third-party software. In fact, to watch a DVD, you'll need two programs, a desktop converter and a handheld viewer. And if you want to play TV shows recorded on a Media Center or TiVo--something Windows Mobile devices can do fairly easily--you're pretty much out of luck.

Third-party apps
In terms of sheer volume, the Palm operating system has an edge when it comes to third-party software. Users can draw from thousands of applications to extend the functionality of their handhelds. This number is declining though as Windows Mobile continues to gain in popularity and many developers have decided that it's more worth their while to write software for Microsoft's OS.

Windows Mobile

Originally regarded as little more than Microsoft's answer to Palm, the Windows Mobile (formerly Pocket PC) operating system has come into its own. Earlier this year, Microsoft released Windows Mobile 6.1 (WM6.1) and brought a collection of noteworthy improvements, including added functionality to the Calendar and Contacts apps and an email search function. Ease of use
Windows Mobile is the better contact manager, offering a lot more data fields than the Palm operating system and an easier method of searching large lists. Tapping address book-like tabs brings you to names starting with those letters. Even if you have 1,000 contacts, you can usually find the one you're looking for with just two or three taps. Plus, there's a feature called Smartdial where you input a couple of letters to pull up associated contacts. It's worth noting that all Windows Mobile devices let you record voice memos--a core function of the operating system--but only some Palm models do. The Calendar function on Pocket PCs is on par with Palm's app, so we'll just say the latter offers a superior to-do list, if only because it organizes everything more logically.

That said, one of the biggest complaints about Windows Mobile devices is the number of steps it takes to perform a simple task, such as exiting a program. Microsoft added a number of shortcuts to WM6.1, but there's still plenty of room for improvement.

	HTC Touch Dual (click for full review)

Core applications
Over the years, Microsoft has made few changes to the Calendar, Contacts, Notes, and Tasks applets, but Windows Mobile 6 added some nice enhancements to Calendar and Contacts. Though minor, call history is now sorted to the appropriate contact page so you can easily see when you received and made calls to that specific person, the time of the call, the duration, and so forth. The new operating system also now provides a quick Send Text Message shortcut.

For Outlook users, the Calendar app is also more user-friendly, as the upgrade adds a new Calendar Ribbon at the top of the screen and provides a better view of your schedule at a glance. The calendar functions are even more robust if you are using Exchange Server 2007. With that integration, you can forward and reply to meeting requests and see who is attending a meeting.

Desktop compatibility
The Windows Mobile operating system syncs with Microsoft Outlook and only Microsoft Outlook (though a third-party program called The Missing Sync allows for synchronization with Macintosh systems). The recently updated ActiveSync utility makes this a seamless, nearly instantaneous affair, though Microsoft inexplicably removed a few desirable features, like the option to sync via Wi-Fi.

	Samsung Omnia SGH-i900 (click for full review)

Office compatibility
With Windows Mobile 5, Microsoft finally added native file support to its Word and Excel applets. Translation: It's no longer necessary to convert desktop documents to the Mobile format, a process that stripped most of the formatting. And we were happy to finally see the addition of a PowerPoint viewer. Now, with Windows Mobile 6, all devices running the Standard Edition (formerly Smartphone Edition) now have the full Microsoft Office Mobile Suite. Whereas Windows Mobile 5 smart phones typically came installed with the Picsel Viewer Suite for opening and viewing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents, Windows Mobile 6 brings the real deal so you can not only see said files but also edit them, though the editing capabilities are pretty light.

It still shocks us, however, that Microsoft offers no convenient way to synchronize Word and Excel documents with their desktop counterparts unless you relocate everything to a special folder.

Email

	Palm Treo Pro (click for full review)

Email got a big boost in Windows Mobile 5 with the support of direct push technology for real-time email delivery, and all Windows Mobile 6 devices will ship with this functionality out of the box. The latest operating system also brings nine new one-click shortcuts, and you get more of the true Outlook experience as your Inbox view shows messages that are flagged, marked as high importance, and so forth. An email search function similar to the previously mentioned Smartdial feature lets you easily find messages with a couple of clicks.

Finally, there is continued support for POP3 and IMAP accounts, but now you can view emails in their original HTML format, regardless of account type. If there happens to be a hyperlink within a message, you can select to go to that page or if a phone number is listed, you can dial out directly from that message as well.

Multimedia
No other platform can touch Windows Mobile when it comes to multimedia. Right out of the box, it supports DRM-protected music (meaning you can play songs purchased or downloaded from various online services) and TV and movie recordings from Media Center PCs and TiVo boxes. Most recently, Sling Media launched SlingPlayer Mobile for the Windows Mobile operating system, letting you watch TV on your handheld.

Third-party apps
If there's a function you want your Windows Mobile PDA to perform, chances are good there's a program that can do it. Sites like Handango and PocketGear are home to thousands of third-party applications and some of the best games you'll find on any PDA platform. Among the more celebrated Windows Mobile titles are Age of Empires, Quake Mobile, and Myst for Pocket PC.

BlackBerry

BlackBerry manufacturer, Research In Motion, has been hard at work in the past year, releasing many new products and new versions of its BlackBerry OS. There's even a touchscreen version that will appear in the upcoming BlackBerry Storm. These are exciting times for the company made famous by its push email technology. Ease of use
The darling of corporate America (and many areas of government) wouldn't be so universally adored if it was complicated. Although an interface driven entirely by a thumbwheel might seem awkward and slow, users invariably find it easy to learn and quick to operate. Admittedly, the lack of a stylus and a touchscreen--staples of other PDAs--slow down certain operations (like hitting a link on a Web page), but the beloved built-in keyboard accelerates others, such as composing email. Ultimately, the BlackBerry interface may not be the most efficient, but it's certainly one of the easiest to use.

	BlackBerry Curve 8300 (click for full review)

Core applications
The BlackBerry operating system does a better job managing your contacts than managing your calendar. The address book applet offers all the amenities you'd expect, plus contact grouping and unsurpassed integration with the phone and messaging apps. To send someone an email, for instance, you simply highlight the person's name, press the click wheel, and then select "Email Joe Smith". There's no need to open the contact's record and navigate extra menus.

The calendar on BlackBerrys is a bit unwieldy by comparison, perhaps due to the awkward process for navigating between different days and views. The Week view is particularly cumbersome, requiring serious "wheeling" to move the cursor from one day to the next. The Calendar applet itself is sufficiently capable, but it suffers under the weight of the wheel-based interface.

RIM also supplies the obligatory memo pad and to-do list, along with an alarm clock, a calculator, a photo viewer, and a password manager--all functional but rudimentary applets.

Desktop compatibility
Like a traditional PDA, a BlackBerry can synchronize with your PC, swapping data with Outlook or Lotus Notes; the bundled Intellisync utility makes this possible. Of course, the BlackBerry operating system also provides robust wireless synchronization, meaning new appointments, contacts, memos, and tasks can be "pushed" from your office to your handheld (and back again), just like email. That gives BlackBerrys a fairly major advantage over PDAs that rely on more traditional synchronization methods.

	BlackBerry 8800 (click for full review)

Office compatibility
Although the BlackBerry operating system supports the big three Office apps--Word, Excel, and PowerPoint--it limits you to viewing documents in version 4.5. In BlackBerry OS 4.6 though (found in the BlackBerry Bold and future devices), Dataviz's Documents To Go is bundled so you get full editing capabilities. As for PDFs, the operating system can open them as well, but it strips most graphics and formatting in the process, leaving you with little more than text.

Email
Ever wonder about the origin of the "Crackberry" nickname? In a word: Email. It's what the devices were born to do, so it should come as no surprise that they excel at it. Ironically, it's not the email applet itself that's so addictive (though it deserves kudos for its streamlined efficiency), but rather the "push" method of email delivery. Instead of having to be retrieved manually, new messages just appear like magic on the device. Although Palm and Microsoft have engineered similar systems for their smart phones, BlackBerry remains the undisputed email champ.

Multimedia
Though BlackBerry devices have a reputation of being serious business tool, RIM has in the last year really improved multimedia performance on its devices. The BlackBerry Curve, for example, has support for many audio and video formats. In addition, all its new devices come with a 3.5mm audio jack and memory expansion so user can enjoy their music and videos easily.

Third-party apps
A quick search on Handango revealed more than 4,000 applications available for BlackBerry devices. This is a far cry from the mere hundreds less than two years back. While it hasn't reached the same level of support as Windows Mobile, third-party applications for BlackBerry OS are certainly plentiful so there should be something for everyone.

Symbian Series 60

The Symbian Series60 (S60) operating system appears primarily on cell phones and smart phones, and offers a broad array of personal information management (PIM) features, including contact and calendar management and a robust library of third-party applications. In earlier versions, the operating system was usually tailored to individual hardware (in other words, it can look and act differently depending on the phone that's running it), and can be confusing. With the latest S60 3rd Edition though, the user interface in devices across Nokia's range are generally consistent in look and feel. Ease of use
While Palm OS and Windows Mobile started out with PDAs, S60 was designed specifically for mobile phones. This makes its non-touchscreen interface very much tailored to devices with keypads and a directional pad. Users with any mobile phone experience should have no issues with the S60 UI but depending on the processor used in the handset, you may feel a slight lag because S60 requires quite a bit more processing power compared to regular mobile phone OSs. However, Nokia's newer products like the E71 are equipped with faster chips and are quite responsive.

	The Nokia E71 runs on the Series 60 Symbian platform (click for full review)

Office compatibility
The Symbian operating system incorporates full support for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents, though again the ability to create and edit these documents or just view them depends on your hardware.

E-mail
When it comes to messaging, Symbian is as versatile as any other platform, if not more so. Out of the box, it supports the usual POP3, IMAP4, and Webmail accounts. If you want something a little more robust, you can choose from several push-email solutions, including BlackBerry Connect and Visto. The operating system also supports Lotus Notes and Microsoft Exchange for maximum compatibility in the corporate world.

	The Nokia N85 has a multimedia focus though it is fully capable of smart phone duties. (click for full review)

Multimedia
The Symbian operating system is pretty adept at multimedia, with integrated support for audio and video playback and recording. In fact, Nokia's entire Nseries is dedicated to multimedia performance with strong audio and video capabilities. They are all also equipped with cameras for video and still image capture.

Third-party apps
A recent check of software site Handango revealed thousands of third-party apps for the Symbian operating system, far more than what you'll find on other smart phone operating systems. That's another big point in Symbian's favor, especially if you're weighing it against other phones.

Which handheld OS is right for you?

Now you have a general overview of what each operating system has to offer, but you still may be asking yourself, which is right for me? This will largely depend on what types of functionality are important to you. Palm and Windows Mobile handhelds offer mass appeal to general consumers and business users alike with their mix of productivity and entertainment features. For years, these two handheld operating systems have competed fiercely to woo handheld buyers, but now, Windows Mobile has come out on top because Palm OS does not support 3G in its devices, an essential feature for many users.

For email fanatics, the BlackBerrys' combination of push technology and integrated QWERTY keyboards is hard to beat, and though they've generally been more business-centric devices, RIM has made a push to reach more customers with consumer-friendly models, such as the BlackBerry Curve 8310. Finally, Symbian might not be the most recognized operating system among the group, but it offers corporate users powerful productivity and security tools, and the versatility of the platform opens itself up to more general audiences.