Samsung i500 / Kyocera 6035 / Treo 650 PalmOS PDA Phones
Since I am having so much trouble finding information on my new Samsung i500 PalmOS cell phone, I thought I'd make this page for others to reference. This is just a boring/basic page for now.
Last revision on Thursday, August 4, 2005 11:01 PM
Samsung i500 Resources
- pdaPhoneHome.com i500 message board (link fixed)
- i500 Headquarters - an app to send SMS messages (i500 can only receive with default software), a method of changing the idle screen Wallpaper (and tons of wallpapers -- which they call "skins"), and a hack to make the Datebook alarm play a ringtone instead. Also check out the i500 FAQ.
- Samsung Developer Information (link fixed) - download the SDK for the i500, but it is very limited -- virtually nothing we want to do can be done through the published APIs.
- Using the i500 as a modem under Mac OS X - full details.
- Mac OS X support - disable the Photos conduit, then everything works just fine including iSync!
- GSP on the i500 - even though the i500 is USB sync, apparently there is a cable that lets you hook it to RS232 devices! (Samsung serial DATA LINK CABLE MODEL PCB035LBE which I cannot locate anywhere.) Or this cable from another company. Update: I bought an i300 Data Cable on e-Bay and it works fine: http://stores.ebay.com/Sharknet-Wireless I have now used my Garmin GPS V with the i500 and some demo GPS programs.
Kyocera 6035 versus the Samsung i500
In 2001, I puchased a Kyocera 6035 PalmOS phone. I used it extensively for the past three years, but went through about five of them (thank goodness for Sprint handset warrenties through lock\line!). The main problem was the flip would stop working -- connection would not be made, then the phone could not be turned into "phone mode" rendering it useless. Another issue with my last one was that it would reset when plugged into a charger (whether it be through the direct jack, or sync cable plug) requiring a reset of screen calibration. Sometimes it would reset and lose everything.
Last week I requested another replacement, and Sprint is now out of the 6035s so they sent me a Samsung i500. I have very mixed feelings about this. While it is a neater, faster, newer and colorful phone, other than speed and color everything else it does, it does worse than the 6035. So, here is a list of things 6035 owners could do that i500 owners can't:
- 6035 has a speakerphone. i500 does not.
- 6035 has more ring options, including "escalate" (ring, getting louder each time) and "vibrate first, then ring". i500 has only silent, ring volumes, or LOUD RING WITH VIBRATE.
- 6035 could have custom rings (WAV files). Mine would always ring using an old fashioned "bell" telephone ring.
- 6035 has more integrated apps, such as "Minutes" which you could download and it would show an accurate count of all minutes used for the month. Nothing like that on the i500, which will likely cause me to run over my plan from time to time ;-)
- 6035 came with a WAP browser. i500 only has the http Blazer (same one from the 6035) which means you have no way to do SMS, or even use the cheesy AOL IM portals on Sprint's WAP site. No big deal, but ... less features in the i500.
- 6035 battery life is much better. I can run the i500 down in a day, but use the 6035 all week without recharging (as a PDA). This is due to the backlight on the screen, most likely.
- 6035 used Wireless Web -- $5/month and you got a 14.4 connection out of your minutes. The i500 is PCS Vision so it's $15/month, but unlimited and faster.
- 6035 has a programmable Power On/Power Off setting, so the phone can power down at night, then back on in the morning (saving battery juice and giving you one less thing to remember to do).
Some advantages of the i500:
- Smaller and cooler!
- Color display.
- MUST FASTER! Menus and e-mail zips by.
- PCS Vision is really nice and fast.
- MIDI ring tones, though I think I like the 6035 wav approach.
- USB sync -- fast! This is the first Palm I've had that was not serial.
More to come as I learn... You can e-mail me at alsplace at pobox.com (but you will get a challenge e-mail back that you have to approve before the message will get to me).
July 2005
Since my new Toyota Prius has bluetooth, I wanted to get a phone to make use of it. The only PalmOS phone I knew of was the Treo 650, so now I have one of those. More steps forward, and more steps back.
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