It may be too early to predict the success of 'Smart phones' but we think that you'll find they can do things that might make you seriously consider tossing your PDA into the shredder.

There are four distinct flavors of 'Smart Phones': Blackberry, Microsoft, Palm, Symbian, and Other (more about this last category later).

The Blackberry is truly an e-mail targeted machine. Using an Outlook Exchange Server Blackberry's Web-based e-mail stays in connection to your mail in real-time. It's extremely easy to read your email on the handset, and almiost as easy to write and send, if you work with a Blackberry user, you'll quickly notice that Blackberry users' emails tend to be even more succinct and brief than ordinary email writers! The Blackberry doesn't stop with email, it also features enterprise data management, Internet Browsing, phone and organizer. It is a dual-band handheld, with nationwide coverage. The 7250 (shown right) includes a speakerphone, and long-range digital walkie-talkie ability.

Microsoft Windows Mobile-based Smartphone, now incorporate, Windows Mobile 5.0 which claims features that manage e-mail and MS Office attachments. It also has Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, a multimedia tool to transfer songs, videos, and pictures from your PC to your device.
The Audiovaox SMT 5600 is one of the first phones with the new Windows Media Player 10 Mobile. This GSM phone includes Bluetooth, speakerphone, a mini SD memory card slot, camera with video capture.

Palm the category killer in handheld devices is still (or should we say again!) going strong. The Treo 650 Smart Phone from palmOne combines a compact mobile phone with email, an organizer, messaging, and web access. There's also Bluetooth technology so you can connect wirelessly to other Bluetooth devices. An MP3 player, and a digital camera that captures video!

Symbian develops wireless software, and licenses its software operating system (Symbian OS) for mobile phones and handheld devices, and is a joint venture of mobile-phone companies. Nokia owns a a 48% stake, Ericsson 16%, Sony Ericsson 13%, Panasonic Mobile Communications 11%, Siemens 8%, and Samsung Electronics 5%. The stakeholders use the OS in their phones. Fujitsu and Motorola also lease the technology. It's the most popular European wireless OS and reputedly uses less memory and battery power than Windows Smartphone. Lime Palm or Windows, third-party Symbian applications can read Microsoft Office documents.

U.S. carriers use three primary cellular technologies: GSM (AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, and T-Mobile), CDMA (Sprint PCS and Verizon Wireless), and iDen (Nextel). GSM phones can also be sold unlocked, ready to use on any of the three GSM carriers. GSM technology is being used in almost all countries (including the U.S.A, and Japan) and helps easy roaming. Countries like the U.S. have networks now based on GSM, but instead of 900MHz, they operate at 1800MHz, and 1900MHz.GSM service. It was renamed to Global System for Mobile communications (GSM). GSM originally stood for "Group Special Mobile". GSM cellular phones use a combination of Time and Frequency Division Multiple Access. A GSM Phone uses a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) smart card that contains the user's account information and becomes immediately programmed after being inserted.