I need a new pda phone.

I need a new phone. I need a new Palm. You'd think that combining those two expensive gagets into some kind of über gadget would be simple enough, right? I certainly did. But let's look at my options.

The Apple iPhone. Sleek, stylish, powerful. It is literally a small hand held computer, boasting the functionality of OSX and a host of neat features. It's also an iPod. Problems: I don't like Apple all that much, it's really pricey, I really don't want an iPod, it doesn't have the type of scheduling capabilities I woud like making it not so good for a pda, and who can forget that it's on AT&T. That last part is a particularly big nail in the coffin for this phone. Bottom line: I hate Apple, AT&T's service blows, and it cost a lot for me to not get all the features I want.

Verizon's Voyager, the iPhone kiler. I got to play around with this bad boy, and it boasts many of the same features that make the iPhone tempting, plus several others, improves text messaging and a clamshell keyboard that actually fits my fingers. Problems: it tries too hard to be just like the iPhone rather than trying to improve upon what the iPhone is, it's still incapable of the PDA scheduling I need it for, and it's pricy, though significantly less expensive than the iPhone. Bottom line: insufficient for what I need, even if the keyboard is actually big enough.

The Palm Treo 700wx. This is an actual PDA phone. It has all the functionality of a palm, a keyboard, and is better than the iPhone for what I need. Problems: The keyboard was designed for people no older than ten as my thumbs tend to hit six to eight keys at once no matter how careful I am, again pricy as in as bad as the freaking iPhone. Bottom line: this phone is damn close, but as I can't type on the damn thing and don't feel like dropping that much coin for something that isn't as cool as an iPhone, it's too damn bad.

The LG XV6800. From what I can tell, this phone is damn close to what I want. We get a bad-ass looking phone, a flip out keyboard that is actually large enough for captain Large Thumbs here, and a fully functional Windows Mobile mini computer that should meet my pda needs. Problems: money, as always, is an issue, other people report that Verizon locks some of the best features of this phone so that they cannot be used, and it's a god-damned Windows machine. Bottom line: This may be my next phone, but I'm going to go need to talk to Verizon sales people to make sure that it will do all my pda stuff and, more importantly, be able to absorb my palm into whatever software it is it uses for scheduling and what not.

Now that you see what I've been looking at, do any of you have any suggestions for phones I've neglected? If you're thinking of suggesting a T-Mobile, Cingular(AT&T), or Sprint phone, don't bother. Why? No service, crappy service, and buggy service. In my time with Verizon I can count the times I've lost calls for no apparent reason on one hand. Sprint dropped my calls like daily, and I ain't heard nothing good about T-Mobile, and I know AT&Crappy service sucks.

If you were thinking maybe the Helio phone, you definitely get points.