Productivity Coaching - Which Phone is the Smart Phone?

A question I often hear when training new clients is: "What cell phone should I buy? What's the best choice for me, among all the options?"

While there is no one universal answer, there is one flavor of phone that has proven to be the best option for productivity, and that is a Windows-based Smartphone. While the make and models vary, the "guts" of these phones are the same. They all run a mobile variation of the familiar Windows operating system. Be aware that each cell phone provider sells a different selection of Windows based Smartphones. In my case, my provider is T-Mobile, and I use a T-Mobile Dash. For other providers there are many excellent options such as a Motorola Q or the Palm 700W serieswindows smartphone.

Smartphones make an excellent choice for productivity because they communicate almost flawlessly with Windows based programs, in particular Microsoft Outlook. Since Windows is by far the most universal system in business, the Smartphone is a logical choice. When you connect your Smartphone to a computer, not only does it charge, but all of the contacts, tasks, and calendar items, transfer immediately and effortlessly from your computer to your phone. Because the phone itself is based on a Windows system, the menus are familiar and easy to use. Additionally, for those who prefer to receive their email via phone, Windows Smartphones can handle all your email needs with ease.

There are other types of phones that people often ask me about, and I'll explain briefly why I don't find these to be as valuable in terms of productivity.

Blackberry
- The Blackberry was the beneficiary of good marketing, and the term Blackberry is often mistakenly used to describe any kind of Smartphone. I would have to say that a Blackberry is a solid second place performer when it comes to productivity. However, it doesn't sync as seamlessly with Outlook, and because the menu features are so different, some people find it difficult to use Blackberries. You may find just a mental switching cost increase because of trying to think about the differences between using a computer and using a Blackberry phone. However, it does handle tasks, contacts, and calendar items fairly well, and I do have a few clients who use them with success.

Palm
- Without reservation I discourage people from using a Palm-based phone for productivity. First of all, the sync and communication between Palm-based phone and a Windows based computer is poor and unpredictable. This tricky relationship between Palm and Windows is bound to cause lots of problems, and be a tech support nightmare in the long run. Palm does include software for your desktop, but this software is poorly designed and places too many arbitrary limits on how you organize your life. (For example, Palm not allowing a large number of custom categories, something I find is essential for good productivity techniques.) The biggest problem though with a palm is the system itself. Essentially, Palm based phones and planners are using a technology that is over a decade old. It may have been cutting edge in 1996, but now it is slow and it is cumbersome, and I find it difficult for most people to use.

iPhone
- There is a lot to love about the iPhone, in terms of its visual appeal and its tactile response. It is a beautiful, eye-catching phone that is fairly easy to use. However, iPhone was built primarily for multimedia such a music, videos, and web surfing. Clients I have worked with who have the iPhone bump up against Apple not putting much thought into the productivity tools of contacts, tasks, and calendar. Also, while the iPhone syncs with Mac's iCal program and even Microsoft Entourage, the sync is very questionable and has many missing features that are a frustration for my clients. Trying to sync an iPhone with Microsoft based operating system is even more problematic. iPhone does have one advantage, in that it comes with the "Visual Voicemail" feature, allowing you to read the "gist" of voicemails without having to listen to them. The bottom line: if you are interested in impressing your friends and watching videos and surfing the Internet with your phone, then the iPhone is a fun choice. If you are interested in using your phone to enhance your productivity and stay on top of all the things that you need to do, the iPhone is limited.

Dave Crenshaw, Time-management expert and author of The Myth of Multitasking: How ‘Doing it All' Gets Nothing Done. Learn how to slow down the switchtasking in you life and get tips on how to become more productive on his productivity coaching website.