Sep 03 2008
Pantech Duo Smartphone Aims to Please All
With school back in session, it is time to start hitting you with some of the devices I find are the most important for the retail season that parents seem to love, yet kids always hate. Well, being a parent, I am not too big a fan, especially since the funding for supplies comes out of my pocket. But it gets the kids out of the house and keeps them busy, so I suppose the benefit outweighs the cost. Now, most of you may not feel that cell phones are really a back to school item, but I have to tell you with older children that are very active in school sports, it is a must have. I can’t begin to tell you how many times we have guessed the wrong time the team bus would return from an away game, and ending up with a daughter ready to bite my head off because she had to wait an extra seven minutes to be picked up. So in looking over the newest cell phones for this season, I have come across a really unique one worth checking into.
The Pantech Duo from AT&T is one of the coolest looking smart phones around. First of all, it keeps text-happy teenagers satisfied with the “duo” option of a full QWERTY keyboard or a typical numeric keypad to suit their mood. And boy how fast those moods can change! Now of course you get all of the latest “standard” cell phone options, such as a camera, music player and Bluetooth technology. But you also get the ability to open, edit and save Microsoft Office files, such as Word and Excel. And the list keeps going on and on. Email, texting, instant messaging (isn’t this the same thing as texting?), Internet access, and everything else you would want in a phone. And oh yeah, you actually can have conversations on it, too. With everything a cell phone can do today, I often forget you can use them to talk to someone.
With so many details, you may want to check it out in fullbefore you make a decision on gifting something like this to your school-aged child. While it is more convenient for a college student, acting as a PDA to keep organized, high schoolers would enjoy it as well. And to keep peace in the house, my daughter may get one for her surprise birthday present; but only if she lets me use it.
