Welcome to Blackjack, Derek Dysart!

So after almost three years, I got myself a new phone - my brand spankin’ new Samsung Blackjack arrived last night (I just looked, I got the old phone in October of 2004).  So far, I can’t get the Bluetooth to pair with my Acura TL’s Hands Free Link.  According to Acura, it may not be compatible, but I’m not buying it.  My old Audiovox 5600 wasn’t on that list either and it worked like a champ.

[No, I didn't rush out to get the iPhone. No matter how sexy, I couldn't justify the cost.  The Blackjack cost me less than $100 and does all I'd use the iPhone for to boot.]

I’d pretty much been wanting one for a while, but Microsoft bought me exactly one phone in the six and a half years I was there (even though they required me to carry one) and I left right when they were looking like they were going to buy me another.  Forced foot the bill for myself, I was a little hesitant.  I was also on a rate plan I didn’t need anymore - I don’t talk on the phone as much as  I used to.  Switching rate plans required a new two-year agreement, so I figured if I was going to have to sign a new agreement, I might as well get a new phone out of the deal.

So far, I like the form factor.  I forgot the specialized data cable at home, so setting the thing up all the way will have to wait. I do have it doing POP3 email for my photography address just fine. I also ordered a memory card for the thing so I can puts some apps on it (like Live Search, Google Maps, and after reading Omar Shahine’s take on doing GTD with it - Smarter Tasks).  With the Audiovox, installing apps really required a memory card otherwise you’d kill the performance of the phone.  I’m sure WM5 and Samsung have address some of that, but better safe then sorry.  Given I paid $70 for the 1G mini-SD for the 5600, the $24 for the micro SD card seems like a steal.

Got a can’t live without app for a Windows Smartphone?  Let me know.