HTC Hermes (T-Mobile Vario II)

As a Mac user I was a little unsure of getting a PDA knowing full well that there would be compatibility issues between Windows Mobile and OS X. However I was prepared to cope with this for the functionality of a phone, texting, push e-mail, integrated calendar, contacts, camera, camcorder, oh and an mp3 player... and I have yet to be disappointed!

With purchase of a third party software, "Missing Sync" for a tenner, I had the Hermes sync'd to my G5 and I was up and running. Address Book merged with Contacts, iCal with Calendar and even managed a few playlists from iTunes into the Hermes' Windows Media Player.

The Hermes' touchscreen and handwriting recognition is good, but for those typing moments, the slide out keyboard works a treat. It's hard to separate the operating system from the phone itself, but push e-mail has been a godsend as has the calendar - smooth synchronisation ensures notes are transfered between PDA and Mac with no loss.

My only criticism so far is the call quality which can fade occasionally, but the speakerphone provides a far clearer sound.

As my first venture into the world of PDAs I feel I have made an excellent start with the HTC Hermes - and a little advice for UK customers, try T-Mobile for unlimited browsing, e-mail and a great text and minutes bundle.