Smartphone Thoughts: T-Mobile's Dash: Powerful, Slim, and QWERTY

Product Category: Smartphone
Manufacturer: HTC
Where to Buy: T-Mobile (after October 25; notification email sign-up site linked)
Price: $199.99-$299.99 USD, depending on contract; $29.99/month gives you unlimited GPRS/EDGE/T-Mobile HotSpot WiFi data on top of a voice plan
System Requirements: Windows 2000 or Windows XP; USB port
Specifications: 2.5" W x 4.4" H x 0.51" D; 4.2 oz; proprietary HTC AC/headphone/sync plug; 201MHz OMAP processor; 320x240, 16-bit screen; 64MB RAM (23MB free on startup), 128MB ROM; microSD slot; QWERTY thumbboard; 1.3MP digital camera; quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE; Bluetooth 2.0; WiFi 802.11g; Windows Mobile 5 AKU3

Pros:

• Full QWERTY keyboard;
  
• Compact, slim device;
  
• Integrated WiFi;
  
• Excellent display.

Cons:

• Jog strip limited only to volume control;
  
• T-Mobile exclusive;
  
• No 3G support;
  
• Proprietary HTC extUSB connector.

Summary:
T-Mobile and HTC are attempting to make the notion of a QWERTY Smartphone go mainstream, and have partnered to sell the HTC Excalibur as the T-Mobile Dash. The unit is loaded with features and sports an attractive form factor. Is it a winner? Read on for more details!