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As the others have said, lots of phones will get you some form of compatability. If you use an Exchange server with your email, calendar, and contacts, you'd be well served with a device that can synchronize with Exchange so that you don't have to repeatedly connect a cable and manually synchronize.
There are three main ways to get auto sync: BlackBerry, Goodlink (bundled with the PalmOS-based Treos), and ActiveSync (included with Windows-based Smart Phones and Pocket PCs). Only the Smart Phone will give you a "normal-sized" handset; ther others are all larger because they include full alphabetic keyboards instead of the standard 12-key phone keypad.
The newest version of Windows Mobile came out this past fall and is called Windows Mobile 2005 (or WM5). The previous version is Windows Mobile 2003, Second Edition. There are several WM5 phones on the market now; there continue to be WM2003SE and WM2003 (first edition) phones on the market. As you look for a device, get WM5 because the software's better and the devices all have much better screens.
Different carriers have different devices. Verizon does not have a WM5 SmartPhone (although they sell a number of WM5 devices based on the Pocket PC, but those are bigger, heavier handsets). Sprint also does not have a WM5 SP. Nextel just released the i930, but it's based on WM2003SE so you don't want that. T-Mobile is just abou to release the MDA, a WM5 device with tons of features. Cingular has the 2125.
The 2125 and MDA are relatives (made by the same Taiwanese company, HTC). I have the i-mate SP5m, a close relative of the MDA. The key differences between the 2125 and MDA are WiFi (the MDA has it, the 2125 does not) and four extra buttons for controlling IE and Windows Media Player (again, the MDA has them and the 2125 does not). Of course, the keys on the 2125 are a bit biger because there isn't a need for an extra row of media control buttons.
You can find lots more info at http://www.smartphonethoughts.com, http://www.howardforums.com, http://www.madoco.com, or http://www.phonescoop.com.
--Ken
P.S. To use IE or over-the-air synchronizing, you'll need a data plan from your carrier. I believe that Sprint charges $10/mo, T-Mobile charges $15/mo, and the others charge $20/mo for unlimited. You want unlimited because the constant syncing can run up a big bill otherwise.
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