It’s also happy to work with several accounts and I can even choose to sync Calender, Address Book or email on each account – in this area, it does exactly what I want.

Staying with Google, it also has a chat client for the google talk, this is slightly less flexible, being linked to your first email account, but still working well out of the box with no need for an extra app to be installed.

As my phone is on the Three Network, it also has a Skype app, that gives access to Three’s Free Skype calling, this used the internet to set up the calls, but the calls themselves are made over the regular mobile channels – and after hours and hours of talking to people on skype using the Galaxy Portal, I’d keep the phone just for that.

Three do limit the Skype use to calls between other Skype users, so none of the Skype to Landline or Landline to Skype services will work, but you can’t blame them for protecting their core business.

Things I don’t Like so much, include…

Not Having a Keyboard, I’m getting used to the onscreen keyboard, but it still isn’t accurate enough for me, I still have a Nokia E63 on another account, for texting, and couldn’t think of sending too many texts or typing emails using the on screen keys. When used horizontally,  things are much better, but I still have a problem of accidentally touching the screen between keys – probably a a because I’m still using an E63 with its keyboard for some things. My next Android Phone is definitely going to have a keyboard.

Not Having a visible Alert – I’ve been spoiled by the flashing keyboard led on the Nokia E63! A glance at that phone will tell me if I’ve missed a call, or a text/email has arrived. Not this phone, if i miss an Audible Alert, I’m not going to know about it until I’ve woken the screen up to check.

I’m Getting used to the shorter battery life (compared to the Nokia E63), and this phone seems better than most – with my use, lots of email checking and a few calls each day, I can often go a couple of days without recharging.

Overall, given that my main uses for the device are phone, email, text and skype calling, it scores big on the skype and email handling, but i really miss a keyboard.

I already knew that although getting a mobile phone to work with a Linux system is not always easy, I had read that several people had had luck using both usb cables and BlueTooth connections.

I’m on Three mobile network and have a ‘Skype Phone‘ or WP-S1 and a Sony W910i that Three used as an incentive for me to re-commit to them, saying that the Broadband Speed through the phone would be better than the WP-S1.  What they forgot to tell me was that in my area, the signal is not that great all of the time anyway.

The avarage download speed I get at home is pretty good, somewhere between fast ISDN and the original 512k broadband.  Uploads however are usually about 50-60k.  Good enought for browsing, email and the od bit of remote access, but not quite ready for VOIP or Skype via the computer – I guess the Skype function in the WP-S1 is using the band width differently.

The EeePC‘s Skype however gives good results when connected via a wifi link or network cable.

The Sony W910i would not (for me) connect via the blue tooth connection, but the usb cable works with a little tinkering.  Again, the details found on http://forum.eeeuser.com (try searching for usb and three.co.uk) produced several examples of how to get connected.

Currently, I use the W910i by poping up a terminal window and running “pon gsm” as root.

Sometimes this fails with an error message on the phone, but I just click the ok button on the phone and try the command again.  Once connected its fine.

If I was going to start from scratch and wanted to limit my monthly outgoings, I would get a 3G modem or a Skype Phone on pay as you go.  Topping up and converting the cash to broadband access gives up to 30 days to get throught the download allowance (1G, 3G or more currently £10 gets you 1G) – If you don’t use it for a while, don’t top it up – Pretty good internet access without regular bills – not bad.

As an extra, if its a Skype Phone / WP-S1 your using, (currently) topping up will give you access to the Skype function for 30 days – It only works for calls to other Skype computer users, not Skype In or Skype Out calls.