Microsoft came by with a leather dopp kit of goodies today, and Mike Kobrin and I made eyes like saucers at all the Windows Mobile gadgets. I finally got to compare the T-Mobile SDA and Cingular 2125 smartphones in the same hand, getting a feel for their pros and cons: the 2125 is prettier and smaller, but the SDA has Wi-Fi. (I'm in the middle of reviewing the SDA right now; it's launching on February 13th.) I'm a big fan of Microsoft Smartphone, because I don't want to have to carry a big PDA-like thing around just to listen to music, watch videos, and most importantly surf the Web when I'm in need. (Yes, I know about Symbian. But Smartphone is glossier, at least until the Nokia N-series and E-series come out.)

The Web surfing thing is so big for me, I'm rather disappointed that Opera for Smartphone doesn't support Windows Mobile 5.

Oh, and guys? I know you want to run Skype on these things. Skype probably won't run well on the SDA, 2125, or MDA -- the slow 195 Mhz processors will just create a world of trouble with Skype, which is designed for 300 Mhz+ processors. Sure, try it if you like garble and audio dropouts (I will.)