The T-Mobile Sidekick series offers sleek looking devices with many functions. I reviewed three Sidekick devices; the Slide, the LX, and the iD all of which have a look of their own as well as differing specs.
The Sidekick devices are all great for messaging. Texting is great for parents when we need to relay a short message such as ‘please get milk’, or ‘I’m going to be late’.I found that all three Sidekicks have superb messaging capabilities. The QWERTY keyboard on all three Sidekick devices is easy to use however, I prefer the keyboard on the LX because of its ‘clickability’. I like to feel the click when I push on a key and the LX gives that sensation. The keyboard keys on the Slide are softer than the LX keys.
One major difference between the T-Mobile Sidekick Slide and the other
two Sidekick devices I reviewed is the slide-up screen. Instead of a
swivel screen,
you just push up the bottom of the display to access the QWERTY
keyboard. The sliding motion is smooth and the screen click
s into place for a very sturdy feel.
The LX and the Slide are bluetooth enabled so you can talk hands-free and sync your phone up to a bluethooth enabled computer. The iD is not bluetooth enabled. All
three devices have a speakerphone function which I love.
While having customizable face plates, the Sidekick iD is the least feature rich of the devices. However, it includes features that I think are sufficient for social teenagers including a talk time of up to 5 hours, text messaging, email and games. The iD does not have a camera like the Slide and LX.
Overall, I prefer the LX over the Slide and the ID. The back of the LX has a nice texture which makes for easy holding while texting, and I actually 
prefer the heavier weight of this device which gives it a more substantial feel. When a phone is too light I find it hard to hold on to. Both the LX and the Slide produce good photographs.
The Sidekick LX has a built-in music player that w
ill play MP3, WAV,
WMA, and AAC files. You can search for songs by artist, album,
genre, or composer, as well as organize tracks into playlists. To get
songs onto the Sidekick, use the included USB cable and then
drag and drop tracks from your PC to the Sidekick. Transferring songs is very easy. Other Sidekick LX features include a calendar, notepad, task list, and a download catalog.
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T-Mobile Sidekick Slide, LX, and iD
What brand comes to mind when you think PDA? Palm. Palm is the pioneer of the PD
Even when I take the kids to my mother’s house, I bring Madelyn’s monitor. When I leave her in a room alone, I want to know if she is awake or asleep, playing or crying. A monitor is simply a necessity in my life. My mother on the other hand, didn’t use a monitor when I was a baby 30 something years ago which blows my mind.
Sony Style
All children wish they could spy on their sibling at some point or another. While I don’t condone spying, I will tell you that the Spy Video Car is a great spy tool because it is surprisingly quiet and drives very smooth on both carpet and hardwood floors. Our testers, ages 8-9, agreed that the Spy Car is ‘perfect in every way’. We found that as long as there are no obstructions in the path of the car the video reception is good up to 75 feet. When the driver was in a closet or tried to steer the car through a few rooms further and further away, the video reception would be good up to about 60 feet which is fine for most homes. 