VZW WinMo: Imagio v. Omnia II for business

[Chris la Chat]

[Warning: Long]

About me: I'm a doc. I use my PDA/phone for work. I need to be able to readily access medical databases and documents and navigate same easily. I need WinMo as most of such apps have not been migrated to Crackberry or Android platforms. I enter about 10 appointments a day. I use tasks and notes extensively. The phone part of the device is used only occasionally. Camera use is rare.

I don't watch video. Ever. I have a dedicated MP3 device (ok, 4 actually) for music (I suffer from being an audiophile). I send maybe 3 text messages a month. I use Facebook a good deal, but from my desktop computer only.

I am migrating from the Samsung Saga. I was a longtime Palm OS user (having used Palm PDAs for some 10 years, and with a brief stint with the Treo 755, until 2 of the apps I need stopped being supported on the Palm OS. RIP.) FWIW, my device use goes back to the HP 100 LX. I'm changing as I am getting older, and I think a bigger screen would be an asset.

Must haves: A usable virtual keyboard
Screen and apps which can be reasonable navigated without a stylus
Decent phone call quality and reception
Decent device stability
Battery life no worse than the Saga
Speed no worse than the Saga
Functional portrait/landscape switching

Don't care at all: App stores(Adding CAB files from downloads from my desktop is trivial)
Video
GPS


I'm no stranger to "improving" a device. I have maybe 20 utilities on my Saga, and have changed a bunch of registry entries readily. Hacked ROM, however, I don't do (see need for stability above). So, for example, changing the Imagio to CDMA only and running the CAB fixes for memory use is well within my purview.

Consider me a Win power user. I build my own desktop machines. I'm a fairly advanced phone end-user, but haven't written any code for mobile devices.

I've read about 100 reviews and discussions of both devices. I STILL can't decide. I think the HTC reputation and fix availability is of value. And, I gather that the new v. of the Sense UI is good. It seems the Samsung may have the better screen. And, the Samsung has more horespower.

My local VZW store does not have either device for me to mess with.

Help...

TIA