eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
As Apple turns 30, Mac users with cell phones face the classic Mac dilemma: You get fewer choices, but the ones you do get work so much more smoothly than those on your friends Windows PCs.
Apples built-in iSync software and Bluetooth support mean that if you pick the right cell phone, it will work with your OS X machine elegantly, syncing address books and calendars, transferring files back and forth, and even manipulating your Mac as a remote control.
Macs also hook up to high-speed cellular networks—once again, more smoothly than PCs, though with fewer options.
The worlds most Mac-friendly phone is probably the Motorola SLVR L7. The stylish SLVR has Apple-quality looks, uses iSync to hook up to Apples Address Book and iCal apps, and plays up to 100 iTunes songs, including music bought from Apples online store.
The Nokia 6682, Sony Ericsson W600 Walkman, and Sony Ericsson W800i Walkman arent far behind.
They dont connect to iTunes, but they work with both iSync and Salling Clicker, a third-party program that lets your phone manipulate your Bluetooth-equipped Mac as a remote control (great for Front Row!).
If you seek a smart phone, the popular Palm Treo 650 connects to iSync, Microsoft Entourage or Palms own desktop software, out of the box.
The $39.95 Missing Sync package from MarkSpace extends that syncing to include iTunes, iPhoto and document syncing, though you cant play songs bought from the iTunes Music Store on your Palm.