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Many mobile devices and handheld platforms don't include Apple Macintosh support out of the box. Case in point: Danger's hiptop2, also known as the T-Mobile Sidekick II.

MarkSpace, a company known for its handheld synchronization solutions for PDAs and smartphones, plans to release its Missing Sync software for the Danger/T-Mobile smartphone. According to infosync, although the application is ready, the company said it cannot release the product until it gets permission from Danger.

Why MarkSpace, which will also release sync software for Palm-based Cobalt devices—whenever they become available—needs Danger's permission is not clear, as third-party software for smartphone platforms is commonplace. MarkSpace believes it will gain permission, however. It just doesn't know when. SmartPhoneToday will let you know when it happens.

hiptop2
T-Mobile started shipping the Sidekick II back in September, while a second carrier, SunCom Wireless, delivered the new mobile handset to its customers in the south eastern part of the United States the next month.

As with earlier hiptop models, the hiptop2/Sidekick II lets you make phone calls, surf the Web, send and receive e-mail and SMS messages, take pictures and more, from what can best be described as a BlackBerry for the consumer set. Similar to Research In Motion's BlackBerry handhelds, hiptop2/Sidekick II's main role is to support mobile messaging and communications, with a QWERTY thumb-keyboard to boot. Unlike BlackBerries with their businesslike, utilitarian design, hiptops/Sidekicks are decidedly sleeker and more colorful—clearly designed to appeal to the young and hip.

Though it is called hiptop2/Sidekick II, the smartphone is really the third generation of the platform. The first edition used a monochrome display, while the second model added a color screen (read our review). hiptoip2/Sidekick II promises to deliver much the same features as the first two, but in a more compact and powerful package.

The new handset is 25-percent smaller than the previous model. It also integrates its camera as well as a flash to make picture taking more user-friendly. (Snapping images with earlier Sidekicks required an awkward camera attachment.)


Rear Veiw: hiptop2 as Camera

hiptop2/Sidekick II maintains the hiptop platform's distinctive swivel design, whereby its display slides open to uncover its QWERTY keyboard. There is 6MB of memory for storing e-mail and other documents. Users can view attachments too, including Word, image, and PDF files. Lastly, Yahoo! Messenger is now available for download in addition to the previously supported AOL Instant Messenger service.

Phone-wise, Danger added a speakerphone to the platform. In addition, several buttons on the outside of the device make it easier to use as a mobile handset, while a separate keypad has been inserted within the QWERTY keyboard for dialing numbers. Danger promises 4.5 hours of talk time from a single charge of the battery.

SunCom sells hiptop2 for $319 with a 1 year contract and $219 with a 2 year contract. T-Mobile is selling Sidekick II for $250 after a $50 rebate. It offers unlimited data service-Web surfing, e-mailing, and instant messaging-for $20 a month on top of a qualified voice plan.