Database Users

Serious Post! Should i keep my JasJar or Sell it ?!?!

Okay guys, this is serious. I'm impressed by my JasJar but i'm not sure it does anything more that i actually need it for than my Imate Jam. As far as I can see there are some good points and some bad points about it and i wouldn't mind some opinons about whether its worth keeping or selling.
Okay my first view on the plus sides:
Screen is excellent quality
Wifi is very fast and much faster than the wifi sd card i have at the moment.
Keyboard is useful combined (but not as big as the fold out one i have for my imate)
Negative Sides:
3g doesn't seem to work in my area so i can't seem to benefit from that
Size is big (i would need a second phone to go out with etc)
Can't see much difference in speed with my level of usage
Pain in the ass to anwser it (imate jam is not a big phone at all)
Software is still a bugger to install etc.
Okay, my mine uses for the jasjar were to be for work. I would be booking appts and keeping track of those appointments and information regarding them on the pda for my work. Although harder to type in, i could in theroy do that on the imate jam. I don't use the wifi alot outside of the home (although it would be useful to use mirc, the web etc while girlfriend is on the pc).
At the moment i'm umming and ahhing because i have to take the phone with me everywhere (actually considering using the jasjar sim free while i'm off work and putting the imate jam back on the road as it were)
REALLY appreciate anyones help to this, its good but i'm not sure if its enough of a step for me to merit not selling it and getting ALOT of money for it (brought as upgrade through o2)
Look forward to the replys
Ian

I'm gonna tell you what I tell other people:
If you don't know what to do with a jasjar then buy the wizard.
The wizard size is as good as big as the jam, has wifi, keyboard and is in those ways much better then the jam.
The reason I need the pro is because I love the vga screen, keyboard and WM5, and I can give support to my customers through logmein.com using 3G.
So sell your jasjar and jam and go buy a wizard.

thanks for the quick response. I'm not sure that I would want a wizard really. I do think that I need to use the exec in a work situation before really considering getting rid of it.
That logmein.com looks rather cool, would like to be able to control my home pc while at work to setup downloads etc. the screen on this is rather special and i'm not against getting a second handset to use for going out etc.
would like to hear anyone elses views if possible.
just to point out to you and myself really i'm lying in bed writing this on the forum with real ease via wifi. hmmmmm another pro to the exec I think!
Ian

thanks for the quick response. I'm not sure that I would want a wizard really. I do think that I need to use the exec in a work situation before really considering getting rid of it.
That logmein.com looks rather cool, would like to be able to control my home pc while at work to setup downloads etc. the screen on this is rather special and i'm not against getting a second handset to use for going out etc.
would like to hear anyone elses views if possible.
just to point out to you and myself really i'm lying in bed writing this on the forum with real ease via wifi. hmmmmm another pro to the exec I think!
Ian

I've tried both, and apologies for readers of this forum, but the Wizard wins hands down. The Universal reminds me of why I ditched the first Ipaqs and went back to Palm years ago. Sure the Pocket PCs had better displays and you could show off playing movie clips, but that novelty soon waned when it was too big to carry and it took ages to lookup a phone number or check your diary.
You've got to weigh up what you _really_ need when you're away from your PC. The whole point to me of having a PDA is that I can access or update my information quickly at all times. The Ipaq seemd to be always at home or in my desk drawer just when I needed it, because it was a pain to carry. Even when I had it, it was sluggish finding the information I needed. The Palms won over because they went with me everywhere, and information retrieval was almost instant.
So, the Universal is a step back to the bad old days - except it's bigger and heavier. Good to show off with but impractical in most situations outside of the work environment because of its bulk.
Don't be fooled by the CPU either. Whatever advantage the Universal has on paper over the Wizard is sapped in real life by the need to update the VGA display. True, the Wizard is no speed merchant (even when compared to a Treo). But I found responsiveness to critical tasks (e.g. starting up Messaging to read/send a text, screen rotation, answering calls) significantly slower on the Universal - and that _really_ starts to annoy when you're in a rush.
So, everything I did with the Universal I can pretty much do on the Wizard, with the big difference that I can take it anywhere. Anyhing else can wait until I'm back at my PC. What's more, I can actually see who's calling and answer a phone call before it drops or diverts to voicemail
And don't forget the resale value. Given the trend of HTC Wizard / Prophet / Atom devices, the longer you hold onto the huge Universal the less saleable it's going to be. Sure, it fills a niche at the moment, but in 12 month's time, is a 1st generation device that big going to have anything but collectors' appeal?
So, unless you only use the Universal in the home and office, the larger keyboard and VGA display are"must haves", and you don't mind missing the odd phone call, then I would say the Wizard was the better bet.
If you really need a VGA display, a keyboard, and top performance, go for a proper PDA like the Dell X51v, a bluetooth keyboard and a seperate cellphone - it'll probably be cheaper, more flexible and easier to carry. And each element will work much better at what it is designed to do.

@Ineedtoys, what a refreshing and objective view on the subject. Having owned a Treo 650 and Clie TH55 I know what you're talking about. In the real world stability, size of device and battery life are still the key requirements and showing your latest toy to friends/work colleagues etc is nice but for most people is not a sufficient reason for buying a device. You either buy a device to meet a personal requirement or buy a device so that you can play with it "like a toy". Decide if you want a real tool or a "toy" first and then you'll be happy with your decision.
My view is that the Universal is not really a cell phone, it is an advanced PDA/mini tablet and you need to use it with another cell phone. The story for the Wizard may be different.

At first I always open the screen and rotated it to see who is calling me, and pick up the phone. Just like my old xda has it's screen outside.
But this take way to long, and most of the time the caller hung up before it was ready to rotate the screen and is able to pick up the call..
Now I just open the lid to see who it is. then close it again and pick up with the side green phone button leaving the pro closed.
If you use it this way i'ts perfect.
At first I had to get used of the size but now I am used to it.
People sometimes think: what the hell is that big thing?
But when I op the "laptop" and rotate it's screen and show the phone it's the coolest thing they've seen .

very interesting reading
Ihave a Universal (o2) for a week now, and am SERIOUSLY thinking of returning it for something else,
I like the Mini s (Wizard) too, but one subject that I believe is left aside is the battery life : with the Universal that I have tested for over a week if I did use the Wifi like 2 hours and a bit of BT and phone, then its battery would be gone by 5pm (starting at 9am !) quite a shame.
My point is : do these devices need to be pluged to the AC anytime we want to use to use the connexions, in that case I can stick with my laptop if need to be wired.
Or is it ony the Universal that is amazingly sucking the battery like no other ?
I appreciate your help as I have to decide if I send it back before friday ! ;-)

Re: very interesting reading
I presume you tried turning the screen brightness and WiFi power right down, and IR beaming off? The Wizard will definately give you longer as it doesn't have the battery sucking screen and has the low power OMAP processor.

The battery life in the Universal seems to get conditioned after a couple of weeks and does improve, but you don't have enough time to wait for that!

already better after 8 days
in fact I have noticed that it is getting better after a week (the battery),
but it's only because I now used the wifi only when I know I have a power nearby and I disable all connexion when I have it in my pocket, same for the brightness etc...
still.. the second point to change it is definately the size : I already have a tablet-pc to play with, so that will do it for now.
Back soon on this forum with the Wizard. :lol:

ill take your universal for my wizard

Universal vs. Wizard Round II

I've had a Wizard for a while, and thanks to O2's recent bargain offer, I've now got a Universal too. Over the past week I've had a good chance to live with them side by side. I've defended the Wizard in the past against the "it's only 200MHz" soothsayers, saying that with my previous comparison with a Universal, not only was it not slower, it actually felt more responsive.
Well now I lived exclusively with the Universal for a week, to get fully accustomed to its pace and foibles. I've just retrieved my Wizard from the drawer, and boy, I'm amazed at how snappy it really is in comparison!
Every program I open on the Wizard finishes loading before the Universal - Start, Media Player, TCMP, SplashID, Execl, Word. Even keeping apps in memory, and switching between them, is quicker (e.g. Open Messaging, red button back to Today. Open to Messaging (still shown in memory on the task bar) = half a second on Universal, almost instantaneous on Wizard). Both had a soft reset before starting, and have the same number of apps running, and similar PIM database sizes. The Universal is using a Corporate install. The only application that I can find that loads quicker on the Universal (by some margin in fact) is the Camera. Presumably this is because it has been significantly re-written and optimised to cope with the twin cameras and 3g videocalling.
Now I'm not disputing that the keyboard and screen, and the sleek black lines, are gorgeous on O2 Exec. Or that it has 3G, if you use it. Or has minor attractions like standard SD and a 3.5mm jack socket (like they're such a big deal). But I've got to be honest that I'm struggling to find anything else as to why it justifies its price. I appreciate it's more like a mini-laptop, but seriously, apart from providing VGA and the "luxury touch", the Wizard does so many things better!
E.g.
Much smaller
Much lighter
Phone rings first time - and every time
Phone speech path connects immediately on answer
No "Phone acrobatics" to see who's calling
No crashes on incoming SMS
Better Bluetooth range and quality to headset
Excellent one handed usablity
Has 5 more mappable direct access buttons (2x Soft, Messaging, Explorer, Comms Manager)
Doesn't make me look a total d*ck in the street (or even the office canteen) (no more than normal, anyway :lol: )
Better battery life
More available memory
No screen lockups
Faster application loading
Faster application switching
Faster menu responses
I was convinced that once I'd got a Universal with the latest ROM, and removed all the O2 bloat, all those saying the Universal was much faster and quoting benchmark after benchmark would be proved right. But unless you're doing some serious multitasking or gaming, the reverse is true. Even QVGA movies in TCMP aren't that much smoother.
I guess the Universal is the old man's Jaguar of PDAs plodding steadily way. Big, heavy, thirsty, but as comfy as your favourite leather sofa, and built to last. But the cheeky little Wizard is far more street, practical, nippy, and easy to park, even if the flimsy doors go "clink" instead of "clunk"
I still haven't decided which goes on eBay though. Trouble is I like both, in their own way (I like big, comfy cars too). It's just a shame the Universal UI lags so much. It does spoil the whole experience when you know what its little upstart of a brother can do.
Now I know there are others out there who have both devices, especially since the O2 deal. Is my experience typical, or am I doing something drastically wrong?

I am also lucky that I have been able to obtain an Exec and then due to the fantastic offer O2 have had in January I also picked up a Wizard.
And a lot of what you say is quite correct. The Wizard has amazed me at the speed at which it does things and the general overall feel of using it. Even the keyboard (the one area I was suspicous of) has proven to be very good.
The Exec suffers from having a VGA screen. That is what is causing a lot of the lags I expect. For users who have moved on to the Exec from previous Windows Mobile / PocketPC devices, especially VGA ones, this is so not much of a surprise. Before I got the Exec I moved from a QVGA based HP 2210 PocketPC to a VGA based HP hx4705. The slow down on the device was quite something for screen redrawing etc and was widely commented on by users on sites such as PocketPCThoughts. I think that is why you / we are seeing the Wizard act so much more smoother than the Exec, simply due to the machine having less detail to move on the screen so things happen much quicker.
But for me the upgrade to the Exec was a Windows Mobile upgrade - I wanted a new PocketPC based device that was fully connected. I doubt I will ever use it for calls and for that reason I have it on a data only tariff.
The Wizard was only bought due to the price I could get it for and is now my main phone.
I love both devices for very different reasons. I also got them for very different reasons. When I need full connectivity with emails etc. I will carry both - yes the Wizard can do both but the Exec is better for tapping out documents on the road, has a better screen that is easier on the eye. But when I want to carry only one device and travel light the Wizard will always win.

Thanks acetuk, at least I know the Exec's working as it should. I'm not anti-Exec, I have had several situations this week where the Exec won hands down - typing up meeting minutes while I remember what's been said, doing an urgent document review with a colleague (although he did have to squint a little), and checking these forums over WiFi at home So it does come into its own as a business tool, which is how it is marketed after all.
And if you're using the data package in anger then the equation does swing a bit the other way - although the data 5 is a very expensive way of doing it!
I just thought it was interesting to see how well the Wizard performs in hindsight - and how marked the speed difference was on the Wizard, once I'd been using the Exec for an extended period. I knew the screen slowed it down, but I was still expecting some turn of speed given the 524MHz CPU and previous comments by people saying how it really was much faster. But I saw the spinning disc this far more this week than I ever did with the Wizard - and had to reboot more frequently as well.
It also proves how irrelevant to real life reviews and adverts based on "benchmarks" and CPU clock speeds, really are, and that anyone who treats those as gospel is going to be sorely disappointed. :lol:

I fully agree - I started skipping benchmarks about three years ago. If I see them in a review I go straight pass them.
In the real world the device is as good as you can make it work for you. If a device doesn't cover your basics then so be it but that doesn't make a device bad. My Exec is slower than my hx4705 for loading PlanMaker and for general feel. But it is so much quicker for data entry. So what I lose in load time I gain in usability. So I win overall as far as I am concerned, regardless of any benchmarks stating overwise.
But the Wizard is an amazing piece of kit. Having PocketInformant running on both, syncing via a hosted exchange server, is a major productivity step forward for me. Pick up the device most useful for the moment, run a sync over wifi or GPRS and get to work. Today I updated all of my tasks and appointments on my Exec using it's excellent keyboard, sync'd to exchange, picked my Wizard up and sync'd again. In less than a minute both devices were fully up to date.
As for the data side of the Exec you are again quite correct. That is why I signed my Exec up for the Data36 tariff with O2 - that's 1mb a day with 5-6mb spare for when I need it. So far that is working very well for me combined with my wifi network at home. I'm paying for it but not too much at £18 / month approx but with no voice calls on top.
Now, if I can only understand better how to get two Windows Moibile devices, two PCs (one private, one work) and one exchange account syncing together better I will be happy!! That might need to go in to another post!

Again I have both thanks to O2 generosity but although I love my wizard for its size and the fact it can do anything the universal can do I would dispute the speed issue.
I find the universal to be the speedier of the two and the screen is amazing.
I love em both is the fact. Why compare them ? Just feel the love

knowsleyroader said:
I find the universal to be the speedier of the two and the screen is amazing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you quantify this? Are you saying the menus, program loading, application switching and screen refreshes are quicker on your Universal? I'd be intersted in finding out why that differs from the comparisons above. Unless your Wizard is slower than it should be, or you're not using an intelligent task manager?
By the way, my current view is that I will keep both, for maximum love

Ineedtoys said:
knowsleyroader said:
I find the universal to be the speedier of the two and the screen is amazing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you quantify this? Are you saying the menus, program loading, application switching and screen refreshes are quicker on your Universal? I'd be intersted in finding out why that differs from the comparisons above. Unless your Wizard is slower than it should be, or you're not using an intelligent task manager?
By the way, my current view is that I will keep both, for maximum love
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using a basic install on both with exactly the same apps and I do feel the universal is faster although I havent benchmarked this or even run them side by side. It just seems faster to me.
However I dont have an issue with either. Its not something im bothered about, just an observation. Im sure you will find others that thing the uni is faster.

Stability
Hi,
Before JasJar I own an IpaqHW6515. Generally JJ is much better that 6515 but using this device as unique device for communicate is not confortable as 6515 because:
1. battery life. my jj can't run for one complete day. With 280 grams devide, increasing of 20/30 grams using a much better battery would be appreciate.
2. BT: 6515 was much better in quality and range. and with a such big and havy device quality of BT would be a MUST because I don't know others but I try to use as much as possible handset because after a while with phone in my hand, I feel tired.
3. I need to soft reset few time a day. This because I start missing calls as device crash without reason while in standby.
4. I ALWAYS have problems (calling mainly) when I need something urgent. And I get crazy because I have to soft resent loosing precius minutes.
For this reasons, I confirm that JJ is best business device (i should not come back to 6515) but I've decided to buy a very light a small phone for make calls and use JJ only for Emails, web....
At least till a new rom will make stable the device.
Ciao
Stefano

Well, this bites. Not only is my JJ slow thanks to WM5, but also thanks to its big screen. I have gotten sick of my constant resents, and I've gone back to my WM2003 device. I feel eBay a callin' my name.

Morning all....
I dont wish to be a fish out of water here, but can i ask if anyone of you have flashed the rom and upgraded...??
I'm now running with the following :-
Rom ver.........1.13.82 WWE
Rom date.......11/30/05
Radio ver.......1.04.02
Protocol ver...1.13.188 WWE
Having had both the XDA II and the IIi, it sure seemed slower than both of them....then I flashed it !!
It is both faster and smoother than my previous XDA's, I haven't once had to soft reset yet....and my battery last more than a day :lol:
For those of you who haven't done so yet.... it's a must !!
http://www.my-xda.com/xdaexec_soft.html
The magman

it's true
The Magman,
I flashed my JJ to o2 ROM and in effect looks more stable faster. I've done during this quite week end and therefore I cannot say solved until I've tried JJ during a complete work week.
Ciao

I've had the XDA, XDA2, 2i and now the Exec - though I also had a play with a mate's Wizard whilst installing some software for him overnight a few weeks back.
I found the Wizard to be a lovely bit of kit, though I wouldn't necessarily say any faster (he had a basic install on, which is what I have on the Exec). The screen on the Exec is absolutely fantastic, the first times I noticed this was on opening the unit for the first time, and when I started whipping files to the Wizard via BT: there is absolutely no comparison between a QVGA and a VGA screen.
I think if the Exec hadn't arrived, then I would have gone for the Wizard, it's a good phone. However, I don't think I would find it easy from the 2i to Wizard, given the smaller screen and the somewhat cheapish keyboard.
Cheers
Ant

the magman said:
Morning all....
I dont wish to be a fish out of water here, but can i ask if anyone of you have flashed the rom and upgraded...??
I'm now running with the following :-
Rom ver.........1.13.82 WWE
Rom date.......11/30/05
Radio ver.......1.04.02
Protocol ver...1.13.188 WWE
Having had both the XDA II and the IIi, it sure seemed slower than both of them....then I flashed it !!
It is both faster and smoother than my previous XDA's, I haven't once had to soft reset yet....and my battery last more than a day :lol:
For those of you who haven't done so yet.... it's a must !!
http://www.my-xda.com/xdaexec_soft.html
The magman
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The O2 Exec came with the same versions as yours out of the box, so already using the latest.

Have been having too much fun with my mini s and exec so far to even think about flashing the roms

Sold my Qtek 9100 today... and am happy about it

After owning it for 5 month, I got rid of my Qtek 9100, it turned out a piece of junk..
First the Mail and Internet Explorer keys peeled off, then the gray paint on the sides peeled off, then the keyboard became loose, then the stylus began to fell off by itself...
I don't know what my next PPC will be, I am looking into something more rigid now.

naughty said:
I got rid of my Qtek 9100, it turned out a piece of junk..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Blasphemy...... and in a wizard forum!
I know what you mean though - maybe a prophet will do you, some times i think i would have preferred a prophet being slimmer more rigid and 2mp camera. But today when writing a long text. i know why i like the wizard - the keyboard

naughty said:
After owning it for 5 month, I got rid of my Qtek 9100, it turned out a piece of junk..
First the Mail and Internet Explorer keys peeled off, then the gray paint on the sides peeled off, then the keyboard became loose, then the stylus began to fell off by itself...
I don't know what my next PPC will be, I am looking into something more rigid now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alrighty - Dont let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Exactly what did you hope to achieve by coming here and posting? Were you hoping to justify your decision to yourself.

Bratag said:
naughty said:
After owning it for 5 month, I got rid of my Qtek 9100, it turned out a piece of junk..
First the Mail and Internet Explorer keys peeled off, then the gray paint on the sides peeled off, then the keyboard became loose, then the stylus began to fell off by itself...
I don't know what my next PPC will be, I am looking into something more rigid now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alrighty - Dont let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Exactly what did you hope to achieve by coming here and posting? Were you hoping to justify your decision to yourself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just wanted to share my disappointment. I will talk to you after you own the Wizard for 5 months, PM me then with feedback.

Well I've had mine for 6 now, and here's my experiences...
- it's slower than expected ( yes, I could overclock, but really.. I don't want it faster that badly )
- the paint peeled off the IE/Mail/Soft key buttons.. ah well, big deal - the mail button goes to the start menu and the IE button clicks on the app close button, so the icons don't match my functions anyway.
- no paint peeled off the sides yet
- no loose stylus yet (I tend to collapse it before inserting it - maybe that reduces stress on the part that breaks off?)
All in all, I'm quite happy with it. Sure, I would've liked it faster, and maybe 640x480 would've been nice (and built-in GPS, FM radio, a 3.5mm headphones plug, better volume on hands-free (oddly, an episode of stargate I put on there plays quite loudly - so it should be possible.. haven't tried those reghacks yet), maybe a scroll wheel, and a 2-3MP decent camera would've been plusses)... but here's the thing... None of the devices out there that fit that bill (to greater or lesser extent) appeal to me. They're either even bulkier and less practical to me (e.g. Universal) or their button layout irks me (Magician, and upcoming 'Wizard replacement' Hermes), etc. Form-factor wise, the Wizard suits me best, and that's why I got it - the slightly slower performance (I noticed it in the store) wasn't so much an issue for me.. I'm not using it to play the latest 3D game.

I have had my QTEK 9100 since January and I have to say that it is the best phone I have ever owned. Of course it is my first Pocket PC so that doesn’t give me much to compare to. It does have some small issues but overall, I am glad I bought it. I am also experiencing the stylus fallout issue but plan to try the suggestion offered in another thread once I receive my replacement stylus next week. No issues yet with the paint but that is not important to me because I have reprogrammed most of the buttons to perform another function anyway. I also find it a pain to have to hard reset when upgrading the ROM or sometimes the device just starts acting weird (like windows 9x) so I just reformat it. Long process but it works. I would have to say that this device is not friendly enough yet for the average consumer but this forum has been a great help with resolving issues and offering tips. I think I would have gone nuts if it weren’t for this forum! The QTEK website is useless for help or ROM updates so I will likely not get another QTEK but will consider the same model from another manufacturer.

keitht said:
The QTEK website is useless for help or ROM updates so I will likely not get another QTEK but will consider the same model from another manufacturer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just updated to last ROM using Qtek website, all what you have to do is registering your IMEI in their site, and then you can download any new ROM for free with instructions how to do it, plus there is area fo registered users where you can download Tonerings, games, appz etc... for free. Just wanted to defend Qtek Site and clearing this misunderstanding.

naughty said:
After owning it for 5 month, I got rid of my Qtek 9100, it turned out a piece of junk..
First the Mail and Internet Explorer keys peeled off, then the gray paint on the sides peeled off, then the keyboard became loose, then the stylus began to fell off by itself...
I don't know what my next PPC will be, I am looking into something more rigid now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I had the same paint problem with Himalaya device (qtek2020). I suppose this is due to wet hands I also have the same problem with my notebook ASUS M2Ne. But the problem is solved by annual ordering of the case for notebook and I suppose you can order cases for your handhelds too.
As for now, I don't have any problems as you did with wizard. I will try to be careful with mentioned areas

Thomas1234 said:
keitht said:
The QTEK website is useless for help or ROM updates so I will likely not get another QTEK but will consider the same model from another manufacturer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just updated to last ROM using Qtek website, all what you have to do is registering your IMEI in their site, and then you can download any new ROM for free with instructions how to do it, plus there is area fo registered users where you can download Tonerings, games, appz etc... for free. Just wanted to defend Qtek Site and clearing this misunderstanding.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wish it was that easy... tried that and they claim my number is not valid and that I need to contact the vendor where I purchased for updates... well that vendor is EBAY so I am SOL on that. So I rely on this site for my updates.

@keitht :
I guess that the person - who sold this to you - registered the IMEI already therfore you have to know his Username and Password to login, or tell him to delete the IMEI from his account, then you can register your imei for your account.
I don't know if you can reach the seller anyway, but I think this is what happened and this what can be done to solve this problem.
BTW I am happy with the Wizard, but this is only my 3rd day using it , that means this thread doesn't count me.

with regards to the paint peeling off... no, that's not normal, really. If you want these things to last, then you don't use decals (cheap keyboards use these... you'll see the letters 'chip' off) or paint (slightly more expensive keyboards.. the letters will fade) - you use cut-outs or impregnation. On the Wizard, for example, check the green/red phone buttons (when they're not backlit). Those will never fade or chip, as they're cut-outs.
Note that they could have used cut-outs for the other buttons as well, but cut-outs are slightly more expensive, and it would be even more expensive once you factor in branding (e.g. T-Mobile would need a whole special cut-out for their HotSpots icon instead of the IE icon - whereas now, that's just a different stamp)
However, even given that it's not normal - it *is* common, and I've just come to expect it from anything that uses decals/paints for any graphics/lettering. You lean to live with it, unfortunately

I have had more than 10 different pocket pc's and 2 different pocket pc phones in the last 5 years and have to say that my Qtek 9100 is my favorite handheld device yet. It has a great battery life, does not lose data if the battery dies, works great as a web browsing tool, computer, and phone, and also works remarkebly well with bluetooth. I find it to be the first converged device I have owned that I can just use, without having to constantly fuss with it to make it work. It is far from perfect, but definitely good enough for my purposes so that when I travel I do not need to carry my laptop, as it fulfills all my computing needs, albeit with a slightly less than ideal user experience. I am more than willing to put up with the minor idiosyncracies of the device when I consider how many devices it can fill the gap for.

I'm using my Wizard for 7 months now, and it's definitely the best PDA/phone I've ever had. Ok, the build quality isn't on par with brands like Sony-Ericsson or Samsung, but the functionality makes up for everything. I use it for push-mail, navigating, browsing, contacts and calendar. When traveling by train, I hook it up to my laptop and use it as a GPRS-modem (I've got flat-fee GPRS from T-Mobile), zo I'm connected to the internet and the office. I use it at home on the sofa for browsing and MSN when my wife is watching stuff I really don't wanna watch (like soaps). In my car it's used as a navigation device (Adapt 300 GPS) and it's connected with my BT Logitech headset.
The paint hasn't scraped off anywhere, but the stylus comes loose too easy (a single wrap of tape around the black tip works fine).
Great phone, I'd cry if I had to miss it

I have the K-Jam since october 2005, so almost 8 month now.
For me it is also the best PDA in years.
It's the first PDA that lasts longer than half a year with me. :lol:
And I don't even see a suitable successor in the near future.
I don't face the problems with paint peeling off.
Ok, the mail and the IE button have faded a little, but that's all.
And, of course, the speed isn't everything, it could be improved.
The stylus is a little loose, but it doesn't falls out (yet)
And I am very, very pleased with the pushmail and A2DP.

I've had my Vario for around 6 months now, and don't see any of the problems the thread starter has found.
I treat my phone with care amd respect, in return it keeps all its paint on for me.
It may be true that the Vario build quality is not a patch on the MDA Compact, but it's still in good condition.

I've had my vario now for 3 months and the main problem I have with it is the stylus not holding as well as it did when it was new. No paint peeling off etc.
It may only be a 195mhz processor, but it is faster than my Treo 650 with a 312mhz processor.
I've used most of the Treos' and this is my first device on the 'dark side'! The treo is simpler to use, but the wizard was the closest I could get with the same size form. Unfortunately for Palm, WM5 is streets ahead of Palm os - maybe that is why they released the 700w.
Anyway, the 700 is not an option for me in the UK.
Connecting to 2 bluetooth devices at the same time, stereo bluetooth capability - all things treo 650 users wanted, multitasking - the list goes on. I can see me upgrading to the 3G version of the wizard when it's time to upgrade my phone in the future, in a little over a year.
When I was given the phone by T-Mobile, I wasn't going to use it, and just use my Treo 650, but the more I read about the vario and then used it, the more I liked it.
The wizard rocks.

I LOVE everything abouth my wizard! I'll upgrade only to wizard with microdrive (when ever it be)!

My 8125 is my first "Dark Side" device too. I've never been happier. The only thing I miss about PalmOS was the wonderful screen realestate on my Tungsten T3.
I've punished the case on mine pretty badly too and it's never chipped or peeled. The only thing that happened was that little rubber "foot" on the battery cover came off. I wonder if the various style of Wizard cases are built by different manufacturers? That could account for this.

Athena or Ameo - first few days.

Hi, Great forum people, at least you get the chance to write up your thoughts.
My first Post on this site, and my initail thoughts.
I got an Ameo as an upgrade to my "MDA PRO" from T-Mobile. It looks like a UMPC but not quite there. I second all your thoughts on the device. One thing that is "interesting is the motion sensor" i.e. you can move around the web browsers via tilting the machine, but a bit like my PS3 Motion Sensor Games it gets a bit of getting use to so I tend not to use it.
Another useful thing above the MDA was the little 5 way joypad which is useful if you don't feel pulling out the pen. But this is definitely a Two Hands Device.
I always try and get the most techie gadget from my Tmobile as possible, the odd view I know but I dont actually believe this is a useable phone, so I still use my trusty SONYp900 with rubbish battery.
Although I must admit the MDA pro battery is pretty bad, that I upgraded to a larger and thus more bulkier model.
So Far I have been impressed with the Ameo's battery - life and as others have commented that the usb charging takes longer from Laptop/PC than the official adapter included. But alas I think after using it it will only really last a day at most … so I have to carry a charger with me if at work etc.
One thing I am confused about is that T-Mobile - I never had any Composite out / S-VHS output cable - just a VGA cable, not sure if this is standard or misinformation I did however had VGA out - it would have been nice to show family pics when travelling etc on family TV's at times.
For me this is exactly as you said a Filofax that BT headset would be useful for making calls. I use it to do exactly "work" related diarycalendar and massive contact list, and keep documents hat I am working on within for reference, must get a Blue Tooth keyboard that sounds useful.
Use the MDA PRO keypad was actually quite tactile and useable, this Ameo however is a very ZX80 "showing my age". but that being said I did edit my CV quite easily.
I would like to say when I saw the screen size I was impressed but the resolution is a let down, I think its more to do with WM5 rather than the device I presume but not sure of the Technical on this.
This machine is just screaming to be a LINUX machine with Phone and GPS built in, open office and more etc, utilising the screen size to a better effect. Dunno just a thought.
WM5 is not really eye candy in pink, so this is a let down, if not embarrassing, some peopel out there would slap you if you answered the Ameo in public so BT is useful and Hands free a necessity.
It "could" make a useful recorder for meetings. Also useful that it has a 3MP Camera, I took some shots and all were useful, but the device is slow and tedious and simple camera's are better Although it has stretched the boundaries i.e PDA/Phone etc. (noting the Nokia N95)
One thing is that it requires you to have a very steady hand or need to be leaning against something to take a top quality shot that again needs to be Still, I got tried of asking my 3 year old lad to hold still ;-) and did not even try with my fast crawling 9 month baby boy.
My wife thinks its yet another waste of money, but I explained to her that I never actually bought it, and it allowed me not to have to carry a laptop and the Work PC and this would be sufficient. So If you are after saving your back then great.
I am now actually on the look out for a really simple phone which can sync with outlook and preferably pay as you go.
So - now I don’t have to carry my ipod - music, Sony PSP for MP4, Laptop - general work. If I look at it that way all well and good. It does feel a bit odd that one I do pull it out it feels like the daddy of PDAs or an ARCHOS Media Player. Pity that the Linux thought that the USB sync cable could connect it to a further Hard drive? making it a TV recorder? Dreaming now sorry.
I hear HTC have a 7inch Vista Compatible. I think that Microsoft/HTC need to release WM6 on the AMEO with T-Mobile quickly.
Anyone know how to get rid of the T-Mobile customisation I remember that there use to be hack for the MDA PRO.
Also NO Anti Virus - or is it that I have not even opened or read Manual the CD-ROM may contain it? can someone confirm as I have to hide everything from the kids otherwise it becomes pulp in there mouths.
So far my littles ones have some great hand me downs, whilst I try and justify the Apple TV thing that just came through a month or so late ;-) belated Valentines Gift for my wife ;-), Pity I could not get this thing engraved with my wifes name on it, usually helps with the unwrapping.
Oh boy before I forget, I thought it was just me, but the screen is useless outside. it reflects so much that you cannot see anything outside. this is really annoying try to use the GPS. so the Voice and sound need to be loud. Notably I did have the screen protector supplied stuck on the Ameo. One thing it makes it more UNsensitive i.e. need to prod it firmly when utilising one finger and not the pointer, which surprisingly does stay in it hole, and does not fall out when there is a breeze in the air.
Another good thing is that streaming books is great for the Kids. The Speakers (stereo work well) althought they are very spoilt with Beolabs 8000 and 6000's around the house, amazingly they don't touch those.
With all the usb charges cables about the place and prying childrens hands I am a bit wary of the thing being pulled of table.
The leather case is really good quality leather, and I think although I like to keep everything quite new looking it may look even better with age.
BUT the protection it offers is minimal, i.e. its no ipod rubber skin etc, and the Ameo is no Light Bunny. If it was picked up I in a food fight accidentally then this would hurt ;-). Where am I going with this is that Hard Drive, and I have worked within IBM Engineering Manufacturing “Files/DASD or Hard Drives”. Can it take a bump is going to be found out by my toddlers sooner than later and this scares me a tad, Solid State could not arrive quick enough albeit for in flight parking technologies. Come on Samsung bring those prices down for that 64GB device.
That Magnetic Keyboard is definitely a Trick and credit to HTC nice idea and shows the shielding has been well thought out it reminds me of the shielding in Larger drives and Actuator Arms. One thing I would have like was another case which just allowed the Ameo to be used Palm Like.and a carrying strap should had least been an option, as long as it was not as girly as the PSP one.
Thinking Back PSION and HP and Ericson Pocket PC etc, this is that Nokia Communicator type machine. It nearly all there but not just quite.
Yes I will get an I-Phone engraved for my wife of course,. As I got this on a twelve month Contract. It does allow me to surf the web adequately but jave based websites still struggle with WM5. this is annoying if you use BT Yahoo, and even there non java based site there is issues with some very important icons.
Skype –usage with T-Mobile costs extra on top of web-n-walk so bear that in mind. This is a bit of a farce. But it would be ideal for Skype etc. If any hackers out there sort this out I will be impressed, I suppose T-Mobile monitor the Skpe services PORT?
One other thing I maybe correct about is there is no infra red port, as this would have made the best ever remote control. Although I do have an amazing B&O 7000 and beolink 5000 and standard beolink which all have immensely powerful beams. It would have been nice to add to my collection one that I could programme the non B&O kit with.
Hmmmm could add it to the Kitchen that I am thinking of doing up, drop down timer, internet cookbook, bollywood film streamer ;-) I think my wife may allow for it.
Anyways hope this adds to some of the thoughts others have written.
Speed of use and generally moving about I not totally impressed about although I am use to trading floor compute back bones, you can live with it. Thing that annoys me is the start up time to making a phone call quickly if you had to. One of the reasons for not using it as phone apart from looking like a person ready to be mugged.NFL.
More updates later.

Woah, that's one very helpful impression.
Thank you, please keep more coming.
I'm still with my Dopod 900/Universal, and thinking of upgrading to U1000 due to the speed, battery life, and bigger screen.
I find that my dopod 900 memory often drops below 10mb and this slows down the speed significantly. I do hope with U1000, the speed would improve tremendously. The Dopod 900 Battery life was not enough to keep me up for a whole day either. I do a lot of readings and typings with my PDA on the road, so bigger screen would be a bonus.
Although, U1000 seems heavier and bigger on spec paper, but I find that in my pant's pocket(Hugo Boss Dress pants) I find U1000 to be more comfortable, perhaps due to its thinner design?
The Dopod 900 is a bit thick and pressing against my thigh. So for some reason dopod 900 is less comfortable for me.

akhanaix said:
This machine is just screaming to be a LINUX machine with Phone and GPS built in, open office and more etc, utilising the screen size to a better effect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you help me by running haret on Athena and doing some tests ?
There is already some information gathered here
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=AthenaResearch
and many subsystems are already supported.
It is realistic to run Linux off the ramdisk very soon.

jlingo said:
Woah, that's one very helpful impression.
Thank you, please keep more coming.
I'm still with my Dopod 900/Universal, and thinking of upgrading to U1000 due to the speed, battery life, and bigger screen.
I find that my dopod 900 memory often drops below 10mb and this slows down the speed significantly. I do hope with U1000, the speed would improve tremendously. The Dopod 900 Battery life was not enough to keep me up for a whole day either. I do a lot of readings and typings with my PDA on the road, so bigger screen would be a bonus.
Although, U1000 seems heavier and bigger on spec paper, but I find that in my pant's pocket(Hugo Boss Dress pants) I find U1000 to be more comfortable, perhaps due to its thinner design?
The Dopod 900 is a bit thick and pressing against my thigh. So for some reason dopod 900 is less comfortable for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I use 900 before and now with u1000..
Honestly, dont sell ur 900 for the u1000..
I have it both now..
900 have something really good as an alternative..
lighter, an all in one keyboard, a backlight keyboard, a 4 rows keyboard.
For me, both of them have similar battery life.... Both good. u1000 a bit longer if the light set lower (but 20% light is higher than the 900 already)
I use 900 for 1.5 yrs, it is great and still the best in any PDA phone.
Get u1000 for a new fresh good, wider screen, more bright screen, faster speed, GPS, HSDPA. It for sure worth!!!

wonder said:
Well, I use 900 before and now with u1000..
Honestly, dont sell ur 900 for the u1000..
I have it both now..
900 have something really good as an alternative..
lighter, an all in one keyboard, a backlight keyboard, a 4 rows keyboard.
For me, both of them have similar battery life.... Both good. u1000 a bit longer if the light set lower (but 20% light is higher than the 900 already)
I use 900 for 1.5 yrs, it is great and still the best in any PDA phone.
Get u1000 for a new fresh good, wider screen, more bright screen, faster speed, GPS, HSDPA. It for sure worth!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes i also agree the keyboard isn't that good in Athena, but hey don't forget, there is a possibility that we can buy extra keyboard that is better then Universal to attach to out Athena in the future.

My Ameo - unlock cost me £15 on T-Mobile
OK ... still playing with My Ameo.
Updates ... I have a Tom Tom 6 installed. - Will report back GPS capabilities soon.
WMStorage - worked 2nd time around but cannot get it working anymore. cant connect to usb driver error etc. Tried the threads but to no avail. - it maybe a TT6 thing.
Noted that after TT6 install the abilitiy to open media player files have become messed up on the web, it like it does not recognise them and I have to "save as" only - anyone know how to solve or experince this?
Not sure if some file associations have gone AWOL.
Definately still too big to Talk into, screen useless still in the SUN, waiting for the right type of sunshine ;-), Probably a good thing that you cannot use it outside when people can see you! ;-). Actualy I have started to use my mda pro a bit more and it actually feels usuable and small and a breath of fresh air scarily I might even use it as a phone now.
Installed ozVGA, amkes its a supperb document viewer - although cannot use the phone pad, but hey I am not making any calls ;-)
Biggest update - I thought I would like to use it as an emergency phone. without having to pull out my SIM card from other phone all the time. Noting I use Wifi most of the time. I thus phoned T-Mobile - got into chatting how I wold like to use the newly bought device abroad for a Month and if I could have it unlocked, the representative said £15 on the next bill, I said darn oh well, plaease put it on my next bill, and proceeded to give the IMEI number over the phone, she said that it would take 28 Days, to deliver to my home address. I said could it be meailed - she said yes, but it still takes 28 days ... checkig and procedures I guess... but I went for the email option hoping it maybe quicker, plus I can chase them without getting into postal issues.
But this now gives me a unlocked phone, pending them saying I should not have been given the ability to have it etc.... I am on flext25 webnwalk (12 month Contaract) but have been with them since the begining. Hopefuly giving me enough time to see iphone in the UK for next purchase.
Next stage, understand what Haret is? and how to get the info requested - earlier in the thread.
About to go down to phones4u and pick up a Motofone for £15, thin and simple.
Noted one really annoying thing, by the vue flow, there is a scratch apperaing from closing the case i.e. the plastic form teh keyboard contacts rubs direct against teh edge of the screen metal, and this is casuing me concern, it could easily dent it. I like to keep everythign like new, plastic, I dont even throw ties away ;-) so this is going to be annoying. its like gettinga dent on the Ferrari after just buying it, touching the screen of the of Bang and Olufsen Beovision 5 or worse a hole within the fret ;-).
regards Aamir.

akhanaix said:
Next stage, understand what Haret is? and how to get the info requested - earlier in the thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haret is "HArdware Reverse Engineering Tool". It's a wince program
with the source code available under GPL,
and you can get the latest precompiled version here
http://jornada820.sf.net/files/haret
The program allows a very detailed research in an interactive mode,
but first i'm interested in the most simple things.
Please put this program in some directory, and create a file named
"default.txt" containing a line
Code:
dump gpio athenagpio
in the same directory.
Start the program and press the "Run" button.
Exit.
You should see the file "athenagpio" in the same directory.
Please upload it here.

Haret dump file
CR2, Please see attached file.
It seems to be looking for a connection on port 9999, but I exited and the resulting file uploaded, let me know if this is incorrect or if I can assist further.
knid regards Aamir.

akhanaix said:
It seems to be looking for a connection on port 9999, but I exited and the resulting file uploaded, let me know if this is incorrect or if I can assist further.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool Dumping settings from a working machine is often
much more helpful than any static analysis.
I'm already editing the wiki based on your data.
Can you connect to the machine with telnet to port 9999,
and do you know how to log the session ?
We need to find out your board ID (if you don't know it already from the bootloader) and it is possible to dump a lot of other useful info.

Please give me the details and I wil try, I am currently away from my pc, but in essence is this correct :
[1] get the bootloader details (quick link please)
[2] Connect to the "home" wifi network.
[3] Work out the ip address on the Ameo
[4] telnet form PC on Wifi network to the Ameo ip Address
e.g.
[4.1] open command window or cmd on Home PC
[4.2] telnet 192.168.0.xxx [space] 9999
After which i suspect I am connected to something running on that 9999 port?
please let me know if that is roughly what you are after and then I can assist.
kind regards Aamir.

akhanaix said:
Please give me the details and I wil try, I am currently away from my pc, but in essence is this correct :
[1] get the bootloader details (quick link please)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not necessary, we can find it out ourselves.
[2] Connect to the "home" wifi network.
[3] Work out the ip address on the Ameo
[4] telnet form PC on Wifi network to the Ameo ip Address
e.g.
[4.1] open command window or cmd on Home PC
[4.2] telnet 192.168.0.xxx [space] 9999
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly.
After which i suspect I am connected to something running on that 9999 port?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are connected to haret (remote debugger, if you like) and can run debugging commands.
BTW, it can be deduced from your dump that the phone and wifi are
switched off. Can you switch them on (maybe the GPS too) and
do the gpiodump again ?
Thanks!

wu5262 said:
yes i also agree the keyboard isn't that good in Athena, but hey don't forget, there is a possibility that we can buy extra keyboard that is better then Universal to attach to out Athena in the future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Wu,
What is this extra keyboard you are talking about?

jlingo said:
Hi Wu,
What is this extra keyboard you are talking about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This one
http://www.expansys.com/p.aspx?i=140983

jlingo said:
Hi Wu,
What is this extra keyboard you are talking about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there isn't one yet, all i am saying is there is a possibility that we will see third party keyboard that we can attach and replace the original one, it might have some more features such as extra row. Personally, i think it isn't that hard to achieve.

htc advantage x7501 vs x7510

I currently own an axim x51v. I was planning to switch to the htc advantage x7501, but have been waiting because of price. Since reading reviews on both the 7501 and 7510 it sounds like the 7510 is the better choice because of 16 gig flash rather than 8 gig hard drive and 'future' version of WM. However the keyboard seems like a turn-off. I have also read they removed some hardware buttons which isn't a huge concern to me. I will buy one of these devices in the future. Does anyone have advice (battery life, functional keyboard, anything to convince me to go with one over the other). also, has anyone heard price or US availability for x7510?

No one.....?
Anything.........?

I think X7510 is only availabe in Europe at the moment. If you're in US, you could only get X7501 instead of X7510. I would not think it is such a bad decision, here is why:
I would not discount the seriousness of the lack of buttons if I were you. For me the inconvinience is quite real. So much functionalities are now missing due to the missing hardware buttons. Just to describe a couple of them for your consideration:
- Without hardware button in MP3, you probably can't switch off the screen while the musics are being played. You can't change song with the button. To do anything, you have to take the device out of the belt pouch (instead of letting it stay in there) and use the touchscreen to control it
- If you're using say Tom Tom GPS system, and decides that you want to make a phone call. With X7501, you could just press the ok button to minimise tom tom, and use any other program you want before returning back to tom tom. Without such hardware button, you most probably exit tom tom to do whatever you want, then restart tom tom. How inconvinient!
You might want to be aware that there is an ongoing effort to change the microdrive in X7500/7501 into a 32GB SSD. If this turns out to be successfully, then there is no question in my mind that the modified device is way way superior to the X7510. X7501/7500 also has a larger battery, which is expected to last longer once we successfully upgrade to the SSD.

Excellent, first real feedback i've had on this topic in about 3 days and countless forums. When i first heard about the x7510, obviously i thought GREAT! this is the7501 with everything 'fixed.' As i mentioned earlier i was concerned about the keyboard. But the biggest turn off of the x7501 for me was the 8 gig hard drive, thought this would kill any chance of decent battery life especially with a 5" screen.
I definitely agree that a 32 gig SSD would put me to the X7501 all the way. Thanks for the advice. Any idea when we might see this upgrade?

I hate to disagree with you steve, but...I disagree on this specific point:
eaglesteve said:
- If you're using say Tom Tom GPS system, and decides that you want to make a phone call. With X7501, you could just press the ok button to minimise tom tom, and use any other program you want before returning back to tom tom. Without such hardware button, you most probably exit tom tom to do whatever you want, then restart tom tom. How inconvinient!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't have to exit an application to use another one, just because you're missing some hardware buttons. In my instance, there are a number of ways around this issue:
1. I use Wisbar Advance 2, which has a show desktop link in its menu.
2. Also under WA2, I have one icon in the taskbar that also has the same function.
3. I configured the camera button to launch the phone app, since the camera is something I use so rarely.
Having said that, I fully agree that the missing buttons and especially the joystick is a big step back - my usage scenarios may differ from yours, but the extra input options are too useful to just drop, especially since they're more precise than using the screen.
Edit: Ugh, I forgot that GPS programs tend to be fullscreen, which means solution 1 and 2 wouldn't work. No 3 does though, although it means sacrificing one button for that alone. You could also get a button mapping program like AE Button Plus, which would multiply the use you can get out of one button.

weaselcossey said:
But the biggest turn off of the x7501 for me was the 8 gig hard drive, thought this would kill any chance of decent battery life especially with a 5" screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's hard to say whether the x7501 would have better battery life with a flash SSD drive since we have no direct means of comparison at the moment. I've had however compared the difference between an 8GB CF card and an 8GB MD in my previous PDA - the difference in battery life was about 5%-10% at most. I also saw some benchmarks a couple of years back on battery drain between a CF card and a MD, and the difference really only lay in one area - drive spinup. A CF card of course doesn't have a spinup mode, where the drive platters and head have to be powered and moved. In standby and in operation, the difference in battery drain between the two was minimal.
That calls into question whether caching of MD contents (for instance, when playing video), would really have an impact on saving battery life compared to forgoing caching completely, as the constant power-ups and power-downs may drain the battery faster than one power up and then constant use. To balance against that of course, is that its probably safer on the drive to cache, as the drive heads would most likely be parked if you drop the device, or bump it into something.

hishamh said:
I hate to disagree with you steve, but...I disagree on this specific point:
You don't have to exit an application to use another one, just because you're missing some hardware buttons. In my instance, there are a number of ways around this issue:
1. I use Wisbar Advance 2, which has a show desktop link in its menu.
2. Also under WA2, I have one icon in the taskbar that also has the same function.
3. I configured the camera button to launch the phone app, since the camera is something I use so rarely.
Having said that, I fully agree that the missing buttons and especially the joystick is a big step back - my usage scenarios may differ from yours, but the extra input options are too useful to just drop, especially since they're more precise than using the screen.
Edit: Ugh, I forgot that GPS programs tend to be fullscreen, which means solution 1 and 2 wouldn't work. No 3 does though, although it means sacrificing one button for that alone. You could also get a button mapping program like AE Button Plus, which would multiply the use you can get out of one button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know about WA2. I don't use it and have no intention of having it. Similarly I do not intend to have AE Button. Assuming that AE button can perform the job of joystick (can it??) Most of us will not have it either. I do not want to sacrifice the camera, thank you. In fact, now I use the action button for camera, as this reduces blur.
What I'm saying is for the general situation.
I think while there may be work around if we explore hard, fact remains that it will not be as convenient anymore. I think you would agree with me that my point still stand - that having all the hardware buttons is far better than having just some of them.

eaglesteve said:
I think while there may be work around if we explore hard, fact remains that it will not be as convenient anymore. I think you would agree with me that my point still stand - that having all the hardware buttons is far better than having just some of them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh I don't disagree with you, just for that specific situation (which I had to clarify as well). I won't miss the extra buttons so much as I would the joystick, though.

How serious of an issue is the shock resistance of the 8 GB micro drive? I plan to carry the advantage on my hip, at least during summer months. I've never owned a mobile device with an actual spinning hard drive. What are some effects of this this thing getting bumped against a doorway? Even if the possibilty of swapping the micro-drive for 16 or 32 GB SSD, will this change cost more than the x7510? I'm still waiting for the x7510 to be released in US, whether I buy it or hopefully see a substantial price drop in the x7501. Right now i'm leaning towards the x7510. Any feedback on the micro-drive would be appreciated.

It has a shock sensor which protects the MD. I've dropped it a metre on my carpet before without problem.
If it is 32 gb with the hardware buttons at the same price or slightly more expensive than 7510, I'll still take X7501 anytime, if I'm doing the purchase myself. The keyboard does not come into the equation because it is really not needed at all for me. The hardware buttons are however very important. I can describe so many situations where I'll miss it very much, but I'll describe just one more there:
When using email (i have 5 email accounts), with the joystick, I can go from one inbox to another just by pusing the joystick In 7510 I think this is no longer possible. You would have to click menu->go to -> then click on the account that you wish to change to. With 7501, you just push your joystick to the right or left to go to the next/previous account.
Software wise, I'm sure we could get every single software that comes with 7510 into our 7500/7501. Powel is a great cook. You just watch what he can do.

Thanks for the feedback, eaglesteve. I'm still on the fence. I'm sure once the x7510 is released, and I see the substantial price difference, i'll go with the x7501. I am almost always away from my desktop, and consider a laptop too inconvenient. The keyboard is something I use quite often. i think I would enjoy the new keyboard, as my fingers get tired on my wife's at&t tilt. I use my mobile devices all day for surfing, e-mail, of course all the organizational stuff, and occasionally music,video, or games. However, as it often goes, money is a factor. I'll update when I make a purchase, and follow-up with my thoughts/regrets.

I will suggest to consider (in a business environment) X7500 and related as a perfect SECOND phone.
The problems IMHO are related to the MIC ("please say it again" is common in handsfree mode) and a LOUD sound from speakers (even at the minumum). Without BT headset is hard to use as primary phone. I use BT (Sony Ericsson Bluetooth HBH-DS970 - Headset) but many times I leave the X7500 in my room, and when I am back, without BT auto reconnect... my X7500 rings and is disconnected! Moreover I have to remember to charge BT too, I have disconnect problems in radio noisy environments,...
Wired headset? no thank's. I an really happy, but I have also the S620!

current expansys/uk prices:
X7500 - 634.95 GBP
X7510 - 699.96 GBP

£699.95, how much is that in U.S. dollars??

If you're going to use it notebook style,then you would need the keyboard. Go for the x7510. If keyboard is used, you will not miss the buttons. In mail, for example, you could use left and right arrow keys to move from accounts to accounts. It is people like me who use it as tablet that would miss the buttons.
It may take you some time to work out your OWN preferred way of using the device. With or without keyboard? With or without headset? What type of headset? What dpi? Which program launcher? Which office software? Which browser? I think the main thing is the open mindedness and willingness to experiment to get first hand knowledge of all possibilities. One of the ways will appeal to you personally the best.

eaglesteve said:
If you're going to use it notebook style,then you would need the keyboard. Go for the x7510.
It may take you some time to work out your OWN preferred way of using the device. With or without keyboard? With or without headset? What type of headset? What dpi? Which program launcher? Which office software? Which browser? I think the main thing is the open mindedness and willingness to experiment to get first hand knowledge of all possibilities. One of the ways will appeal to you personally the best.
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I fully agree, and plus remember: a 5' screen and fast data connection means remote connection to you Office/Home PC and a good experience in 800x600 resolution using logmein (available also for free) or something better (and not free)
I use it as PC remotely connected, and I use it "locally" as organizer, e-mail, web browsing, music/video player... My "office platform" business is done remotely, fast and SAFE (no really "critical" data/documents on the go) and I use VISTA or XP !

weaselcossey said:
£699.95, how much is that in U.S. dollars??
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about 1100 dollars

weaselcossey said:
£699.95, how much is that in U.S. dollars??
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Click to collapse
about 1400
going at the rate of 2 usd-> 1 gbp
just a rough estimate, use xe.com to get a good one

rorydaredkign said:
about 1400
going at the rate of 2 usd-> 1 gbp
just a rough estimate, use xe.com to get a good one
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Looks like the same price as Dopod U1000 when it was first released early last year.

eaglesteve said:
- Without hardware button in MP3, you probably can't switch off the screen while the musics are being played. You can't change song with the button. To do anything, you have to take the device out of the belt pouch (instead of letting it stay in there) and use the touchscreen to control it
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Eaglesteve, how do you control your music player (which one) and how do you get the screen to actually turn off, mine always stays on limiting the battery life severely.
I agree with you on Tomtom, I use that a lot in the car and the OK button is great, my old Universal didn't work like that and was a pain.