Is it just me, or is the Wizard not as good looking as the Magician?
I wish they would give me integrated wireless, WM 5.0, a better bluetooth stack and more ram on the same device.
I really don't need the stupid keyboard. It seems to add quite a bit of thickness.
My .02 cents.
-CoolBeans
I totally agree. Its looks like a cheap and tacky attempt to make something look futuristic.
The Keyboard is really personal preference. I know I will get a ton of use out of that keyboard since I type about 30 emails a day on my phone and it is a logical step for HTC.
The wizard has not yet been branded by O2, Orange etc... these companies will add their own personal cosmetic flavour to the device. Have you seen the pictures of the CDMA version of the wizard? It is a very nice looking device(except for that ugly antenna sticking out)
Orange are going to call it the SPV M600 some info on www.coolsmartphone.com
I wouldn't even consider this device if it didn't have a keyboard. A keyboard is the absolute most important factor in any device I consider. Without a keyboard, I don't even look at it.
I thought the spirit of the Jam/Magician was to have a fairly full featured device in a small form factor.
If you need a keyboard, perhaps you should be looking to the Universal.
I bought a Javo case... thought it was too big. I then got a silicon skin for it and still felt it was too thick. I have now resorted to keeping my Jam naked and it feels just right (all puns intended).
Another 4-5 mm from the Wizard and I might look like I'm happy to see everyone I come across with this thing in my pocket.
It might have been a good thing in my dating days, but I'm married now.
Beleive me, if there were rumors about Sprint carrying the Universal, I would be getting one for sure. I'm only considering the Apache because I know I can get one within the next couple months.
Well, I guess I would probably get an Apache for my wife either way. But I would definitely get the Universal for myself. But as it stands right now, it's going to be 2 Apaches, 1 for me and 1 for the wife.
There are no rumors of a CDMA Universal, so there are definitely no rumors of my carrier (Sprint) offering a CDMA Universal. I'm locked into a contract with Sprint, so I can't just leave them. And besides, here in the USA there are only 2 3G networks at the moment, Sprint and Verizon. And both are CDMA (EVDO) so it would have to be a CDMA device for me to get it.
I won't consider it without a keyboard, but I won't buy it unless I can have broadband Internet on it.
I seem to be in the minoriy here, but I don't find the Wizard all that bad in terms of its shape/size/design.
I think first and foremost we need to be focused on FUNCTION, not form. HTC could have made something that looks fantastic and not do anything.
When looking at the side-by-side comparisons of the thickness of the device against the Magician, the extra thickness was necessary to add the slide-out keyboard feature. This is a feature that, IMHO, is well worth the extra thickness. When holding a device in one's hand, thickness is the dimension that's least noticible. I'd rather a device that's a bit thicker than wider or longer.
Couple the slide-out keyboard with WM5, WiFi, more internal memory, and approx. the same width/height as the Magician, and I'm sold.
While I agree it doesn't look "great", its far from ugly. Thickness? Please, it's still overall smaller than a Nokia 6600 and compared to the Magician the extra thickness is only half a centimeter... oh no!
I would have preferred that they went with a more professional look rather than this "styled" look. I'm glad to see that they keyboard is backlit - all the photos so far (except for the ones on the .nl site) haven't shown this.
I think I'll be getting the Wizard over the Apache simply because of the aerial. I'm not too fussed about the slower speed, but an external aerial would annoy me.
I agree.
All I wanted was a thinner JAM with wifi. I don't need a keyboard with my pdaphone. If i did, i would be going for the Universal, the Treo, a Sidekick or some HP device... :roll:
The JAM's design is elegant and functional. The Wizard's design isn't elegant, even though it may be very functional. (the Galaxy looked like my perfect pdaphone, until I realised it wasn't one... ) :lol:
Here's hoping that HTC will bring out a true succcessor to the minimalist JAM.
Come on, its got all these extra features and its only 0.5 cm thicker... thats this much: --
Oh my, how will we ever lug this extra size around! ;p
Guys, you're all missing the point!
The show stopper here is the processor: TI OMAP 850!
WTF :shock:
DEFINITE step down from Magician
Also v bad:
Mini-SD and 320x240
As has already been discussed - its a dual core processor which should help somewhat AND since it has a low clock rate this will help save battery life.
This isnt meant to be an "uber" PDA, its meant to be a small phone that can do the tasks of a PDA. If you want something faster, then you're going to have to get the Universal which is also bigger and has a VGA screen.
Whats the problem with MiniSD other than having to buy a new card? I needed to get a new SD card anyway... so I guess this is another non-issue for me
"Unfortunately, it will be considerably slower. While the OMAP does combine seperate processors for phone and PDA functionality, at the end of the day it is just a 195MHz ARM processor (as found in PDAs from years ago) - it's not even Xscale. " Guess who wrote that?! :shock: Dumbass
VGA would have been nice, but I agree, small screen.
SD card capacity is better than Mini-SD, 4Gb vs 1Gb at the moment.
Most people will not want to ditch their exisiting SD cards either, from their Himalayas, Blue Angels, Alpines, Andes, Magicians!
Squuiid said:
"Unfortunately, it will be considerably slower. While the OMAP does combine seperate processors for phone and PDA functionality, at the end of the day it is just a 195MHz ARM processor (as found in PDAs from years ago) - it's not even Xscale. " Guess who wrote that?! :shock: Dumbass
VGA would have been nice, but I agree, small screen.
SD card capacity is better than Mini-SD, 4Gb vs 1Gb at the moment.
Most people will not want to ditch their exisiting SD cards either, from their Himalayas, Blue Angels, Alpines, Andes, Magicians!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I fail to see why I am a "dumbass". It will be considerably slower than a 400MHz Xscale processor, but the fact that its dual core will help it out. I see no contradiction between those two statements.
As for the SD cards - theres always eBay to sell your old ones on
Try learning some etiquette before posting on forums.
http://www.pocketpc-club.nl/contentimages/qtek9100_preview/2.jpg
Tell me that aint thicker...
This thing is thicker and uglier than all 4 of your mothers teeth! :lol:
Here's a picture of ugly right here, next to a much more elegant JAM.
http://www.pocketpc-club.nl/contentimages/qtek9100_preview/1.jpg
Haha, look at the buttons! This phone is for suckers.
Here's a picture of ugly right here, next to a much more elegant JAM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gotta admit it DOES look as if its scowling at me when put next to the magician
Cant really see why people are getting so personal in their insults and defences about this phone tho .... when it comes down to it the phone hasnt actually been in anybodys hands yet so until some brave soul actually goes out and gets one its all just conjecture
is anyone else here disappointed with the lack of choice at the moment? its either the Universal or Wizard and each one for me has serious drawbacks: universal is tri band with no high speed option for the US, wizard has miniSD ( i currently have over 1GB of data on mine.) The BA design has everything and just needs EDGE for US and 3G for Europe, improved camera, WM5.
This thread has become more like a voting place for the Wizzard.....With valuable infos though..... :wink:
Now CoolBeans....
I would advice that u edit ur post and add a Poll,this way everybody can say his opinion without the need to post....(althought above posts were really helpfull..).Still,post will always be welcomed.... :wink:
Oh,btw,I would vote for..."I love it"...
Greetings...
RAGO :lol:
efjay said:
is anyone else here disappointed with the lack of choice at the moment? its either the Universal or Wizard and each one for me has serious drawbacks: universal is tri band with no high speed option for the US, wizard has miniSD ( i currently have over 1GB of data on mine.) The BA design has everything and just needs EDGE for US and 3G for Europe, improved camera, WM5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well there are the HP IPAQ 6515 (and the future 6715 which has WiFi and WM 5.0). Plus the new Motorolla Q so there are others out there coming out soon.
Related
Am thinking of trading my Universal for someone's Wizard. Was wondering what you guys think of that.
Thoughts?
Offers?
Thanks!
Cyb
Do it and dont look back.
Main reason? EDGE compatibility. Especially as your in the US.
Only thing the Uni has that I want over and above the Wizard is VGA. But I can live with the tiny QVGA screen on the Wizard. The VGA screen is the main reason the Uni is so sluggish anyway, as it uses the processor as its video controller instead of a seperate VGA chip.
Cya
Stot
I suggest you check the Pocket PC forum on HowardForums.com first. Quite a few people are extremely unhappy with their Wizards, while owners of Universals seem rather happy.
You are stupid...
change a ferrari into a bmw (normal version)
Responses!
bohr2005 said:
You are stupid...
change a ferrari into a bmw (normal version)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well I'm definately getting opinions! keep 'em coming...
Cyb
Ferarri - BMW.. Not entirely true.
The Universal on its face is a good device. But once you start using it it has its annoyances that can outweigh the VGA screen, the only great thing it has going for it. It has a faster CPU but its impacted by the fact that the CPU is drawing 4 times the screen real estate which slows it down a LOT.
Ram/Rom is the same
Both have a QWERTY K/B
Both have Bluetooth
Both have 1.3MP camera.
Also be aware that in the US there is no 3G WCDMA network, there is 3G EDGE rolling out tho, so the Wiz can go 3G out here.
Oh and the Wiz has Wifi b and g and will be upgradeable via rom to e and i too. Universal is b only.
IMO the Universal is a little too fragile also. Not sure about the Wiz as i havent got it yet but its on its way and I had a play with it. its seemed to be more sturdy.
So. Its more like comparing a Ferarri towing a caravan, looks great fairly slick and fast engine bogged down, to a Caterham 7. Looks great, bit smaller, less powerfull engine, fairly robust, No caravan.
Cya
Stot
i had a Wizard for a couple of weeks. to be honest i loved it but i found the screen too small for easy reading of mail, spreadsheets, internet browsing etc. As a phone it is definitely preferable to the Universal BUT, from my humble point of view, the Universal is the best all rounder i've ever used - it's awesome. Also, once you've tweaked the Universal it's realy fast AND reliable and it does mean that for short journey's abroad i don't need to take my laptop. oh yeah, the Wizard uses mini SD which means you are limited to a 1GB storage card and if you like music, video etc that just ain't enough!
Mikey Mike
i had a Wizard for a couple of weeks. to be honest i loved it but i found the screen too small for easy reading of mail, spreadsheets, internet browsing etc. As a phone it is definitely preferable to the Universal BUT, from my humble point of view, the Universal is the best all rounder i've ever used - it's awesome. Also, once you've tweaked the Universal it's realy fast AND reliable and it does mean that for short journey's abroad i don't need to take my laptop. oh yeah, the Wizard uses mini SD which means you are limited to a 1GB storage card and if you like music, video etc that just ain't enough!
Mikey Mike
The Wizard has a keyboard.....all right.....BUT, it doesnt have a separate row for numbers (0-9). It shares it with the qwert... keys, and that's simply bad!
IMHO, i think this is a handicap, and is a bad limitation for a device which claims to have a native hw based keyboard...
S
ferrari and BMW?
Think not you are giving the wizard too much credit.
Main problems with the wizard: Too small, it is a stuck up mda compact.
The processor is downright slow.
You are living in the US so yeah, edge is the only option for the 3g network.
Still I think you should not just throw it away and get the wizard.
Furthermore if you do change it is a waste of your money, as the wizard is much cheaper then the universal.
Offcourse there are problems with the universal... what did you expect.
The universal uses vga, which is not supported yet. It uses wm5 too which is not highly compatible with known programs either.
I suggest you wait a while before you do something I am sure you will regret sooner or later.
Thanks!
I want to thank you guys for your responses... I have decided to keep my universal and just continue to use my Sierra Wireless VOQ as a back up when the Uni is TOO MUCH
Now... let's begin with a new ROM...
Thanks again...
Cyb
Im down with the trade!!
I would check your exec they are just as cheap. I dropped my orange variant and the case split open. I am unbiased as I have both and actually vga is supported nativly since wm 2003. So it is not a new thing manuafactures choose not to implement screens.
Wizard thogh a tad slower gets the job done, remeber the tortoise and the bunny. Besides have you actually looked at the benchmarks for the exec they are not that inspiring.
I guess I am British in that sense I am used to waiting, like British transport you will be waiting but it will get yo there though.
battery life
however the wizard is like a moped sipping vegetable oil compared with the universal like a mustang on premium gas when it comes to battery life...
Any advice from Universal owners would be welcome. I need an unlocked tri or quad band phone and I am ready to buy now. I see that Hermes has 2.0 mp camera which I read is a big improvement. I am not that interested in keyboards and have heard that hermes predecessor (magician?) had problems...so I am concerned about having a slide out keyboard that I do not need which might cause problems in future. The hermes has upgraded blue tooth and usb if I am not mistaken as well as EDGE? Universal has SD while hermes has mini sd.
Any suggestions from Universal owners if I should get my Unlocked Universal now or if I should wait for Hermes???
thanks
scott
scottshort said:
I am not that interested in keyboards and have heard that hermes predecessor (magician?) had problems...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're not interested in keyboards, the Universal really shouldn't be a choice because it has the biggest keyboard of all HTC devices.
You say that you're ready to buy now, you can start with the Universal. If you don't like it, you could always sell it and get a Hermes when they come out. That's what I would do.
I understand that Keyboard is not on your priority list. However do consider the VGA screen on the uniersal. It is really the best screen I have ever seen. As I do a lot of net browsing a smaller QVGA screen is somewhat a deterrent for me.
Regards
thanks
Thanks all for advice. I have stage fright in making my purchase decision!! I am ready to buy now, but am now concerned that the Universal is already outdated....BUT the hermes wont be available as unlocked for some time....(you can probably understand how my last pocket pc was a phillips nino!!....I keep waiting for the best, and by the time it is available...there is a new best right around the corner!)
From your experience, is the universal a good machine? Will I have huge problems out of the box? Will I need ROM upgrade for it to work?? I am not a super techy guy (don't understand much about modifying these machines and am frankly afraid that I might mess it up) and this machine will need to last me for at least 5 years....I am not one to purchase the latest model each year....
Will I really miss all of the new additions present in the Hermes model?? such as 2.0 mp camera (reviews have said the 1.3 mp cam sucks), and all of the newer email capabilities edge? utms? Or do you think for a regular user that I won't miss them??
Some things that I want for sure:
Blue tooth STEREO phone and mp3 headset combo (so I can keep this brick stored in my bag and make and receive calls without it clipped to my belt all the time....and listen to mp3s in stereo....is this possible?
Voice commands from bluetooth headset...possible?
If there was an unlocked model similar to hermes available now without keypad...I would consider....but only thing I have seen is eten g500 with integrated gps...looks cool but only 1.3 mp camera and no wifi....so I do not see anything else available on market that is better than universal
thanks for any advice/experience you can offer
scott
srmz said:
I understand that Keyboard is not on your priority list. However do consider the VGA screen on the uniersal. It is really the best screen I have ever seen. As I do a lot of net browsing a smaller QVGA screen is somewhat a deterrent for me.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to disagree with the screen part.
HX4700 has the best VGA screen IMO.
Chatbox said:
I have to disagree with the screen part.
HX4700 has the best VGA screen IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let's not get off subject here. Yes, HX4700 has a really neat screen. However, it is not a phone.
what about prophet?
I have been reading about prophet...as a possible alternative to universal......I am worried that 200 mhz processor might be too slow for skype...one review said it was really slow.....but then another review said it was as fast as universal... has anyone used universal with voip or skype ...does it work ok??
Thanks for any comments.... is there a huge benefit to having universal's umts and 3G (most of my time is in america).....or would the prophet's (or Hermes) EDGE be seen by current universal owners as a big plus..and a better choice today...?
thanks again for the advice
scott
Re: what about prophet?
scottshort said:
I have been reading about prophet...as a possible alternative to universal......I am worried that 200 mhz processor might be too slow for skype...one review said it was really slow.....but then another review said it was as fast as universal... has anyone used universal with voip or skype ...does it work ok??
Thanks for any comments.... is there a huge benefit to having universal's umts and 3G (most of my time is in america).....or would the prophet's (or Hermes) EDGE be seen by current universal owners as a big plus..and a better choice today...?
thanks again for the advice
scott
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Scott, currently 3G and UTMS, none of that stuff is avaliable here in the US. So if you spend a majority of your time here, it probably won't do you any good. EDGE will, but like I said it will only make a real noticable difference if you tether with a laptop and use it as a modem.
The 200mhz processor in the Prophet and Wizard series is a nice processor. For day to day usage, you probably won't even know that it's 200mhz. For Skype (If you use that feature a lot), I would steer away from the OMAP processor. I know some people say this and say that, in reality, it's really not a fast processer when coming down to run memory hogging big programs. The one thing I REALLY REALLY liked about the OMAP processor is how long those phones lasted on one charge. I can really use my Wizard all freak'n day and it would laugh at me. My Universal...that's a different story. :lol:
Will yuo lot all get an HTC Omni?
I am thinking of it - I cannt go back to a norma phone now!
Even the tytn doesn't quite do it for me.
What do youse lot think?
lr
Well from what I understand, the Omni is still a concept...... So until I know specs, size etc I will reserve judgement. Altho the Tytn looks impressive I won't be runnning out to get one just yet. I was an early adopter for the PDA2k and the universal and don't relish the teething problems again.
That said, most software is WM5 compliant now and I have my uni running like a dream. As has been said before, I like both the form factor, VGA and the keyboard so will defo be interested if and whwn an omni materialise
well according to the dude in the know - the vp for mobile comms for micro$oft, it's the same form factor but thinner, lighter and with more h/ware buttons on it.
lol.
it can apparently output to a projecter too - tho that's nothing I imagime many users would cherish.
have a look on the mocado forums it's all on there...
little_rock said:
Will yuo lot all get an HTC Omni?
I am thinking of it - I cannt go back to a norma phone now!
Even the tytn doesn't quite do it for me.
What do youse lot think?
lr
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went from the Uni to the g-Smart i128. Haven't looked back!!!
will take a look at the g smart..
lol you betrayer!
would u not go back to htc phone then?
why it the g smart so much better than the uni mate?
cheers,
lr
Gigabyte g-Smart i128
little_rock said:
will take a look at the g smart..
lol you betrayer!
would u not go back to htc phone then?
why it the g smart so much better than the uni mate?
cheers,
lr
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LR.,
I just love the size of it, it actually fits in my pocket! It's just as quick (albeit with a slightly slower processor) and I love the extra features that Gigabyte have supplied, such as answer phone, call recording, call background noises (great for pretending you're somewhere where you're not! ) and it's even got the gimicks of live analogue TV and Radio.
Gigabyte don't seem to offer good tech support, but if you've had one PPC... you'll know how they work. Also you get a spare high capacity battery, desktop charger, case, all as standard (With i128 version)
The screen is just as crisp, the speakers louder and clearer than the Uni.... I've started a thread about it here with more indepth info and pictures...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=273825
The VGA screen and clamshell design is important for me. So if the new phone can't surpass or can't match what the Universal have, I won't even bother looking. A while back, there was another thread showing a little specs for the Omni and the first thing I noticed was there was no mention of a VGA screen and 3G, If that is true, then it is more of a downgrade than upgrade.
cktlcmd said:
The VGA screen and clamshell design is important for me. So if the new phone can't surpass or can't match what the Universal have, I won't even bother looking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Inclined to agree, woul also appreciate an improvement in battery life. I am fortunate, cause mine spend most of its life plugged into an active car cradle otherwise, I don't think I'd make it through the day!
Paul O'Brien, a Microsoft MVP and Admin of MoDaCo (which should give the following story some credibility) claims many HTC Universal's wishes have come true - HTC IS working on a Universal successor, a clamshell QWERTY phone device with a VGA screen. The device, code-named the HTC Omni, will be smaller and thinner, but sport more buttons.
It will have HSDPA, and will ship with AKU 3, which will allow projector functionality. Unfortunately one of the biggest requested improvements, a small external display, did not make it into the design.
Paul claims the design is still fluid, but if it is meant to ship at the end of '06 / early '07 this does not seem likely.
http://www.clieuk.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?threadid=7826
Just in time for my next upgrade
Cheers slave this was a better version of my original post - lol mine was made from my uni on teeny tiny opera!
Charms said:
Inclined to agree, woul also appreciate an improvement in battery life. I am fortunate, cause mine spend most of its life plugged into an active car cradle otherwise, I don't think I'd make it through the day!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't recommend this, it's not good for the battery, it needs to drain down otherwise won't hold it's capacity as well.
The Universal has severed me well for several years, but I feel that there must be something newer, shiner out there.
(I basically want a new toy)
I love having a proper keyboard, the ability to open word/excel files as well as web browsing and email.
Any recommendations
Ash
I got an XDA Orbit - but still keep going back to my Exec. It may be bulky but I still love the flexibility of it.
Take a look at HTC Athena or HTC Shift, its bulky but a step up indeed.
I'm not moving on, the Uni is still the best IMHO. No other phone has a full keyboard (including number buttons), VGA screen, normal sized SD card slot, 3.5mm headphone socket, 3G, and massive extended batteries of over 5000mAH. The Athena is not counted, since you need a headset or speakerphone to use it as a "phone", which I find too inconvenient.
I will not upgrade until a phone comes out which has most if not all of the above features.
I upgraded to O2 XDA Atom Life a couple of weeks ago. I never used the keyboard of universal, so, being keyboardless on atom life does not hurts. 1gb rom is a big plus. I've stored everything on my device(including a 600mb movie too ). Its fast(624MHZ) too. Its qvga, but, at 2.8', it looks sweet. And hey, its beautiful from outside too
Overall, a happy guy. Impressed with quanta's hardware quality too.
edit: here is the review of it on my website
http://gadgetmix.com/reviews/atomlife/atomlife.htm
Kaiser - the HSDPA and GPS nearly makes up for the lack of VGA screen and full number row.
Surur
I'm upgraing to... The universal! Yep apart from going to the athena which i dont have the money for nothing compares to the Universal. Must admit the Kaiser did appeal to me but with it's GPS chip, but a 400 Mhz processor and QVGA persuaded me to that the Uni was better. Now if HTC was to put a GPS chip in the Uni? It'd be perfect and have everything.
Psi
when is the omni expected? any news?
Hi,
I am considering to get me an Athena and I need some help and advice.
I already own:
1x Blue Angel
2x Universal
1x HP iPaq 514 Voice Messenger
1x VDA GPS (aka Toshiba G710)
I also have an Asus eeePC 701.
My SIM has an internet contract included (100 MB download/month) and I have an USB Internet adapter which I can use i.e. with my eeePC.
Having said this, you probably understand I am a nerd and I like to "collect" phones and gadgets. The reason is simple: I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't waste money on anything, so at least, I think, I can get me some nice phones from time to time. All were bargains, most I got from eBay. The reason I like smartphones is that i carry them around all the time, so I can really have a benefit of owning them. A PS3, for example, may be a nice piece of hardware, but I would not have much time at home to really make use of it.
What do I want to know?
Basically, if you guy's can use the Athena as a phone. Do you REALLY use it as your sole mobile phone, or is it too big and clumsy (specially having to use BT headphone) to make calls?
The Universal is big, but it does fit nice into my back pocket of the jeans - how do you carry the Athena around?
What are the real advantages of an Athena, compared to a Universal? The screen resolution is the same (I guess having a bigger screen, will make the RealVGA usefull - on the Universal things get far too small), the CPU speed can be the same, by overclocking the Universal (actually not overclocking, but letting it run at full speed), the GPS is nice, but can be overcome with an external one (like the one I have).
I know these are lame questions, but 250-300 Euro is still a lot of cash and I want to make sure i don't regret it.
My major concern is that the device is not usable as a phone. I hate carrying two devices with me and that is exactly the problem I have with the eeePC: it's screen is too small to replace a proper laptop and to replace the MDA Pro, I would have to carry two devices with me. That's too much.
So any feedback is appreciated, as I am wondering what would be more USEABLE on a daily basis: an eeePC 1000 (10" screen, 1.6Ghz, 160 GB HDD, battery up to 6 hours...) for around 380 Euro, or an Athena second hand at eBay for around 300 Euro.
The eeePC 1000 has the advantage of replacing a laptop, but the disadvantage of not replacing a phone.
I know, long post, but please shed some light into this.
Thanks,
vma
x7510 a great device
vma said:
What do I want to know?
Basically, if you guy's can use the Athena as a phone. Do you REALLY use it as your sole mobile phone, or is it too big and clumsy (specially having to use BT headphone) to make calls?
The Universal is big, but it does fit nice into my back pocket of the jeans - how do you carry the Athena around?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was a proud owner of a Blueangel for 4 years and loved it. I started to get tired of it a couple years ago and then I found xda-developers and discovered how to upgrade and turn my old WM2003SE device into a top notch WM6.1 device. Needless to say with all the smaller screen, slower CPU devices on the market I stayed with my trusty BA. That is until I found the x7510. My BA lives in a drawer in the bedroom now, I keep it charged so I have it if I need it, and I use my Athena exclusively for all my phone/PDA needs. I carry it in the back pocket of my blue jeans and it fits fine.
My major concern is that the device is not usable as a phone. I hate carrying two devices with me and that is exactly the problem I have with the eeePC: it's screen is too small to replace a proper laptop and to replace the MDA Pro, I would have to carry two devices with me. That's too much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not regretted my upgrade from the BA to the Athena for a second. The only reason I have not sold my BA yet is becuase I have had the Athena for less than 1 month and am keeping it as a backup. I plan to go this weekend to the local market and have a custom belt carry case made for it. I am in Kuwait and it will not cost me much at all for this. The only reason I am doing this is for the added convenience not becuase it is required.
7501 is my everyday device
If yoi look at my sig. I also own quite a few devices. Since acquiring my 7501 6 months ago, I have not used any other of my devices. I used a BT headset with all of my oyher devices anyway. The 7501 is by far the best device I have ever owned.
You can turn the volume all the way down and hold it like a regular phone, with the mic hole by your mouth. Its not perfect and not private in a quiet room, but its useable. I also hate carrying a BT headset all the time for private conversations, but my Jabra BT8010 also gives me caller ID and vibrate, "fixing" several of the major problems with the Athena all at one time. Also gives me a decent stereo headset for MP3 and radio streaming.
I've had mine a year now and will never be able to go back to a smaller phone. The screen is just so much more useable than most other pdas or phones.
Thank you for your replies.
I think I will keep it on hold, though.
I have been researching the Ameo and basically understand that the 7500 and 7501 are basically similar and feature a real Hitachi Microdrive HDD.
The 7510 has a different keyboard and a 16GB SDD Flashdisk and requires a different ROM. I believe it cannot be SIM-Unlocked either.
There seems to be a problem with the Microdrive failing and having read-errors. This is a turn-off for me, when buying from ebay, as this fault is not easy to detect and proove, but surely may be a reason to get rid of such a device at ebay... Yeah, call me a suspicious guy...
The 7510, on the other hand, lacks the joystick and I definitly require that for my ebook reading, which I love. Paginating by touching the screen all the time is not very appealing.
Then there are those who say: go for the 7501, forget about the HDD and just get a 16GB SDHC. The point is: I can get that for my Universal!
So now I am wondering what REAL benefits I would have from an Ameo and I guess I will wait for either a superb bargain at ebay, a new one on sale at a local store (doubt that, however) or until the prices drop further at ebay (below 200 Euro).
Thangs again.
Cheers,
vma
Hi,
I have purchased an Athena these days and here is what I have to say to all those considering the move from the Universal to the Athena.
1) The Universal reached the 100 Euro mark at eBay, while the Athena (7500 version) is being sold at 200 Euro. These are the prices at ebay.de for the MDA Pro / T-Mobile Ameo versions.
2) First impression: the Athena is big. And when I say big, I mean it! I already had played with one in a store, but actually owning one is different, because only then you notice it won't fit in any of your pockets! After using it for 2 days, I picked up my Universal and found myself smiling at the "small" size of it!
3) Second impression: damn! It is a huge device... I will have to carry it in my hand if I want to take it with me. I mean, other people carry a book or a filofax. I now carry this super phone...
4) Funtionality: there is everything you can think of. You get highspeed mobile internet, WLAN, Bluetooth, all possible GSM standards, motion sensor, huge ROM/RAM memory, 8GB microdrive, GPS, ... The Universal not only lacks onboard GPS, it is struggeling with having only 64MB RAM. That is a limitation for the upcoming WM 6.5 firmware releases being cooked. And even with WM 6.1 some limitations exist. Soldering extra 64MB on my Universal is too expensive in my opinion.
5) Screen: the screen is fantastic! Compared to the Universal, though it has the same resolution, it is big enough for the eyes to take advantage of small fonts. After using the Athena, I now look at the Universal screen and I have to admit it is a little bit too small for such a resolution.
6) Keyboard: despide several online reviews stating the opposite, I do like the touch and feel of the keyboard. i would have prefered separate numeric keys, though. Also, I like the Universal's keyboard design better. Having a separate magnetic keyboard is less functional, I think.
7) Pros of the Athena:
- big screen
- speed: fast device
- speed: internet is very fast, pages load much quicker than on the Universal
- GPS: nice to have everything in one device
- memory: yeah! 128 MB RAM plus 8GB storage, plus Mini-SD slot... That rocks! And you can always use a Micro-2-Mini SD card adapter to use the cheaper and more available MicroSD cards
- overall exquisit looking noble device: if you are a hacker, you will survive a lonely day in a hotel room with this beast!
8) Cons of the Athena:
- too big to fit any pocket, specially back trouser pocket...
- keyboard is a bit odd
*** CONCLUSION ***
So, is it worth the change from the Universal?
No.
You should not want to CHANGE from the Universal to the Athena.
You SHOULD have an Athena as a second device, which you use on special days:
- boring days in the office/mother in law/waiting rooms
- meetings (this 200 Euro second hand device will kill all the attention normally spent over iPhones and similar phones at over 600 Euro)
- trips (planes, train and hotels)
Plus, it is simply a gorgeous device, which does appeal to any hacker!
Hope this helped anyone considering which phone to get...
Best way to carry the Athena: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=344605
Just buy it and try it out , it will not cost you an arm and a leg !! If you find it not suitable for whatever reasons , just sell quick it away at 30% loss , you probably bought many devices already , one more wont make you suffer that much i am sure , but many of advantage owners from day one it launched till now really do love it , some to the extremes too , so are you one of us ? , only you can answer this yourself , cheers , take care and enjoy - ok ?