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Any questions for microsoft
Hi all,
On Monday week - ie 11th July I will be meeting with microsoft and hopefully looking at the HTC Universal in detail. I will take my camcorder along so hopefully they will let me take some footage.
Does anyone have any questions they want asked?
Also I will try to take a "origami size pattern" of the universal as many prople are worried about the size. ie you can print, fold and glue to get an accurate feel of its volume.
Any other suggestions on information that can be gained from this meeting?
Jayman
Edit: I will also try to get a couple of sample photos/video from the cameras
Ask about WM5 for other HTC devices. That would be cool to know what MS says about it.
Do you mean upgrades for existing HTC models (this is a carrier decision not m$) or do you mean new models yet to be announced such as the galaxy/wizard?
Jayman said:
or do you mean new models yet to be announced such as the galaxy/wizard?
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Click to collapse
... which is also a question to ask manufacturers and not Microsoft.
Stateside
I wouldn't expect them to have any information on this either, but it's worth a shot. Ask if they have any information when we might be able to see this device in the US. Even ballpark figures will do. I need something to keep me away from the Samsung i730.
Also, if it is a working device, I'd be interested to know how it performs as a phone (without headset/speakerphone) in both the open and closed screen position. (i.e. are the speaker and microphone positioned to work well in both configurations?). Check out the memory configuration as well, see how much ROM is left for storage.
One more thing...WM5 seems to lend itself to easier one handed usage. I'm not sure it will be possible with the Universal, but I'd be interested in your interpretation.
It sounds like a great opportunity, have fun!
Shawn
1)
Will there be a HotFix system for the WM2005, or is there any plans for it.
2)
Will M$ Relase Rom, Radio etc. upgrades/Fixes directly in the future for WM 2005.
3)
What is M$ doing about the fact that installed programs can make the device general unstable. Are you looking into this problem and plan to solve this issue.
I'm no programmer and don't know why this happends, but i guess it the same story as Windows for desktops in earlier years?
Good luck fella.
Ask them when they are finally going to solve the microphone support issues with the phone application, why the same mic works perfectly well with speakerphone, voice recorder ect but is far too low on phone.
Maybe they could add a volume slider for the Mic in the phone app (and here's another tip, if they do, they current level should be the bottom setting!!)
Take the invisible Rom-Grabber with you and ask for a Blue Angel with WM 5.0...
USB Host
Can you find out if they have any plans to include USB host drivers so that we can use our windows mobile devices with portable hard drives. The form factor of the Universal can only be justified (by me) if I can get rid of my pc on many trips. To do that, I need access to files on my portable hard drive. Would be nice if they supported this functionality.
Ray
USB Host
Can you find out if they have any plans to include USB host drivers so that we can use our windows mobile devices with portable hard drives. The form factor of the Universal can only be justified (by me) if I can get rid of my pc on many trips. To do that, I need access to files on my portable hard drive. Would be nice if they supported this functionality.
Ray
did the meeting happen?
hi friends,
did someone actually meet ms people!
:twisted: :shock: :idea:
it's not software which limit devices from being masters and using external harddisks or the like
It's all gone very quiet, surely the rumours about the Redmond mafia's business dealings can't be true ...... can they?
Maybe we should have just suggested questions like "Is it true Bill Gates gives lots of money to charity?", or maybe "Tell me more about Microsoft's work in the third world". Poor old Jayman!
Rudegar said:
it's not software which limit devices from being masters and using external harddisks or the like
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, yes it is software: they're called 'drivers', because the programs 'steer' the data to the correct controlling program.
The Universal has a USB port, so it should have a driver on it somewhere. The question would be, is the divice loaded with a driver to allow it to 'master' other devices, or is it just the syncing point?
Maybe he meant it's more likely to be HTC that can answer that question?
Of far more importance to me is does the device have a suitable method of connecting to an LCD projector? IMHO, this is the absolute killer app for a "laptop replacement" & it's pretty much the only thing I miss from the Xda II.
its more likely that ms and htc is the same, if you know what i mean. and its very likely that there is no company called htc in reallity. maybe a post box hanging in taiwan is called htc and a website hosted (???) in taiwan. but noone is working for a company called htc. i can assure you in that point. and even if there is a hand full of people claiming them selfe working for a company called htc - they are not located in taiwan. need more info about that? go to china and find out yourself, best to start your research is at a company called dopod!
cheers, lutz
lutzh said:
its more likely that ms and htc is the same, if you know what i mean. and its very likely that there is no company called htc in reallity. maybe a post box hanging in taiwan is called htc and a website hosted (???) in taiwan. but noone is working for a company called htc. i can assure you in that point. and even if there is a hand full of people claiming them selfe working for a company called htc - they are not located in taiwan. need more info about that? go to china and find out yourself, best to start your research is at a company called dopod!
cheers, lutz
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please tell me more about this, lutz. I don't have the means to go to China and research it, but I always like to hear a good conspiracy theory.
Oh, yes it is software: they're called 'drivers', because the programs 'steer' the data to the correct controlling program.
The Universal has a USB port, so it should have a driver on it somewhere. The question would be, is the divice loaded with a driver to allow it to 'master' other devices, or is it just the syncing point?
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Click to collapse
if you found a way to make a usb peripheral a master using software
then contact www.usb.org i'm sure they will be impressed
the universal if it have usb support contain a usb chip which can act as master
much like my gf's old acer pda which also have such a chip
htc would have gotten a better usb interface had they used the usb interface from the ati chip insted of the nativ xcale usb interface
Please tell them
F*******************KING SOLVE BLUETOOTH PROBLEMS, AT LEAST MAKE IT WORKING PROPERLY...........
regards
Gugi
-- sorry for swearing but ......
@gugi_sat: The meeting is over!
It happened on the 11th..
On WM5 has anyone been able to access USB devices like printer, Pendrive etc directly? Would be great to be able to print directly or access files from a USB memory stick.
Have heard of HP printer drivers for older versions of windows CE somewhere...
Using a usb device on the phone.
I know of no WM5 or WM6 phone for that matter that have a usb STACK on them that would allow them to use a usb device. They are designed to BE a usb device for a pc...not the other way around.
famewolf said:
I know of no WM5 or WM6 phone for that matter that have a usb STACK on them that would allow them to use a usb device. They are designed to BE a usb device for a pc...not the other way around.
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i think you are mistaken.. there are a couple new WM5 and/or 6 devices that have USB hosting support.. among them is the Athena, O2 Flame, and toshiba g900, and those WM devices exclusive from/for japan..
Yeah, it is the other device that must be able to read the PPC.
My stereo read my Tytn as a storage device. Can play music directly from the PPC. However it is the Stereo doing the recognizing job. Not the other way around.
I'd just like to clarify a few things:
1) USB has two sides - host and client and they are different by hardware and not just software so there is no "able" question here.
2) In cases like memory stick, printer etc. when your device uses what is connected to it, the phone must act as host. The reason there are few devices with USB host is mainly because to be fully implemented this standard must provide up to 500 mA current to the hosted device and of course thats a bug problem when working on battery.
(Any phone that does implement it, provides it "unpowered" so not all devices will work)
3) In cases where something is using your device like the stereo, the phone acts as a client so with the right piece of software (like WM5Storage) any phone can be used.
The fujitsu Pocket LOOX T810/830 can act as a USB hub.
Some devices have this capability but not a feature that is common.
Sam.
I'm really unqualified to discuss this in great detail, but why I got there was - I've read somewhere in these forums about Win95 emulators for ppc devices. Now if it could be possible to "emulate" just the USB stack portion of Win95, maybe, the ppc could be connected to devices like printers which would not require a powered USB connection.
That's all ...
Atul
emulating an os dont add new features to the hardware though
Does anybody know if it is possible to connect the phone to a USB hard drive?
only with flame and Athena as they are the only ones which support usb host
other devices cant use usb devices only be used by usb hosts normaly a pc
There was actually someone who developed a working hard disk storage driver for windows mobile but last I checked the site no longer offered it. Searched for days trying to find the file elsewhere. No luck. Cant think of the company that made the driver.
I'm bumping this as I am also after the same sort of program / utility.
I want to be able to access my External HD and view / play files off it... anyone able to help me out?
Maybe with a external powersupplied disk
Rudegar said:
only with flame and Athena as they are the only ones which support usb host...
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Click to collapse
Correct
Our Hermes has no usb host support. I found a topic at forum.brighthand.com which suggested the host functionality could be added with a usb host driver. I found the software (attached zip) but alas... Though I did exactly as the 'manual' (readme.txt) explained, the usb-stick did not appear in my explorer.
Possibly an external drive with external power supply might work because the hermes usb port is simply not powerful enough to supply the power to the usb-stick. However I did not "explore that possibility" (don't have one ) and chances are 'just a driver' is not enough and hermes lacks "usb host hardware".
dident read the post because you dident give a link to the post just the forum
but i doubt that it's a general thing
many pda's have usbhost in the cpu itself but htc never connected those connectors
so it's not wired to the connector they have their own usb chip
so if the post you read said it about any other pda then htc based one it could be that that manufactor did connect the usb but dident supply the driver which would then be fixed with what you found
Rudegar said:
many pda's have usbhost in the cpu itself but htc never connected those connectors
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Click to collapse
Sounds like there could be the potential for a hardware hack...
heh, nice try. but it will end like GPS HW hack on the TyTN (aka Hermes). it is not worth it, I mean there is easy way, just buy device with GPS integrated, or buy external. I have electronic skills and proper tools, I can do such things but it is too complicated. in that hermes was problem, that antena was not properly connected and you can never get a GPS lock. I guess that with usb host is the same. missing circuitry.
Deuce Nitro said:
Sounds like there could be the potential for a hardware hack...
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Click to collapse
Yepp!
Hi,
this is correct
sinmae said:
heh, nice try. but it will end like GPS HW hack on the TyTN (aka Hermes). it is not worth it, I mean there is easy way, just buy device with GPS integrated, or buy external. I have electronic skills and proper tools, I can do such things but it is too complicated. in that hermes was problem, that antena was not properly connected and you can never get a GPS lock. I guess that with usb host is the same. missing circuitry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The USB host port of the Samsung CPU is used to connect to the internal GSM/GPRS chipset. So no chance to break it up!
If someone would ever hack this hardware part, the result would be a hermes without radio.
The engineers at HTC used the USB host port to achieve the necessary bandwith for high speed data connection to the GSM/GPRS chips from Qualcomm.
Best regards,
scholbert
thats an interesting information, thanx
scholbert said:
The engineers at HTC used the USB host port to achieve the necessary bandwith for high speed data connection to the GSM/GPRS chips from Qualcomm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know what devices supports USB host?
as far as I know: no ;-)
Athena, flame and shift
USB Host built in... !?
I have read most of the posts related to the USB Host thing...
Everytime i must read such things like that the Tytn has no hardware that supports USB-Host...
But Samsung says, that the CPU and Chipset has built in USB-Host AND USB-Device Ports...
http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/productInfo.do?fmly_id=229&partnum=SC32442
So the statement that its hardware cannot do USB-Host is not true.
If the CPU and Chipsets has built in USB-Host Functionality, the Hardware-Ports in the Chips (i think) have to be used at the USB-Interface at bottom of the Tytn.
So at end, it has to be only a Software Problem to support USB-Host Functionality directly at Tytn...
Anyone who can follow my Ideas, or do i have an error in my thinking?
the usb functions of the cpu is not used there is another chip which handle usb for htc devices
even if the cpu support host non of the connections are passed on to any connctor
So is my Question, why should they do such irrational things ?
Why use another additional Hardware (at additional costs!!), if the already existing can do the functions ?
If they really do that, they must be mad... throwing dollars out of the window and make the product more expensive than it can be.
Its like i buy a Ferrari and only drive 130 km/h instead of 250 km/h on our german highways.
not sure the reason but it have been don for many generations of pda's from htc maybe the r&d cost of changing their pcb design is bigger then using their current design
or maybe they dont want to wander into the jungle of getting piles of support calls and mail with people wanting usb drivers for this and that not to mention the issue with having to be forced to substain a .5 mAmp output to usb devices with batt issues
and having to handle correct handling of init'ing connected usb devices after on off
But the Flame, Shift and Athena have USB-Host Funtionality you said.
Especially the Flame is much like the Tytn. So the Thing about Drivers, Batt and Current have to be the same.
I wonder in addition a little bit how it came to the sdhc compatibility that was not given under WM5 but now under WM6. For me that means the Hardware of SD is everytime the same, only the Software changes a bit. So the Tytn must accept cards up to 32gig...
Why they do such things will be a mystery on for the future.
I think with conventional explanation attempts it will not be done.
Maybe i will write a mail to HTC and will do the Question again there.
you should not sure if they will reply or even read it but you should all the same
but flame is not a htc device
I wonder if the USB on the Nexus One allows me to connect an external hard drive. I'm only talking about data transmission with externally powered USB-devices. The N1 doesn't need to power USB-devices for me to be satisfied.
And if not: could the deficiency possibly be mended software-wise, or is it a limitation of the hardware itself?
Thanks beforehand!
no it cannot be the host. Read this on a google forum, someone posted the link as an answer to a similar question yesterday.
Thank you for your answer, britoso!
But oh, what a pitty!!!
Can't it possibly be fixed by booting with another software driver or something?
What's the point of removing this ability? It seems completely ridiculous. It gains nothing at all to "un-specify" USB host capability:
"Now, I have my files on this USB memory stick and here's the Nexus One. Oh, what's the use. Google didn't care at all about this kind of scenaria..."
Well, let's see what can be done with bulky wireless adapters and stuff like that then, to mend this unnecessary fail of the N1... I probably need to use a PC running Windows and a cable internet in order to have any use at all of the N1. Was this the purpose of this deliberate design "feature"?!?
this feature was not removed, but simply never implemented into the Android OS (afaik). if USB was host that means anything connected to it would have to draw power from the Nexus One's battery. Im sure HTC does not want this, because some things connected to USB can put incredible stress on a battery.
I thought the inability was due to a USB design that will allow charging, but doesn't allow hosting.
(at least that what I gathered about the n900 and why it couldn't act as a host.)
edit: nevermind nokia opted to skip on the go support to get the product out faster.
I don't know if there's a hardware limitation in place, but even if there isn't, the software does not support it.
There's an app for the n900 to add host support in the maemo repository. Don't know if it works though. I've always thought host support was due to the software.
Go here:
http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=738
Sign in with your google ID. Vote for the feature by clicking the star.
(While you are there, click on "Back to list" and browse for other issues/features you care about and "star" them too...)
Its been accomplished on the Droid... Host mode works, but as there are no drivers, anything that runs over usb will turn on / charge but not connect.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/10/droid-gets-a-usb-hack-allowing-it-to-control-printers-and-camera/
mikecyber said:
Its been accomplished on the Droid... Host mode works, but as there are no drivers, anything that runs over usb will turn on / charge but not connect.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/10/droid-gets-a-usb-hack-allowing-it-to-control-printers-and-camera/
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Click to collapse
Thanks for posting this as I saw this on another site and came here to raise awareness. I've heard that someone got a USB keyboard working over USB host. Could someone try this out on their N1?