It has been really interesting over the months watching comments on this forum on the uses for the Universal. Those who wanted a top of the range phone generally seem to be dissapointed, and who blames them for that. Those looking for a games machine really should look elsewhere. For a pocket PC, and lets face it that is what this is it is a pretty decent job.
From my own point of view I have lots of gadgets and use each for what it is good at. I spend 80% of my time either in the car, home or office. At each location i have:
Universal
IBM Think pad T42p
Motorola Razor
And with these tools i can do anything anywhere. No hassles. If i need to get on to a network and fix something in a hurry the universal has generally finished the job before the laptop has even fired up Win XP. If I need to make a call and i am in the street i use the Razor. If i am in the office or car and need to call another cell phone i use the universal on handsfree. Personally i am very happy with this set up.
I also travel extensivly. I always carry my PSP with me to play games and take a selection of dvd to play on my laptop. I have a sd card reader on my IBM so i could get into ripping dvd's to play on the TCMP player but really never saw the point of this.
So generally i am very happy with the set up. It works for me.
Would i walk down the street making calls on the Universal..... No.
Would i play games on it.... sure but not graphics type. Something like Suduko would be good.
Would I watch movies on it.... one day, but i am too lazy to rip the films, I have over 2,000 dvd at home so i just prefer to take the disc with me. I keep promising to get a decent media server at home and start to rip all of these oin to it and stream them around the house. But where do you start with 2,000 titles.
Would I change things in Universal version 2 youre damn right.
Better fitting stylus
ozVGA as standard
Better made plastics
More memory- but personally this has never caused me any problems.
Speed up the phone answering
My set up-
T- Mobile MDA Pro
R 1.00.02
G 42.33.P8
D 1.12.42 WWE
1GB SD Card x 2
Web and walk 400 inc 40 mb data & 400 mins @ £23per month for 12 months and £46 for 6 months.
ozVGA
VJBig phone
VJ fullscreen TSC
Magic Button
Resco Explorer
Resco Photo
TCMP
Agile Messenger
Cambridge vxUtil & vxHpc
Stability for me is really good. I just dont seem to have issues. But i do a soft reboot every morning before i start the day. But am i just lucky or am I doing something wrong here, as i seem to be missing the dropdead and die feature!!
Next on my list Bluetooth sat nav. I would be greatful for an honest apraisal of the experience of others here. I plan to buy the Brodit active holder and sat nav in about 2 weeks time just really waiting to get some decent views on the best sat nav before commiting I still use navman on my old compaq ipaq 3700.
Finally I have to say without this forum I would be very disspointed with the Universal. I have learned lots form you guys over the months, I just hope that Microsoft and HTC are monitoring this forum and listening as much as I have been. XDA-Developers.com + MS + HTC rocks. You guys did the bits that they forgot!!
Views very welcome
Charlie
Things that I use:
- Sony TX1XP/XP, it has a 6.5 hr battery life, only weighs 1.25KG
- XDA Exec, used as a tablet/PDA (plus spare battery!)
- PSP, for watching videos (rented UMDs)
- 3G Razr (v3x), fantastic phone with superb call quality and rock solid BT, becoming my main phone as I find the communications capability of the Universal to be below par
Got a feeling when the SE P990 is released I may retire my Universal assuming there is good PIM s/w available for UIQ3. I find the ergonomics of the Universal and the need to use the PowerSave option a pain.
Charlie VOIP said:
Finally I have to say without this forum I would be very disspointed with the Universal. I have learned lots form you guys over the months, I just hope that Microsoft and HTC are monitoring this forum and listening as much as I have been. XDA-Developers.com + MS + HTC rocks. You guys did the bits that they forgot!!
Charlie
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't you think that they deserved it? :wink:
Charlie VOIP said:
Would i walk down the street making calls on the Universal..... No.
Charlie
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understnad and agree with you on most of the points, except your above quoted line ??
may i know why you cannot make call with universal in streets ?? is it due to security reasons .. as you are afraid someone may snatch it from you
I agree with most of the first post here. I primarily use my universal as a notebook replacement + portable video and audio device. When out and about, I use the phone features with a BT headset and M$ VC mainly because - yes - I think there is arisk of someone snatching it - it's so unusual.
I really do feel though thatif you are not going to make extensive use of the keyboard (i.e need to use it as a mini notebook) the it is not for you.
my universal if everything to me. sure i have a laptop at work, and two spare laptops at home, but these are used more in a work and professional capacity.
my phone runs beautifully, rings on the second ring. i have extended the ring period to 30 seconds in case its in the bag or otherwise, never ever missed a call.
use a bluetooth headset, works perfectly everytime.
i have a 1 gig storage card, and lots of music on it, have never made it to the end of the playlist.
i play 1 game, cause between work, a 2 yr old, a 3 yr old, a good looking wife that wants lots of servicing, and of course my phone and this site, who's got time for games....
i use my universal everyday for:
1. PDA / PIM manager for my calendar, tasks and contacts. dont bother with email, I have six accounts and cant keep up with them all anyway.
2. Music player
3. Camera and portable video camera for emailing videos to my parents 10,000km away, and they love it, they get to see the kids in motion everyday, not just a static picture
4. I use word and excel, and the pdf viewer to review various attachments, letters, correspondance
5. WIFI everyday for surfing, and managing my other 5 email accounts (none work)
6. Recording notes and quick messages while driving along day dreaming and suddenly remember or record information on a sign that I need to get straight away and dont want to write it down
7. i use it as my full time mobile phone, but i dont have many friends, and they dont find a need to pay mobile phone call costs to communicate, we have text and 6 email accounts... but I do use it whilst driving or out of the office, and have no problem holding the brick to my ear, my hands are so big its almost obscured by my hands anyway. i have more of a laugh looking at these big blokes using these dinky little phones that almost disappear between the fingers
8. size isnt everything, but bigger is better, just ask my wife
9. i also use a lot of the other inbuilt features such as ZIP and Bluetooth and just about all features on the phone
There is no way that I would be buying another phone, another camera, another game machine.
I have everything in one, it runs absoloutely perfectly, all day, every day, never fails, never crashes, and does everything that I want.
I refused to by a PDA until they came with a built in phone, so I got the XDAII. Sold that for this, and despite the differences in memory, have never looked back.
I use SPB PP (Beta), SPB Diary, SPB Weather, SPB Backup (beta), Resco Explorer, MS Reader, MSVC, and a **** load of other stuff installed to the 1Gig memory card.
Can I my satisfaction and wonder at such a brilliant multifunctional well built machine...
To look at your SatNav part, I use TomTom as the software, a Holox BT GPS unit and also have the Brodit Active mountinstalled in my car, and thus far this setup has done everything I need it to
simon_darley said:
a good looking wife that wants lots of servicing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
may be in future new models of HTC also perfom this function for you :lol:
I use my universal exclusively. I dont find any of the problems with weight that so many others seem to. I dont think the universal is particularly big either. Back when cell phones first came out, they were all this size and didnt have any nice 640x480 VGA screens. :lol:
You see sub ten year old girls these days running around with phones! If they can hold those without a problem, I dont see why I cant hold a universal. :shock:
Anyway, as far as games go, for me windows PDAs have the best games. I like strategy games the most, and some of my favorites work perfectly. Transport Tycoon is always fun, and OpenTTD keeps adding on new features. Pocket UFO - need I say more? As far as RPGs go, SNES and PSX RPGs are the best out there, and you can run them with emulators! (Morphgear for SNES, http://www.fpsece.net/ for PSX)
Using TCPMP you can run 640x480 XVID movies too, which look like a dream and are higher res than the PSPs movies.
Now all I need to do is getting a working DOS emulator so I can play Fallout DOS version! Does anybody know of any DOS emulators that work?
Nobody's mentioned reading books on your Universal.
Reading books on the gorgeous VGA screen is fantastic, and the unique ability for the phone to morph into different shapes makes it possible to put it into any comfortable position.
Currently using an MPV2000, but M5000 (universal) arriving on Monday.
Being a motorcyclist I don't have room for a laptop, 15 dvds, 2 phones, an i-pod, a PSP, a couple of books etc etc etc.
But a phone/pda that does all of that and more? Gimme!!
What I find tragic is how this thread has transgressed into a "Look at what electronics I own, aren't I cool" thread.
I own an Exec and a laptop plus other devices which both have their benefits in varying scenarios but why brag about it?
stickeresq said:
What I find tragic is how this thread has transgressed into a "Look at what electronics I own, aren't I cool" thread.
I own an Exec and a laptop plus other devices which both have their benefits in varying scenarios but why brag about it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont know about that, thats how the thread started!
It has, however, transgressed into a "Look at how cool my Universal is!" :lol:
Not so sure about the brag bit I was really trying to say that there are many devices that can perform some of the functions of the Univrersal. But many of these do the job better in some situations, ie where you are at home in the office etc. But was keen to explore how others are using the device. What is interesting is everyone uses it in different ways. What is an acceptable quality sacrifice for one person is not for another.
For me the combination of connectivitiy capabilities and size are a major advantage for network monitoring and management. But many other people say they cannot really work on such a small device, for them they do not provide 24 hour / 7 day a week cover so the issue of a pc in the pocket as it were is not relevant for them. Therefore the small screen sacrifice is not worth it for them. If you get my drift.
So i really think this is a cross between how coll my universal is and 1001 ways to use a Universal.
Charlie
My Universal serves as my PDA, refernce books, infusion calculator, conversion calculator, DVD player, MP3 Player, weather reporter, instant internet access for email and other stuff, game box, and phone.
@stickeresq
it is useful to see how people use the Universal in combination with other devices. I cannot use any PDA for video after using a Sony PSP and given that ultraportable laptops can run for well over 3 to 4 hours for me shows the battery life of the Universal is not a plus point. Also, for me, having used a Mototola cellphone (wont mention the model!) for a week I have now decided the phone functions of the Universal are not "industrial strength" and therefore I will be using my Exec as a PDA, mini tablet and eBook reader.
Related
I'm about to buy one of these, but I've had trouble finding info about it. Everywhere just has the same basic list, so here's my questions:
1. Does it come with it's own cable/cradle, or other means of connectivity?
2. Does it come with a memory card? How big? And how much internal memory?
3. I am currently using a SonyEricsson P800, and the MP3 player is one of my favourite features. Can I play MP3s just as easily on this? And is it straight forward enough transferring them to the device?
4. Does it have MMS? If so, how functional is it? The P800's was excelent, allowing multiple pages, variable time per page, sound, multiple pictures, etc etc. But before that I had a Nokia 7650 which was limited to one picture with text, and no sound.
5. Flight mode?
6. Does bluetooth allow transfer of files to and from Symbian devices like the P800 and the Nokia 7650, 6600, etc?
7. Are any JAVA applications supported, or just the native Pocket PC format?
8. Anything else cool you wanna tell me?
9. Where can I find the full spec for this device? On here or another site?
Thanks in advance. I hope at least some of my questions can be answered
My answers..
1. Cradle, Ir and BT is included.
2. Mine comes with a dummy card, but try looking around for special offers. If i were you, I get a 256mb card. Why? When you do backing up, you are sure to use the Storage card memory to put it in. A 128MB SDcard is just not enough.
Internal RAM Size is 128Mbs, considered big for todays PDA standards.
3. MP3s? Simple to do it. But Infact, I dun download MP3s now to the XDAII cause the size is big. What i do is compress it to WMA (half the size) and still get good quality music. Just use your Desktop Windows Media Player to do it and even download it to the PDA from there.
4. MMS? Yes...but i'm not using MMS so can't really comment.
5. Flight mode? Yes. Just click on the Signal icon and select flight mode.
6. I really dunno. I use BT only for the Headset functions.
7. Depends on the ROM type. Mine does support Javas after downloading a software. But why Java? Pocket PC application and games are much more better...trust me.
8. Cool?..Yes, but wait for the XDAIII or even the new HP63XX?
Think that way.
If you still insist on the XDAII, I can say the screen, speed, memory and design is superb. The phone reception is comparable to any Nokia set.
9. You can try http://www.my-xda.com/ or look around in googles
I'm sure other members will help out.
Cheers Just remembered another one:
10. Does it come with a hand strap?
Nope, but it comes with a waist strap.
I think the XDA II is one of the fastest in it's class. 400mhz and the screen quality is great in comparison with other Pocket PC Phone. I was able to watch my 2 hour length movie just like I would with my iPaq.
It has fast bus, everything is much faster than my previous pocket pc. The great thing about this is that, which I just found out, if the OS crash, you can still use the phone function. Someone here said it's like 2 device, phone and pda.
Greetings fellow Nottinghamian!
Ex P800 and P900 user here, some points.
1. No, it doesn't come with a lanyard (hand strap) and I can't see anywhere to attach one. Looking back this would have been a good idea as I worry about the metal finish of the XDA2 slipping through my hands
2. It's slightly bigger than a P900, but the funtionality makes up for it. 400Mhz of raw power in your hand. Emulators, Games, flawless MP3/video playback and of course on the wonderful big screen.
3. The Px00 was a phone first, and a PDA second. The XDA2 is a PDA first, phone second. The phone side of the XDA2 is pretty good, especially when combined with a BT headset, but may lack features that you're used to, like T9 input.
4. SD memory is far cheaper and more available than Memory Stick DUO. Be sure to buy a fast SD card though, some people have reported problems with Sandisk cards. My cheapo Viking Interworks one from eBuyer works a treat!
5. Get a sync and charge cable or a second charger - the features on the XDA2 take their toll on the battery, but if you charge it nightly you'll be fine. I keep my cradle and charger at work and my sync & charge cable at home.
6. The camera on the XDA2 is still a VGA (640x480) camera like the Px00 but the CCD is far better and produces much nicer pictures. The camera also does a good job of taking video. There's no limit to video lengths either, unlike the stock P800.
7. There are several features in the pipeline for the XDA2. Windows Mobile 2003SE is a possible upgrade, featuring things like landscape mode and Blackberry support. Also, you can add a WiFi card to the XDA2 to access wireless hotspots (try the Broadway Cinema on Broad Street!).
I think that's it for now, but I'll post again if I remember anything.
Eeeeeehhhh!
What a coincidence. 2 P800-come-XDA2 users in the same city :lol:
Bit of an arse about the hand strap thing. I use mine ALL the time on my P800. You can't be too careful. Are you sure there's nowhere to attach one? Not even under the battery cover?
Ex-P800 user.
I used my P800 for 13 months before upgrading to an XDA2. Within hours of getting my XDA I felt like I'd just thrown my money away ever getting a P800 in the first place.
The XDA is FAR superior. The video and music capabilities as excellent.
As for T9 dialling, I have purchased PhonePlus II. It is superb and makes up for the only real weak part of the XDA 2 which was the phone functionality.
I also dropped my P800 a lot, 'cos I never used the shoulder strap. I haven't dropped my XDA2 yet but I'm sure the leather case will provide excellent protection. (Mine's insured anyway so I'll get a new one if I break it.)
Hope this helps...
Sounds good
I'm still going to look into attaching a wrist strap though. Coulda kept the one off my faulty digital camera, since the dumb ***** at argos never checked the box contents before she refunded me. I coulda kept the camera an' all :lol:
Have a look at the xda2 skin case here http://www.pdamods.com/proddetail.asp?prod=XDA2SCCS
I know it doesnt show it in the photos, but I think it has a tab for a wrist strap
Just ordered my XDA2!!!
I'll let you know how I get on
I am so amazingly happy since I made the switch from Universal to Wizard.
The Universal, whilst clearly higher spec, more powerful, more impressive screen etc - was an unusable bit of kit. I battled and battled and battled - I wanted this 'superior' equipment to serve me well. I upgraded and tested various ROMs, tried every minor registry tweak and software trick known to man. Despite everyone in the Universal forum saying it *was* possible to get a solid, fast, reliable setup - I battled hard but never got close. It was still impossible to do the important little things like make or receive calls reliably, perhaps with one hand.
The Wizard is a proper phone - you can hold it between your ear and shoulder whilst stirring pasta with one hand and sipping vodka in the other.
The Wizard has proper buttons, ones that get used. The Universal had a multitude of useless buttons on the side that got pressed by accident thereby hanging Windows so that when you wanted to actually do something you may as well reset. The Universal had stereo speakers for God's sake. STEREO SPEAKERS? Does anyone else see the stupidity of such a thing? The whole point of stereo is that one channel feeds sound to one ear and the other channel to the other ear. What's more, the Wizard's handsfree speaker is clearer and brighter than the Universal's stereo speakers.
On the Wizard, I can make phone calls with one hand. I can pick up calls straight away, with one hand - I press the button and I'm talking immediately. With the Universal, not so. It's a long process involving three steps, invariably failing in most cases resulting in my having to call the other person back. Useless.
Sure, the Universal has a 520MHz processor. And when it's all optimised you really can feel the speed. But frankly that processor power is wasted on the most basic and major functions: the screen flip when answering a call. With the Wizard, sometimes screen flip lags, but thankfully I don't need to wait for the screen to flip just to answer the call!
That little Wizard collapsing stylus is a gem.
Here's what I use my Wizard for. I'm sure we are all used to this amount of functionality from one device - I've had most of it for years. But finally I have something close to the perfect all-in-one, and I'm happy!
Phone
Text messages
Voice command and phone in the car
Alarm clock (using the app Chronos) - how brilliant
Notebook
Calendar
Email on the move
Satellite navigation - tells me to slow down for speed cameras and talks to me when I get lost in London!
Portable music player (gigabyte mini SD card for MP3s)
Camera
Checking the news with RSS reader
Checking the next few days' weather in London from Today screen
I've even experimented with streaming video from my desktop over wireless. Works a treat, can watch a whole episode of The OC.
Yes, I can get rid of my old sat nav unit, my old pda, my old phone, my ipod, my alarm clock. It's everything in one tiny but beautifully usable package. (Actually, not entirely true, see below.)
There is ONE thing I am disappointed with. I had really hoped to eliminate the need for buying myself a new ipod. I am happy with a gigabyte of music - it seems fine to copy music as and when I need it. However I connected up my lovely Shure sound isolating headphones and the quality of the sound wasn't what I had hoped for. So sad about this - good sound would have completed the perfect package. There's just too much noise on the output, and the sound is horribly mid-range distorted. Gutted.
Anyway, I had to get this all out of my system - overall I am a very happy Universal to Wizard convert.
Thanks for listening
Mat
I can confirm all that. I ditched my Universal a week ago and bought a Wizard: Its LIGHTYEARS better in ease of use., speed, etc.
DO NOT BY UNIVERSAL. IT SUCKS BADLY !!!
completely agree. if i wanted a proper tiny computer i would buy a toshiba libretto. not the flawed, heavy and unstable universal.
Sounds right - the thing to remeber is that threse units are no laptops.... they are PDAs with phones ( not phones with PDAs if you see what I mean ).
Having swapped form a Jornada 540 I probably wont see the difrence your talking about but as a I can access most of the major features - Sat Nav / Phone / PIM I'm happy - its a portable viewer and ideal for when I am not in my own car.
Re the Ipod - doubt you'll beat that in this case - thats an Audio device - this is one that can do audio if you see what I mean.
Glad you like the change.
Terran
I'm finding this a very interesting topic.
I've just switched from aHP iPaq hx4705 to a Universal and so far I have been very pleased. however the choice between the Universal and the Wizard was a difficult one for me as I wanted a connected PocketPC / Windows Mobile device as opposed to a phone with a PPC in it.
My iPaq has clearly paid for itself in 15 months and time was right for an upgrade to WM5 and full connectivity. However my decision between these two devices was clouded I had a small chance to play with the Wizard in Dixon's one day when there was no Universal to play with.
And I liked it. Small, responsive, good lucks, surprising good keyboard (I wasn't sure what to expect to be honest) - all in all very good.
However I need to run a couple of power apps - PI and Planmaker - and I wasn't sure how it would cope.
I then had a try on a Universal in a O2 shop and I liked that. Everything looked good especially the screen (smaller than my iPaq but possibly even better quality) and the general speed.
So I got to the point to go for one of these. Initial cost wasn't a big deal as I was getting it on a contract with only about £50 difference between the two. And at this price £50 isn't enough to worry about.
I've currently got a Universal and am typing this out on it now. I'm loving it but that doesn't mean that the Wizard wouldn't also suit me as well. I have another 11 days before I lose the chance to take this back and swap it and I would really like to know from those of you using the Wizard how it copes with things like Planmaker due to the processor and the smaller screen size.
What a difficult choice though?! Two great devices to choose between.
I have an xda exec and xda mini s or wizard (two separate contracts). Both brill bits of kit. I use the exec for planmaker and textmaker and the xda mini just as a bit of fun. I like gadgets. You can't fault either device. I use both equally but for different purposes. I also used to have ipaq's for years but i wanted thephone functionality. The exec makes a wonderful mini laptop and the wizard a super ppc. If you shop around you can get bothdevices on contracts which added together give you a great deal in minutes+texts etc. yet give you the devices at a bargain price.
best wishes
Patricia
I agree. There really are some amazing devices out there at the moment and I am really pleased to be using one of them.
At the moment I can't see me getting rid of the Universal for a Wizard but that is because I have a clear idea of what I am after in this device. The Universal I know already after a few days is meeting my full needs.
Maybe if things go well I can buy a Wizard sometime late in 2006 when I guess they will drop in price! Just don't tell the wife!
dnt regret my purchase of a wizard. hope it stands the test of time and I'm using it for a long time. I think the trick to enjoying it is to remember in reality its your phone, everything else is a bonus.
i like to have 2 or 3 devices on the go and find if u shop around u can get really good deals recooping losses later by selling the devices on.the wizard is being offered for a small price on contract and like all similar devices will hold its value so why wait.i enjoy using the exec and wizardand find both equal as regards performance and functionality.planmaker, textmaker and tom tom work great on the exec whereas i use the wizard more for the phone side.
my other half uses tom tom but finds everything else a waste of time.i always have to explain that when we broke down in france this year in the motorhome my devices came to the rescue. tom tom for navigation and the predecessor to the xda mini a magician a great way to communicate to the rescue service and to find the nearest garage for repairs etc.
best wishes
patricia
Wizard v Universal
The wizard really is a great piece of kit but the BIG disadvantage for me is the missing 3G radio.
We have been crying out for this type of pocket pc ever since 3G was launched and I must say the breach has been filled admirably.
Obviously size is important and having owned both (and still do) I would agree that that the universal platform is not the most stable and the last thing you want to do is take a call on the Universal whilst in public
I have managed to incorporate all the settings taken from a symbian platform handset ie Nokia 6680 and managed to use the device successfully even browsing with the '3' homepage. The security of the '3' was the most difficult to crack and I can now download the various downloads offered by the cheapest network.
I also have subscribed to the £45 package which gives you 512mb of bundled data which allows me to visit other sites now the 'garden wall' has been demolished once and for all. This really is where the universal comes into its own.
One thing I will agree with is the size prevents use as a normal handset so I use a bluetooth headset with the appopriate hacks from the wi-ki developers page.
I cant help thinking that the Universal would be a far slimmer device if they hadn't incorporated the keyboard which I find absolutely useless due to my prolonged use of the graffiti facility(far quicker to write anyway).
I look forward to a new alternative to the Universal which may do away with the keypad once and for all. This should make the device a more suitable size instead of the similarities with the old handhelds ie HP 720 and the like which I'm sure many of us remember.
I think this is crucial given that devices like the Sony Ericsson P990i are just about to be launched with 3g capability and many people will see this as a more pocketable phone/pda. Not in the same league I agree as a windows mobile 5 device but still blessed with a good email client and now of course wi-fi.
Just my personal experience but I felt necessary to post in order to even things up a little bit.
Re: Wizard v Universal
jonboy8841 said:
The wizard really is a great piece of kit but the BIG disadvantage for me is the missing 3G radio.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2 things... is it '3' that no longer have a walleed garden ? Im just curious...
Re 3G ( and I know this is Off topic ) - is it me or is there no actual use for 3G for joe public ? Yes I can understand business use and to a certian point show off to your mates video calling but until its on all networks and all phones ( inc fixed ) in all contries its best feature wont be used... again another reason to go for the Wizard rather than Universal.
Terran
PS Before any one says 'but you can watch TV' DVB-H will kick that in to touch soon
3G makes a BIG difference if you actually go websurfing... (which is actually the only reason I find it interesting, I really don't care about video calling, actually I really hope it wont become standard for a long time)
I don't have a universal, but I'm guessing the bigger screen (and more importantly resolution), along with the 3G, makes it perfectly suitable to websurfing.
Universal is a great gadget, but it is not a usable phone. The way I see it it can be used as a small notebook, provided you don't expect too much. VGA and UMTS are great for browsing and mail. Also connected with BT mouse it can be used for Word or Excel (TextMaker and PlanMaker) and even Project. The issue is only that lack of USB Host and no Video out mean it can't be used as full laptop. So it comes down to personal preference and at least for Phone and PDA I'm going with Wizard for small notebook we'll see...
Finraziel said:
3G makes a BIG difference if you actually go websurfing... (which is actually the only reason I find it interesting, I really don't care about video calling, actually I really hope it wont become standard for a long time)
I don't have a universal, but I'm guessing the bigger screen (and more importantly resolution), along with the 3G, makes it perfectly suitable to websurfing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wizzard supports EDGE, it is more than enough to do web-sirfing..
It's really interesting to see how different members use their devices-I didn't realise when i first purchased the exec that i needed a different sim card and tariff to use 3g. I think 3g is also more expensive and as other members have commented limited by network coverage and most people still having basic handsets. None of my contacts use 3g-in fact they find my interest in these amazing gadgets bemusing, eccentric...This doesn't bother me but thankgoodness there are othersout there who share my interest.
I really didn't think that the difference between 3g and a good gprs was much. i played with both in the o2 shop and couldn't think of a reason to buy the universal, although it does have a few advantages.
FYI I have a vodaphone 3g motorola 770 as my main phone (cost £90 payg) and I successfully linked the wizard to it via bluetooth and surfed at 3g speed. So I have the option if needed.
One other advantage to 3G is that in a few months you will be able to dial into video servers that will have news, television, etc going over the circuit switched network, so you'll have much more reliable and responsive service, if you're willing to use your video minutes on it.
With the new ROM, i'm glad i didn't give up my universal. It is now worlds faster WITHOUT any tweaking, and even more with tweaking.
I also had the Universal or WIzard dilema and only one factor mattered to me : SCREEN REAL ESTATE!
Guess who won
Me = Wizard ---> Universal
Agree Jorgee.
The universal with the latest O2 rom is working super. With the next rom update, with radio version 1.09 and push email it will be even better.
I had a wizard for a few months and had to get rid of it.
Firstly note that I do not use either as a phone. i have a small cell phone for voice calls. I use these devices as my pocket pc with data only tariffs (a key advantage of o2 above all the other providers).
In this context the Wizard is really not a player:
1. Terribly slow cpu and os
2. Screen too small
3. No VGA.
4. Too slow to run skype well
5. Too thick (universal is thinner) - difficult to fit in backpack with papers.
6. Horrible stylus
7. Minisd card. All my deivces use SD. Its another std too far.
8. Non-std headphone socket
9. No 3g. GPRS web browsing is a joke.
Sry guys, but as a PDA there is no contest!
Hi guys,
just thought i'd post this message up on the forum in case anyone is looking for a genuine o2 Xda Exec, unlocked and standard in the lovely black case....
I am selling this on ebay soon as i have just bought a mini s instead.
The exec comes with all original o2 packaging, cables and cd's and has the latest t-mobile rom installed with no extended rom so the ext_Rom can be used for storage.....
i'm looking for around 400 quid on ebay but would accept offers over 300 from anyone here.
pm me if you are intested, the auction will be posted up probably monday.
well, got my mini s this morning.... apart from the fact it doesn't take sd cards and i'll have to buy a mini sd card,
ITS SO COOL...
Gonna put my exec on ebay on monday
Re: "Just bought a mini s to replace my exec brick"
Next time you'll perhaps buy the correct device in the first place? Were you not aware of it's dimension before you bought it?
Really?
Next time you'll perhaps buy the correct device in the first place? Were you not aware of it's dimension before you bought it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just looked at the specs, could not go into a shop and look at the device as i got it before it was released in the o2 shops....
Don't get me wrong, the device is the best bit of kit around at the minute but because i have to use this asmy main phone, it's just too big and awkward to use.
anyway, got me mini s now and it's just so cool..... i guess i'll miss the vga screen, but i can live with that especially if pocketvcs works on this device,
cya
What if someone released a bluetooth headset that you HOLD that looked exactly like a Nokia 8800?
Nah, still think the mini s is better than the exec all round, okay it's processor is not as fast, it does not have a vga screen and does not support 3g but apart from that, it's perfect for me.
just look at the amount of people who are swapping their exec's for mini's on this forum, you don't see many people swapping their mini's for exec's.....
lets agree to differ on this subject and close this thread..... don't forget i've still got my exec and compared to the mini, it's just too big and awkward to use as a regular phone. sorry
Steve,
Most interesting post. I have recently been thinking of doing similar.
I love my exec but simply cannot stand using it as a phone. I have a decent Jabra headset, however still feel very odd using it. I think we all knew the size of the thing before buying, however thought we'd all 'cope'. Well I tried and now I'm bored of coping.
Plus, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has felt very vulnerable when having to use the brick in public.....let's face it, it is an expensive bit of kit and having to flash that screen when in close proximity to an apparent 'undesireable' is no fun......
Another point to add would be to come clean about just how much of the Exec's features I use. I am probably the least technical person on this board. I use my exec as a phone, for my emails, for my diary (where it is INVALUABLE, due to my shockingly bad memory...), to occasionaly go on the web, for my contacts.....ummm...think thats it. I have no idea what VGA is, 3G is great but only for speed (never used video phone yet). A quick game of solitare and I'm done. Oh ok and a few songs and games, but hey doesnt the mini do all that?
Would be very interested to hear of your progress with the mini.
Cheers
HPJ
I think that there are many people who will swap an Exec for a Mini and for most of the reasons stated above. I'll keep my Exec because I really bought it to replace my XDA2s for the 3G data speed. I'll put up with its faults & foibles because it gives me high speed internet access pretty much wherever I am. The VGA screen is a bonus too.
I have to agree that while I appreciate my JasJar as an internet connected PDA - it is just impractical to use as my main phone. I too knew the specs before I bought it - but knowing the specs and carrying the device are two different things. I guess this has been building with me for a while though - this is not the first PPCPE device I have owned - first there was the iMate (HTC Himalaya) and then the iPaq 6315 (what a disappointment!) and then the JasJar (Universal). I guess in the end convergence is not as important as comfort and convenience.
So - I added a new line to my account for my JasJar and bought a Motorola PEBL (which fits NICELY into my pocket) to use as my main phone. The JasJar is connected as my internet device and the PEBL is only used for phone calls. I am a very happy man!
Well guys, an update on my mini s experience.... perfect, small, compact, and does exactly what my exec did (apart from the bells and whistles) in a nice small bo....
now, a big pain in the ass with the exec was that i could not get my favourite emulator (pocketvcs) to run, thought it was a vga thing as it ran on my himalaya with wm2005 installed, so when i got my mini s, the first thing i did was install this....
guess what, it still didn't work
gutted, dunno what i could be, if some one could reverse engineer it, that would be cool as the author does not seem to respond to his emaila anymore.
for all those psople pondering the idea of ditching the exec for a min s, like me, DO IT !!! YOU WON'T REGRET IT unless you 3g or want to strain your eyes running the exec in true vga mode..... also this thing fits into a standard mobile phone car holder
steverae said:
for all those psople pondering the idea of ditching the exec for a min s, like me, DO IT !!! YOU WON'T REGRET IT unless you 3g or want to strain your eyes running the exec in true vga mode..... also this thing fits into a standard mobile phone car holder
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...Or you could have the best of both worlds by keeping the Exec and getting a high spec feature phone (I use a Sony-Ericsson K750i with my Exec) to use alongside it.
You are right that the Exec is too big to be a main phone but it is absolutely the best connected PDA on the market. And lets face it, there's no WinMob device on the market that comes close to a decent Sony-Eric, Nokia, Motorola, or Samsung for battery life, call quality, Bluetooth profiles, and other core phone functions like being able to send contacts by SMS.
I've used a variety of smartphones (MS, Palm and Symbian) and PDAs (MS and Palm) and keep coming back to the fact that convergence creates more problems than it solves.
For you guys that use dual device (a decent cell phone combined with Universal), how do you handle SMS? Can you use the native built in Universal/WM5 SMS messaging software to send and retrieve SMS via another cell phone?
For connectivity like GPRS or 3G, I guess you can set that up in the Universal so that it will use that cell phone for the connection.
Otherwise, it means we have to have 2 SIM cards, means 2 accounts, means double to pay...
When I was in Asia, I found out that pre-paid SIM card is extremely cheap so that everyone can buy it easily. Not here in the US, very expensive to maintain 2 accounts...
I agree with most things you guys said about the Universal. I myself have retired my Universal for a week now. I have switched back to my old Wallaby, which I consider much more natural for handling calls and most simple PDA things I need. My Wallaby is very easy to carry to almost any environment I have to be, compared to my Universal. The Universal, however, its very nice device to use whenever I'm at home or office environment.
I used a mini before for couple of weeks. Which one do you guys have right now? Is it the old Magician or the new Prophet? How's the Prophet's performance and speed?
I have tested Universal last December and enev though I loved device and features, at least for me it's unusable as a phone. Don't get me wrong, I used Himalaya for 1,5 year as my only phone and PDA, but I really wanted smaller device.
I got a Wizard as my phone and PDA to replace Himalaya, but in a moment of weaknes I also bought Universal. I don't use it as a phone or even as a PDA, but it's a nice mini Notebook/Tablet that I use for browsing and more "computer" stuff, like Word processing, Excel...
lie_ui said
For you guys that use dual device (a decent cell phone combined with Universal), how do you handle SMS? Can you use the native built in Universal/WM5 SMS messaging software to send and retrieve SMS via another cell phone?
For connectivity like GPRS or 3G, I guess you can set that up in the Universal so that it will use that cell phone for the connection.
Otherwise, it means we have to have 2 SIM cards, means 2 accounts, means double to pay...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally do not use SMS much, but regardless of whether they send the SMS to my phone or JasJar, I will reply with my JasJar. I have software that synchs my PEBL with my Outlook contacts as does my JasJar, so I always have the same phone numbers in both - that makes it easy to reply to those in my contacts, which is most of the people I communicate with.
I do not know of a way to communicate from my JasJar through my PEBL - I do not believe it is possible - So . . .
As to two accounts, yes - I have two SIM cards, two numbers and more cost. It is not exactly twice as much though, since I was able to strip everything but a reasonable amount of minutes from the phone account and only have an internet plan on the JasJar account. It is a bit more, but not twice as much. The upside is that since we here in the States still have to use GSM/GPRS I can now talk on the phone at the same time I am running terminal server or some other communication-intensive application on my JasJar (one radio, one connection). Very Handy!
lie_ui said:
For you guys that use dual device (a decent cell phone combined with Universal), how do you handle SMS? Can you use the native built in Universal/WM5 SMS messaging software to send and retrieve SMS via another cell phone?
For connectivity like GPRS or 3G, I guess you can set that up in the Universal so that it will use that cell phone for the connection.
Otherwise, it means we have to have 2 SIM cards, means 2 accounts, means double to pay...
When I was in Asia, I found out that pre-paid SIM card is extremely cheap so that everyone can buy it easily. Not here in the US, very expensive to maintain 2 accounts...
I agree with most things you guys said about the Universal. I myself have retired my Universal for a week now. I have switched back to my old Wallaby, which I consider much more natural for handling calls and most simple PDA things I need. My Wallaby is very easy to carry to almost any environment I have to be, compared to my Universal. The Universal, however, its very nice device to use whenever I'm at home or office environment.
I used a mini before for couple of weeks. Which one do you guys have right now? Is it the old Magician or the new Prophet? How's the Prophet's performance and speed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do all my SMS from the K750 as I'm pretty fast with T9 and SMS by definition has to be short.
I'm pretty sure there is software out there lets you manage your SMS on a standard pocket PC (i.e. not phone edition) over Bluetooth.
I keep the Exec for PDA/Computery stuff like Pocket Informant, browsing with PIE, email, Excel, Word, Powerpoint, TCPMP audio/video, and TomTom. I find the big keyboard and screen are excellent for these functions. In fact I tried to use my old iMate Jam for a weekend away when I didn't want to risk losing my Exec and I found that I HATED going back to the small screen and stylus.
Steveae:
Having had the mini for a few days now, whats the deal with the slower processor?? Is it noticeable?
I know it will be slower, but in you opinion is it a hindrance?
Cheers
HPJ
PS as-new exec for sale shortly if anyone's interested....UK only pls.
Well, I'm pondering the purchase of a soon-to-be-released P990.
I do wish the Trinity was coming out soon. 3G and WiFi are essentials as far as I'm concerned, but I also find the Uni a bit cumbersome so I want something smaller, and losing VGA and the keyboard is something I'm willing to do...
Even a Muse would do, actually. When's that out?
I love my Universal. I came from an HP h6340, so i'm sure you'd understand.
And sorry, after using a VGA device, It would never EVER be justified for me to buy a QVGA one. I just recently opened my H6340 and compared the 2 screens. I just couldn't believe i managed with QVGA for 1 year and thought the display was BEAUTIFUL!
Actually, I really wanted a VGA PDA/Phone and there was only one choice for this.
No complaints from me. I even had a Nokia 9000.... Yes the Black and White PDA Screen. Now THAT was a brick, this is sleek compared to that device.
Whell.... for me this is it at the moment as far buisness management on the go goes although it has a few limitations at the moment due to under development at the moment and the network signal strength stinks compared to £30 phones you can buy now days and i wouldent even complin about its size (already knew what i was getting anyway) if it wasnt for all the other flaws with it at the moment like btooth, battery, poor range on wireless and again poor network signal quality..... I have upgraded the radio rom but that was about it and cant be bothered to keep messin around with hacks since a reliable buisness tool is what i need.
Im waitting to grab a SE p990i until i consider ditching this.
BR
well what can i say, group of unhappy uni users eh...
Just thought I would butt in and put my two bobs worth....
I love it. Love everything about it. The size isnt an issue for me, I dont get embarrased easily, I dont mind holding the phone to my ear, I dont care that it doesnt have an external screen, i am either available and take the call, or I am not available and dont take the call, dont need to hide from anybody.
I love the keyboard, I love the clam protection of the screen, I love the quasi screen, I love 3G data speeds, I love the qwerty keyboard, I love the WIFI, I love SD cards, I love the camera facility, I love the video facility, I love the hacks, I love the custom software installed.
I would like more memory, and more storage, but that is all. I thought I was getting 128mb of RAM and 128mb of usable storage, but other than that, I manage well.
We all make mistakes, we all have different choices and needs, but if you didnt get the hint.... I love it. I think the main thing people need to think about in all of this is whether they wanted a phone with PDA functions, or a PDA with a phone function. Mine was the latter. My wife was the former, so we both sold our XDAII's she got a phone, I got the Uni.
Cheers and happy PDA'ing.
I am very new to PDA and SmartPhones. Right now I am using to plain razr v3 to check email and talk on. I am having issues with it buzzing when I talk. Cingular is making it possible to get the 8125 (new) for $0.00 (free). Is this Pocket PC a good deal for me to use as a phone in my everyday use. I also will be using it with and without media net over my WiFi. If I can get it to work.
I cant afford the 8525 right now nor can I justify it. But to get on free I might.
A few newbie questions (please)
1. Is the phone quality equal to the Razr V3 and other cell phones?
2. Can the sd card be filled with music or movies to be listened to with a headset and when a call comes in will it interrupt?
3.Is there an airplane mode on this unit?
4.Battery Life, how is it?
Please dont flame me for asking some questions over by I am limited on time and need to order soon.
Thanks,
Redneck
Answers:
1. The phone quality is not as good as on my K800i but good enough for every day use.
2. Yes, you can put movies and mp3 on the SD card. The device has a 2.5" stereo headset in the box. The standard players on the device stop automatically when you get an incoming calls. 3rd-party players might not ...
3. You can turn off the phone part completely (AIR PLANE MODE) and only use the PDA while traveling ...
4. My standard battery lasts with lots of playing around during the day for 1 and a half day. I bought me an extended battery which lasts for more than 4 days. It all depends on how you use your device (WLAN & BLUETOOTH enabled or not - backlight level and so on ...) I am a power user, so, I do as much as I can on that amazing little machine. A friend of mine has the same device but he 'survives' with the standard battery for 2 days and longer ...
The performance of the device is not that great but it won't effect you. I only mention this because of I had a DELL AXIM X51v before with a 640MHz processor, so, I felt the difference to the 195MHz within the WIZARD series - I still can do what I want to do with it, so, I am happy ...
I cant compare to the K800i becuase I dont know what that is nor have I ever used one. Is it worth me getting for 199.00 and 100.00 rebate and then a 99.00 credit from Cingular?
All I have to compare to is the razr I have and an old Nokia 6010.
redneckms said:
I cant compare to the K800i becuase I dont know what that is nor have I ever used one. Is it worth me getting for 199.00 and 100.00 rebate and then a 99.00 credit from Cingular?
All I have to compare to is the razr I have and an old Nokia 6010.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the RAZR myself for a while, liked it but it wasn't enough for my needs. The audio quality is almost the same.
The question you need to answer for yourself is if you have use for a pocket computer! Never forget: this is not a cell phone with integrated PDA - it is a Pocket-PC with cell phone capabilities! You won't have a number pad like on a regular cell phone nor will it fit easily in your pocket. It is quite heavvy and therefore it only makes sense if you really want / need a PDA.
Seeing the price I would say: go for it!
I just bought mine a fewe weeks ago for US$200.00 on eBay new in the box ...
Well I do plan to keep my razr. But my second business is in web design and hosting and I need to check emails and I also work on PC'
s quite often. I think it will be a great tool for me. I just want the phone part to work as well as the razr.
do you like gadgets? if you're like me you'll will fall in love with being to do pretty much anything you want on a handheld device. It's not that heavy, compared to a razr, then yea it is. But the razr doesnt weigh anything so i dont think its fair to compare to that.
I do put it in my pocket and i don't find it to have too much difference between my old "regular phone" carrying wise
and there is a phone pad, but it's touchscreen, and it's always one button away.
I love it and think pocket pc phones are 100% percent better then any other regular phone.
oh and does it play music and videos? It had windows media player...literally!
redneckms said:
Well I do plan to keep my razr. But my second business is in web design and hosting and I need to check emails and I also work on PC'
s quite often. I think it will be a great tool for me. I just want the phone part to work as well as the razr.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep,
that way it makes sense!
I am using it for writing programs on the go and just compile them later on a desktop.
There are 2 investments you might consider:
1.
I bought myself a desktop cradle on eBay which keeps the device in a comfortable 'typing position'. It came even with an additional stylus and a car charger for only US$12.00 ...
2.
Almost a 'must have' if you want to be productive: a 2nd battery ...
Like I mentioned before: the phone part is acceptable and you can even place and answer calls without using the stylus at all (as long as the person you want to call is in your address book).
The only draw back is the plain text-only email. But there are solutions available: either FLEXMAIL with full html support or upgrade the ROM to WM6. Also: don't expect anything good from the integrated camera - it is not better than the one in the RAZR.
I hope it helps you to make a decission. Maybe you have a Cingular store nearby and can check out the device if they still carry them?
I have a friend that had one and now has the 8525. he says other than the 3G he liked to 8125 better. But for free I can always sell it on ebay and recoupe money to get another.
LOL,
before you list it on eBay save the money for listing and contact me first!
A few more questions if you please.
A few more questions if you please.
1. Right now I have a Media Net unlimited data plan. I assume I can use this with the 8125 with no more charges than the 19.99 charges now? If I turn this off and decied to use the WiFi for internet, I hear of people getting charged high rates from cingular for data. How can I get around that? (explain)
2. On the 8125 I assume there is a way to lock the touch screen. If so is it a pain to do this or can the keys be remapped?
3. I saw on a friend 8525 where he had his call contacts photos on the screen to tap them to make calls. Can the 8125 do this as well?
just a few questions before I buy.
Redneck
Hmmm,
I am a little bit confused by reading your first question! WiFi and GPRS are 2 complete different things, so, my question in retour: How can Cingular charge you for data trafic on a WiFi connection?
2.
You will have a link on the TODAY screen for locking your device's screen and buttons. To unlock you will have to press the left soft key and confirm in the display.
3.
I asume your friend is using something from the Spb warehouse or similar software: SPB MOBILE SHELL and also SPB MOBILE PHONE SUITE are capable of doing that. Check out the screenshots at the site below:
http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/
One of my reasons for dumping my Athena was that i found it was a complete nightmare as a phone (amongst other issues)
Does anyone think it is a Good Phone, OK Phone, Crap Phone or Bloody awful Phone
This is about MAKING CALLS on it not the other functions
Ive only been using mine for a couple days, but its just fine for me. I'm not holding top secret phone conversations, and if I do need to keep a call under wraps, I just use my bluetooth.
To answer that you'd need some criteria as to what makes a phone good.
It can make and receive calls ok but after that there are many things that could be percieved criteria that make a phone good.
IMHO a good phone is one that you can put to your ear when it rings and talk to the person on the other end. It is small enough to comfortably fit in the pocket of a pair of jeans. Has good battery life. Has a good radio (phone signal reception).
These requirements are a must for a phone for me.
The Athena does not fit all of these criteria but then again it is not primarily a phone.
It is a top notch all round communications device/office and if you buy it expecting a "comfy phone" you'll be disappointed.
In a word, is it a good phone? No.
I love the x7500 best one I ever had. Love the GPS the huge screen and all the cool stuff and software that ís to come
I suppose i should make it clear what i meant by this thread Ahem.
Im talking about Making Actual Calls on it not not the other functions
The problem with the Athena as a phone is that it takes a while to figure out how to set the volume control correctly.
It's better now that I know to set the phone volume to zero, and then hold the edge of the device to my ear with the little hole (which I assume is a mic) roughly in the direction of my mouth.
After doing that I can just about have a conversation (as long as I'm in a quiet room).
WHATS ????
I,m REALLY HEAT THIS...too many words...about?
Whats made this post here..., plase get out... write in a PHONE forum !
This Forum in about POCKET PC..if some of all in this site...wants a phone...so simply....write in phones sites !
But...at anyone ...a simply phone is not we need!
Beacuse we buy..P O C K E T PC (Pocket PC) !
FranCOKE!
ClashOfThe said:
To answer that you'd need some criteria as to what makes a phone good.
These requirements are a must for a phone for me.
The Athena does not fit all of these criteria but then again it is not primarily a phone.
It is a top notch all round communications device/office and if you buy it expecting a "comfy phone" you'll be disappointed.
In a word, is it a good phone? No.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
francoke said:
I,m REALLY HEAT THIS...too many words...about?
Whats made this post here..., plase get out... write in a PHONE forum !
This Forum in about POCKET PC..if some of all in this site...wants a phone...so simply....write in phones sites !
But...at anyone ...a simply phone is not we need!
Beacuse we buy..P O C K E T PC (Pocket PC) !
FranCOKE!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sir need to learn how to read and count.
I think i made it quite clear the device is much more than a phone and also stated it was top notch.
Also I only wrote 12 or so more words than you and none of mine were wasted.
Athena's phone functionnality is OK, nothing more, nothing less.
BUT I find the integration into the entire environment pretty awesome, really.
I rate the Ameo 1 out of 10 for using as a PHONE.
Other uses (e.g. Mobile Internet, Sat Nav, Watching Video Blogs) I would rate it 10 out of 10 but for actually talking to people I have had so many problems:
1) The hands-free headphones+microphone that are supplied no longer work for me (my voice intermitedly cuts out - like a loose connection).
2) Whenever I use my bluetooth headset ("Discovery 655"), I get complains from whoever I'm trying to talk to about low volume.
3) And if I try to use the Ameo without plugging in some kind of microphone, everyone in the room gets to listen to my conversation.
The Ameo is not a good phone (in my opinion).
I heard The "LG style-i" is good but I can't get hold of one in England.
francoke said:
I,m REALLY HEAT THIS...too many words...about?
Whats made this post here..., plase get out... write in a PHONE forum !
This Forum in about POCKET PC..if some of all in this site...wants a phone...so simply....write in phones sites !
But...at anyone ...a simply phone is not we need!
Beacuse we buy..P O C K E T PC (Pocket PC) !
FranCOKE!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the athena isnt a pocket pc - its a phone. it is sold as a phone by phone companies in phone shops. it is a windows mobile phone and, by design, a convergent device. unfortunately one of its primary functions - the phone - is poorly designed and doesnt give very good clarity without the help of a bluetooth headset. sadly windows mobile doesnt like bluetooth headsets very much so i think overall the athena fails as a phone quite badly. other aspects of the device are not relevent to the question in hand.
Athena is a primarily a mobile data device which also does phone, adding value to it as a convergent device. If you're looking for a phone, go somewhere else. This will not be the best size as a phone, but it is the best sized convergent device, with phone function.
As a VOIP phone it is excellent. As long as I use a headset and have good signal, I get quite good voice at mere 8 cents per call untimed to anywhere in the world. Using headset on it as a normal mobile phone of course gives very good voice quality.
The SMS aspect of the phone is absolutely top notch because of the large screen.
The debate always comes down to size. It is crazy to try to rate it only as a phone and proves nothing. It's like rating a PC with TV tuners as only a TV. Or Athena only as an MP3 player or only as a Camera.
If I have a TV tuner in my computer, I don't expect an intelligent guy to come up with a survey that says "who thinks this PC is a good TV". The result is meaningless. If a guy is looking for a TV and nothing else, he would of course dump this computer. But if TV is not his primary focus and computer is, then he is happy with the TV.
Similarly, if the future version of Athena decides to incorporate TV, it does not make it a TV per se. If you have a survey that says "who thinks Athena II is a good TV", its a meaningless question. The screen would be deemed too small by a guy looking only for a TV, much like Athena is viewed as too big by the guy looking mainly for a phone.
Does it mean that one should never incorporate phone feature into a convergent device? Or that one should never incorporate television into the PDA? By no means. There is a very niche market segment who longs for these all in ones. If you're not one of them, then this is not a product for you. That does not make it a crap phone or crap tv.
One of the key values of Athena lies in it converging all these technologies together. While it does not take the best picture in the world, the picture quality is okay. While it is not the fastest computer, it is okay. While it is not the best mobile phone in the world, it is okay. I've seen much worst dedicated Nokia phone than Athana.
Everything taken as a whole, it is stil the best.
Athena is closer to PDA than a phone. What's a PDA? I'd quote Gartner's definition:
Gartner defines PDAs as "data-centric handheld computer weighing less than one pound that [are] primarily designed for use with both hands." The devices use "open market" OSes and can be equipped by the users with third-party applications. Additionally, PDAs "offer instant on/off capability and synchronization of files with a PC," in Gartner's view. Although the PDAs included in Gartner's data may offer voice capabilities, they are "data-first, voice-second devices."
DATA FIRST, VOICE SECOND. If Francoke's pocket pc means PDA, then using Gartner's definition, he's right. This is a pocket pc (PDA). In Gartner's eye, this is not classified as a phone.
eaglesteve said:
Athena is a primarily a mobile data device which also does phone, adding value to it as a convergent device. If you're looking for a phone, go somewhere else. This will not be the best size as a phone, but it is the best sized convergent device, with phone function.
As a VOIP phone it is excellent. As long as I use a headset and have good signal, I get quite good voice at mere 8 cents per call untimed to anywhere in the world. Using headset on it as a normal mobile phone of course gives very good voice quality.
The SMS aspect of the phone is absolutely top notch because of the large screen.
The debate always comes down to size. It is crazy to try to rate it only as a phone and proves nothing. It's like rating a PC with TV tuners as only a TV. Or Athena only as an MP3 player or only as a Camera.
If I have a TV tuner in my computer, I don't expect an intelligent guy to come up with a survey that says "who thinks this PC is a good TV". The result is meaningless. If a guy is looking for a TV and nothing else, he would of course dump this computer. But if TV is not his primary focus and computer is, then he is happy with the TV.
Similarly, if the future version of Athena decides to incorporate TV, it does not make it a TV per se. If you have a survey that says "who thinks Athena II is a good TV", its a meaningless question. The screen would be deemed too small by a guy looking only for a TV, much like Athena is viewed as too big by the guy looking mainly for a phone.
Does it mean that one should never incorporate phone feature into a convergent device? Or that one should never incorporate television into the PDA? By no means. There is a very niche market segment who longs for these all in ones. If you're not one of them, then this is not a product for you. That does not make it a crap phone or crap tv.
One of the key values of Athena lies in it converging all these technologies together. While it does not take the best picture in the world, the picture quality is okay. While it is not the fastest computer, it is okay. While it is not the best mobile phone in the world, it is okay. I've seen much worst dedicated Nokia phone than Athana.
Everything taken as a whole, it is stil the best.
Athena is closer to PDA than a phone. What's a PDA? I'd quote Gartner's definition:
Gartner defines PDAs as "data-centric handheld computer weighing less than one pound that [are] primarily designed for use with both hands." The devices use "open market" OSes and can be equipped by the users with third-party applications. Additionally, PDAs "offer instant on/off capability and synchronization of files with a PC," in Gartner's view. Although the PDAs included in Gartner's data may offer voice capabilities, they are "data-first, voice-second devices."
DATA FIRST, VOICE SECOND. If Francoke's pocket pc means PDA, then using Gartner's definition, he's right. This is a pocket pc (PDA). In Gartner's eye, this is not classified as a phone.
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Well said. And If I might say, asking a question where the answers are (1) crap (2) crap (3) ok and (4) best ever doesn't strike me as being particularly balanced!
I don't make many phone calls, but those that I do are fine. Speaker phone is fine as long as you're calling a landlines (mobiles and handsfree kits tend to generate too much noise and confuse the phone as to if it should be 'listening' or 'playing' the sound). Wired / Bluetooth headset works perfectly. The issue that we've had time and time again though, is that its not really a 'pocket' phone, and unless you have a handbag or manbag, you feel like a bit of a twonk carrying round this brown wallet. I usually give the phone to the missus to carry then have a bluetooth in my pocket ready to shove in my earole.
For me the diference between not using the X7500 at all as phone and using the X7500 as phone has been the LG Style-i HBM-700.
I tried an BT headset first but the trekky look is not for me then I tried the Style-i and now X7500 is my only cellular.
Athena is not a phone in a traditional way you could think it.
My experience is good even with cheap bluetooth headset (far better than Universal...)
mahjong said:
For me the diference between not using the X7500 at all as phone and using the X7500 as phone has been the LG Style-i HBM-700.
I tried an BT headset first but the trekky look is not for me then I tried the Style-i and now X7500 is my only cellular.
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Completely agree with this post. If you use LG Style-I, you end up having the smallest phone in the world!
As a phone by itself the Athena is Crap. The LG Style-i certainly helps.
I use the other features far more than just the phone which is secondary to me but as the T-Mob Ameo is sold as a 'phone' I can see the OP's point.
As eaglesteve points out it is far more than 'just' a phone but if you buy one primarily as a phone you would probably be disappointed.
Confucious said:
As a phone by itself the Athena is Crap. The LG Style-i certainly helps.
I use the other features far more than just the phone which is secondary to me but as the T-Mob Ameo is sold as a 'phone' I can see the OP's point.
As eaglesteve points out it is far more than 'just' a phone but if you buy one primarily as a phone you would probably be disappointed.
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With LG style-i, it does not matter what the "host" is anymore. That's why I voted it to be as good as the phone best ever. Athena gives very good 3.5G reception, far better than any other phones I've used. Also, like eaglesteve said, it is very easy for me to create SMS messages on this device, which is another aspect of the phone features. I highly recommend that those who had found it tough to use this as a phone because of its size to consider LG style-I. I guarantee your opinion will change.
eaglesteve said:
It is crazy to try to rate it only as a phone and proves nothing. It's like rating a PC with TV tuners as only a TV.
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Excellent comparision, couldn't have put it better.
And yet, I think some extremely useful (at least for me) phone-related functionnalities are very usually overlooked with PocketPC PDA-Phones in such polls.
What about seamless synchronisation with Outlook content ? This functionnality alone saved my *ss more than once when I had trouble with my phone. Instant search for directory numbers ? Etc. etc.
I once had a Nokia N92, an excellent multimedia device. Well, I returned it as soon as I saw that the "conduit" between the phone and Outlook mixed numbers up, and didn't synchronise properly (most of my contacts are business contacts, and have more than one phone number. The Nokia conduit handles this extremely poorly, mixing numbers for a same contact when they are synchronised on the phone until it is almost impossible to find a contact through his / her phone number).
Confucious said:
As eaglesteve points out it is far more than 'just' a phone but if you buy one primarily as a phone you would probably be disappointed.
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True. But I always have trouble imagining how ANYONE would get an almost one-pounded, 5-inch screened *phone*. Who needs a 5-inch screens only for phoning ? To see 1-inch wide numbers ?? :-S