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Can someone please help. I have a new XDA II purchased a couple of weeks ago. I want to add voice dial so that I can record a voice tag to a specific contact, press a button on my bluetooth headset and the XDA II phone will dial that person for me.
Can some kind person please guide me exactly how to go about setting this up?
JSS
You can't record voice tag unfortunatelly... Microsoft sells Microsoft Voice command for
pocket pc for 30$.. you don't need to train it or record voice tag.. it just recognize what
you say. it isn't bad
you can grab it from www.suprnova.com in the App/pocket pc section (you will need a bittorrent client, ABC http://pingpong-abc.sourceforge.net).
You can use Neuvoice: http://www.neuvoice.com/xdasoftware.php
Allows you to record your own commands. I had problems with some English programs to recognize Dutch names in my contacts.
Neuvoice has to be trained, and this takes some time, but works perfect with foreign languages.
i use vito voice dialer
works great you record your voice tags then if you have button plus installed i have mine lined to the contacts button if i hold it down it will say please say name so you say the voicetag and itll begin to dial works very well
I tried MS voicecommand, and i was not impressed. The thing about "not training" is that it will recognise only the obvious. Also, it was very bad, to pathetic, in recognising things with the earphones on. Add to that noise when driving, it was impossible.
I found the fonix voicedial was very good. I downloaded a trial (gave me a few eeeks to use it, now theres a sensible trial period!), and it was very good.
I havent used vito, maybe give it a go.
fonix is very good fun to play with but it likes to call my dad most of the time lol im like mum....
dial dad
does your head in lol
Vito is the best one ive tried
but fonix is very fun to play with lol
I am french and i need to 'train tag'.
I use neu voice navigator.
For 9,99$, the voice recognition works very well, indoor, outdoor with wind and driving in the car.
Voice dial for XDA II
Thanks to all of you so far. I went to the Vito site and read that it does not work for XDA II.
""IMPORTANT! Doesn't work on MDAII/XDAII
VITO VoiceDialer PE is not currently supported by XDAII/MDAII. When recording a voice tag it brings up an error "Cannot process this file" Our development team is working on the solution. We apologize for the inconvenience. ""
Hopefully this can be fixed soon. I will try some other sites
JSS
I've tried Fonix and MS Voice Command on XDAII and in my view MS Voice Command is the best. Contrary to one of the posts above I've found it very accurate especially after learning how to speak to it after the first couple of days. It works well with the wired earpiece but will not work with a bluetooth headset as it takes its input only from the microphone. As such it is a viable hands free solution and you dont need to train it so if you add a new contact then it is automatically recognised. Beware that the current US version doesnt support dialling of UK phone numbers ie you cannot say 'dial 0113 205 3345' as it will only accept 7 and 10 digit numbers that do not begin with a zero.
I tried MS Voice Command and I must concur with others opinions. Because you cannot train it to learn your voice, it means that you must learn to speak the way it wants you to speak. Fair enough, but the 24-hour trial period is too short. After 24 hours, I could not get it to perform to my satisfaction. Perhaps with a longer trial period I might have learned how to use it.
That is why I am not buying it.
I've tried MS Voice command, and found that unless you want to speak with an American accent then don't bother.
I've also just tried Neuvoice, which works with tags that you assign, and that seems to work extremely well. Now if only one of them could work with a Bluetooth headset! But I guess that's a the fault of the XDA's bluetooth implementation, rather than any of the software.
I purchased MS Voice command (use on my XD2) and as everyone has said it is no good unless you use an american accent...only problem is that I keep talking like an American now :roll: LOL
Thanks - Sunny.
""I've also just tried Neuvoice, which works with tags that you assign, and that seems to work extremely well. Now if only one of them could work with a Bluetooth headset! But I guess that's a the fault of the XDA's bluetooth implementation, rather than any of the software.""
Thanks again. Of course, if it does not work with a bluetooth headset, there really is not much point having it until it does, because the whole idea is to make voice dial calls that are completely 'hands fee'.
I spoke with O2 Mobile Internet support team who tell me that the software will soon have an update (bugfix) which will apparently fix this problem and allow the XDA II to work for voice dial. Does anyone know what this is, when is it coming and how will we be able to get it and put it onto our XDA???
JSS
XDA II update
latest information from O2 is quoting Spring 2004.................
.....................so that'll be 2005 then!
ian
I suppose we will have to rely on the brains of the wonderful people on this forum who will surely come up with a way around the problems.
There must be some way through it. All ideas are welcome
JSS
Bougth a second hand P800 this week to compare with the XDA II.
I must say that the P800 is much more advanced on the phone point. It may be not as performant, but the thing works quite nicely. Voice control works perfect, also with BT headset.
And controlling and operating the phone is much easier thanks to the jog dial. I also like the better implemantation of the phone settings and options. Don't understand why this isn't implemented on more devices.
Think MS still has a long way to go with Pocket PC Phone Edition to reach at least the same phone functionality...
@ Jos
do you know why that is?
its because the p800 is a symbian phone with PDA features
the XDA is a PDA with mobile features
theres the difference
and p800 camera is ****e lol
Hi all!
I Just changed from a P800, and fully agree with gazzaman2k and Jos, P800 is a "so-so good" phone, but a very POOR PDA.
XDAII is a fully functional PDA, but the phone parts leaves so much to be desired......
Any way, I still would be using my P800, should I have been able to fix the SYNC problem.... A phone PDA UNABLE to sync with with your PC is a useless combo. Not to mention the full distress recoveries I had to do with my Outlook contact and agenda files.....
I ended up recovering my old T68 phone, (I need it for the BT carkit) I passed my Cassiopeia EM505 to a friend, my wife got my P800 (unable to sell it on e-bay) and I'm so-so satisfied with my XDA.
Until:
1.- it gets the handsfree BT issue solved (car kit usage)
2.- The Voice command functions are fully implemented (BT headset too)
3.- The phone functions are VERY MUCH IMPROVED (one hand use)
I would NOT consider the XDAII a "PHONE-PDA", but a "PDA-phone". (Capitals being removed intentionally)
BTW, most of the "Voice/dial command" programs I tried are useless and/or unreliable.
but also :x
Indeed, I agree the XDA II is a PDA-PHONE and the P800 a PHONE-PDA.
Would be nice to see an OS that would run on the fast hardware of the XDA II with all the plusses of Pocket PC and Symbian...
And the P800 is for my girlfriend. She needed a new phone and I could get this one for a fair price. Plus it gives me the chance to play around with both en see the pros and cons of both.
For performance and Outlook sync, I prefer the XDA II, but for phone funcionality I prefer the P800...
Voice diaing continued...
The XDA II is a quality PDA with phone functions. Since, I understand, other PDA's (even those without built in phones) are able to have voice dial functions for add-on phones, it seems to me that the XDA II could easily also have these functions. I think that it would just mean getting the right software. How and where from I would like to know?
It may be possible to improve the phone functions, but the single one thing that would improve the XDA II for me is the addition of voice dialing via bluetooth - so that you can record a tag to a contact, press a button on the earpiece, say the contact name and then the number is dialed. That handsfree capability would be a very good start - and let's face it, with driving restrictions etc, these days, it really is essential if the XDA II is ever going to be of any value as a mobile phone.
What I need to know for certain is:-
1.Is there a software that will allow me to have this function.
JSS
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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