Database Users

how good is the magician?

I've been looking on here when I was going to get the xda iis but didn't buy it due to the many software issues and problems. Can anyone tell me if the magician or xda mini is a lot better and whether or not is is plagued by lots of problems as well? For now I'm going with a c500 or smt 5600 but will be looking into a mini later, provided that all the bugs have been worked out. Thanks

These are two totally different phones you are comparing. You need to give more detail about what you want to do with the phone and what your prioroties are among there.
Otherwise its like asking people if you should by a Ford Taurus or an F150 - and not saying a single word about what need a car for in the first place.

well my problems with my imate jam is the camera quality is bad compared to any 1.3MP phone..... the earphone quality is a bit bad used to be really bad before the latest update. my GPRS connection won't hold for 2 mintues without dropping..... the bluetooth driver could be better if it wasn't MS stack.... other than that it's a great device
hope that helps

Go get Mini if you can live with its:
- low camera quality
- limited Bluetooth function
- no Wifi
Then why do I own a Mini:
- form factor is great. (feel somewhat sexy holding it. 8) )
- don't care about camera
- Wifi? Why?
To me, mini is the best combination of PDA & phone.

PapaDocta said:
my GPRS connection won't hold for 2 mintues without dropping
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try the GPRS registry tweak for this because I don't have this pb since I used it...

@snorlax
no i haven't.. could please explain more ....
thanks

So download it there www.gb-soft.cz/XDAII/products.htm
Install and run it and in the options you'll find the "GPRS always on" checkbox...

thanks man i will try it...

Its the dogs bollocks, what more can I say
No really it is the best PPC by far and I should know, Ive had quite a few starting with a casiopeia then a few iPaq's then a loox, then an Axim, a few more iPaq's, XDA, XDA ii, XDA iis, iPaq 3715 and now the Jam. It really is the most stable device I have owned and the form factor is perfect.
Who cares about wi-fi ??? buy a sandisk wi fi SD card, I did and it works great.
Not that it is without its faults mind you, the camera really sucks and since I upgraded to the latest firmware my device has been quite unstable an d the BT software is appalling, but hey ??? whats perfect

lankydwarf said:
It really is the most stable device I have owned and the form factor is perfect.
Not that it is without its faults mind you, the camera really sucks and since I upgraded to the latest firmware my device has been quite unstable and the BT software is appalling, but hey ??? whats perfect
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can vouch for it's stability - it's vastly superior in this respect to my two ipaqs and my godawful Fujitsu Loox. Bluetooth on my ipaq was unstable, and it was downright laughable on my Loox!
I can't believe how simple and straightforward the Bluetooth is on the JAM - I currently have paired a headset for taking calls on the bike, a BT dongle for internet access via activesync with my PC, and a GPS device.
All work flawlessly.
The camera isn't great, but it's grand for its intended purpose - as a camera for the PHONE. It's not intended to replace my ixus 40 at all... it's meant for sending MMS's, that's all!
JAM is a complete bargain!

imate jam or xda iis
Thanks guys for the feedback. Believe I'll try one when I get the funds...(who knows how long that'll take)?? Have a c500 smartphone at the moment which is doing quite well for it's purpose intended. I don't need a camera, have a sony dsc-v1 for pics...would like to be able to watch a good dvd with a ppc though.

Hi USdriver
Is coming to the UK on the 18 april 2005. not quite sure if this is any good to you but might give you an idea that the MINI is in its way
Joseph

xda mini
hi mario...yes, it does help. Thanks for the info...I'll be looking out for it, as the best way to see if you like something or not is to actually be looking at the device, rather than pics on the net...

@steve: Been using it for a few months. It's a very decent Pocket PC phone and the size is great. My only complaint is that the camera sucks, but since you have a digi cam for your photos this will not be an issue for you however if you want to watch videos and movies on a PPC you might want to get a vga device better resolution... I think a dell x50v or hp hx4700 plus a c500 is a pretty good combo

HTC Magician users - what's your next purchase?

Even though I've only had my device for 2 weeks, I'm already looking for the next model. I find that I'll need the SanDisk WiFi/256MB combo as I want to run the Skype, SJPhone, and Network tools from the SD card rather than use up the precious RAM. At the moment I have the Spectre WiFi card but need some extra memory.
I know, I know, someone will ask "why not use BIG STORAGE?" the reason why I won't do that is because I have a full one year's warranty on my device and should I sell my device in 6 months time (if I find a suitable upgrade model), the value would increase given that there are some warranty left for the buyer.
I didn't jump on the WM5 bandwagon yet or the new WM5 devices due to early undetected issues. Usually after 4-5 months, a lot of the early problems will be sorted by firmware releases. But yes, I plan to upgrade to the WM5.0 model in about 6 months time. But I'm starting to really like my mini
I'm getting 4 hours of continuous video play (not streaming) on my mini which I'm really happy. I have bluetooth on all the time as well.
My ideal upgrade would be the Dopod 818 Pro. All the accessories for my mini can be used with the Dopod Pro. But my main concern would be the CPU speed...I've configured my mini to run the software I need including about 5-6 plugins and a concern would be how slow the Dopod Pro would be with the same s/ware config as my mini.
Second on my list is the E-Ten M600 which I think blows the mini away with the Samsung processor which is much faster than the Intel equivalent. The M600 screen is also amazing and better than any PDA screens on the market today. Only thing is that the M600 is slightly bigger than the mini and doesn't look as good compared to the mini.
At the moment both Dopod Pro and the M600 still have early teethering problems but should be sorted in a few months time. But the mini growing so much on me right now, I may just decide to keep using it and upgrade maybe next Christmas.

The M600 is made of plastic from what I know, but also some of the new HTC devices are completely made of plastic so that might not be an alternative. There is the HTC Hermes unofficially said to be released in the first half of this year which offers UMTS and will be similar to the Wizard.
If you need WLan badly, then I would consider changing to another device, otherwise, I wouldn't give away my Magician. I also prefer Windows Mobile 2003 from WM5. The speed is often said to be slower with new devices using WM5, even when they have a faster CPU.

That's true M600 is made of plastic but that's not an issue for a lot of people. The thing I like about the M600 is the Samsung CPU (I tested the Samsung 300MHz CPU on the HP rx1950 running WM 5.0 and it was amazingly fast!) and the new tech LCD screen plus it already has working A2DP bluetooth functions, WLAN, and although camera is only 1.3MP but is comparable with the Nokias. The Dopod 818 Pro (Prophet) camera is the best 2.0MP in any PocketPC but maybe let down by poor CPU performance.
WM5.0 will gradually improve within 6 months time as more s/ware developers improve their s/ware to be WM5 compatible. Initial release bugs bugs will be ironed out of the WM5 devices.
The Magician is truly a striking PocketPC handheld no doubt about that. I won't consider any devices larger than the Magician/O2 mini but M600 is an exception (only a few mm longer and thicker). The whole point of a PocketPC phone is to have it small, light and fits nicely into your pocket like the Nokias not look like bricks in your hand :-D
I think O2 Atom, HTC Prophet (Dopod 818 Pro), and the M600 are the closest to Magician in terms of size and cosmetic features.

On the PPCSG forum people are not experiencing any performance problems with the 200MHz OMAP processor. More clock speed does NOT necessarily mean more performance. Look at the AMD vs Intel scenarion on the PCs for example! It's all about MIPS.
My next purchase will be the Dopod 818 Pro. The camera is amazing, and with a proper task manager that closes programs rather than minimising them, the speed is more than acceptable. More battery life is also welcome!

skype
hi noob,
you also can use skype on your magician after you have synced your jam via bluetooth with your pc.
i use it and there is no problem. you also can use many apps like this if you sync your jam via bt with your pc
greets
serhataga

what do u think about t-mo compact II?

hi serhataga,
what a great idea...didn't think of that one. will give it a go....kinda of using the mini as a headset.... :-D
The T-mobile MDA Compact II is the HTC Prophet (also sold as Dopod 818 Pro). I like to get my hands on one and test it for myself but unfortunately in Australia, O2 and i-Mate are the HTC resellers. No Dopod or MDA brands and buying from overseas will be a headache especially with warranties.
The biggest advantage of the MDA Compact II is that you can keep using your magician accessories with it, your cases, chargers, screen protectors, stylus etc. Also the camera is undoubtedly the BEST on any PPC to date. The CPU maybe a concern especially it's only running at 200MHz. It's fine for some users but for others it's just too slow. Best to test out a shelf display model at your local store before making a decision whether to buy.
If you are in Australia like me, you'll have to wait till i-Mate releases their version of Magician II.

I think, at least in germany, the MDA compact 2 is based on the HTC Charmer, not the Prophet. The Charmer is kind of a bad joke, since it has the (yes, it definitely is) slower 200 MHZ OMAP CPU and no WLan or keyboard. This makes it a very bad choice if you ask me. The prophet hasn't been release in germany as well, same with the Atom, which seems to be the most interesting at the moment (what about the quality of its camera by the way?).

That's right Dandie, the MDA Compact II is not like the Dopod 818 Pro. It is basically the same as the Magician but has WM5 and the OMAP processor. The prophet has more hardware buttons, 2MP camera and WiFi 801.11g! The real Magician II!!

I love my Imate Jam to death. I will not sell it but maybe give it away to my wife cos I want it to stay in the family.
I have only two devices in mind to replace my Jam... it would either be the O2 Atom or the Eten M600.
I would prefer the Atom because of it's size and built-in radio. As for the M600, I would have it compete directly with HTC because of its affordable price and a different interface.
As for my Jam, I am a very proud owner and I am glad about the progress made to it to bring new life into it. From the Big Storage Rom to A2DP and improve BT. Despite being lagged of not being able to be moved to WM5, it sure is putting up a fight and that's what I like about it... being an underdog and coming out shining.

I couldn't resist any longer and ordered a Dopod 818 pro from Expansys HK, in stock and very well priced!
The JAM is a beautiful device and the Prophet is based on it! Plus WM5, Wifi, much better camera and EDGE ...
As a side note, the 02 Atom was very tempting but the initial feedback from the people who bought it is not encouraging at all. On PPCSG forums, people who bought the Atom went back from their decision and changed it with the Prophet. The built quality of the Atom was not satisfactory, buggy software and sloooooow.

kta, give us a review of the Dopod Pro in two weeks time as to its performance. Definitely want to know about the CPU performance.

Sure, no problem

The Magician is the pioneer for a mobile phone/pda combo. You can't help but want it due to it's small size form factor. Forget about the Wizards and Universals...Magicians are the coolest PDA-Phones today
well..until the Dopod 818 Pro and E-Ten M600 take over

Hi mates, i'm going to break the line and will change to Nokia N70, less buggy and with fully funtional BT. ( F.O. Htc)

I only have a Magician now but here is what I found from recent PDA phone
I think O2 Atom is a better replacement for Magician. It even smaller than Magician and has built-in A2DP and wifi. The only drawback is it use mini-SD and we have to give up our investment on SD card.
818 Pro doesn't have build-in A2DP yet (People said they will have it in the future but who knows....) Battery life of 818 Pro is better but people complaints about it's lagginng when running multiple programs. Also, Skype is not running very good on 818 pro.
Here is a benchmark test on various PDA phone: http://forum.mypdacafe.com/viewtopic.php?t=7796&sid=77e4cfd56835b0f3e33dc0da98fd7780 U may found Atom is not very attractive in the test. But for me, the 200mzh CPU of 818 Pro really worry me most....

Only one device will make me change :
The upcoming MIO Mitac A701 !!!
WOW.
Gtot

jackleung said:
818 Pro doesn't have build-in A2DP yet (People said they will have it in the future but who knows....)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A2DP will defintely be available as this was comfirmed by Microsoft. AKU2.0 will have it!
jackleung said:
But for me, the 200mzh CPU of 818 Pro really worry me most....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm surprised you say this. Just look at the your own posted benchmarks, and the 416MHz on the Atom is not really a good alternative!

Woohoo..E-Ten M600 killed 'em all at benchmark....
Atom's slowness could be a firmware issue but expect it to do better in tests 6 months time.

http://msmobiles.com/news.php/4190.html
Wow the Mio PDA-Phone is to die for but only thing isthat it lacks Wi-Fi, but GPS is a good compromise.....it's also around the size of a Magician

Bad Buzz on the Atom

I am considering purchasing the Atom as a replacement for my much-loved XDA2. However, several reviews and user comments in other forums have indicated that the Atom suffers from:
1) Poor quality construction- Cheesy plastic case
2) Buggy/Slow WM5 OS
3) Poor camera
What about the experience here? Do you all agree with the comments above? Would you recommend Atom as a replacement for the XDA2, or another device? Thanks

Someone has already asked this question, see my response.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=50054&highlight=
and
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=49399&highlight=

Bad Buzz Responses
Thanks, Experimenter for your post, but no one has addressed the issues I raised except to say that they love the device. Many more reviews say exactly the opposite....... my favorite "looks good, works bad". Can the users in this forum polear give me some advice on this? Thanks

Here's my 2cents opinion
Hi Pharmer,
Well let me address the issues u raised :
1) Poor quality construction- Cheesy plastic case
2) Buggy/Slow WM5 OS
3) Poor camera
Its hard to answer your questions simply because it can be quite subjective.
Best is for u to walk into a shop and handle one yourself, then you can decide on 1) ... try out the camera and decide on 3)
Some ppl complain that the black makes fingerprint smudges obvious ... but really, my peeve, which applies to almost all PDA phones, is when u hold it to your ear to make calls you'll get a greasy touch screen.
I use a casing to protect the screen.
As for your point #2 I've not had problems after the ROM upgrades ... then again, just like a PC, it really depends on what you install into the handheld. Lots of times its the quality of the additional software u install, or if u install and uninstall lots of stuff to try em out.
Software I currently use :
TCPMP to watch movies and listen to MP3 using STEREO bluetooth
HICALC calculator
Resco Explorer and Registry Editor
Pocket Informant
O2 Plus
Not had any problems using my Atom with all these loaded. In fact, I'm extremely pleased with my Atom right now.
As for the camera, yes it has been pretty poor (by my standards for a 2MP) but seems to have improved with each ROM upgrade. Seems to take pretty decent pictures now. I have found you get best results outdoors on a bright day and indoors don't do as well.
well end of the day I can only say that if you are looking for perfection then it'll be a long wait ... every device will have its flaws ...
I made my purchasing decision based on :
1. Decided on Atom's slower wireless 'B' instead of other devices which had faster 'G' as I don't expect to be doin major surfing on a tiny device ... just needed the connectivity for email and occasional browsing if a PC is not available. What is important is at least WPA support which the Atom has. Even the 'B' is faster than my broadband access and I transfer files via active sync or using a card reader so wireless speed not an issue there.
2. Selected the Atom because of the STEREO bluetooth which allows me to watch movies and listen to MP3 in full stereo ... This feature has not been available on most other devices until recently I think.
3. Sleek and small size. Not too clunky, but some ppl prefer a keyboard for SMS so I suppose it may not be for everyone.

Atom Qualities
Hi, Experimenter- Thanks for your reply. As to why I don't just go look at one in a store, you might be interested to know that the US carriers generally do not carry these phones. As far as I am aware, no US carrier has the Atom. In the US, we usually purchase them unseen (except for pictures) from websites. Even T-Mobile US doesn't carry the phones the T-Mobile in Europe carries. As for any carrier-based service- for the phone, forget it.
Anyway, sorry for the rant, but that's why we depend on people like yourself to give honest opinions before we buy. The pictures of the Atom look pretty good, but the majority of the revierws have been bad suggesting that perhaps this is a phone that needs some improvement. My second choice is the 128mb Jam(charcoal). Looks like a similar phone to the Atom but with WM2003se instead of WM5. All the reviews on WM5 indicate that this os needs a little improvement too.
Finally, your comment that none of these phones are perfect is true and I'm certainly not looking for perfection. My MDA2 is still pretty good and perhaps its not time yet to upgrade.

atom's camera
hi experimenter i would like to inquire about the atom's camera in the latest official rom.. how many seconds does it take the atom to load the cam? and how long does it take to save pics shot? thanks dude.
about the overall performance, would you give a rough percentage of its increased speed performance compared to the previous rom (it's ok if it's your opinion). thank you very much

Re: Atom Qualities
Hi
Giving my 3 copper coins worth on ATOM too, since I am a user since last December 2005. I've been carrying other larger and powerful XDA devices before this, so I think the ATOM has it's hits and misses. IMHO, the usual benchmark on buying an ATOM is based on 2 very important criteria:
(a) Are you a COOL GADGET person?
(b) Are you tech-savvy and able to tinkle a bit on the the WM2005 registry?
I am not sure about the specs of the alternate JAM devices you have mentioned, but I reckon the hardware specs should be similar to ATOM except for the cover design and the OS.
WM2003SE is in the market longer, and there are better support of software. But that will means that it is possible for ATOM to downgrade to WM2003SE as well?
Very few pple however, will do that. WM2005 is here to stay, but as with everything M$, gave every1 more time to tweak the bugs.

HP iPAQ rw6828. Is this another Atom avatar?

Hi guys, I just sold off my jasjar.... Yeah!!!! I'm happy about it. It was a real piece of sh**.
Anyways I got myself a new HP iPaq rx6828. it looks feels and works just like the o2 atom, but in a nicer shell and software. it works on the same specs and the utilised memory was 2.58 mb in the memory tab. Absoloutely light on memory grabbing and no use for any ext-rom unlockers.
Can any one tell me if this is another atom clone?
HP has done an amazing job with this phone and it works like a hot knife through butter. amazing....... the phone has been specially souped up for mp3's and radio. Both sound really nice and the phone also has a nice plastic flip cover which is also available in different colors.
Can anyone tell me more about this beautiful piece?
I've been using it for the past 2 days now and no problems.
By the ways it's windows mobile 5.
Thanks.
RohSeq

is there a better phone/pda

hi all looking at getting a trinity 3600 because i need stanalone gps, pda and a phone that takes my 3 sim card. just wondering b4 i take the plunge is there another phone that will meet my requirements that anybody thinks is better than the 3600 cheers

Other devices...
Well, the HTC Advantage can do all the same things, plus it has a VGA screen, but is a much more bulky device. The only other device I'm aware of that does all that the Trinity does is the Nokia N95. The Nokia has the advantage of a 5MP camera (only 2mp on the Trinity), but it doesn't run pocket PC (it's Symbian I think).
Other than that, I'm not aware of any others. The Trinity is a very good device, you'd be hard pushed to beat it!
Lee

but Advantage i read can only be used as a phone using a headset
it dont have a mic or something
polaris the upcomming replacement for Artemis but it's not out yet
another option could be Kaiser is another option if one is not bothered by the extre thickness the keyboard adds or even pref a keyboard

thanks for your replies the n95 i think you have to pay for the gps service I dont think it has a built in sirfstar 3 chipset or any alike so i would not go for that but i will have a look at the kaiser cheers

Yes, N95 runs Symbian, but no touchscreen. I've tried it a few days ago - much slower than my N73.

Other options
As of now the Trinity is one of the best PDA'a around.
Other phones that you can consider are the Asus P535/525 series and the Eten M700.
These phones have all the feature the Trinity has and then some more. Like all phones, the Trinity also has its fair share of problems.
I was about to buy the Trinity but holding out for the Kaiser, it has all the feature that I want in a phone.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Cheers,
Hiren

i'll wait for polaris or nike myself
dont want a slideout keyboard

polaris looks really good just took a look out in october ultra thin aswell says 3.5 in screen does that make the phone bigger than the mda 3 compact and is it defo 3g because it was the mda i wanted but only 2g

hi...
is there a better phone/pda? interesting question....
If you are using it mostly like a phone I wouldnt go for the trinity because of two issues:
* I need a quite strong GSM signal to get acceptable sound quality. People I call often complain about the quality of my voice when compared to a 'normal' phone. Maybe is my device, people in this forum say, but I tried some proposed remedies without success.
* Screen is nearly invisible outdoors on a sunny day
If you are using mostly PDA features, the trinity may be an interesting option. The rest of features work really well, specially GPS.
Beware a new (pricey) trinity version is to be released soon (or maybe already). Hopefully they solve these issues plus the paint peeling off thing. Then it would be the perfect phone.

Depends on what you value!
If you need the phone for business, don't get a PDA phone coz the reception is NOT 100% reliable...
What do you need the PDA for?
All in all, it might be better to get a TomTom GO, then a cheap phone with bluetooth that can connect to TomTom!
But as previously said, D810X is meant to be coming out, no idea when and how much though.

D810x is out in Australia as the HTC p3600i.

i think dell axim x51 is very good for gaming but it dont have a camera!

Polaris looks its gonna be great! I remember reading it only has 400mhz cpu :S