Related
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!
Hello everyone.
I'm seriously considering purchasing a Qtek 9100. I wanted to ask a few questions before I go ahead and I'm hoping someone could help me. I wanted to buy a qtek primarily because of the color (slight darker silver). Is the qtek any different from the O2, K-jam.. and all other versions? I know O2 comes with a preinstalled software interface but are there any other differences? Particularly in processor performance or perhaps resolved bugs?
Question number two is adding a TomTom 5.21 Bluetooth GPS. I do not have much experience with GPS systems and quite frankly I just intend to get the Bluetooth receiver (from TomTom) and perhaps download a copy of the software online (Cracked-torrent [of course for educational purpose ] ). Is this going to work or is it absolutely necessary to purchase the software otherwise the GPS unit will throw me off a cliff. Or is there a better GPS system worth acquiring? (for UK).
Thanks a bunch and I wait eagerly for any help.
Hi,
As far as I know all hardware of the different brands at the same; they all come from the HTC factories. Only software varies. If you are going to use it with an GRPS connection I would advise a branded version (you'll get great value and save some serious bucks) if not the QTEK is the only one that comes without SIM lock. You can swap the ROM as you like, after unlocking they all work with the QTEK, K-JAM or any other rom version as long as it's for a HTC Wizard phone.
As for the TomTom, it'll work, but you still need to purchase TomTom if you want to use it. How else will they improve the software if noone buys and they their cash runs dry? (Board policy )
Only the K-JAM Rom allows you to connect to a WIFI network that uses the G standard, but it'll still be only at 11 mb/s. So that shouldn't be an issue. Localized (non english) versions do have some issues but none of great importance.
Go ahaed, buy one. I don't know anyone that regrets it.
Cheers
Cactus
In my eyes, the most important thing you have to bear in mind is that the Qtek version of the Wizard has one major flaw: the paint of the 'messaging', 'internet explorer' , etc. buttons comes off. I have not only read about this on multiple forums, but a friend of mine has experienced this first hand.
as far as I know, Qtek is the only manufacturer who has tried to save some expenses on 'quality paint'
hehe,
Many wish T-Mobile used QTEK's paint It would have saved a lot of people scrubbing hard with a sugarcube to get the ugly pink ie-like symbol off
By now I know what button is for whitch function, I wouldn't mind....
Thank le cactus
Thank you, le cactus. That's a very enlightening response. I would most definitely buy one soon. I've read quite a bit about the the Wizard and I know it came out under different manufacturer brands. I chose the qtek only because I personally liked the darker design. Its really a personal preference. I also wanted to make sure they didn't differ too much in stability.
I will support TomTom as it is the only right thing to do. Again, I just needed to confirm that it worked following a 'different' approach. Thanks a bunch, mate.
I can't wait to purchase my Wizard as my old nokia 5100 is ready to retire. I can't wait for my new toy.
I'm not too bothered with wifi g as well. I don't expect considerable difference with the Wizard's condervative processor speed. Furthermore, I don't intend to use the device for intensive surfing. I might restrict use to checking emails and occasional surfing when I'm too lazy to get up and use my computer.
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.
Hi everyone - just stumbled onto this forum in search of a few answers that I can't seem to find anywhere else (at least not all in one place...), but I'm guessing most of the people here should make short work of my questions.
I've just ordered an O2 XDA Neo, which should be here within the next three days or so - and I've got a few questions as to which software and accessories etc. I'll be needing. I'm a complete n00b when it comes to Windows Mobile, so a few of the questions may seem a bit obvious or stupid... sorry in advance!
1. Windows Mobile 5.0 vs. 6.0 - how big is the difference? What's the big advantage of 6.0? Is upgrading worth the trouble? Are the ROMs available on this forum legal?
2. I'd like a halfway decent video player - what would you guys recommend? What formats should I be aiming for? 320x240 is pretty obvious (does the Prophet do full screen without problems? i.e. rotated 90 degrees so that it fills the whole screen, etc.?). Is the proc fast enough to decode DivX/Xvid in that resolution? Or should I consider encoding in MPG format?
3. I want to use regular headphones (3.5mm jack, TRS) with the Prophet, so obviously I need an adaptor - does anyone know what the pin layout on the Prophet's 2.5mm jack is? Is a regular 2.5mm TRS => 3.5mm TRS converter enough? Or does it need to switch the layout around or something?
4. I've read that it isn't possible to switch off internet access via GPRS (which I'd actually like to do, since I'll only be using Internet while I'm in reach of a WLAN) - is this true? Any workarounds? The costs for GPRS here in Germany are outrageous, so I'd like to prevent any costly accidents ...
5. What's a decent music player for the Prophet? Preferably something with good playlists and ReplayGain...
6. How's the battery life? Is it worth getting a second battery (or two) and a charging station so that I can always carry a charged spare around with me?
7. Are there any decent instant messengers like GAIM for Windows Mobile? I'd like something that can do ICQ and MSN at the same time, if possible...
Well, that's it for now, but I'll probably think of some more later - thanks in advance!
bemymonkey said:
Hi everyone - just stumbled onto this forum in search of a few answers that I can't seem to find anywhere else (at least not all in one place...), but I'm guessing most of the people here should make short work of my questions.
I've just ordered an O2 XDA Neo, which should be here within the next three days or so - and I've got a few questions as to which software and accessories etc. I'll be needing. I'm a complete n00b when it comes to Windows Mobile, so a few of the questions may seem a bit obvious or stupid... sorry in advance!
1. Windows Mobile 5.0 vs. 6.0 - how big is the difference? What's the big advantage of 6.0? Is upgrading worth the trouble? Are the ROMs available on this forum legal?
2. I'd like a halfway decent video player - what would you guys recommend? What formats should I be aiming for? 320x240 is pretty obvious (does the Prophet do full screen without problems? i.e. rotated 90 degrees so that it fills the whole screen, etc.?). Is the proc fast enough to decode DivX/Xvid in that resolution? Or should I consider encoding in MPG format?
3. I want to use regular headphones (3.5mm jack, TRS) with the Prophet, so obviously I need an adaptor - does anyone know what the pin layout on the Prophet's 2.5mm jack is? Is a regular 2.5mm TRS => 3.5mm TRS converter enough? Or does it need to switch the layout around or something?
4. I've read that it isn't possible to switch off internet access via GPRS (which I'd actually like to do, since I'll only be using Internet while I'm in reach of a WLAN) - is this true? Any workarounds? The costs for GPRS here in Germany are outrageous, so I'd like to prevent any costly accidents ...
5. What's a decent music player for the Prophet? Preferably something with good playlists and ReplayGain...
6. How's the battery life? Is it worth getting a second battery (or two) and a charging station so that I can always carry a charged spare around with me?
7. Are there any decent instant messengers like GAIM for Windows Mobile? I'd like something that can do ICQ and MSN at the same time, if possible...
Well, that's it for now, but I'll probably think of some more later - thanks in advance!
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Hi,
here are some anwsers I can bring you regarding to my experience with prophet.I own one for one year now.
1° > I used official prophet rom for more than 8 month (WM5 powered) and I deciced to upgrade to WM6 here.I swear you I'll never downgrade to wm5 again, this is really slow compared to cooked wm6 roms from here (especially Cross 4000x ones).
There is no BIG difference comparing wm5 and wm6, but wm6 is quite less buggy. (that does not mean that wm6 is not )
2° for video playing I highly recommend you the use of TCPMP (fast, stable, it can read many formats, even youtube videos with a plugin), no prb for full screen video ,just need to be around 240x320 sized. If you find your prophet is a little bit to slow, Proc can be overclocked with "battery status plugin" that you can find on this forum .Allows you to speed up around 247Mhz (180Mhz is ogirinal speed).
3°) i use a very regular converter i bought 5€ on the net. no problem with it.
4° never heard of this gprs problem ,I do connect to WLAN only, so I just desactivated ALL gprs connection .
5° TCPMP supports MP3 format too, but some of WM6 roms (like 4.0.0.0.5b) uses a plugin on today screen that allows you to play mp3 playlists easily.
6° As many pocket Pc's , battery life is quite short, consider that 3 days are the maximum you can reach, with normal use .
I do charge mine every 2 days. (good to know that you charge it on your pc via usb port too) The last roms cooked here do not drain too much. I highly recommend you the use of 4.0.0.0.5b cross (only with tuouchflo).
Wifi is highly greedy !
You also can find some 1800mA, 2500mA or even 3000mA batteries on the net, just search for google or ebay.Not tested this.
7°) There is an official msn messenger on wm5 and windows live messenger on wm6, didn't tried other !
hope that I could help you !
sorry for my frenglish.
Hi Ogre, thanks a lot! That's helped me a lot already...
However... any hints as to the legitimacy of the Windows Mobile 6.0 ROMs available here? How buggy are they exactly?
And another question - how does the Prophet handle Skype and other VoIP apps? Is it fast enough?
I own my Prophet for over a year.
I never upgraded to WM6 cause I was too chicken but I am considering it now that I here the versions stabilized.
Now as for "legitimacy" of the ROMs: HTC never did and never said they were planning an official WM6 ROM for the Prophet so you will not find a "legal" ROM anywhere.
That said you should know this:
If you by your phone form a cell company on a contract any modification even opening the ext. ROM (which is just a registry hack) will void warranty unless you put everything back as it was (which could be a problem on a malfunctioning phone).
What this means is - even if HTC ever does release an official ROM update for your phone you can not use it without voiding warranty and will have to depend on O2 to make their own version (which will not happen until HTC provides them with one).
As for Skype:
It seems to work ok for me (don't use it much) but only when I overclock to 260.
Otherwise the sound is crappy and the program hangs every now and then.
Hi, same thing here, one year owner, I'll try to complete the two other posts which are already good answers.
bemymonkey said:
I've read that it isn't possible to switch off internet access via GPRS
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If you don't set any GPRS connection up, where could it connect to ?
bemymonkey said:
What's a decent music player for the Prophet? Preferably something with good playlists and ReplayGain...
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I'd highly recommand Mortplayer, but you could find it a little slow, so.... GS Player is a good (and still free) alternative.
bemymonkey said:
How's the battery life? Is it worth getting a second battery (or two) and a charging station so that I can always carry a charged spare around with me?
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It's always too low
I charge mine every night in day to day use, cause it wouldn't handle a second day of normal use (mp3 listening with BT headset, appts & tasks editing, some phone calls and sms typing/sending, and a bit of internet browing / emails)
I use the best battery available, 1800mh/a, check ebay for it around 20€ (I got a free charger with it). Higher batteries are bigger and need an extra cover.
bemymonkey said:
Are there any decent instant messengers like GAIM for Windows Mobile? I'd like something that can do ICQ and MSN at the same time, if possible...
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I was using IM+ which did a good job, but just discovered the soft I was looking for since ages
Fring, it can do ICQ, MSN, google talk, Skype (!) and SIP at the same time !!!
It's free, still need development but is already VERY efficient.
++
niko
Hey everyone... thanks for the replies ... you've helped out a lot.
Downloading Fring right now (still waiting for that damned sms )...
Anyone else's SD card REALLY slow? I don't really have any other SD cards or even devices which use them, but my Kingston card is extremely slow - about 5 minutes to transfer 25MB via the cable... is my card incompatible with the phone? Or is that pretty much normal?
Transferring files via ActiveSync is slow. Also your device only has USB 1.1
If you want to transfer large files to your SD I recommend you get a USB 2 card reader - some sites sell them as cheap as 3$.
Alternatively try WM5STORAGE it improves a little on AS speed.
Hmmm, looks like I'll be getting a cardreader... why is this crap so expensive?
Thanks for all your help, everyone!
bemymonkey said:
Hmmm, looks like I'll be getting a cardreader... why is this crap so expensive?
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??? I can get one for 5€..
I Learned It : )
Thank;s
Hello,
Six months ago I purchased an HTC X7501. My main purpose was to use it for internet surfing, email, listening to audio books and GPS nav. I was upgrading then from a QVGA Hermes and I wanted the larger screen, 3G, and GPS capability. At the time I of my upgrade I was also considering the x9500 but made the judgment that it was too big and that the VGA screen of the X7501 was good enough.
However, even though I have had fun playing with the X7501 and trying out many new ROMs, I have never really gotten the browsing experience I was hoping for. The various browsers I have tried, including the latest opera mobile, have not cut it for me.
I recently bought a Dell Mini 9 for my mom and spent some time playing with it. I have to say I loved it as far as the size, speed and browsing experience went. Of course I would have to do much upgrading/adding on to get the full capability of my X7501. GPS, 3G connectivity, touch scree, etc.
So long story short (unless you have had to read all the above) I am now re-thinking my earlier decision and am considering selling my X7501 (anybody looking for one?) and buying and X9500 (anybody selling one?).
So I am asking for comments from anyone who is familiar with both as to what surprises I might have...
And I have a few questions.....
Can I use stereo bluetooth on the WM side with MP3 player software?
How much storage for MP3s and such is actually available on the WM side? You see I know the batt life is limited on the Vista/XP side and I would still like to listen to my audio books and such and get the good batt life that the WM side offers.
I also use my X7501 tethered (both wired and via bluetooth) to my laptop to access the internet and it works great. Is this possible to do this from the WM side (btw - I recognize that I will have to be flashing ROMs and otherwise fiddling, I am really asking about the possibilities, not what the stock capabilities are). And, I know that the vista/xp side would let me connect to the internet via 3G, lessening the need to tether at all, however, I need to also tether to my work laptop which has the company VPN software on it.
I note the native resolution is 800x480, which is lower than what I like, but that you can use an interpolated 1024x800, which is exactly what I want, just how usable/readable is the screen at this higher resolution?
Also, I currently have an AT&T cell phone account with internet access. This is normally used for a combination device/phone such as the X7501. I understand that the X9500 does not allow phone usage. This is no problem with me because I almost never use the phone fuction, however, would I need to change my account/sim to an internet only plan? Or will a sim with the plan I currently have work?
Any other comments/observations would be appreciated.
Sorry if some of my questions are also covered in other places. I did so a fair about of browsing/surfing before I wrote this.
Regards,
Ken