Database Users

Considering the K-Jam... suggestions ?

I currently have a Jasjar, but I'm finding it too big...
I love all the features, but I want to be able to use it one-handed, throw it in my pocket, etc... the K-Jam seems like a good alternative.
The only things that I'm not liking about the K-Jam are:
- Lower rez screen (but it's smaller than the Jasjar, 3.6" vs. 2.8"... so its still pretty sharp... and I can't really see where I couldn't live without it)
- 2.5" headset jack, and on the bottom... (kinda annoying... but could use an adapter... but still a hassle because I currently plug my MP3 player into my car, my headphones AND speakers at the office, and I'll have to have an adapter sticking out of the bottom of my phone now...)
- Mini-SD card... (SD is much better to go above 2GB, even up to 4GB... and it's not exactly a well known or used format... SD is cheaper, and Memory Stick Pro Duo is coming down in price since the PSP came out... but what can I do)
Also, does it work well for one-handed use ?
Any ex-Treo users who care to comment ?
Any ideas ? Suggestions ?
Thanks !

The wizard is a solid device. Go for it!!
You will love the extra battery life and size. I really could not imagine having a universal clipped to my belt weighing my pants down.
I upgraded from an alpine and I could not be happier.
Higher screen REZ is not needed on a screen that small. The screen is much sharper compared to the alpine.
The OMAP cpu is just enough processing power to run everything out there.
Also, I noiticed you were in Canada so I doubt you were making use of the 3G power of the universal(probably another 5-7 years for Canada). The wizard is EDGE enabled so if you use rogers you will see great data download rates. I was lucky enough to already be signed up with fido and their $50/month unlimited data plan when rogers took over fido so i am paying $50 a month for unlimited EDGE use. I am quite sure FIDO does not offer this plan to new subscibers anymore.
My only compliants with the wizard are:
-HTC needs to make better use of the device by increasing screen size without increasing the size of the device.(all HTC devices)
-The stylus hole is a joke. My stylus hole wore out within 1 week and now my stylus slides out of the hole very easily. Soon it will probably be falling out. Didn't they bother testing this at all???
-no GPS.

hey audible,
thanks for the reply !
I am with fido / rogers as well and I signed up for the unlimited plan as well... are you in Montreal ? and where did you order your K-Jam ?
so yeah I'd be good using the EDGE support... I often use my p800 as a bluetooth modem with my laptop.
a few questions:
- that sounds bad about the stylus... is there a solution ?
- have you experienced any issues multi-tasking with the OMAP ?
- have you ever tried a VGA screen on a pda to compare ?
- how's the k-jams one handed use ? have you ever tried a treo for one handed use in comparison ?
- did you remap the explorer and mail buttons to something more useful ? like windows and OK ?
- does the 2.5" jack bother you ? do you use an adapter ?
- does the keyboard slide mechanism feel solid ? I'm worried now after what you said about the stylus...
thanks and look forward to your reply !
Posted from a Universal !

- that sounds bad about the stylus... is there a solution ?
I haven't had any probs with my stylus yet, except it may be a little looser than when I got it.
- have you experienced any issues multi-tasking with the OMAP ?
Nope, I can have several apps open at once (eg. Calender, Notes, Email, MSN, IE x 2 (using PPCPlus), TCPMP playing MP3) and its fine.
- have you ever tried a VGA screen on a pda to compare ?
It resembles the crispness of VGA screen because of its smaller size, but in no way matches the res.
- how's the k-jams one handed use ? have you ever tried a treo for one handed use in comparison ?
Haven't tried a treo, but WM5 is great for one handed use. I can do most things without the stylus. The Win and Ok keys on the keyboard make it even easier.
- did you remap the explorer and mail buttons to something more useful ? like windows and OK ?
You can, but I find their defaults good.
- does the 2.5" jack bother you ? do you use an adapter ?
I rarely use it, but yes when I do I use an adaptor.
- does the keyboard slide mechanism feel solid ? I'm worried now after what you said about the stylus...
I am happy with the slider. It seems pretty solid, and the screen definately feels like it will stay up when it is up.

Hey mitchello,
thanks for your feedback !
Audible:
Any comments ?

Wizard (imate K-JAM) is awesome!
Moving from a Blue Angel to the wizrd has so far been very pleasing. The smaller screen has been a little daunting, especially trying to use the "finger" stylus, but beyond that I highly recommend it.
Stability and features in WM5 are nice, and should not be discounted.
I'm on T-Mobile in the US, and EDGE is great at around 150kbs, compared to 30kbs via GPRS.

i upgraded from my IMATE PPC and i love the K-JAM , it is a little slow , but the battery is great.. i love the deviced , once you get used to it and all features you will love it..
i used adapter to play MP3 in my car and it work great...
good luck

i upgraded from my IMATE PPC and i love the K-JAM , it is a little slow , but the battery is great.. i love the deviced , once you get used to it and all features you will love it..
i used adapter to play MP3 in my car and it work great...
good luck

Hey rah,
thanks for the comments !
Good to hear someone else who uses it to play tunes in the car.
What about one-handed use ? Do you feel you have to do finger aerobics to do certain things, like open the start menu ?
I've heard of people mapping the Send Call button to the Start menu in the Today screen...
I'm wondering if I could map Send and End to Start and OK in every screen except for the Phone screen ?
Any comments ?

Xda Excalibur vs Hermes comparison

Just let you know my comparison of the two units after 5 days with the Xda Cosmo after having the Trion for the last 4 months. My Girlfriend brought me the Excalibur as a pre Christmas gift 8)
After 4 months my Trion main speaker stopped working and I have currently sent it back to get it replaced. All in all I was quite happy with the Trion except for a few quirks.
1. Media Player was buggy with the storage card
2. Never got WM5orage working properly (either had to stopo all my programs running on the storage card which included removing items from the Today screen).
3. Screen alignment problem.
I got the Hermes originally as it looked like a device which I didn't have to use the stylus much to access most of the functionality and in 90% of cases I got by with just using the jog wheel and a couple of presses with my thumb (I had the very first xda device and was turned off by the need to use the stylus to do simple things such as dialing and looking up contacts )
I had noticed due to the operating system PPC vs smartphone the PPC needed much more processing power and hence battery life was preety much limited due to the power from the CPU 400mhz vs 200mhz ( maybe of the extra functionality needed for the touchscreen ).
Differences in the devices
1. Xda Excalibur is more responsive even with the slower CPU. Contacts work instantly on typing on the keyboard. On the hermes there is always a delay in searching for contacts.
2. Excalibur supports multiple languages in its rom and therefore there no need to reflash the rom with the rom with your appropriate language.
3. A2DP works flawlessly on Excalibur being aku 3.2. No need to install cab files to get it working and no sound quality issues and no need to get somone to write a bt stack driver to get around the microsoft one.
4. Programs in general for smartphone seem to be running better than on Pocket PC. Tomtom 6 Navigator doesn't run on the Cosmo but Tomtom 5 work just fine and performance actually seems better on the smartphone even with the lower CPU. Same is notice with other PPC vs Smartphone progams I have eg Skype and Fizz Traveller
5. Cosmo has 128 MB flash ram which is really useful as I was always trying to install everything on the SD card with the Trion to get as much memory possible for standard stuff such as emails, ringtones etc. Yes I know you can tweak the Hermes to get ringtones from the SD card but it just a hassle changing the registry settings.
6. For some reason Windows Live Beta works on the Cosmo. It stopped working on the Hermes about a month ago and never worked since. The smartphone version looks really nice as well and functions much better as I have noticed with all smartphone vs ppc programs.
7. WLAN works much better on the Cosmo compared to the Hermes eg handling of connection settings when WLAN is turned on. On the Hermes I always had to go through the process of changing my connection settings every time I switched by WLAN on an off.
8. Battery life on cosmo is much better. 3.5-4 days use compared to 1.5-2 days use on Trion. Probably because of CPU (I also changed the Hermes to GPRS only to try and save battery life due to UMTS draining the battery)
9. Not to sing all praises for the Excalibur. The only drawback I have found so far for my purposes is the Microsoft Office editing functionality is not possible on the smartphone.
10. 2MP camera vs 1.3 MP camera but I really cannot see much advantage in the quality as the 2MP wasnt that great to start with. Yes the Hermes has a led light but I doesn't really help with indoor photos. The 1.3 MP camera seems to be better quality than other 1.3 MP cameras before and for emails, web photos and MMS quality seems fine for my purposes as I wont ever print out photos from a camera handy.
11. Lack to UMTS/HSDPA on Excalibur. Loose the speed but you'll gain heaps on battery life.
12. Microsoft Media Player works with the SD card. No disappearing songs 8)
13. Price. The excalibur is less than 1/6 the price of the Trion on contract. My Girlfriend brought the Cosmo on contact for 60 Euro. I got the Trion for 320 Euro on the same contact.
14. and I think this is the killer. The excalibur have looks to die for. The Hermes is thick and although many people would say it is solidly built after using the Excalibur it makes the Hermes look like a oversized flimsy machine. The Excalibur is thin and compact with a large screen. Fits in your shirt pocket or even slide it into your jeans!!! HTC have outdone themselves with the build quality I haven't seen any phone build as solid including the razr. I fells like the device is made out of titanium or magnesium with a soft feel rubber all along the back of the device and for the keys as well, ( I cat't stop touching the device it feels sooo.. good ). My Girlfriend who is really fashion concious absolutely loves the look of the device. Photos on the net do not do it justice you have to see it in real to appreciate it's looks for me one look and it was love at first sight. (I first got a look at it from a female collegue who got the phone)
It took me a day to get used to the smaller keyboard and maybe bigger thumbs might have some problems but with rubber keys feel beautiful and make each key feel distinct during typing. The excalibur really is a one hand device even with the d pad and keys only. The touch slider is just a added bonus with flexibility.
After writing this I have noticed that this is more of a sales pitch for the excalibur than a comparison of the two devices but I have found my perfect device which does everything I need without any problems ( performance, bugs and quirks ). If you dont need the UMTS speed I must say Excalibur is the way to go. If you really need UMTS and 2MP camera then wait for the Calivier ( the UMTS /2 MP / 300Mhz version of the excalibur, rumoured to release in Spring next year ).
For me the excalibur seems to have a quite launch compared to the expectations of the Hermes maybe because on paper the Hermes looks better in terms of specifications but for usability it's excalibur all the way.
Now what to do with my Trion when it gets back?

excalibur is a smartphone right ?

Yes it is a smartphone but I think that is why it is much more responsive. Microsoft has done something right with wm5 for smartphone. Theres not much a smartphone cant do now compared to the pocket pc now. except for the microsoft office editing capabilities. I tried skype today and for some reason it was much more clearer than the pocket pc version.

it depends what you use it for..
if youre like me who has to do Office work, watch movies and play tradewinds then the touch screen is VITAL.. personally i dont have any issues with my hermes as the ones youve mentioned above..
and ofcourse there is the touch screen

I just got myself a smartphone (samsung i607) after having the wizard for a year. I was thinkign the same thing you are about smartphone functionality. i was wrong though. There is an extreme lack of third party programs for smartphone. In particular, there aren't any good web browsers whatsoever for wm5smartphone. not a single one. You also cannot customize the homescreen without downloading predefined ones online. I never found one i liked. I like to use data instant messaging programs. and there is a flaw in all of them for smartphone. They don't have homescreen plugins and there is absolutely no onscreen display that you have received a message when the program is in the forgroud. In fact, i hated the lack of flexibility on the smartphone so much that 24 hours after buying the i607, i bought the hermes. I'm still waiting for it to come, and cant wait to start doing everything i used to do with the wizard only faster.

k2snowboards88 said:
I just got myself a smartphone (samsung i607) after having the wizard for a year. I was thinkign the same thing you are about smartphone functionality. i was wrong though. There is an extreme lack of third party programs for smartphone. In particular, there aren't any good web browsers whatsoever for wm5smartphone. not a single one. You also cannot customize the homescreen without downloading predefined ones online. I never found one i liked. I like to use data instant messaging programs. and there is a flaw in all of them for smartphone. They don't have homescreen plugins and there is absolutely no onscreen display that you have received a message when the program is in the forgroud. In fact, i hated the lack of flexibility on the smartphone so much that 24 hours after buying the i607, i bought the hermes. I'm still waiting for it to come, and cant wait to start doing everything i used to do with the wizard only faster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I Have both, S620 to work and TyTn for play, and I had Wizard.
Try opera mini... better than IE and I use it also on HERMES
I've found a LOT of home screens (motorola Q has many of it) but also I like to play with XML, using just notepad and I have now my PERFECT , tre pages (scrolling), Home screen!
Office problems? try the new DATAWIZ suite, much better than office embedded in TyTN
Great as navigator and fits in my jeans pocket (the BACK pocket) and in my shirt pocket!
I 've sold the wizard believing the HERMES was the empowered Wizard. It Is the STUPID WIZARD'S BIG BROTHER believe me!

I've tried opera mini, and i dont particularly like it. I consider it to be a step down from the standard PIE with the reg edit to make PIE identify itself as a desktop computer. I guess i just miss the adaptability of my wizard. My hermes will be here soon though. I'll never make the mistake of selling my old phone before getting a new one again. If i dont like the hermes, i'll still have my blackjack. After a week, i'll decide which one to keep.

Ameo - The first few days.

Just wanted to say how pleased I am with the Ameo after the first few days of use, and identify some of the small issues with it. I'm impressed with the speed more or less, coming from a Dell Axim x50v with the WM5 'upgrade' applied.
So, good points first..
Fantastic Screen - 5" plenty big enough for me
Keyboard - its great that it just clicks on and goes, and it holds the PDA in the correct position.
Web (and Walk) Button - that it launches Opera rather than pie.
Camera - pretty good quality for a phone cam.
Internet - I dig the 3G!!
GPS - The chip seems great and good at picking up the satellites with relative ease. On a trip seems to hold at least 5 bars in tomom 97% of the time - my old one only averages 3-4.
Microdrive - So good to not have to worry about space.
Weight - yes its heavy, but not as heavy as expected, given the kit inside the case!
Connectivity - Plenty of cables to get started with, the charger, usb AND the VGA cable!
Battery power - surprising good and reasonably long lasting
Bad Points
Doesn't seem to resume all that well - sometimes need a reset button pressed to get it to come back to life.
The screen rotation can be a bit inconsistent - especially after poweroff/ons.
Tomtom V6 screen refresh seems a little slow, even with all poi's turned off. Maybe the latest build will help - also, not got voices working yet.
The USB doesn't seem to charge up, just hold the existing charge.
MiniSD (this is only because I've just recently bought a couple of SD cards!).
Headphones - haven't got the headphones working with Mediaplayer yet - the sound just comes out of the speakers.
That large file transfer problem - although the Removable storage fix sorts that and is far quicker than craptivsync. Although then the Microdrive isn't visible at the same time within the PDA.
No IrDA port. Not necessary, but would be nice to use it as an all in one remote!
Not much else to report at the moment, I've rigged up a holster in the car, pending a proper version, and I'll get the 4 in 1 cable fairly soon.
What a cracking device though, that really promotes the wow-factor!

Digital.Diablo said:
Just wanted to say how pleased I am with the Ameo after the first few days of use, and identify some of the small issues with it. I'm impressed with the speed more or less, coming from a Dell Axim x50v with the WM5 'upgrade' applied.
So, good points first..
Fantastic Screen - 5" plenty big enough for me
Keyboard - its great that it just clicks on and goes, and it holds the PDA in the correct position.
Web (and Walk) Button - that it launches Opera rather than pie.
Camera - pretty good quality for a phone cam.
Internet - I dig the 3G!!
GPS - The chip seems great and good at picking up the satellites with relative ease. On a trip seems to hold at least 5 bars in tomom 97% of the time - my old one only averages 3-4.
Microdrive - So good to not have to worry about space.
Weight - yes its heavy, but not as heavy as expected, given the kit inside the case!
Connectivity - Plenty of cables to get started with, the charger, usb AND the VGA cable!
Battery power - surprising good and reasonably long lasting
Bad Points
Doesn't seem to resume all that well - sometimes need a reset button pressed to get it to come back to life.
The screen rotation can be a bit inconsistent - especially after poweroff/ons.
Tomtom V6 screen refresh seems a little slow, even with all poi's turned off. Maybe the latest build will help - also, not got voices working yet.
The USB doesn't seem to charge up, just hold the existing charge.
MiniSD (this is only because I've just recently bought a couple of SD cards!).
Headphones - haven't got the headphones working with Mediaplayer yet - the sound just comes out of the speakers.
That large file transfer problem - although the Removable storage fix sorts that and is far quicker than craptivsync. Although then the Microdrive isn't visible at the same time within the PDA.
No IrDA port. Not necessary, but would be nice to use it as an all in one remote!
Not much else to report at the moment, I've rigged up a holster in the car, pending a proper version, and I'll get the 4 in 1 cable fairly soon.
What a cracking device though, that really promotes the wow-factor!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MY dopod u1000 don't have any large file transfer problem at all
and my headphone works straight away

Digital.Diablo said:
Just wanted to say how pleased I am with the Ameo after the first few days of use, and identify some of the small issues with it. I'm impressed with the speed more or less, coming from a Dell Axim x50v with the WM5 'upgrade' applied.
So, good points first..
Fantastic Screen - 5" plenty big enough for me
Keyboard - its great that it just clicks on and goes, and it holds the PDA in the correct position.
Web (and Walk) Button - that it launches Opera rather than pie.
Camera - pretty good quality for a phone cam.
Internet - I dig the 3G!!
GPS - The chip seems great and good at picking up the satellites with relative ease. On a trip seems to hold at least 5 bars in tomom 97% of the time - my old one only averages 3-4.
Microdrive - So good to not have to worry about space.
Weight - yes its heavy, but not as heavy as expected, given the kit inside the case!
Connectivity - Plenty of cables to get started with, the charger, usb AND the VGA cable!
Battery power - surprising good and reasonably long lasting
Bad Points
Doesn't seem to resume all that well - sometimes need a reset button pressed to get it to come back to life.
The screen rotation can be a bit inconsistent - especially after poweroff/ons.
Tomtom V6 screen refresh seems a little slow, even with all poi's turned off. Maybe the latest build will help - also, not got voices working yet.
The USB doesn't seem to charge up, just hold the existing charge.
MiniSD (this is only because I've just recently bought a couple of SD cards!).
Headphones - haven't got the headphones working with Mediaplayer yet - the sound just comes out of the speakers.
That large file transfer problem - although the Removable storage fix sorts that and is far quicker than craptivsync. Although then the Microdrive isn't visible at the same time within the PDA.
No IrDA port. Not necessary, but would be nice to use it as an all in one remote!
Not much else to report at the moment, I've rigged up a holster in the car, pending a proper version, and I'll get the 4 in 1 cable fairly soon.
What a cracking device though, that really promotes the wow-factor!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Few comments:
After removing the battery, press and hold power button to turn on device, not soft-reset. Normal press will not power on.
The apparent rotation on screen afer resume from standby is due to "notiication panel"window returning to normal view.
TomTom6 works for may people, even cracks work well
BT stereo should work with even the most basic of headsets surprised you have problems.
Try and read more on this forum to solve all your problems, otherwise you would waste thisdevice.

Forgot to add, half the standard software isn't listed in the programs folder, i.e. Calc, Opera, Notes and well, thats about it... Just a bit strange that they've not got shortcuts, but heyho.

victoradjei said:
Few comments:
After removing the battery, press and hold power button to turn on device, not soft-reset. Normal press will not power on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, its not that - sometimes it will go into standby then just wont turn on without a soft reset.
The apparent rotation on screen afer resume from standby is due to "notiication panel"window returning to normal view.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I identified that bit, shame the firmware can't take that into account. It does it somewhat randomly going in and out of tomtom as well.
TomTom6 works for may people, even cracks work well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it works fine, just the refresh rate is a bit slow (maybe 1-2fps). Like I say, maybe a version newer than 6.000 will resolve the issue.
BT stereo should work with even the most basic of headsets surprised you have problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not using BT - I'm using the headphones that came in the box with the built in mic. Didn't output mediaplayer sound via them earlier when I tried it, I need to experiment a little more.
Try and read more on this forum to solve all your problems, otherwise you would waste thisdevice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been reading loads since last week when I decided to get the device. The only problem is it can sometimes be difficult to locate the info. But I found the fix for the large file problem didn't I?

Wah the problem with the device for not being able to turn on after going into stand by is a very serious problem. I wouldn't get U1000 until it's resolved since I always need to refer to my PDA instantenously. I cannot afford having to soft reset and wait for the device to turn on whenever I need the device the most. I never experienced this problem with Dopod 900.
Digital.Diablo said:
Yeah, its not that - sometimes it will go into standby then just wont turn on without a soft reset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

jlingo said:
Wah the problem with the device for not being able to turn on after going into stand by is a very serious problem. I wouldn't get U1000 until it's resolved since I always need to refer to my PDA instantenously. I cannot afford having to soft reset and wait for the device to turn on whenever I need the device the most. I never experienced this problem with Dopod 900.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it to do with T-mobile's ROM? because i am using the DOPOD U1000, and i don't have this issue at all, and 3 other friends of mine don't have this problem as well

Digital.Diablo said:
Bad Points
Doesn't seem to resume all that well - sometimes need a reset button pressed to get it to come back to life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any third party software already installed or opened in the background? memory leak? Perhaps those could cause wake up problems?
thanks

Sounds like you have a faulty device
I would send that device back immediately for replacement!
I have abused my ameo by all sorts of tweaks and hacks but no such problems since i got it.

I sent my U1000 back for warranty claim(under 7 days) cause always prompting me my SIM is invalid, eventhough i've switch to a newly applied one. Other than that, everything is fine. MapKing works great though.

jlingo said:
Wah the problem with the device for not being able to turn on after going into stand by is a very serious problem. I wouldn't get U1000 until it's resolved since I always need to refer to my PDA instantenously. I cannot afford having to soft reset and wait for the device to turn on whenever I need the device the most. I never experienced this problem with Dopod 900.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do have this problem on my u1000 too..
yup, dopod 900 dont ve this problem too (til I upgrade to WM6 .. but still less than u1000 ... )

wonder said:
I do have this problem on my u1000 too..
yup, dopod 900 dont ve this problem too (til I upgrade to WM6 .. but still less than u1000 ... )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that is strange, i don't see any sign of this problem on my device, is it to do with third party software?

It hasn't done the non-resume problem for a couple of days, funnily enough. Thinking back, it may be sometime again to do with tomtom, as I have a feeling it suspended whilst TT was active. I'll monitor, do some experiements and report back.
Also fixed the headphone issue - looks like I wasn't 'using the force'. I tried again just and noted that the headphone jack was about 1mm shy of home - pushed even harder and its clicked in and now I have sound in my phones!

wonder said:
I do have this problem on my u1000 too..
yup, dopod 900 dont ve this problem too (til I upgrade to WM6 .. but still less than u1000 ... )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Wonder,
Any third party software you already installed? or it's still free from third party software? otherwise it's pretty bad for clean U1000 cannot wake up from standby. Incompatibilites SIM Cards perhaps?

jlingo said:
Hi Wonder,
Any third party software you already installed? or it's still free from third party software? otherwise it's pretty bad for clean U1000 cannot wake up from standby. Incompatibilites SIM Cards perhaps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do think is the 3rd party problem.
Well... actually, those Today Screen stuff always hange up screen!

wonder said:
I do think is the 3rd party problem.
Well... actually, those Today Screen stuff always hange up screen!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you please elaborate a bit more, which today screen software are you using?
Thanks

Mine wouldn't resume this morning.
I had running:-
Opera Browser,
Internet Explorer,
Media Player.
It was also connected to the mains charger and was powered down via the button on the side.

Digital.Diablo said:
Forgot to add, half the standard software isn't listed in the programs folder, i.e. Calc, Opera, Notes and well, thats about it... Just a bit strange that they've not got shortcuts, but heyho.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this confused me at first, too.
there are shortcuts, it's just that they're all hidden in sub-folders - like
"Organiser" which has Calc, Calendar, Notes and Tasks, or
"Messages" which has Email setup and Messaging or
"Contacts" which has Contacts and SIM Manager or

Can you kindly confirm if the Ameo has keyboard backlighting? A review I saw on the net says so but the base HTC Athena design seems not to have the backighting. Dopod U1000 variant is confirmed not to have it either. Does Ameo have backlighting? Thanks

k_kirk said:
Can you kindly confirm if the Ameo has keyboard backlighting? A review I saw on the net says so but the base HTC Athena design seems not to have the backighting. Dopod U1000 variant is confirmed not to have it either. Does Ameo have backlighting? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, but there is no backlighting on the keyboard of the Ameo

Wizard Vs. Wing

So my wizard has been acting up (see the annoying white screen post ) i was wondering first of all if i am allowed to send in my MDA to get it replaced with a Wing for free, since they no longer make MDAs and my MDA is not working properly. Second is the Wing better than the MDA, because i heard that it only has 1 speaker, and no IR (i dont really use IR but its nice to have it). So i was wondering if the speaker is really different than the MDAs or are they both about the same in loudness and quality level.?
BTW: I live in the US so it would be T-Mobile US.

killerkhatiby009 said:
So my wizard has been acting up (see the annoying white screen post ) i was wondering first of all if i am allowed to send in my MDA to get it replaced with a Wing for free, since they no longer make MDAs and my MDA is not working properly. Second is the Wing better than the MDA, because i heard that it only has 1 speaker, and no IR (i dont really use IR but its nice to have it). So i was wondering if the speaker is really different than the MDAs or are they both about the same in loudness and quality level.?
BTW: I live in the US so it would be T-Mobile US.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nobody, except Tmobile can answer your question about getting the Wing as a free replacement for MDA
For MDA vs Wing, I can share my experience with you. I recently got the Wing to play around with and still have my MDA. There are some areas of improvements on the Wing but there are also some downside. But IMHO the improvement is out weight the cons. Missing IR is a disadvantage, but most pp don't use the IR connection nowaday, Bluetooth is over taking the IR.
For speakers, hard to tell with one is better. I think the MDA is a little louder, but the Wing seems to have the clearer sound. Hard to say which is better.

I called T-Mobile about getting a Wing and what would happen if I had an issue with my mda and needed a replacement and T-Mobile still has MDAs to send out to people that need replacements. So I`d doubt they`ll send you a wing instead.

I don't have any proof of this but I have heard that T-mobile is sending wings out to people who have a defective MDA. You'd have to call T-mobile to be sure, of course. There is probably a finite supply of MDA's left in their inventory as it is, so eventually you will probably only be able to get a wing as a replacement. When that will be, I have no idea...
My husband has the wing and I have the mda. I like having the IR because there is a program that will let you use your device as a universal remote. Comes in very handy when you're in a place where you'd like to change the TV channel but don't have the remote (hospital rooms, hotels, etc).
I haven't really listened closely to my husband's wing but the speaker quality seems to be decent. When his phone rings I can't tell whether it is mine or his. I've been flashing my rom a lot lately so there hasnt been any use in changing the ringer all the time.
One thing I am jealous about with hubby's Wing is that the screen pops out from the keyboard instead of sliding the way the MDA does. So you don't get the problem of the screen hanging halfway off of the keyboard if you don't close it all the way.
Also the stylus doesn't just fall out of the Wing like it does with the MDA.
If you get a Wing you will not be able to use your Mini SD card since the Wing uses Micro SD.
The Wing's Comm Manager button is on the keyboard instead of the side of the case. Unless there's a trick we haven't noticed yet, you can't just hold down a button on the side of the case to switch between speaker and vibrate. You actually have to do something on-screen or pop out the keyboard.
WM6 on the MDA works great for me (using X-plore), and it is faster than the old WM5. With that in mind, I'm not noticing a huge increase in speed or performance with the Wing. I haven't really looked much into it but hubby tells me the two devices use the same cpu.
The Wing has the 2 MP camera whereas the MDA has 1 MP. Image quality is about the same except of course the Wing can store larger images. If you want, pm me and I can take 2 pictures of the same object using the Wing and the MDA and let you compare them... I don't know how important that is to you.
The Wing is somewhat lighter than the MDA, but hubby and I both find this weight difference to be barely noticeable. Wing is slightly thinner. Again, its a minimal difference.
The Wing is, as far as I know, the Herald, so you might also want to check the herald forums to see what people think and feel about theirs.
Personally, I'm satisfied with my MDA and I wouldn't want to trade it in unless it was suffering from a major disfunction.

Wow, thanks that was a lot of info. Ill talk to T-mobile about replacing my MDA because it is defective, my screen keeps turning completely white for no reason and to remove the whiteness i have to slide out the keyboard just so the first row of keys show. But anyway thanks for the information, it has saved me a ton of time looking for reviews and comparisons.

Can Aim be any slower!
hey Im a happy MDA user but I have never been happy with the extreme slowness of the aim. Thats the only problem i have with my MDA, the msn messenger goes really quick i dont understand why the aim is soo slow.Is there any way i can make it faster!? ive tried numerous things since september of 06 lol. and does anybody know if the aim on the wing goes quicker? because Ive been eyeing the wing. help !

my opinion
so I got my wing yesterday, first impression it feels nice since I had WM6 on my MDA there was not much to explore the first thing I checked was MEMORY and that did not look pretty here is what I had:
Storage Programs
total:39.44 Total: 43.87
in use: 13.87 in use: 28 something
Free: 25 MB or so Free: 15 something
compared to what I have on my MDA with the awsome wm6 X-plore 2.0n and after installing over 10 apps and all kinds of tweaks this wing is a real WIMP on memory, so I decided to do a hard reset and did soft reset before the Tmobile customization started I wanted to get rid of all T-mobile crap but that did not work it did get rid of some apps and I ganed about 7MB of storage memory but did not help the program memory I gues some of the T-Movbile stuff is part of the Rom and that sucks. when I did the first soft reset I kept looking for the hole on th right side of the phone but it was on the left, since I am right handed that to me is an inconvenience, the siding action on the keyboard is nice, typing on it is not bad at all, what I did not like about it is that it's slides open the opposite way the MDA does again I think that is another inconvenience for a right handed person since most people use their thumb to push the keyboard open, I thought to myself maybe they had a right handed and left handed version...lol.. beacause this is annoying for a right handed person, then again maybe its just me. I like the new "ok" and "windows" buttons the front keys are nice and easy to use I am not sure I like the side buttons lay out I liked them better on the MDA. Before I got this wing thing I wondered how the sound would be with one speaker well, I found out the sound on the MDA is louder when playing mp3 files and when the phone rings quality wise it's close but overall I like the MDA stereo speakers better, the camera on the wing is better quality of course it should be since it's 2.0 MP vs the 1.3 mp on the MDA.
Overall it's an ok device I think I have to give it a couple of weeks see how me and IT get along, but my number one wish is TO FLASH IT and get all that wasted memory back, and that will happen I just dont wanna falsh now because there is no ship rom to go back to in case I brick it.
anyway that was my opinion so far and I will post more as time goes.

SamanthaLovesPink said:
hey Im a happy MDA user but I have never been happy with the extreme slowness of the aim. Thats the only problem i have with my MDA, the msn messenger goes really quick i dont understand why the aim is soo slow.Is there any way i can make it faster!? ive tried numerous things since september of 06 lol. and does anybody know if the aim on the wing goes quicker? because Ive been eyeing the wing. help !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try using IMplus it's fast and works well for all messengers.

htc advantage x7501 vs x7510

I currently own an axim x51v. I was planning to switch to the htc advantage x7501, but have been waiting because of price. Since reading reviews on both the 7501 and 7510 it sounds like the 7510 is the better choice because of 16 gig flash rather than 8 gig hard drive and 'future' version of WM. However the keyboard seems like a turn-off. I have also read they removed some hardware buttons which isn't a huge concern to me. I will buy one of these devices in the future. Does anyone have advice (battery life, functional keyboard, anything to convince me to go with one over the other). also, has anyone heard price or US availability for x7510?

No one.....?
Anything.........?

I think X7510 is only availabe in Europe at the moment. If you're in US, you could only get X7501 instead of X7510. I would not think it is such a bad decision, here is why:
I would not discount the seriousness of the lack of buttons if I were you. For me the inconvinience is quite real. So much functionalities are now missing due to the missing hardware buttons. Just to describe a couple of them for your consideration:
- Without hardware button in MP3, you probably can't switch off the screen while the musics are being played. You can't change song with the button. To do anything, you have to take the device out of the belt pouch (instead of letting it stay in there) and use the touchscreen to control it
- If you're using say Tom Tom GPS system, and decides that you want to make a phone call. With X7501, you could just press the ok button to minimise tom tom, and use any other program you want before returning back to tom tom. Without such hardware button, you most probably exit tom tom to do whatever you want, then restart tom tom. How inconvinient!
You might want to be aware that there is an ongoing effort to change the microdrive in X7500/7501 into a 32GB SSD. If this turns out to be successfully, then there is no question in my mind that the modified device is way way superior to the X7510. X7501/7500 also has a larger battery, which is expected to last longer once we successfully upgrade to the SSD.

Excellent, first real feedback i've had on this topic in about 3 days and countless forums. When i first heard about the x7510, obviously i thought GREAT! this is the7501 with everything 'fixed.' As i mentioned earlier i was concerned about the keyboard. But the biggest turn off of the x7501 for me was the 8 gig hard drive, thought this would kill any chance of decent battery life especially with a 5" screen.
I definitely agree that a 32 gig SSD would put me to the X7501 all the way. Thanks for the advice. Any idea when we might see this upgrade?

I hate to disagree with you steve, but...I disagree on this specific point:
eaglesteve said:
- If you're using say Tom Tom GPS system, and decides that you want to make a phone call. With X7501, you could just press the ok button to minimise tom tom, and use any other program you want before returning back to tom tom. Without such hardware button, you most probably exit tom tom to do whatever you want, then restart tom tom. How inconvinient!
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You don't have to exit an application to use another one, just because you're missing some hardware buttons. In my instance, there are a number of ways around this issue:
1. I use Wisbar Advance 2, which has a show desktop link in its menu.
2. Also under WA2, I have one icon in the taskbar that also has the same function.
3. I configured the camera button to launch the phone app, since the camera is something I use so rarely.
Having said that, I fully agree that the missing buttons and especially the joystick is a big step back - my usage scenarios may differ from yours, but the extra input options are too useful to just drop, especially since they're more precise than using the screen.
Edit: Ugh, I forgot that GPS programs tend to be fullscreen, which means solution 1 and 2 wouldn't work. No 3 does though, although it means sacrificing one button for that alone. You could also get a button mapping program like AE Button Plus, which would multiply the use you can get out of one button.

weaselcossey said:
But the biggest turn off of the x7501 for me was the 8 gig hard drive, thought this would kill any chance of decent battery life especially with a 5" screen.
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Click to collapse
It's hard to say whether the x7501 would have better battery life with a flash SSD drive since we have no direct means of comparison at the moment. I've had however compared the difference between an 8GB CF card and an 8GB MD in my previous PDA - the difference in battery life was about 5%-10% at most. I also saw some benchmarks a couple of years back on battery drain between a CF card and a MD, and the difference really only lay in one area - drive spinup. A CF card of course doesn't have a spinup mode, where the drive platters and head have to be powered and moved. In standby and in operation, the difference in battery drain between the two was minimal.
That calls into question whether caching of MD contents (for instance, when playing video), would really have an impact on saving battery life compared to forgoing caching completely, as the constant power-ups and power-downs may drain the battery faster than one power up and then constant use. To balance against that of course, is that its probably safer on the drive to cache, as the drive heads would most likely be parked if you drop the device, or bump it into something.

hishamh said:
I hate to disagree with you steve, but...I disagree on this specific point:
You don't have to exit an application to use another one, just because you're missing some hardware buttons. In my instance, there are a number of ways around this issue:
1. I use Wisbar Advance 2, which has a show desktop link in its menu.
2. Also under WA2, I have one icon in the taskbar that also has the same function.
3. I configured the camera button to launch the phone app, since the camera is something I use so rarely.
Having said that, I fully agree that the missing buttons and especially the joystick is a big step back - my usage scenarios may differ from yours, but the extra input options are too useful to just drop, especially since they're more precise than using the screen.
Edit: Ugh, I forgot that GPS programs tend to be fullscreen, which means solution 1 and 2 wouldn't work. No 3 does though, although it means sacrificing one button for that alone. You could also get a button mapping program like AE Button Plus, which would multiply the use you can get out of one button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know about WA2. I don't use it and have no intention of having it. Similarly I do not intend to have AE Button. Assuming that AE button can perform the job of joystick (can it??) Most of us will not have it either. I do not want to sacrifice the camera, thank you. In fact, now I use the action button for camera, as this reduces blur.
What I'm saying is for the general situation.
I think while there may be work around if we explore hard, fact remains that it will not be as convenient anymore. I think you would agree with me that my point still stand - that having all the hardware buttons is far better than having just some of them.

eaglesteve said:
I think while there may be work around if we explore hard, fact remains that it will not be as convenient anymore. I think you would agree with me that my point still stand - that having all the hardware buttons is far better than having just some of them.
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Click to collapse
Oh I don't disagree with you, just for that specific situation (which I had to clarify as well). I won't miss the extra buttons so much as I would the joystick, though.

How serious of an issue is the shock resistance of the 8 GB micro drive? I plan to carry the advantage on my hip, at least during summer months. I've never owned a mobile device with an actual spinning hard drive. What are some effects of this this thing getting bumped against a doorway? Even if the possibilty of swapping the micro-drive for 16 or 32 GB SSD, will this change cost more than the x7510? I'm still waiting for the x7510 to be released in US, whether I buy it or hopefully see a substantial price drop in the x7501. Right now i'm leaning towards the x7510. Any feedback on the micro-drive would be appreciated.

It has a shock sensor which protects the MD. I've dropped it a metre on my carpet before without problem.
If it is 32 gb with the hardware buttons at the same price or slightly more expensive than 7510, I'll still take X7501 anytime, if I'm doing the purchase myself. The keyboard does not come into the equation because it is really not needed at all for me. The hardware buttons are however very important. I can describe so many situations where I'll miss it very much, but I'll describe just one more there:
When using email (i have 5 email accounts), with the joystick, I can go from one inbox to another just by pusing the joystick In 7510 I think this is no longer possible. You would have to click menu->go to -> then click on the account that you wish to change to. With 7501, you just push your joystick to the right or left to go to the next/previous account.
Software wise, I'm sure we could get every single software that comes with 7510 into our 7500/7501. Powel is a great cook. You just watch what he can do.

Thanks for the feedback, eaglesteve. I'm still on the fence. I'm sure once the x7510 is released, and I see the substantial price difference, i'll go with the x7501. I am almost always away from my desktop, and consider a laptop too inconvenient. The keyboard is something I use quite often. i think I would enjoy the new keyboard, as my fingers get tired on my wife's at&t tilt. I use my mobile devices all day for surfing, e-mail, of course all the organizational stuff, and occasionally music,video, or games. However, as it often goes, money is a factor. I'll update when I make a purchase, and follow-up with my thoughts/regrets.

I will suggest to consider (in a business environment) X7500 and related as a perfect SECOND phone.
The problems IMHO are related to the MIC ("please say it again" is common in handsfree mode) and a LOUD sound from speakers (even at the minumum). Without BT headset is hard to use as primary phone. I use BT (Sony Ericsson Bluetooth HBH-DS970 - Headset) but many times I leave the X7500 in my room, and when I am back, without BT auto reconnect... my X7500 rings and is disconnected! Moreover I have to remember to charge BT too, I have disconnect problems in radio noisy environments,...
Wired headset? no thank's. I an really happy, but I have also the S620!

current expansys/uk prices:
X7500 - 634.95 GBP
X7510 - 699.96 GBP

£699.95, how much is that in U.S. dollars??

If you're going to use it notebook style,then you would need the keyboard. Go for the x7510. If keyboard is used, you will not miss the buttons. In mail, for example, you could use left and right arrow keys to move from accounts to accounts. It is people like me who use it as tablet that would miss the buttons.
It may take you some time to work out your OWN preferred way of using the device. With or without keyboard? With or without headset? What type of headset? What dpi? Which program launcher? Which office software? Which browser? I think the main thing is the open mindedness and willingness to experiment to get first hand knowledge of all possibilities. One of the ways will appeal to you personally the best.

eaglesteve said:
If you're going to use it notebook style,then you would need the keyboard. Go for the x7510.
It may take you some time to work out your OWN preferred way of using the device. With or without keyboard? With or without headset? What type of headset? What dpi? Which program launcher? Which office software? Which browser? I think the main thing is the open mindedness and willingness to experiment to get first hand knowledge of all possibilities. One of the ways will appeal to you personally the best.
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Click to collapse
I fully agree, and plus remember: a 5' screen and fast data connection means remote connection to you Office/Home PC and a good experience in 800x600 resolution using logmein (available also for free) or something better (and not free)
I use it as PC remotely connected, and I use it "locally" as organizer, e-mail, web browsing, music/video player... My "office platform" business is done remotely, fast and SAFE (no really "critical" data/documents on the go) and I use VISTA or XP !

weaselcossey said:
£699.95, how much is that in U.S. dollars??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
about 1100 dollars

weaselcossey said:
£699.95, how much is that in U.S. dollars??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
about 1400
going at the rate of 2 usd-> 1 gbp
just a rough estimate, use xe.com to get a good one

rorydaredkign said:
about 1400
going at the rate of 2 usd-> 1 gbp
just a rough estimate, use xe.com to get a good one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like the same price as Dopod U1000 when it was first released early last year.

eaglesteve said:
- Without hardware button in MP3, you probably can't switch off the screen while the musics are being played. You can't change song with the button. To do anything, you have to take the device out of the belt pouch (instead of letting it stay in there) and use the touchscreen to control it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eaglesteve, how do you control your music player (which one) and how do you get the screen to actually turn off, mine always stays on limiting the battery life severely.
I agree with you on Tomtom, I use that a lot in the car and the OK button is great, my old Universal didn't work like that and was a pain.