ADVICE NEEDED: Tornado --> wizard - 8125, K-JAM, P4300, MDA Vario General

Hey all
I've got the following two devices:
HTC Tornado, and HTC Magician.
i LOVE pocketPC now that i've used one! i've got the chance to swap either the Magician for a Charmer (which is basically an m600 without wi-fi if im right) OR
My Tornado for a Wizard/Vario/XDA Mini S.
I'm wondering which one people think would be best to go for?
i hear theres WM6 for the wizard? true?
also, i'd like to know what video playback is like on the device, i.e does it HAVE to be overclocked in order to view an uncompressed 700mb AVI file using coreplayer?! also, people who have one currently, are you happy with it?!
thanx.

You have to play 320x240 videos on the Wizard as the processor can't cope with anything bigger. My old Alpine could play uncompressed DVD backups but the battery life was poor. The Wizard feels more responsive then my Alpine but is slower with some tasks.

Related

Wizard and video

Hi guys'n'gals
I'm seriously considering upgrading my pensionable P900 to either a Magician or a Wizard device. I'm currently thinking Wizard for the persistent storage and built-in wifi, but I really want to be able to play good-quality videos using betaplayer/TCPMP. Has anyone tried this on the Wizard, and is the performance reasonable compared with the JAM?
Cheers
Z
video isnt that great
i have used video with the imate ii, imate jam, and the wizard
and just by comparing them the worst video in quality is the wizard,
the capture speed is also slightly slower on the wizard maybe because of the speed of the device being slower, so u sometimes get the occasional freeze while taking video
I think he means playing a movie or video file on the Wizard, not recording one with the camera...
I've been watching episodes of Scrubs on my K-JAM for the last couple of days, and I'm suitably imoressed. First, TCPMP works, rather than crashing or hogging memory. Secondly, the frame rate is impressive for such a small device. It is slightly slower than my iPaq 4150, but not enough to really notice. The sound quality is also very good.
guys, can you STREAM videos from your computer HD/router to the WIZARD without saccades ?
or are you talking about SD stored movies only ?
thanks :wink:

Prophet/JAMin versus Atom

Hi,
Did a search and couldn't find exactly the question I have so here goes. I'm looking to buy a phone/PDA unit and am currently stuck between the Prophet/JAMin and the Atom.
Main uses will be standard PDA stuff, however I do a lot of 4WDing and will be installing Oziexplorer mapping software (for offroad use) and perhaps TomTom or Destinator for city/urban use.
I am leaning more towards the JAMin for its fullsize SD card slot (I have a few cards already available), however I am concerned about the speed of the unit when running mapping given its 200Mhz chip compared to the Atoms 416Mhz one.
Anyone out there able to shed some light on this and allay or confirm my concerns? Other than the chip speed and slot size, I don't really see much difference between the specs for the two that would impact me - I can live with either Bluetooth 1.2 oe 2.0 and tri-band will suit as much as quad-band, although the one thing I haven't seen on the spec sheets is that the Atom will playback music files in AAC format whereas the JAMin will. Can anyone confirm this?
Hi!
I don't know much about the Atom, but as a recent switcher from JAM to Qtek S200 I would advise you to made a carefull move.
S200 Omap processor is slow, not by Mhz itself, but a poor performer, specially doing Bluetooth-GPS navigation.
I know it depends on ROM and radio versions, but mine is definitely lagging behind any other machine I had before, HTC machines I mean.
I'd rather stick with Intel processors and even WM 2003 if you are not fully commited to something that only WM5 provides... and I see nothing really.
Too early and poorly implemented the last HTC changes......
Jamin is better in so many ways
1. Atom screen my self-identify as transflective but it is not. Prophet (Jamin) screen is HQ TFT transflective. As result the Atom is almost "blind" outdoors. This is a serious drawback, specifically for SatNav
2. Atom has a 416 MHz CPU but it's integration leaves a lot for improvement. Prophet may be relatively slow 195 MHz (nothing realy disturbing but for demanding games and/or number crunching), but so is Atom, the latter for bad engineering.. Besides, comparing TI OMAP and Intel Bulverde only by numbers is wrong to start with...
3. Prophet on latest AKU2 ROM (all Jamin/Qtek/Dopod) is stable enough, Atom on latest ROM still gives headache, freezes, etc.
4. Prophet Quality of build materials is years better than Atom's.
I had both, had to choose one, finally chosen the Prophet sold the Atom (for what it's worth..)
my opinion about prophet
First of all I must say that I do not have an atom and I did not have a chance to use it.
So far I had XDA, XDA II, XDA IIi, HP ipaq 4150, and a number of GSM phones including Motorola V600 and Nokia 6230i.
I was never happy with PPC phones. There was always a PPC feature that was missing like Wi-Fi or widdcom stack.
Then came XDA IIi. Ever since I saw it on expansys, I waited it like a lover Oh my god, what a disapointment it was. As a PPC it was perfect, simply perfect; but as a phone it was horrible. There was echo on the conversations and camera was the worst I have seen with a 1.3 MP sensor. If you look at i-mate site it is still written under the "known issues" topic that "there is a slight echo reported by users which will be solved soon" :-D
And I gave up using PPC phones. I bought an ipaq h4150 and Nokia 6230i, both which I find the best.
Then after a year, just for curiosity, I bought a prophet.
I changed the ROM to the latest Dopod. I loaded a number of applications and tried to test it. At the very beginning it was very very slow. The starting was taking 2:15 minutes after soft reset and for Resco explorer 5.20 it was taking 13 to 19 seconds to open windows folder (Where all the files wer choosen to be viewed, ie "hide ... files" choice was unchecked). I have loaded and removed a lot of applications; most likely the registry was full of weird keys.
After a week, I hard reset the device and reloaded the applications. Now I am using a number of applications like spb diary, imageer, weather, pocket plus, time, gprs monitor, omega one calculator, Adope 2.0, Agile messenger, Resco explorer and Keyboard, Megasoft2000 Pocket Clock, Lygea 12C; TCPMP and some more and relativeley light applications. It takes 1:35 minutes from soft reset to open and 4 -5 seconds to view windows folder.
I do not use any overclocking or registry tweak to run the device faster.
I find the ppc very acceptable. The phone is very stable. No hang ups or freezing. The camera is very acceptable, not same, but very close to nokia 6230i or Sony K750 camera.
If you plan to have a ppc phone and if you do not want to wait for future products, I reccomend the device.
But I must warn you about one thing: You will see a number of people that are suffering from loosing the GSM signal after they lost it once. This should be very annoying. I don' t have any of the problems that people write here and there. But for some reason there are people that have serious problems like this.
Before finishing, let me take your attention to ipaq 4150. It is, in my opinion, the best PPC that has been designed. The lightest and fastest of all PPCs that has 400 MHz processor and built in Wi-Fi and BT. It also has a very sharp screen and built in widdcom stack. It is also very cheap in ebay. It may be a solution to processor power demanding applications.
These are all I can write.
Cheers.
What about the MIO A701. It has a built in GPS receiver. 8)
You can pre-order at Expansys: http://www.expansys.com.au/product.asp?code=134278
No transflecting TFT
Had an A701 for a while. Having a transmissive TFT LCD (versus Transflective) is a serious handicap for any daylight/outdoor navigation, while this is one of device's main reasons of being.
In principle, I would suggest to avoid transmissive LCD for any use model involving outdoor activity, inclusive of Dailight driving. This technology is older than Transflective (actually was replaced by the latter) and comes back now as a measure of lowering production cost .
To those unfamilliar with the terms, the transflective LCD self reflects any front lighting (including Sun's), while at same time being backlit. This is "enjoying both worlds" and allows near optimal viewing all-arround (indoors/outdoors). Of course it is also expensive. On the opposite side there's Transmissive LCD that usually involves back lighting (exclusively) via a transparent LCD panel. Direct front light practically kills any decent chance to view the screen which becomes (in various levels) a mirror...
There were some discussions on this forum, where some claimed that a certain provider in Europe offers "dimmer" and narrower angle-of-view Prophets, different than generic iMate/Qtek. A quick search here will show screenshots which are pretty clear.
I haven't materially seen this provider's Prophet, but a look on a Mio A701 screen outdoors can easily be self explaining (BTW so is Atom and a whole new line of new devices with "retro" cheeper screens.
Go prophet! Mine loads slowly, 2:25 due to WA2 and WAD, but afterwards is quite snapy. 3 secs for opening win folder! No regrets whatsoever...
OK, my mind is now made up.
After some comments here, and a review of the JAMin against the Atom on another forum (in particular using Oziexplorer which is one thing I specifically want), I am buying the JAMin. Seems much better and faster in many respects, and cheaper, and I can use my full size SD cards.....
Now I just need to find the best deal.

Should I get a Universal?

Hello,
Due to changing networks I am in the position of being able to choose a new handset and have decided (for the third time) to go for a Windows Mobile device.
I currently have an M2000 which has been sold so I need to choose what to get next.
I've narrowed down my choice to either a Wizard(Vario in the UK) or the Universal.
My obvious concern with the Universal is the size, however only I can answer whether that will be an issue by going to look at the phone in the metal (I still have my beloved C500 for nights out etc.)
So, that leaves the issue of performance etc. I will mainly be using it for WiFi/web, TomTom, SMS, the odd call and watching films on TCPMP (do i encode movies in 640x480 for this?). Oh and the odd game!
1) I presume TomTom works ok? I have version 5.00.
2) Does anyone know if the Handmark series of games work on it?
3) Is software generally incompatible with it?
In other words sell it to me
My concerns about the vario mainly relate to performance, noting a lot of people have issues with TomTom and videos (the other plus of the Universal, the nice screen!). Anyone gone from a Universal to a Vario or visa versa?
Thanks for any comments.

A few questions regarding the Prophet...

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!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
??? I can get one for 5€..
I Learned It : )
Thank;s

Extrem System Slowdown Using A2DP

Hi
I am Using Schaps WinMob6 with an Motorola S9 over A2DP, as soon as I start streaming the system slows down so bad that it is almost impossible to use!
Is this normal? Anyone using A2DP experiencing the same Problem? What can I do to fix this?
Grüsse,
Chris
i have experienced the same thing no matter when ROM I use. theres not a lot of settings to change so they just sit in a drawer now collecting dust.
i have experienced the same thing no matter what ROM I use. theres not a lot of settings to change so they just sit in a drawer now collecting dust.
I'm experiencing this as well with Schaps ROM. If someone got it to work without problem, please let us know.
Hmm, I don't remember this problem when I was using Schaps ROM... what app are you using to stream. I pretty much solely used Coreplayer 1.1.1 for everything though.
Definitely not having this problem with K's rom which I'm testing now. It works sweet.
If I remember correctly I tried with both WMP and PP with the same result.
I believe A2DP takes a fair amount of CPU power - first the application needs to decode the mp3, then feeds it into the virtual sound device - bluetooth stereo - whose drivers then transcode the sound into something that can fit into Bluetooth's bandwidth. The transcoding has to be done in real-time so it probably has a high priority for CPU time. I don't think I've ever used a ROM where A2DP wouldn't slow down the device, and this includes an Axim x50v @ 624 MHz.
Hi Guys,
I have the feeling that things have gotten a bit better after installing Total Commander!?
Does this make sense?
Using TCPMP with You Tub plugin ( Vids Run great unless A2DP / )
Grüsse,
Chris
kltye said:
I believe A2DP takes a fair amount of CPU power - first the application needs to decode the mp3, then feeds it into the virtual sound device - bluetooth stereo - whose drivers then transcode the sound into something that can fit into Bluetooth's bandwidth. The transcoding has to be done in real-time so it probably has a high priority for CPU time. I don't think I've ever used a ROM where A2DP wouldn't slow down the device, and this includes an Axim x50v @ 624 MHz.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It IS processor-intensive, particularly on Samsung CPU's, where it can easily eat 50% CPU time. This is why there's so bad a slowdown.
Read my related articles, they're all cross-posted to the Wiki here - I've elaborated a LOT on all these subjects.
mortplayer seems best for me, but yes there's always slowdown, the tcpmp thing; its the only program with which you can watch videos cleanly without skipping/slowdown via a2dp.
Darn
I just upgradet from a Magician in the hope that the Samsung would have more Power, but / On my Magician ther ist almost no Slowdown using A2DP.
Are there any aps where I can OC my Samsung?
Sadly My tcpmp skips vids using A2DP . I guess I will only be using my S9 when Joging or Biking.
Grüsse,
Chris
I'm having these probs on my 8525. No clue how to fix it. Theres a lot of storage and program memmory left on the darn phone. It used to work perfect, but suddenly had problems. The music stutters a lot with both wmp and tcpmp. I'm using the iphono minis with A2DP. These issues never existed with WM5 as far as I know, though the quality was of course lower. Perhaps the processes that up the quality of the [email protected] stream are causing a trade of in CPU/memory consumption. Maybe that means lowering the quality (maybe via a registry tweak) somewhat will alleviate the problem?
I'd recommend switching to a wired headset
I got the same issue with my A2DP headset. It's not an issue that can be fixed with tweaking. A2DP is simply CPU intensive (not memory intensive).
Lowering the bitrate would help, but not enough I'm afraid.
tweaks that help
Hey there,
I had a little trouble with helmi's wm6 (excellent rom) and the original wm5. The following link has some reg tweaks (http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=10668). It's still a little gappy, but much better. Also, the sound quality seems to be a lot better.

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