Database Users

Serious Post! Should i keep my JasJar or Sell it ?!?!

Okay guys, this is serious. I'm impressed by my JasJar but i'm not sure it does anything more that i actually need it for than my Imate Jam. As far as I can see there are some good points and some bad points about it and i wouldn't mind some opinons about whether its worth keeping or selling.
Okay my first view on the plus sides:
Screen is excellent quality
Wifi is very fast and much faster than the wifi sd card i have at the moment.
Keyboard is useful combined (but not as big as the fold out one i have for my imate)
Negative Sides:
3g doesn't seem to work in my area so i can't seem to benefit from that
Size is big (i would need a second phone to go out with etc)
Can't see much difference in speed with my level of usage
Pain in the ass to anwser it (imate jam is not a big phone at all)
Software is still a bugger to install etc.
Okay, my mine uses for the jasjar were to be for work. I would be booking appts and keeping track of those appointments and information regarding them on the pda for my work. Although harder to type in, i could in theroy do that on the imate jam. I don't use the wifi alot outside of the home (although it would be useful to use mirc, the web etc while girlfriend is on the pc).
At the moment i'm umming and ahhing because i have to take the phone with me everywhere (actually considering using the jasjar sim free while i'm off work and putting the imate jam back on the road as it were)
REALLY appreciate anyones help to this, its good but i'm not sure if its enough of a step for me to merit not selling it and getting ALOT of money for it (brought as upgrade through o2)
Look forward to the replys
Ian

I'm gonna tell you what I tell other people:
If you don't know what to do with a jasjar then buy the wizard.
The wizard size is as good as big as the jam, has wifi, keyboard and is in those ways much better then the jam.
The reason I need the pro is because I love the vga screen, keyboard and WM5, and I can give support to my customers through logmein.com using 3G.
So sell your jasjar and jam and go buy a wizard.

thanks for the quick response. I'm not sure that I would want a wizard really. I do think that I need to use the exec in a work situation before really considering getting rid of it.
That logmein.com looks rather cool, would like to be able to control my home pc while at work to setup downloads etc. the screen on this is rather special and i'm not against getting a second handset to use for going out etc.
would like to hear anyone elses views if possible.
just to point out to you and myself really i'm lying in bed writing this on the forum with real ease via wifi. hmmmmm another pro to the exec I think!
Ian

thanks for the quick response. I'm not sure that I would want a wizard really. I do think that I need to use the exec in a work situation before really considering getting rid of it.
That logmein.com looks rather cool, would like to be able to control my home pc while at work to setup downloads etc. the screen on this is rather special and i'm not against getting a second handset to use for going out etc.
would like to hear anyone elses views if possible.
just to point out to you and myself really i'm lying in bed writing this on the forum with real ease via wifi. hmmmmm another pro to the exec I think!
Ian

I've tried both, and apologies for readers of this forum, but the Wizard wins hands down. The Universal reminds me of why I ditched the first Ipaqs and went back to Palm years ago. Sure the Pocket PCs had better displays and you could show off playing movie clips, but that novelty soon waned when it was too big to carry and it took ages to lookup a phone number or check your diary.
You've got to weigh up what you _really_ need when you're away from your PC. The whole point to me of having a PDA is that I can access or update my information quickly at all times. The Ipaq seemd to be always at home or in my desk drawer just when I needed it, because it was a pain to carry. Even when I had it, it was sluggish finding the information I needed. The Palms won over because they went with me everywhere, and information retrieval was almost instant.
So, the Universal is a step back to the bad old days - except it's bigger and heavier. Good to show off with but impractical in most situations outside of the work environment because of its bulk.
Don't be fooled by the CPU either. Whatever advantage the Universal has on paper over the Wizard is sapped in real life by the need to update the VGA display. True, the Wizard is no speed merchant (even when compared to a Treo). But I found responsiveness to critical tasks (e.g. starting up Messaging to read/send a text, screen rotation, answering calls) significantly slower on the Universal - and that _really_ starts to annoy when you're in a rush.
So, everything I did with the Universal I can pretty much do on the Wizard, with the big difference that I can take it anywhere. Anyhing else can wait until I'm back at my PC. What's more, I can actually see who's calling and answer a phone call before it drops or diverts to voicemail
And don't forget the resale value. Given the trend of HTC Wizard / Prophet / Atom devices, the longer you hold onto the huge Universal the less saleable it's going to be. Sure, it fills a niche at the moment, but in 12 month's time, is a 1st generation device that big going to have anything but collectors' appeal?
So, unless you only use the Universal in the home and office, the larger keyboard and VGA display are"must haves", and you don't mind missing the odd phone call, then I would say the Wizard was the better bet.
If you really need a VGA display, a keyboard, and top performance, go for a proper PDA like the Dell X51v, a bluetooth keyboard and a seperate cellphone - it'll probably be cheaper, more flexible and easier to carry. And each element will work much better at what it is designed to do.

@Ineedtoys, what a refreshing and objective view on the subject. Having owned a Treo 650 and Clie TH55 I know what you're talking about. In the real world stability, size of device and battery life are still the key requirements and showing your latest toy to friends/work colleagues etc is nice but for most people is not a sufficient reason for buying a device. You either buy a device to meet a personal requirement or buy a device so that you can play with it "like a toy". Decide if you want a real tool or a "toy" first and then you'll be happy with your decision.
My view is that the Universal is not really a cell phone, it is an advanced PDA/mini tablet and you need to use it with another cell phone. The story for the Wizard may be different.

At first I always open the screen and rotated it to see who is calling me, and pick up the phone. Just like my old xda has it's screen outside.
But this take way to long, and most of the time the caller hung up before it was ready to rotate the screen and is able to pick up the call..
Now I just open the lid to see who it is. then close it again and pick up with the side green phone button leaving the pro closed.
If you use it this way i'ts perfect.
At first I had to get used of the size but now I am used to it.
People sometimes think: what the hell is that big thing?
But when I op the "laptop" and rotate it's screen and show the phone it's the coolest thing they've seen .

very interesting reading
Ihave a Universal (o2) for a week now, and am SERIOUSLY thinking of returning it for something else,
I like the Mini s (Wizard) too, but one subject that I believe is left aside is the battery life : with the Universal that I have tested for over a week if I did use the Wifi like 2 hours and a bit of BT and phone, then its battery would be gone by 5pm (starting at 9am !) quite a shame.
My point is : do these devices need to be pluged to the AC anytime we want to use to use the connexions, in that case I can stick with my laptop if need to be wired.
Or is it ony the Universal that is amazingly sucking the battery like no other ?
I appreciate your help as I have to decide if I send it back before friday ! ;-)

Re: very interesting reading
I presume you tried turning the screen brightness and WiFi power right down, and IR beaming off? The Wizard will definately give you longer as it doesn't have the battery sucking screen and has the low power OMAP processor.

The battery life in the Universal seems to get conditioned after a couple of weeks and does improve, but you don't have enough time to wait for that!

already better after 8 days
in fact I have noticed that it is getting better after a week (the battery),
but it's only because I now used the wifi only when I know I have a power nearby and I disable all connexion when I have it in my pocket, same for the brightness etc...
still.. the second point to change it is definately the size : I already have a tablet-pc to play with, so that will do it for now.
Back soon on this forum with the Wizard. :lol:

ill take your universal for my wizard

Universal vs. Wizard Round II

I've had a Wizard for a while, and thanks to O2's recent bargain offer, I've now got a Universal too. Over the past week I've had a good chance to live with them side by side. I've defended the Wizard in the past against the "it's only 200MHz" soothsayers, saying that with my previous comparison with a Universal, not only was it not slower, it actually felt more responsive.
Well now I lived exclusively with the Universal for a week, to get fully accustomed to its pace and foibles. I've just retrieved my Wizard from the drawer, and boy, I'm amazed at how snappy it really is in comparison!
Every program I open on the Wizard finishes loading before the Universal - Start, Media Player, TCMP, SplashID, Execl, Word. Even keeping apps in memory, and switching between them, is quicker (e.g. Open Messaging, red button back to Today. Open to Messaging (still shown in memory on the task bar) = half a second on Universal, almost instantaneous on Wizard). Both had a soft reset before starting, and have the same number of apps running, and similar PIM database sizes. The Universal is using a Corporate install. The only application that I can find that loads quicker on the Universal (by some margin in fact) is the Camera. Presumably this is because it has been significantly re-written and optimised to cope with the twin cameras and 3g videocalling.
Now I'm not disputing that the keyboard and screen, and the sleek black lines, are gorgeous on O2 Exec. Or that it has 3G, if you use it. Or has minor attractions like standard SD and a 3.5mm jack socket (like they're such a big deal). But I've got to be honest that I'm struggling to find anything else as to why it justifies its price. I appreciate it's more like a mini-laptop, but seriously, apart from providing VGA and the "luxury touch", the Wizard does so many things better!
E.g.
Much smaller
Much lighter
Phone rings first time - and every time
Phone speech path connects immediately on answer
No "Phone acrobatics" to see who's calling
No crashes on incoming SMS
Better Bluetooth range and quality to headset
Excellent one handed usablity
Has 5 more mappable direct access buttons (2x Soft, Messaging, Explorer, Comms Manager)
Doesn't make me look a total d*ck in the street (or even the office canteen) (no more than normal, anyway :lol: )
Better battery life
More available memory
No screen lockups
Faster application loading
Faster application switching
Faster menu responses
I was convinced that once I'd got a Universal with the latest ROM, and removed all the O2 bloat, all those saying the Universal was much faster and quoting benchmark after benchmark would be proved right. But unless you're doing some serious multitasking or gaming, the reverse is true. Even QVGA movies in TCMP aren't that much smoother.
I guess the Universal is the old man's Jaguar of PDAs plodding steadily way. Big, heavy, thirsty, but as comfy as your favourite leather sofa, and built to last. But the cheeky little Wizard is far more street, practical, nippy, and easy to park, even if the flimsy doors go "clink" instead of "clunk"
I still haven't decided which goes on eBay though. Trouble is I like both, in their own way (I like big, comfy cars too). It's just a shame the Universal UI lags so much. It does spoil the whole experience when you know what its little upstart of a brother can do.
Now I know there are others out there who have both devices, especially since the O2 deal. Is my experience typical, or am I doing something drastically wrong?

I am also lucky that I have been able to obtain an Exec and then due to the fantastic offer O2 have had in January I also picked up a Wizard.
And a lot of what you say is quite correct. The Wizard has amazed me at the speed at which it does things and the general overall feel of using it. Even the keyboard (the one area I was suspicous of) has proven to be very good.
The Exec suffers from having a VGA screen. That is what is causing a lot of the lags I expect. For users who have moved on to the Exec from previous Windows Mobile / PocketPC devices, especially VGA ones, this is so not much of a surprise. Before I got the Exec I moved from a QVGA based HP 2210 PocketPC to a VGA based HP hx4705. The slow down on the device was quite something for screen redrawing etc and was widely commented on by users on sites such as PocketPCThoughts. I think that is why you / we are seeing the Wizard act so much more smoother than the Exec, simply due to the machine having less detail to move on the screen so things happen much quicker.
But for me the upgrade to the Exec was a Windows Mobile upgrade - I wanted a new PocketPC based device that was fully connected. I doubt I will ever use it for calls and for that reason I have it on a data only tariff.
The Wizard was only bought due to the price I could get it for and is now my main phone.
I love both devices for very different reasons. I also got them for very different reasons. When I need full connectivity with emails etc. I will carry both - yes the Wizard can do both but the Exec is better for tapping out documents on the road, has a better screen that is easier on the eye. But when I want to carry only one device and travel light the Wizard will always win.

Thanks acetuk, at least I know the Exec's working as it should. I'm not anti-Exec, I have had several situations this week where the Exec won hands down - typing up meeting minutes while I remember what's been said, doing an urgent document review with a colleague (although he did have to squint a little), and checking these forums over WiFi at home So it does come into its own as a business tool, which is how it is marketed after all.
And if you're using the data package in anger then the equation does swing a bit the other way - although the data 5 is a very expensive way of doing it!
I just thought it was interesting to see how well the Wizard performs in hindsight - and how marked the speed difference was on the Wizard, once I'd been using the Exec for an extended period. I knew the screen slowed it down, but I was still expecting some turn of speed given the 524MHz CPU and previous comments by people saying how it really was much faster. But I saw the spinning disc this far more this week than I ever did with the Wizard - and had to reboot more frequently as well.
It also proves how irrelevant to real life reviews and adverts based on "benchmarks" and CPU clock speeds, really are, and that anyone who treats those as gospel is going to be sorely disappointed. :lol:

I fully agree - I started skipping benchmarks about three years ago. If I see them in a review I go straight pass them.
In the real world the device is as good as you can make it work for you. If a device doesn't cover your basics then so be it but that doesn't make a device bad. My Exec is slower than my hx4705 for loading PlanMaker and for general feel. But it is so much quicker for data entry. So what I lose in load time I gain in usability. So I win overall as far as I am concerned, regardless of any benchmarks stating overwise.
But the Wizard is an amazing piece of kit. Having PocketInformant running on both, syncing via a hosted exchange server, is a major productivity step forward for me. Pick up the device most useful for the moment, run a sync over wifi or GPRS and get to work. Today I updated all of my tasks and appointments on my Exec using it's excellent keyboard, sync'd to exchange, picked my Wizard up and sync'd again. In less than a minute both devices were fully up to date.
As for the data side of the Exec you are again quite correct. That is why I signed my Exec up for the Data36 tariff with O2 - that's 1mb a day with 5-6mb spare for when I need it. So far that is working very well for me combined with my wifi network at home. I'm paying for it but not too much at £18 / month approx but with no voice calls on top.
Now, if I can only understand better how to get two Windows Moibile devices, two PCs (one private, one work) and one exchange account syncing together better I will be happy!! That might need to go in to another post!

Again I have both thanks to O2 generosity but although I love my wizard for its size and the fact it can do anything the universal can do I would dispute the speed issue.
I find the universal to be the speedier of the two and the screen is amazing.
I love em both is the fact. Why compare them ? Just feel the love

knowsleyroader said:
I find the universal to be the speedier of the two and the screen is amazing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you quantify this? Are you saying the menus, program loading, application switching and screen refreshes are quicker on your Universal? I'd be intersted in finding out why that differs from the comparisons above. Unless your Wizard is slower than it should be, or you're not using an intelligent task manager?
By the way, my current view is that I will keep both, for maximum love

Ineedtoys said:
knowsleyroader said:
I find the universal to be the speedier of the two and the screen is amazing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you quantify this? Are you saying the menus, program loading, application switching and screen refreshes are quicker on your Universal? I'd be intersted in finding out why that differs from the comparisons above. Unless your Wizard is slower than it should be, or you're not using an intelligent task manager?
By the way, my current view is that I will keep both, for maximum love
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using a basic install on both with exactly the same apps and I do feel the universal is faster although I havent benchmarked this or even run them side by side. It just seems faster to me.
However I dont have an issue with either. Its not something im bothered about, just an observation. Im sure you will find others that thing the uni is faster.

Stability
Hi,
Before JasJar I own an IpaqHW6515. Generally JJ is much better that 6515 but using this device as unique device for communicate is not confortable as 6515 because:
1. battery life. my jj can't run for one complete day. With 280 grams devide, increasing of 20/30 grams using a much better battery would be appreciate.
2. BT: 6515 was much better in quality and range. and with a such big and havy device quality of BT would be a MUST because I don't know others but I try to use as much as possible handset because after a while with phone in my hand, I feel tired.
3. I need to soft reset few time a day. This because I start missing calls as device crash without reason while in standby.
4. I ALWAYS have problems (calling mainly) when I need something urgent. And I get crazy because I have to soft resent loosing precius minutes.
For this reasons, I confirm that JJ is best business device (i should not come back to 6515) but I've decided to buy a very light a small phone for make calls and use JJ only for Emails, web....
At least till a new rom will make stable the device.
Ciao
Stefano

Well, this bites. Not only is my JJ slow thanks to WM5, but also thanks to its big screen. I have gotten sick of my constant resents, and I've gone back to my WM2003 device. I feel eBay a callin' my name.

Morning all....
I dont wish to be a fish out of water here, but can i ask if anyone of you have flashed the rom and upgraded...??
I'm now running with the following :-
Rom ver.........1.13.82 WWE
Rom date.......11/30/05
Radio ver.......1.04.02
Protocol ver...1.13.188 WWE
Having had both the XDA II and the IIi, it sure seemed slower than both of them....then I flashed it !!
It is both faster and smoother than my previous XDA's, I haven't once had to soft reset yet....and my battery last more than a day :lol:
For those of you who haven't done so yet.... it's a must !!
http://www.my-xda.com/xdaexec_soft.html
The magman

it's true
The Magman,
I flashed my JJ to o2 ROM and in effect looks more stable faster. I've done during this quite week end and therefore I cannot say solved until I've tried JJ during a complete work week.
Ciao

I've had the XDA, XDA2, 2i and now the Exec - though I also had a play with a mate's Wizard whilst installing some software for him overnight a few weeks back.
I found the Wizard to be a lovely bit of kit, though I wouldn't necessarily say any faster (he had a basic install on, which is what I have on the Exec). The screen on the Exec is absolutely fantastic, the first times I noticed this was on opening the unit for the first time, and when I started whipping files to the Wizard via BT: there is absolutely no comparison between a QVGA and a VGA screen.
I think if the Exec hadn't arrived, then I would have gone for the Wizard, it's a good phone. However, I don't think I would find it easy from the 2i to Wizard, given the smaller screen and the somewhat cheapish keyboard.
Cheers
Ant

the magman said:
Morning all....
I dont wish to be a fish out of water here, but can i ask if anyone of you have flashed the rom and upgraded...??
I'm now running with the following :-
Rom ver.........1.13.82 WWE
Rom date.......11/30/05
Radio ver.......1.04.02
Protocol ver...1.13.188 WWE
Having had both the XDA II and the IIi, it sure seemed slower than both of them....then I flashed it !!
It is both faster and smoother than my previous XDA's, I haven't once had to soft reset yet....and my battery last more than a day :lol:
For those of you who haven't done so yet.... it's a must !!
http://www.my-xda.com/xdaexec_soft.html
The magman
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The O2 Exec came with the same versions as yours out of the box, so already using the latest.

Have been having too much fun with my mini s and exec so far to even think about flashing the roms

Sold my Qtek 9100 today... and am happy about it

After owning it for 5 month, I got rid of my Qtek 9100, it turned out a piece of junk..
First the Mail and Internet Explorer keys peeled off, then the gray paint on the sides peeled off, then the keyboard became loose, then the stylus began to fell off by itself...
I don't know what my next PPC will be, I am looking into something more rigid now.

naughty said:
I got rid of my Qtek 9100, it turned out a piece of junk..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Blasphemy...... and in a wizard forum!
I know what you mean though - maybe a prophet will do you, some times i think i would have preferred a prophet being slimmer more rigid and 2mp camera. But today when writing a long text. i know why i like the wizard - the keyboard

naughty said:
After owning it for 5 month, I got rid of my Qtek 9100, it turned out a piece of junk..
First the Mail and Internet Explorer keys peeled off, then the gray paint on the sides peeled off, then the keyboard became loose, then the stylus began to fell off by itself...
I don't know what my next PPC will be, I am looking into something more rigid now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alrighty - Dont let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Exactly what did you hope to achieve by coming here and posting? Were you hoping to justify your decision to yourself.

Bratag said:
naughty said:
After owning it for 5 month, I got rid of my Qtek 9100, it turned out a piece of junk..
First the Mail and Internet Explorer keys peeled off, then the gray paint on the sides peeled off, then the keyboard became loose, then the stylus began to fell off by itself...
I don't know what my next PPC will be, I am looking into something more rigid now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alrighty - Dont let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Exactly what did you hope to achieve by coming here and posting? Were you hoping to justify your decision to yourself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just wanted to share my disappointment. I will talk to you after you own the Wizard for 5 months, PM me then with feedback.

Well I've had mine for 6 now, and here's my experiences...
- it's slower than expected ( yes, I could overclock, but really.. I don't want it faster that badly )
- the paint peeled off the IE/Mail/Soft key buttons.. ah well, big deal - the mail button goes to the start menu and the IE button clicks on the app close button, so the icons don't match my functions anyway.
- no paint peeled off the sides yet
- no loose stylus yet (I tend to collapse it before inserting it - maybe that reduces stress on the part that breaks off?)
All in all, I'm quite happy with it. Sure, I would've liked it faster, and maybe 640x480 would've been nice (and built-in GPS, FM radio, a 3.5mm headphones plug, better volume on hands-free (oddly, an episode of stargate I put on there plays quite loudly - so it should be possible.. haven't tried those reghacks yet), maybe a scroll wheel, and a 2-3MP decent camera would've been plusses)... but here's the thing... None of the devices out there that fit that bill (to greater or lesser extent) appeal to me. They're either even bulkier and less practical to me (e.g. Universal) or their button layout irks me (Magician, and upcoming 'Wizard replacement' Hermes), etc. Form-factor wise, the Wizard suits me best, and that's why I got it - the slightly slower performance (I noticed it in the store) wasn't so much an issue for me.. I'm not using it to play the latest 3D game.

I have had my QTEK 9100 since January and I have to say that it is the best phone I have ever owned. Of course it is my first Pocket PC so that doesn’t give me much to compare to. It does have some small issues but overall, I am glad I bought it. I am also experiencing the stylus fallout issue but plan to try the suggestion offered in another thread once I receive my replacement stylus next week. No issues yet with the paint but that is not important to me because I have reprogrammed most of the buttons to perform another function anyway. I also find it a pain to have to hard reset when upgrading the ROM or sometimes the device just starts acting weird (like windows 9x) so I just reformat it. Long process but it works. I would have to say that this device is not friendly enough yet for the average consumer but this forum has been a great help with resolving issues and offering tips. I think I would have gone nuts if it weren’t for this forum! The QTEK website is useless for help or ROM updates so I will likely not get another QTEK but will consider the same model from another manufacturer.

keitht said:
The QTEK website is useless for help or ROM updates so I will likely not get another QTEK but will consider the same model from another manufacturer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just updated to last ROM using Qtek website, all what you have to do is registering your IMEI in their site, and then you can download any new ROM for free with instructions how to do it, plus there is area fo registered users where you can download Tonerings, games, appz etc... for free. Just wanted to defend Qtek Site and clearing this misunderstanding.

naughty said:
After owning it for 5 month, I got rid of my Qtek 9100, it turned out a piece of junk..
First the Mail and Internet Explorer keys peeled off, then the gray paint on the sides peeled off, then the keyboard became loose, then the stylus began to fell off by itself...
I don't know what my next PPC will be, I am looking into something more rigid now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I had the same paint problem with Himalaya device (qtek2020). I suppose this is due to wet hands I also have the same problem with my notebook ASUS M2Ne. But the problem is solved by annual ordering of the case for notebook and I suppose you can order cases for your handhelds too.
As for now, I don't have any problems as you did with wizard. I will try to be careful with mentioned areas

Thomas1234 said:
keitht said:
The QTEK website is useless for help or ROM updates so I will likely not get another QTEK but will consider the same model from another manufacturer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just updated to last ROM using Qtek website, all what you have to do is registering your IMEI in their site, and then you can download any new ROM for free with instructions how to do it, plus there is area fo registered users where you can download Tonerings, games, appz etc... for free. Just wanted to defend Qtek Site and clearing this misunderstanding.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wish it was that easy... tried that and they claim my number is not valid and that I need to contact the vendor where I purchased for updates... well that vendor is EBAY so I am SOL on that. So I rely on this site for my updates.

@keitht :
I guess that the person - who sold this to you - registered the IMEI already therfore you have to know his Username and Password to login, or tell him to delete the IMEI from his account, then you can register your imei for your account.
I don't know if you can reach the seller anyway, but I think this is what happened and this what can be done to solve this problem.
BTW I am happy with the Wizard, but this is only my 3rd day using it , that means this thread doesn't count me.

with regards to the paint peeling off... no, that's not normal, really. If you want these things to last, then you don't use decals (cheap keyboards use these... you'll see the letters 'chip' off) or paint (slightly more expensive keyboards.. the letters will fade) - you use cut-outs or impregnation. On the Wizard, for example, check the green/red phone buttons (when they're not backlit). Those will never fade or chip, as they're cut-outs.
Note that they could have used cut-outs for the other buttons as well, but cut-outs are slightly more expensive, and it would be even more expensive once you factor in branding (e.g. T-Mobile would need a whole special cut-out for their HotSpots icon instead of the IE icon - whereas now, that's just a different stamp)
However, even given that it's not normal - it *is* common, and I've just come to expect it from anything that uses decals/paints for any graphics/lettering. You lean to live with it, unfortunately

I have had more than 10 different pocket pc's and 2 different pocket pc phones in the last 5 years and have to say that my Qtek 9100 is my favorite handheld device yet. It has a great battery life, does not lose data if the battery dies, works great as a web browsing tool, computer, and phone, and also works remarkebly well with bluetooth. I find it to be the first converged device I have owned that I can just use, without having to constantly fuss with it to make it work. It is far from perfect, but definitely good enough for my purposes so that when I travel I do not need to carry my laptop, as it fulfills all my computing needs, albeit with a slightly less than ideal user experience. I am more than willing to put up with the minor idiosyncracies of the device when I consider how many devices it can fill the gap for.

I'm using my Wizard for 7 months now, and it's definitely the best PDA/phone I've ever had. Ok, the build quality isn't on par with brands like Sony-Ericsson or Samsung, but the functionality makes up for everything. I use it for push-mail, navigating, browsing, contacts and calendar. When traveling by train, I hook it up to my laptop and use it as a GPRS-modem (I've got flat-fee GPRS from T-Mobile), zo I'm connected to the internet and the office. I use it at home on the sofa for browsing and MSN when my wife is watching stuff I really don't wanna watch (like soaps). In my car it's used as a navigation device (Adapt 300 GPS) and it's connected with my BT Logitech headset.
The paint hasn't scraped off anywhere, but the stylus comes loose too easy (a single wrap of tape around the black tip works fine).
Great phone, I'd cry if I had to miss it

I have the K-Jam since october 2005, so almost 8 month now.
For me it is also the best PDA in years.
It's the first PDA that lasts longer than half a year with me. :lol:
And I don't even see a suitable successor in the near future.
I don't face the problems with paint peeling off.
Ok, the mail and the IE button have faded a little, but that's all.
And, of course, the speed isn't everything, it could be improved.
The stylus is a little loose, but it doesn't falls out (yet)
And I am very, very pleased with the pushmail and A2DP.

I've had my Vario for around 6 months now, and don't see any of the problems the thread starter has found.
I treat my phone with care amd respect, in return it keeps all its paint on for me.
It may be true that the Vario build quality is not a patch on the MDA Compact, but it's still in good condition.

I've had my vario now for 3 months and the main problem I have with it is the stylus not holding as well as it did when it was new. No paint peeling off etc.
It may only be a 195mhz processor, but it is faster than my Treo 650 with a 312mhz processor.
I've used most of the Treos' and this is my first device on the 'dark side'! The treo is simpler to use, but the wizard was the closest I could get with the same size form. Unfortunately for Palm, WM5 is streets ahead of Palm os - maybe that is why they released the 700w.
Anyway, the 700 is not an option for me in the UK.
Connecting to 2 bluetooth devices at the same time, stereo bluetooth capability - all things treo 650 users wanted, multitasking - the list goes on. I can see me upgrading to the 3G version of the wizard when it's time to upgrade my phone in the future, in a little over a year.
When I was given the phone by T-Mobile, I wasn't going to use it, and just use my Treo 650, but the more I read about the vario and then used it, the more I liked it.
The wizard rocks.

I LOVE everything abouth my wizard! I'll upgrade only to wizard with microdrive (when ever it be)!

My 8125 is my first "Dark Side" device too. I've never been happier. The only thing I miss about PalmOS was the wonderful screen realestate on my Tungsten T3.
I've punished the case on mine pretty badly too and it's never chipped or peeled. The only thing that happened was that little rubber "foot" on the battery cover came off. I wonder if the various style of Wizard cases are built by different manufacturers? That could account for this.

I'm considering buying a TyTN...

Hi there. I've been a satisfied user of a SPV C600 for quite a long time. Now i'm moving to a touch-phone - TyTN, and therefore I have some questions. Are they (pocket pc phones) much less resistant than classic smartphones? Isn't the screen sensitive and easy to destroy? and finally, how is it practical comparing to a classic phone? And how it's with battery life?

I suggest you to buy the TYTN II (Kaiser). It has integrated GPS ;-)

kartam said:
Hi there. I've been a satisfied user of a SPV C600 for quite a long time. Now i'm moving to a touch-phone - TyTN, and therefore I have some questions. Are they (pocket pc phones) much less resistant than classic smartphones? Isn't the screen sensitive and easy to destroy? and finally, how is it practical comparing to a classic phone? And how it's with battery life?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screens are not overly delicate, but you will need a protective case - don't just put it in your pocket. The battery life - just depends, count on charging it every day.
The phone functions differently from a pure phone. The phone menus and operations are via Windows Mobile. This gives some added functionality, but some folks would say it is a clumsier system than that of a pure phone.
My advice - if at all possible get a new TyTn or TyTn 2. There are many TyTns (original version) on ebay that have the screen alignment and white screen problems and there is no easy fix for either of these issues. The TyTn 2 is much less prone to either of these problems.
The original TyTn (Hermes) is apt to freezing and slowness. This is fixable with a bit of tweaking of the settings, a few registry changes and maybe even a new ROM. These kinds of things are what this site is all about and the help is here for that. Expect to spend time setting up a PPC phone - a bit like setting up your PC. So in this respect it's not like a more basic phone that is pretty much set up out of the box.
Mike

Yeah I know I'd need to set it up, I've had several palmphones before but never as primary phone (I have had only touchless smartphones as primaries). I'd buy a TyTN II but i haven't got that much money, (I don't need GPS, and I'd live with the 2 mpx camera, it's not that important for me) and I've bought recently a SPV M3100 for 109 pounds... still waiting to be delivered
and well - all that tweaking is what i love of WM phones I didn't have it on classic phones or even Symbian ones, and now I'm waitiiing ;D having a classic phone for several days and I must say I hate its simplicity!
palmphones - i mean PPC phones of course.
But Hermes isn't slow overall? I mean comparing it to an OMAP850...

kartam said:
But Hermes isn't slow overall? I mean comparing it to an OMAP850...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My AT&T 8525 (U.S. Hermes) was quite sluggish and had the tendency to lock up several times a day and need to have a soft reset done in order to get it up an running again. That all changed when I flashed the official AT&T WM6 ROM that had come out. Since then, it has been very solid and rarely needs a soft reset. Very snappy, as well.
All I do whenever I have to hard reset due to tinkering, is spend a few minutes removing all the AT&T bloat that comes in the ROM, getting the used storage memory down to about 5-6MB before I start installing things. Works for me and is very stable.

you have bought a good little phone - im exactly the same, if i purchase a phone it will not be a classic phone.. it'll be a WM phone lol.
the hermes isn't slow at all (imo) i cant compare to the omap but im sure you'll like it once you find a fast 6.1 rom

Deflated

Got my new HD from Uk Mobiles. Was really looking forward to it. What a let down. Is this really the phone that is raved about? What does it give me that my Tytn didn't apart from a bigger screen, welcome but not essential, and built in GPS?
It is no faster in real use, the volume is so low when using Tom Tom that it can't be heard (unlike my Tytn which needed turning down and could be used in my old diesel Transit with no problems) and the lag on the GPS is so bad that you need to stop on roundabouts for a cup of tea and a biscuit so that it can catch up and show you which exit to take (if the sound worked I would have known because Jane would have told me).
It only changes orientation automatically in one or two items of software and it came with a rubbish little carry bag instead of the very usable belt holder that came with the Tytn.
Most of the software that is available was available on the Tytn, it seems to be only the extra screen real estate that makes a real difference.
It has no external buttons, something I didn't realise I would miss.
It's just as crap at syncing over bluetooth as the Tytn, I know that's a software issue but it just adds to the frustration and disapointment.
edit: Orange have identified a fault using a flow chart questionaire and have given me a fault code, Uk Mobiles are replacing the phone. If I can't come up with fixes for my issues, or rather the phone's issue my own are to deeply ingrained, before the new one arrives it's up on ebay.
What am I missing? Can it be turned into a usable phone or should I sell it on ebay, seek out a second hand TytnII and accept that I can't handle change?

Volume on mine is too loud actually,
Get HDTweak to enable the louder volume
Orientation can be changed in almost every app.
I use Mobile Magic to manage my Orientation apps
I have also fully tweaked my phone and I love it also coming form a Tytn.
I also miss the hardware buttons and most of all the slide out keyboard but I can now type just as fast on the softboard.
Your right about the speed not being any quicker but I can cope as can the phone.
My advice is if you feel like you say then sell it. however as with all HTC phones they have to be tweaked to get the most out of them.
That's why this place is such a god-send, Without this forum I doubt that many of us would own a HTC device.

Graeme, I know you're pain. When I got mine last November I struggled for a week to get it to sync with my exchange server and I had bluetooth issues as well. The stock rom seemed unstable and slow. I don't have any of those issues anymore and haven't for a long time. May I suggest trying a cooked rom. There are some great chefs in this forum that have refined and tweaked things such that, in my opinion, allow the HD to run the way it was intended...smooth and fast. My HD is solid. My point is, before you put it up on ebay, give one of these roms a look.

I'm sorry to hear you feel this way. I know others feel the same and similar threads have been created. Would recommend sticking with phone and trying to become adjusted to it. Read up opn other threads andpossible use software to improve phone. Plenty available on thjese forums if you search.
No need for another thread is similar ones exist.