Database Users

Me = Universal to Wizard convert

I am so amazingly happy since I made the switch from Universal to Wizard.
The Universal, whilst clearly higher spec, more powerful, more impressive screen etc - was an unusable bit of kit. I battled and battled and battled - I wanted this 'superior' equipment to serve me well. I upgraded and tested various ROMs, tried every minor registry tweak and software trick known to man. Despite everyone in the Universal forum saying it *was* possible to get a solid, fast, reliable setup - I battled hard but never got close. It was still impossible to do the important little things like make or receive calls reliably, perhaps with one hand.
The Wizard is a proper phone - you can hold it between your ear and shoulder whilst stirring pasta with one hand and sipping vodka in the other.
The Wizard has proper buttons, ones that get used. The Universal had a multitude of useless buttons on the side that got pressed by accident thereby hanging Windows so that when you wanted to actually do something you may as well reset. The Universal had stereo speakers for God's sake. STEREO SPEAKERS? Does anyone else see the stupidity of such a thing? The whole point of stereo is that one channel feeds sound to one ear and the other channel to the other ear. What's more, the Wizard's handsfree speaker is clearer and brighter than the Universal's stereo speakers.
On the Wizard, I can make phone calls with one hand. I can pick up calls straight away, with one hand - I press the button and I'm talking immediately. With the Universal, not so. It's a long process involving three steps, invariably failing in most cases resulting in my having to call the other person back. Useless.
Sure, the Universal has a 520MHz processor. And when it's all optimised you really can feel the speed. But frankly that processor power is wasted on the most basic and major functions: the screen flip when answering a call. With the Wizard, sometimes screen flip lags, but thankfully I don't need to wait for the screen to flip just to answer the call!
That little Wizard collapsing stylus is a gem.
Here's what I use my Wizard for. I'm sure we are all used to this amount of functionality from one device - I've had most of it for years. But finally I have something close to the perfect all-in-one, and I'm happy!
Phone
Text messages
Voice command and phone in the car
Alarm clock (using the app Chronos) - how brilliant
Notebook
Calendar
Email on the move
Satellite navigation - tells me to slow down for speed cameras and talks to me when I get lost in London!
Portable music player (gigabyte mini SD card for MP3s)
Camera
Checking the news with RSS reader
Checking the next few days' weather in London from Today screen
I've even experimented with streaming video from my desktop over wireless. Works a treat, can watch a whole episode of The OC.
Yes, I can get rid of my old sat nav unit, my old pda, my old phone, my ipod, my alarm clock. It's everything in one tiny but beautifully usable package. (Actually, not entirely true, see below.)
There is ONE thing I am disappointed with. I had really hoped to eliminate the need for buying myself a new ipod. I am happy with a gigabyte of music - it seems fine to copy music as and when I need it. However I connected up my lovely Shure sound isolating headphones and the quality of the sound wasn't what I had hoped for. So sad about this - good sound would have completed the perfect package. There's just too much noise on the output, and the sound is horribly mid-range distorted. Gutted.
Anyway, I had to get this all out of my system - overall I am a very happy Universal to Wizard convert.
Thanks for listening
Mat

I can confirm all that. I ditched my Universal a week ago and bought a Wizard: Its LIGHTYEARS better in ease of use., speed, etc.
DO NOT BY UNIVERSAL. IT SUCKS BADLY !!!

completely agree. if i wanted a proper tiny computer i would buy a toshiba libretto. not the flawed, heavy and unstable universal.

Sounds right - the thing to remeber is that threse units are no laptops.... they are PDAs with phones ( not phones with PDAs if you see what I mean ).
Having swapped form a Jornada 540 I probably wont see the difrence your talking about but as a I can access most of the major features - Sat Nav / Phone / PIM I'm happy - its a portable viewer and ideal for when I am not in my own car.
Re the Ipod - doubt you'll beat that in this case - thats an Audio device - this is one that can do audio if you see what I mean.
Glad you like the change.
Terran

I'm finding this a very interesting topic.
I've just switched from aHP iPaq hx4705 to a Universal and so far I have been very pleased. however the choice between the Universal and the Wizard was a difficult one for me as I wanted a connected PocketPC / Windows Mobile device as opposed to a phone with a PPC in it.
My iPaq has clearly paid for itself in 15 months and time was right for an upgrade to WM5 and full connectivity. However my decision between these two devices was clouded I had a small chance to play with the Wizard in Dixon's one day when there was no Universal to play with.
And I liked it. Small, responsive, good lucks, surprising good keyboard (I wasn't sure what to expect to be honest) - all in all very good.
However I need to run a couple of power apps - PI and Planmaker - and I wasn't sure how it would cope.
I then had a try on a Universal in a O2 shop and I liked that. Everything looked good especially the screen (smaller than my iPaq but possibly even better quality) and the general speed.
So I got to the point to go for one of these. Initial cost wasn't a big deal as I was getting it on a contract with only about £50 difference between the two. And at this price £50 isn't enough to worry about.
I've currently got a Universal and am typing this out on it now. I'm loving it but that doesn't mean that the Wizard wouldn't also suit me as well. I have another 11 days before I lose the chance to take this back and swap it and I would really like to know from those of you using the Wizard how it copes with things like Planmaker due to the processor and the smaller screen size.
What a difficult choice though?! Two great devices to choose between.

I have an xda exec and xda mini s or wizard (two separate contracts). Both brill bits of kit. I use the exec for planmaker and textmaker and the xda mini just as a bit of fun. I like gadgets. You can't fault either device. I use both equally but for different purposes. I also used to have ipaq's for years but i wanted thephone functionality. The exec makes a wonderful mini laptop and the wizard a super ppc. If you shop around you can get bothdevices on contracts which added together give you a great deal in minutes+texts etc. yet give you the devices at a bargain price.
best wishes
Patricia

I agree. There really are some amazing devices out there at the moment and I am really pleased to be using one of them.
At the moment I can't see me getting rid of the Universal for a Wizard but that is because I have a clear idea of what I am after in this device. The Universal I know already after a few days is meeting my full needs.
Maybe if things go well I can buy a Wizard sometime late in 2006 when I guess they will drop in price! Just don't tell the wife!

dnt regret my purchase of a wizard. hope it stands the test of time and I'm using it for a long time. I think the trick to enjoying it is to remember in reality its your phone, everything else is a bonus.

i like to have 2 or 3 devices on the go and find if u shop around u can get really good deals recooping losses later by selling the devices on.the wizard is being offered for a small price on contract and like all similar devices will hold its value so why wait.i enjoy using the exec and wizardand find both equal as regards performance and functionality.planmaker, textmaker and tom tom work great on the exec whereas i use the wizard more for the phone side.
my other half uses tom tom but finds everything else a waste of time.i always have to explain that when we broke down in france this year in the motorhome my devices came to the rescue. tom tom for navigation and the predecessor to the xda mini a magician a great way to communicate to the rescue service and to find the nearest garage for repairs etc.
best wishes
patricia

Wizard v Universal
The wizard really is a great piece of kit but the BIG disadvantage for me is the missing 3G radio.
We have been crying out for this type of pocket pc ever since 3G was launched and I must say the breach has been filled admirably.
Obviously size is important and having owned both (and still do) I would agree that that the universal platform is not the most stable and the last thing you want to do is take a call on the Universal whilst in public
I have managed to incorporate all the settings taken from a symbian platform handset ie Nokia 6680 and managed to use the device successfully even browsing with the '3' homepage. The security of the '3' was the most difficult to crack and I can now download the various downloads offered by the cheapest network.
I also have subscribed to the £45 package which gives you 512mb of bundled data which allows me to visit other sites now the 'garden wall' has been demolished once and for all. This really is where the universal comes into its own.
One thing I will agree with is the size prevents use as a normal handset so I use a bluetooth headset with the appopriate hacks from the wi-ki developers page.
I cant help thinking that the Universal would be a far slimmer device if they hadn't incorporated the keyboard which I find absolutely useless due to my prolonged use of the graffiti facility(far quicker to write anyway).
I look forward to a new alternative to the Universal which may do away with the keypad once and for all. This should make the device a more suitable size instead of the similarities with the old handhelds ie HP 720 and the like which I'm sure many of us remember.
I think this is crucial given that devices like the Sony Ericsson P990i are just about to be launched with 3g capability and many people will see this as a more pocketable phone/pda. Not in the same league I agree as a windows mobile 5 device but still blessed with a good email client and now of course wi-fi.
Just my personal experience but I felt necessary to post in order to even things up a little bit.

Re: Wizard v Universal
jonboy8841 said:
The wizard really is a great piece of kit but the BIG disadvantage for me is the missing 3G radio.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2 things... is it '3' that no longer have a walleed garden ? Im just curious...
Re 3G ( and I know this is Off topic ) - is it me or is there no actual use for 3G for joe public ? Yes I can understand business use and to a certian point show off to your mates video calling but until its on all networks and all phones ( inc fixed ) in all contries its best feature wont be used... again another reason to go for the Wizard rather than Universal.
Terran
PS Before any one says 'but you can watch TV' DVB-H will kick that in to touch soon

3G makes a BIG difference if you actually go websurfing... (which is actually the only reason I find it interesting, I really don't care about video calling, actually I really hope it wont become standard for a long time)
I don't have a universal, but I'm guessing the bigger screen (and more importantly resolution), along with the 3G, makes it perfectly suitable to websurfing.

Universal is a great gadget, but it is not a usable phone. The way I see it it can be used as a small notebook, provided you don't expect too much. VGA and UMTS are great for browsing and mail. Also connected with BT mouse it can be used for Word or Excel (TextMaker and PlanMaker) and even Project. The issue is only that lack of USB Host and no Video out mean it can't be used as full laptop. So it comes down to personal preference and at least for Phone and PDA I'm going with Wizard for small notebook we'll see...

Finraziel said:
3G makes a BIG difference if you actually go websurfing... (which is actually the only reason I find it interesting, I really don't care about video calling, actually I really hope it wont become standard for a long time)
I don't have a universal, but I'm guessing the bigger screen (and more importantly resolution), along with the 3G, makes it perfectly suitable to websurfing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wizzard supports EDGE, it is more than enough to do web-sirfing..

It's really interesting to see how different members use their devices-I didn't realise when i first purchased the exec that i needed a different sim card and tariff to use 3g. I think 3g is also more expensive and as other members have commented limited by network coverage and most people still having basic handsets. None of my contacts use 3g-in fact they find my interest in these amazing gadgets bemusing, eccentric...This doesn't bother me but thankgoodness there are othersout there who share my interest.

I really didn't think that the difference between 3g and a good gprs was much. i played with both in the o2 shop and couldn't think of a reason to buy the universal, although it does have a few advantages.
FYI I have a vodaphone 3g motorola 770 as my main phone (cost £90 payg) and I successfully linked the wizard to it via bluetooth and surfed at 3g speed. So I have the option if needed.

One other advantage to 3G is that in a few months you will be able to dial into video servers that will have news, television, etc going over the circuit switched network, so you'll have much more reliable and responsive service, if you're willing to use your video minutes on it.

With the new ROM, i'm glad i didn't give up my universal. It is now worlds faster WITHOUT any tweaking, and even more with tweaking.
I also had the Universal or WIzard dilema and only one factor mattered to me : SCREEN REAL ESTATE!
Guess who won

Me = Wizard ---> Universal
Agree Jorgee.
The universal with the latest O2 rom is working super. With the next rom update, with radio version 1.09 and push email it will be even better.
I had a wizard for a few months and had to get rid of it.
Firstly note that I do not use either as a phone. i have a small cell phone for voice calls. I use these devices as my pocket pc with data only tariffs (a key advantage of o2 above all the other providers).
In this context the Wizard is really not a player:
1. Terribly slow cpu and os
2. Screen too small
3. No VGA.
4. Too slow to run skype well
5. Too thick (universal is thinner) - difficult to fit in backpack with papers.
6. Horrible stylus
7. Minisd card. All my deivces use SD. Its another std too far.
8. Non-std headphone socket
9. No 3g. GPRS web browsing is a joke.
Sry guys, but as a PDA there is no contest!

Wizard to Universal, opinions please?

There are 2 reasons why I sold my wizard.
1. Stylus holder mechanism broke, with no actual solution given by HTC.
and mainly...
2. The sound quality was terrible. I used to get complaints during calls that they cannot hear me well, no matter how I fiddled with sound settings in the registry. I read that quite a few fellow users have this prob with the wizard.
I know some of you have both, or have experience from both.
Is Universal's sound quality better than the wizards, so I can proceed with a purchase?
Thanks

I have had both. The wizard is a better phone as its more compact and there have been less problems with the bluetooth. However the universal is a far better PDA. The sound quality on the wizard should have been ok. The sound quality on the exec is OK, but you look silly holding it to your face
rgds

colonel said:
I have had both. The wizard is a better phone as its more compact and there have been less problems with the bluetooth. However the universal is a far better PDA. The sound quality on the wizard should have been ok. The sound quality on the exec is OK, but you look silly holding it to your face
rgds
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmmm.. yes, I never thought of that.
Nevertheless, sound quality(especially microphone) is of main importance to me, since I talk a lot....

radio rom plays a great role in sound quality, and the wizard an duniversal have good radio version, depending on your operator and your test. Some might prefer one version or one other.
You should decide on other criteria:
-speed, vga, full keboard
or
-small, one handed

thaihugo said:
radio rom plays a great role in sound quality, and the wizard an duniversal have good radio version, depending on your operator and your test. Some might prefer one version or one other.
You should decide on other criteria:
-speed, vga, full keboard
or
-small, one handed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's why I chose the wizard in the first place. But the damn phone's quality was a mess. I've seen Universal's quality and it's OK.
The sound is what I am worried about. Had the latest ROM.
BTW, I have this connection for over 4 years. No phone sounded that bad. Even now that I checked with my Nokia, the connection is OK and sounds loud and clear. Even with my old 6150.
rgrds

Reasons I didn't like the Wizard
(1) Small screen.
(2) A2DP didn't work.
(3) Slow speed.
(4) Mini SD more expensive than SD
(5) Audio socket 2.5mm - most earphones 3.5mm.
(6) Fiddly keyboard.
But at least it was compact?
The Universal doesn't have any of the above problems and has better battery life But it's bigger and heavier.
Basically if you really need the phone function go for the Wizard.
If you really want 3G, Internet & PDA and only use the phone occassionally go for the universal..
Cheers
John

odyseus said:
Reasons I didn't like the Wizard
(1) Small screen.
(2) A2DP didn't work.
(3) Slow speed.
(4) Mini SD more expensive than SD
(5) Audio socket 2.5mm - most earphones 3.5mm.
(6) Fiddly keyboard.
But at least it was compact?
The Universal doesn't have any of the above problems and has better battery life But it's bigger and heavier.
Basically if you really need the phone function go for the Wizard.
If you really want 3G, Internet & PDA and only use the phone occassionally go for the universal..
Cheers
John
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How's the sound in the universal? Can they hear you talking? Compared with a normal mobile phone? I don't care about size....

gepol: maybe your's Wizard was with defekt.
have here 2 friends with wizard and one with universal, tested, sound in phone is comparable.

gepol said:
thaihugo said:
It's why I chose the wizard in the first place. But the damn phone's quality was a mess. I've seen Universal's quality and it's OK.
The sound is what I am worried about. Had the latest ROM.
BTW, I have this connection for over 4 years. No phone sounded that bad. Even now that I checked with my Nokia, the connection is OK and sounds loud and clear. Even with my old 6150.
rgrds
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no WinMob phone on the market that sounds as clear as a standard feature phone from any of the top 4 manufacturers. The Treo 650 sounds pretty good but has an antique OS. Nokia Series 60 phones generally sound pretty good but have VERY limited PDA functionality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

The wizard is for me more suitable than the universal. It's true, it is much more slower, but who cares. For my opinion, the wizard is the best PDA htc ever made. Small, compact and powerfull for its size.

As a hold it to your ear phone it's fine, a few members (myself included) are having problems with the bluetooth audio on it (static). I'm getting used to pulling it out of a pocket, flipping the lid and picking up the call in <2s. For me it's invaluable - the following are examples of why:
1) Moved house - waiting for a cable modem to turn up, use Bluetooth to connect to PC and can send/receive email and surf the net
2) Server in the UK toppled over - remote desktop meant i could reboot it from a ferry
3) 3G is *so* much faster than GPRS that I can't imagine having to live without it, I can browse websites and download programs
4) Full-size keyboard & decent stylus let me take notes in meetings or sermon notes @ church quickly and unobtrusively
5) 3G and Internet, plus the usual obvious features working together (Calendar, Outlook), + WiFi let me run my office from anywhere, including the park down the road.
It's big, it's not amazingly heavy (still heavy though ) and it has all the features I need - if you need them too, get one now

Just bought a mini s to replace my exec brick

Hi guys,
just thought i'd post this message up on the forum in case anyone is looking for a genuine o2 Xda Exec, unlocked and standard in the lovely black case....
I am selling this on ebay soon as i have just bought a mini s instead.
The exec comes with all original o2 packaging, cables and cd's and has the latest t-mobile rom installed with no extended rom so the ext_Rom can be used for storage.....
i'm looking for around 400 quid on ebay but would accept offers over 300 from anyone here.
pm me if you are intested, the auction will be posted up probably monday.

well, got my mini s this morning.... apart from the fact it doesn't take sd cards and i'll have to buy a mini sd card,
ITS SO COOL...
Gonna put my exec on ebay on monday

Re: "Just bought a mini s to replace my exec brick"
Next time you'll perhaps buy the correct device in the first place? Were you not aware of it's dimension before you bought it?
Really?

Next time you'll perhaps buy the correct device in the first place? Were you not aware of it's dimension before you bought it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just looked at the specs, could not go into a shop and look at the device as i got it before it was released in the o2 shops....
Don't get me wrong, the device is the best bit of kit around at the minute but because i have to use this asmy main phone, it's just too big and awkward to use.
anyway, got me mini s now and it's just so cool..... i guess i'll miss the vga screen, but i can live with that especially if pocketvcs works on this device,
cya

What if someone released a bluetooth headset that you HOLD that looked exactly like a Nokia 8800?

Nah, still think the mini s is better than the exec all round, okay it's processor is not as fast, it does not have a vga screen and does not support 3g but apart from that, it's perfect for me.
just look at the amount of people who are swapping their exec's for mini's on this forum, you don't see many people swapping their mini's for exec's.....
lets agree to differ on this subject and close this thread..... don't forget i've still got my exec and compared to the mini, it's just too big and awkward to use as a regular phone. sorry

Steve,
Most interesting post. I have recently been thinking of doing similar.
I love my exec but simply cannot stand using it as a phone. I have a decent Jabra headset, however still feel very odd using it. I think we all knew the size of the thing before buying, however thought we'd all 'cope'. Well I tried and now I'm bored of coping.
Plus, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has felt very vulnerable when having to use the brick in public.....let's face it, it is an expensive bit of kit and having to flash that screen when in close proximity to an apparent 'undesireable' is no fun......
Another point to add would be to come clean about just how much of the Exec's features I use. I am probably the least technical person on this board. I use my exec as a phone, for my emails, for my diary (where it is INVALUABLE, due to my shockingly bad memory...), to occasionaly go on the web, for my contacts.....ummm...think thats it. I have no idea what VGA is, 3G is great but only for speed (never used video phone yet). A quick game of solitare and I'm done. Oh ok and a few songs and games, but hey doesnt the mini do all that?
Would be very interested to hear of your progress with the mini.
Cheers
HPJ

I think that there are many people who will swap an Exec for a Mini and for most of the reasons stated above. I'll keep my Exec because I really bought it to replace my XDA2s for the 3G data speed. I'll put up with its faults & foibles because it gives me high speed internet access pretty much wherever I am. The VGA screen is a bonus too.

I have to agree that while I appreciate my JasJar as an internet connected PDA - it is just impractical to use as my main phone. I too knew the specs before I bought it - but knowing the specs and carrying the device are two different things. I guess this has been building with me for a while though - this is not the first PPCPE device I have owned - first there was the iMate (HTC Himalaya) and then the iPaq 6315 (what a disappointment!) and then the JasJar (Universal). I guess in the end convergence is not as important as comfort and convenience.
So - I added a new line to my account for my JasJar and bought a Motorola PEBL (which fits NICELY into my pocket) to use as my main phone. The JasJar is connected as my internet device and the PEBL is only used for phone calls. I am a very happy man!

Well guys, an update on my mini s experience.... perfect, small, compact, and does exactly what my exec did (apart from the bells and whistles) in a nice small bo....
now, a big pain in the ass with the exec was that i could not get my favourite emulator (pocketvcs) to run, thought it was a vga thing as it ran on my himalaya with wm2005 installed, so when i got my mini s, the first thing i did was install this....
guess what, it still didn't work
gutted, dunno what i could be, if some one could reverse engineer it, that would be cool as the author does not seem to respond to his emaila anymore.
for all those psople pondering the idea of ditching the exec for a min s, like me, DO IT !!! YOU WON'T REGRET IT unless you 3g or want to strain your eyes running the exec in true vga mode..... also this thing fits into a standard mobile phone car holder

steverae said:
for all those psople pondering the idea of ditching the exec for a min s, like me, DO IT !!! YOU WON'T REGRET IT unless you 3g or want to strain your eyes running the exec in true vga mode..... also this thing fits into a standard mobile phone car holder
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...Or you could have the best of both worlds by keeping the Exec and getting a high spec feature phone (I use a Sony-Ericsson K750i with my Exec) to use alongside it.
You are right that the Exec is too big to be a main phone but it is absolutely the best connected PDA on the market. And lets face it, there's no WinMob device on the market that comes close to a decent Sony-Eric, Nokia, Motorola, or Samsung for battery life, call quality, Bluetooth profiles, and other core phone functions like being able to send contacts by SMS.
I've used a variety of smartphones (MS, Palm and Symbian) and PDAs (MS and Palm) and keep coming back to the fact that convergence creates more problems than it solves.

For you guys that use dual device (a decent cell phone combined with Universal), how do you handle SMS? Can you use the native built in Universal/WM5 SMS messaging software to send and retrieve SMS via another cell phone?
For connectivity like GPRS or 3G, I guess you can set that up in the Universal so that it will use that cell phone for the connection.
Otherwise, it means we have to have 2 SIM cards, means 2 accounts, means double to pay...
When I was in Asia, I found out that pre-paid SIM card is extremely cheap so that everyone can buy it easily. Not here in the US, very expensive to maintain 2 accounts...
I agree with most things you guys said about the Universal. I myself have retired my Universal for a week now. I have switched back to my old Wallaby, which I consider much more natural for handling calls and most simple PDA things I need. My Wallaby is very easy to carry to almost any environment I have to be, compared to my Universal. The Universal, however, its very nice device to use whenever I'm at home or office environment.
I used a mini before for couple of weeks. Which one do you guys have right now? Is it the old Magician or the new Prophet? How's the Prophet's performance and speed?

I have tested Universal last December and enev though I loved device and features, at least for me it's unusable as a phone. Don't get me wrong, I used Himalaya for 1,5 year as my only phone and PDA, but I really wanted smaller device.
I got a Wizard as my phone and PDA to replace Himalaya, but in a moment of weaknes I also bought Universal. I don't use it as a phone or even as a PDA, but it's a nice mini Notebook/Tablet that I use for browsing and more "computer" stuff, like Word processing, Excel...

lie_ui said
For you guys that use dual device (a decent cell phone combined with Universal), how do you handle SMS? Can you use the native built in Universal/WM5 SMS messaging software to send and retrieve SMS via another cell phone?
For connectivity like GPRS or 3G, I guess you can set that up in the Universal so that it will use that cell phone for the connection.
Otherwise, it means we have to have 2 SIM cards, means 2 accounts, means double to pay...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally do not use SMS much, but regardless of whether they send the SMS to my phone or JasJar, I will reply with my JasJar. I have software that synchs my PEBL with my Outlook contacts as does my JasJar, so I always have the same phone numbers in both - that makes it easy to reply to those in my contacts, which is most of the people I communicate with.
I do not know of a way to communicate from my JasJar through my PEBL - I do not believe it is possible - So . . .
As to two accounts, yes - I have two SIM cards, two numbers and more cost. It is not exactly twice as much though, since I was able to strip everything but a reasonable amount of minutes from the phone account and only have an internet plan on the JasJar account. It is a bit more, but not twice as much. The upside is that since we here in the States still have to use GSM/GPRS I can now talk on the phone at the same time I am running terminal server or some other communication-intensive application on my JasJar (one radio, one connection). Very Handy!

lie_ui said:
For you guys that use dual device (a decent cell phone combined with Universal), how do you handle SMS? Can you use the native built in Universal/WM5 SMS messaging software to send and retrieve SMS via another cell phone?
For connectivity like GPRS or 3G, I guess you can set that up in the Universal so that it will use that cell phone for the connection.
Otherwise, it means we have to have 2 SIM cards, means 2 accounts, means double to pay...
When I was in Asia, I found out that pre-paid SIM card is extremely cheap so that everyone can buy it easily. Not here in the US, very expensive to maintain 2 accounts...
I agree with most things you guys said about the Universal. I myself have retired my Universal for a week now. I have switched back to my old Wallaby, which I consider much more natural for handling calls and most simple PDA things I need. My Wallaby is very easy to carry to almost any environment I have to be, compared to my Universal. The Universal, however, its very nice device to use whenever I'm at home or office environment.
I used a mini before for couple of weeks. Which one do you guys have right now? Is it the old Magician or the new Prophet? How's the Prophet's performance and speed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do all my SMS from the K750 as I'm pretty fast with T9 and SMS by definition has to be short.
I'm pretty sure there is software out there lets you manage your SMS on a standard pocket PC (i.e. not phone edition) over Bluetooth.
I keep the Exec for PDA/Computery stuff like Pocket Informant, browsing with PIE, email, Excel, Word, Powerpoint, TCPMP audio/video, and TomTom. I find the big keyboard and screen are excellent for these functions. In fact I tried to use my old iMate Jam for a weekend away when I didn't want to risk losing my Exec and I found that I HATED going back to the small screen and stylus.

Steveae:
Having had the mini for a few days now, whats the deal with the slower processor?? Is it noticeable?
I know it will be slower, but in you opinion is it a hindrance?
Cheers
HPJ
PS as-new exec for sale shortly if anyone's interested....UK only pls.

Well, I'm pondering the purchase of a soon-to-be-released P990.
I do wish the Trinity was coming out soon. 3G and WiFi are essentials as far as I'm concerned, but I also find the Uni a bit cumbersome so I want something smaller, and losing VGA and the keyboard is something I'm willing to do...
Even a Muse would do, actually. When's that out?

I love my Universal. I came from an HP h6340, so i'm sure you'd understand.
And sorry, after using a VGA device, It would never EVER be justified for me to buy a QVGA one. I just recently opened my H6340 and compared the 2 screens. I just couldn't believe i managed with QVGA for 1 year and thought the display was BEAUTIFUL!
Actually, I really wanted a VGA PDA/Phone and there was only one choice for this.
No complaints from me. I even had a Nokia 9000.... Yes the Black and White PDA Screen. Now THAT was a brick, this is sleek compared to that device.

Whell.... for me this is it at the moment as far buisness management on the go goes although it has a few limitations at the moment due to under development at the moment and the network signal strength stinks compared to £30 phones you can buy now days and i wouldent even complin about its size (already knew what i was getting anyway) if it wasnt for all the other flaws with it at the moment like btooth, battery, poor range on wireless and again poor network signal quality..... I have upgraded the radio rom but that was about it and cant be bothered to keep messin around with hacks since a reliable buisness tool is what i need.
Im waitting to grab a SE p990i until i consider ditching this.
BR

well what can i say, group of unhappy uni users eh...
Just thought I would butt in and put my two bobs worth....
I love it. Love everything about it. The size isnt an issue for me, I dont get embarrased easily, I dont mind holding the phone to my ear, I dont care that it doesnt have an external screen, i am either available and take the call, or I am not available and dont take the call, dont need to hide from anybody.
I love the keyboard, I love the clam protection of the screen, I love the quasi screen, I love 3G data speeds, I love the qwerty keyboard, I love the WIFI, I love SD cards, I love the camera facility, I love the video facility, I love the hacks, I love the custom software installed.
I would like more memory, and more storage, but that is all. I thought I was getting 128mb of RAM and 128mb of usable storage, but other than that, I manage well.
We all make mistakes, we all have different choices and needs, but if you didnt get the hint.... I love it. I think the main thing people need to think about in all of this is whether they wanted a phone with PDA functions, or a PDA with a phone function. Mine was the latter. My wife was the former, so we both sold our XDAII's she got a phone, I got the Uni.
Cheers and happy PDA'ing.

what do you carry as your main phone

assuming the universal is too big to lug around what do you use as a phone or pda on your nights out etc,when you cant be arsed to carry the big fella?
i use a really old nokia but thinking of a atom or somthing smaller

jaceuk said:
assuming the universal is too big...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm probably in the minority since many people seem to make this assumption, but the Universal is the one and only phone and PDA I carry.

I too only carry my exec around, just whats the point in having 2 devices, we all knew the size of the beast when we bought it, and imho if you need to carry another phone for those ocassions when you want to look "cool" then it wasn't well thought out in the first place, but hey thats just MY opinion, whatever floats your boat

kelford said:
I'm probably in the minority since many people seem to make this assumption, but the Universal is the one and only phone and PDA I carry.
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Click to collapse
No, I'm with you as well! Universal (XDA Exec) is only thing I carry. So it's big... but it does EVERYTHING in one package

me too... exec only

exec only here!
i mean whats the point of the exec if i was to buy a phone aswell? theres better standalone pdas than the exec!
i got the exec for its form factor and it may be a big box but the only box i need to carry!

yup
you must be a 'fool' (hypothetical) to buy an Exec AND a normal phone.. LOL
What you ask is like going back 5 years and buy a compaq and a sony ericsson or so haha
A smartphone is the solution for people who dont want the size of a pda.. I think the screen should not be smaller.. the exec is the perfect solution for me.
I also have a mda vario. but i miss the raw power and vga screen (drool), and my fingers are to big for those dodgy keys on the vario LOL
So if you are really using a normal phone next to your Exec i can only advice one thing.. sell the exec to someone who likes it and buy a much cheaper pda with the same functions which presumably does that job way better anyway LOL
:twisted:

I beg to difer, on nights out on the "piss" I use a Motorola V3i. Not wanting to risk losing or droping the 900 I use a backup slim phone on these occasions.
Also the V3 comes out when I go diving, taking it on boat trips around the coast.

There is no "one-size-fits-all" here
I have to disagree as well.
I use my JasJar as an always-connected PDA - as a systems administrator I use it to read email and as a terminal server when away from the office using WiFi when available and GPRS when not. The problem is that I can not talk with one of my techs or users about the problems they are experiencing at the same time I am on the internet, because it only has 1 radio, and if it is currently in a GPRS connection it cannot make a GSM connection at the same time. I could probably do the same thing with VOIP - but since we do not have 3G available here yet, the bandwidth on GPRS would just not support TS and VOIP simultaneously. Plus - the BT capabilities are just not up to par with this version of the OS.
So - I carry around a Motorola PEBL as my phone, as it really has great BT capabilities (like digit dialing!) and great talk-time, and my JasJar as an internet device. Some of you may think it's "like going back 5 years", but being able to carry around an always-connected PDA with a VGA screen and very functional phyical keyboard is approaching Nirvana for me. So what if I also have to carry around a tiny phone (that fits nicely into any pocket) as well - I just don's see the problem!

ehh
wrong..
when i go to the pub (often) i dont take anything exept my wallet with me LMAO. Or i leave my Exec in my car.
But you made a valid point, i have to agree to that a small phone could be handy in the local or disco..
Imho though BRosenow get a real pda, i am a sys admin and use a HP iPAQ hx2700 for work.. way faster then the Exec, and if you really want to use gprs just make a bluetooth connection with your gprs or umts mobile.
hehehe

dvl wrote:
if you really want to use gprs just make a bluetooth connection with your gprs or umts mobile
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Click to collapse
So you suggest that the answer to the one radio in the universal that is the limiting factor in making GSM and GPRS connections simultaneously is to use 2 BT connections to my phone (headset and JasJar) so I can make its 1 radio do simultaneous GSM and GPRS connections? No matter how fast the PDA - the BT bandwidth and the 1 radio in the phone are still keeping this from being a viable option.

Re: ehh
XDA only here.
Can see the virtue of a phone for the pub though, not coz it's too big, but coz it'd cost big bucks to replace.
I prefer not to drink so much that I don't know what's going on around me though....

Exec for web based related access and certain inbound calls (only a few know the number), XDAIIs for all other calls, next device will be Qtek8300 or Nokia N91 (oops I am swearing) - Mike

jaceuk said:
assuming the universal is too big to lug around what do you use as a phone or pda on your nights out etc,when you cant be arsed to carry the big fella?
i use a really old nokia but thinking of a atom or somthing smaller
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I DO carry my Universal (SPV M5000), but what I use as main phone is something is not smaller at all :wink: Nokia 9500 (and before that Nokia 9210i which was even bigger) as they are the BEST cellphones ever made (yet)!!!!
Happy easter & have a great weekend everyone!
CerberuS

jaceuk said:
assuming the universal is too big to lug around what do you use as a phone or pda on your nights out etc,when you cant be arsed to carry the big fella?
i use a really old nokia but thinking of a atom or somthing smaller
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Inititally tried the Jasjar as my main phone, however its size and lack of Caller Name on Bluetooth headsets put me off, its a great device for me to use in the car to get email, remotely access servers and GPS.
The phone I carry around all the time is an iMate SP5

Nokia 8800 day to day phone. XDA Exec is PDA.
The Exec is a bit rubbish to use as a phone. It has so many flaws, size being the obvious one. Poor SMS, etc, etc its just not really practical. But as a connectd PDA its amazing. But more importantly it helps with the work/life balance.
My Exec is used only for work releated stuff. Contacts, scheduals, etc, etc all stay on the exec. My personal life is sync'ed in with my 8800, outlook, contacts, etc, etc. This way when the Exec is not with me, neither is work. It works quite well.

Airax said:
Nokia 8800 day to day phone. XDA Exec is PDA.
The Exec is a bit rubbish to use as a phone. It has so many flaws, size being the obvious one. Poor SMS, etc, etc its just not really practical. But as a connectd PDA its amazing. But more importantly it helps with the work/life balance.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nokia 8800 is one of the most god-awful phones out there. We sell them, and people buy them. People ASK for them, and we laugh!
But you raise an interesting point about poor SMS - I've heard others mention this, and I can't work out why. It's brilliant for SMSes!

Though I carry a Nokia 6230 as well as my Exec this mainly because the 6230 has my own Sim card and the Exec is on work's account.
If this wasn't the case I could quite happily live with the Exec as my only phone.
I've only had the Exec for 3-4 days but VGA screen for Terminal service; Push mail; Web access; a phone and finally a keyboard all rolled into one make this this the best device available to a tech monkey. The size won't be a problem as it fits nicely in my inside jacket pocket and I'd been happily lugging a XDA2i around prior to the SPV M5000 without half o the potential of this baby.

well i find it not too godd as a phone and too big to lug around on a night out.
my main use for it is net etc whilst in the hotel workign away,
im gonna get slim phone for nightd out and the summer just something small and very basic.
the exec is ace but not sutiable for my needs in all situations

Hi,
9000 is too big to put in my 501's pocket but I knew it before buying it. So...I had a V3i Moto for 2 monthes but...when you had a pdaphone, a simple cellular is too simple for your mind. So, I just buy a used 9100 , after looking the new S200. And, I'm happy with my 2 qtek...always synchro for pims (impossible to make it work with the Moto) because I have no memory and my live is on my pdass
And...last but not least...only one HS850 Moto as headset...working with 9000 and 9100 (8 partnerships memory)...

how do you feel about the newer n95 type phones

How do you feel about phones like the Nokia N95,
while we watch the spec roll out for pda's the symbian guys ,are getting really good
N95 specs ,wifi,tv out,HSDPA (3.5G) device, but also boasts Wi-Fi, WCDMA, quad-band GSM, Bluetooth (including A2DP), IrDA and USB 2.0 connectivity (via mini USB connector). Other hardware features include a 5 megapixel camera, a built in GPS, TV-Out, 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio, a MicroSD memory card slot and 150MB of internal memory.
MP3, AAC, AAC+ and WMA. Video playback 3GP, Real Video and MP4 with support for the latest AVC codec.
Feature's like firmware over the air updates, 2.6" QVGA 16 million color display, 3D graphics, built-in stereo speakers offering a 3D stereo effect
At 99mm x 20mm x 53mm
now ok its symbian and no windows etc,and not really a pda but they are managing to get the specs we want in our pda's,
Furthermore they are doing it with small neat relaible devices,with decent battery life
I think its good to bring such things into the mainstream,people who dont know a thing about pda's or smartphone's will be using the spec of the phone and that can only raise the bar for other devices
Myself i will have a look and if it turns out to be as good as it looks.i have no problem to switching to one,if it provides what i need ,email,net,gps ,wifi and decent storage with a good phone
then i will get more beneift day to day than with current pda's
How do the rest of you feel about it all?
will you wait till the dream pda comes along or will you jump ship and get a device that just works

Personally I still dont understand why GPRS or EDGE windows mobile devices are still being made - in the last 3 years not one 2.5g symbian device has been made - they have ALL been 3G, yet all but 3 or 4 windows mobile devices are 2.5G
WHY!!?
if your going to make "smart"phones boasting internet explorer, and fancy iknternet features like remote desktop and most importantly exchange access then why use the slowest possible internet connection
yes you can get wm phones with wifi, but 3g covers 87% of the country (at least on orange it does) - wifi covers something like 30%, and will p retty much never be available when you really need it
I REALLY want a pocket pc phone, but I NEED to have the 3g internet at least - ive tried going back to 2.5g, which lasted precisely 3 days before I went back to my 6680 - and the 3g pocket pcs are so god damned expensive that I cant afford them because theres so bloddy few of them.
Hopefully, I will end up with enough money to get a HTC Universal, but until then I'm sticking with my 6680, which has never even hung up, and provides dead-on 384Kbps 100% of the time its on 3g, which is more than can be said for the n series (oh, and I'm perfectly happy paying £4 a mb on my orange tarriff because of their excellent 3g services - they also have a pay £1 get a days unlimited internet tariff, which i use frequently)
so...to sum up, im probably posting in completely the wrong place, but im just trying to make the point - the ONLY reason i have a symbian phone is because windows mobile just doesnt live up to the devices its put on, and hasnt really advanced in a damned long time, whereas symbian seems to get a new feature every 90 seconds and a new HIGH END, RELIABLE device every 90 days or so.
All hail SE - but not nokia, I wont be surprised if that n95 will break pretty quickly considering its so close to the cutting edge line and nokia probably havent done much to the backend code, personally I will be waiting for the n95 (mainly cause i definately wont be able to afford it, and I cant have a contract)
So I guess now the choice for me is an overexpensive old windows mobile device, stick with my trusted 6680 for a while, or get another symbian

Im an exec owner and as mention in another thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=1138793
ive had my fill of microsoft,places like this make the windows pda great not microsoft,and they refuse to see this and turn out crap
im going to treo or nokia next as they deliver

sorry broswer and dial up issue double post