Hi guys, new to the forums here, but very glad i did find it! Anyways here's my situation. i just recently got the wizard aka T-mobile MDA from a friend of mine. He didn't keep it in very good condition, but otherwise it works just fine. I have upgraded the phone to WM6 and love the phone! However, it bugs me that the phone looks very worn. I thought about upgrading to the Hermes and selling this phone off or just replacing the case through ebay ( now that i found the instruction manual). Anyways, i can bascially trade this phone AS-IS and 50 bucks more for pretty much a brand new hermes, or spend about that much and risk messing up the phone tryin to put on the new case. What i want to know for all those Hermes and Wizard owners is how much better is the Hermes? i see it has a few more buttons and the added scroll wheel (which i kinda like). But what about the keyboard? which do you prefer. Any help is much appreciated. THX!
had a wizard and absolutely loved it. now got a hermes and couldnt live without it. for me the hermes is far superior. never had to soft reset, easy to upgrade roms thanks to mrvanx quality how tos, quicker (better processor) etc etc...
I prefer the Hermes on so many different levels. The keyboard is a bit easier for me on the 8525 too.
If it'll cost only $50 more, it's an easy decision (it would be for me, anyhow).
soo Hermes? One question i have is with the rom on the Hermes, is it stable? i installed the crossbow 1.7 for the wizard and it seems pretty good and i saw they have an official rom they are about to cook up. Does the Hermes have anything like that?
The original WM5 Rom is fine. But, this is XDA-Developers! So the jump to WM6 is painless and easy. There are many great, cooked ROMs available too (w/ an official WM6 upgrade coming soon).
vitycent said:
soo Hermes? One question i have is with the rom on the Hermes, is it stable? i installed the crossbow 1.7 for the wizard and it seems pretty good and i saw they have an official rom they are about to cook up. Does the Hermes have anything like that?
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One other question, i have a car charger for the wizard, it seems that the plug is the same for the chargers, would this be the case and i can keep the car charger? or do i have buy a new one, also i have a couple of extra stylist for the wizard, would this fit into the Hermes? AH! one more thing, i would love to keep my phone protected, does anyone use a protector case and if so what kind. i want one that wouldn't be a pain with when using the outside buttons. THX
You can use the same charger, no problem. The connections a little different looking on the Hermes, but it'll fit and work normally none the less.
The stylus from the Wizard will work and fit in the Hermes too.
As far as a protector case, I'm not a fan of those at all. I use this...
http://www.shieldzone.com/item_description/CING8525.html
It's clear and covers the entire body and screen. It's WAY nice. Just a thought though.
vitycent said:
One other question, i have a car charger for the wizard, it seems that the plug is the same for the chargers, would this be the case and i can keep the car charger? or do i have buy a new one, also i have a couple of extra stylist for the wizard, would this fit into the Hermes? AH! one more thing, i would love to keep my phone protected, does anyone use a protector case and if so what kind. i want one that wouldn't be a pain with when using the outside buttons. THX
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i dont know what service you use but you can get a refurbished hermes from cingulars website for $250 bucks with an upgrade or new contract
vitycent said:
Hi guys, new to the forums here ... I thought about upgrading to the Hermes and selling this phone off or just replacing the case through ebay ( now that i found the instruction manual). Anyways, i can bascially trade this phone AS-IS and 50 bucks more for pretty much a brand new hermes, or spend about that much and risk messing up the phone tryin to put on the new case ... THX!
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Question: WHERE are you getting that $50 upgrade? If I could have an unlocked Hermes for $50 I'd be on it like my cat on a gecko (they seem to be his favorite "natural" food!)! I bet it's a new contract, right? grrr ...
Statement #1: The one real beef I have with the Wizard is that the keyboard is not "true" QWERTY, in that the key rows are not "offset" or "crosshatched" like the keys on a standard keyboard. That seemingly small difference drives me nuts and really slows my typing. Hermes, I see from pictures, has the "correct" offset so I'm betting it's easier to get used to.
Statement #2: I'm with TaurusBullba on the Invisible Shield. I have used them on PDAs and GPSr's for a couple of years now, and wouldn't go without one. It might seem steep for what appears to be a bunch of plastic strips with adhesive, but the stuff is pretty tough. Just be patient when applying the pieces and your Wizard or Hermes will come out looking as great as ever.
To tempt you more, I will pass along an email-only discount I got just recently: 20% off all smartphone shields AND 20% off all Cell Phone Shields. Just don't tell 'em where you got it!
Wow cool THX! bascially i found someone local that i could trade my phone with and would pay 50 bucks more for the hermes. Anyways i will definitely check that Invisible Sheild out, it looks Great! and THX some more for the coupon codes you guys have been great here.
moosiegirl said:
Question: WHERE are you getting that $50 upgrade? If I could have an unlocked Hermes for $50 I'd be on it like my cat on a gecko (they seem to be his favorite "natural" food!)! I bet it's a new contract, right? grrr ...
Statement #1: The one real beef I have with the Wizard is that the keyboard is not "true" QWERTY, in that the key rows are not "offset" or "crosshatched" like the keys on a standard keyboard. That seemingly small difference drives me nuts and really slows my typing. Hermes, I see from pictures, has the "correct" offset so I'm betting it's easier to get used to.
Statement #2: I'm with TaurusBullba on the Invisible Shield. I have used them on PDAs and GPSr's for a couple of years now, and wouldn't go without one. It might seem steep for what appears to be a bunch of plastic strips with adhesive, but the stuff is pretty tough. Just be patient when applying the pieces and your Wizard or Hermes will come out looking as great as ever.
To tempt you more, I will pass along an email-only discount I got just recently: 20% off all smartphone shields AND 20% off all Cell Phone Shields. Just don't tell 'em where you got it!
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Related
So i'm in saudi arabia now for the holidays and i'm going to trade my K-Jam (Wizard) in for a jasjam. Today i stopped by the Axiom service center, which is one of the most popular warranty providers here, and i asked them about the screen alignment issue and the guy told me he's had no problems with the JasJam.. is that right? I've looked in the wiki and didn't notice anything about the JasJam so i just wanted to make sure.
My other quetions pertain to rom's and programs but i guess i could figure all that out when i get the baby in my hands. But is there anything else i should be aware of before hand?
Thanks in advance and i look forward to moving over to the Hermes thread!
fone_fanatic said:
So i'm in saudi arabia now for the holidays and i'm going to trade my K-Jam (Wizard) in for a jasjam. Today i stopped by the Axiom service center, which is one of the most popular warranty providers here, and i asked them about the screen alignment issue and the guy told me he's had no problems with the JasJam.. is that right? I've looked in the wiki and didn't notice anything about the JasJam so i just wanted to make sure.
My other quetions pertain to rom's and programs but i guess i could figure all that out when i get the baby in my hands. But is there anything else i should be aware of before hand?
Thanks in advance and i look forward to moving over to the Hermes thread!
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Well as regards the Screen Alignment problem I believe this is far less of an issue than it was. I do still see the odd comment though, that someone with a newer device has a problem.
You are obviously not new to the forum and I guess you've looked around the Hermes posts but maybe this one is relevant?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=280383&page=5
Might also want to search a bit on video playback issues regarding the likes of Coreplayer (TCPMP) where there have been issues. Also some issues with bluetooth might be worth searching. Wifi range maybe an issue 10-15metres ok but weak over this distance. One or two with slack/loose sliding keyboards - check if possible for firm clicks on open and closed when buying. Less of an issue now but some keyboards have slightly unresponsive keys - work but need very firm or firmer press again check on purchasing if possible.
Just some thoughts, despite any niggles a great device.
Mike
Thanks for your reply. As for software issues, i've read posts about them and figured thats something i'd deal with when i get the device, i'm mainly concerned about hardware issues. Wifi is pretty useless to me on a daily basis because i have the unlimitted data package, which i abuse to the MAX! that brings another question, hows the batter with a data connection always on? because the nokia N80 doesn't last through the day with its UMTS bands on.
The sliding mechanism, even if i knew nothing about the device, thats something i'd automaticly check, the sliding integrity. Also i remember about 2 months ago reading about issues with the sticky/hard keys, i'll check that out as well, but pretty sure most stores won't let me put the battery in it till i pay and after that i have to deal with the company that the device's warranty is under.j
i'm gonna do some more snooping around in the hermes thread but what bluetooth issues are you talking about specifically? i don't use a bt headset, but i might buy a stereo one if the battery can handle about 4 hours of music playback a day. Also that fossil/sony ericsson BT watch looks pretty neat, might grab one of those as well, but i just treated myself to a Concord Saratoga with the chronographs 3 days ago so don't need another watch
Thank you mike for your input and i'm really excited to get this device! i'm supposed to attend 2 christmas parties tonight, pretty sure i'm either going to be in the corner playing with my JasJam or at my parents place watching it charge!
Happy playing with new toy!
The bluetooth thing is more software than hardware, the following will give you some idea:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=1079019
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=287100&highlight=stack
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=287210&highlight=stack
I cannot really summarise as I don't really use bluetooth myself.
Mike
Thanks for your replies, i skipped my best friends X-Mas dinner to go buy my Hermes... haha, its ok he's a tech freak as well and he'll understand. Just plugged in my baby into the charger and my girlfiends jealous already so can't touch it for 8 hours... so my girlfriend will keep me occupied till then
Now i've got to figure out which is the best rom and and whats the best case for me... i don't want to put a scratch on this thing, unlike my K-Jam which looked like it went through a war!!
Thanks again, heading over to the upgrading and accessories thread to bug some people there
fone_fanatic
Congrat's m8 ..how much did u payed ?
3,099 Saudi Riyals which converts to $826.40 american
Sorry to say that I recently went from a wizard (which I've had for 18 months) to a hermes...disappointed doesn't even begin to describe my experience.
I had the 'brick' as I've come to call it, 3 days and already it's deceased.
Started getting the 'phantom taps' and now no TS at all.
Rebooted a dozen times and it just wont get past the screen alignment...in fact if you sit and watch it does it itself!
I even know what the issue is as it's been reported in the past but you'd think HTC would've sorted it by now.
HTC are palming off shonky goods as cutting edge.....really disapointed.
Did you flash a custom ROM onto it? Is it a hardware problem? In any case, it's covered by a warranty, you probably just got a defective unit. IMO, the upgrade from my wizard to hermes was a HUGE difference in performance and I'd never go back.
hardware related
Its hardware related....as the device gets warm (probably room temperature!) the screen expands and the TS membrane is pinched. All kinds of fun ensues!
There's no warranty on it..so it wont be going back.
Chalk another one up to experience.
if you have no warranty then you prob didn't pay much and you prob didn't get a new unit, and you prob didn't even get from a reputable place....so buyer beware...if the deal was to good to be true it prob was and did you ever think to ask yourself why the unit was for sale in the first place.
Assume a lot dontcha
It's brand new...from a friend who upgraded almost immediately to a HTC Touch.
You are correct though - didn't cost me a bean - shame my wizard's already gone....
oh..and while you're at it...get off yer high horse!
Assuming that I'm a dumb hick who'll buy anything that's cheap is a bit insulting..
Andy Phillips said:
It's brand new...from a friend who upgraded almost immediately to a HTC Touch.
You are correct though - didn't cost me a bean - shame my wizard's already gone....
oh..and while you're at it...get off yer high horse!
Assuming that I'm a dumb hick who'll buy anything that's cheap is a bit insulting..
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If it's brand new from a friend, why not have him simply return the unit as defective??? Besides, just because you aren't the original buyer doesn't mean there is no warranty...
I have both a Wizard and a Hermes. Apart from the Wizard feeling like it is more rugged when it's in your hand, the Hermes is superior in every other way. And when you load WM6 onto the Hermes, it just blows the Wizard away completely.
If you know enough about this device to know that the innards are "expanding" and that something is being pinched by this, it sounds like you've taken it apart.
You're clearly not telling us the whole story in any case. If you ever want real advice for fixing your Hermes instead of just venting and not telling us what you've done to it to cause these problems, a lot of people here will be happy to help you.
BTW, I've found that doing a soft reset after charging it does a lot for any heat problems if this is truly the only problem you're having.
...several screen alignment "fixes" available on this website...
Lay off the guy
Look folks, the 'phantom tap' is a known and documented hardware issue with Hermes and has nothing to do with where/how/when/why the unit was acquired, nor for how much. Wise up (and shut up if you don't know what you're talking about).
To the OP: Don't give up so easily. In my experience HTC tracks the warranty by serial number. Call them and insist on an RMA. I was successful in getting one fixed free of charge. And guess what... I bought it on ebaY, and the warranty seal had been broken!
Btw, it's not the touch screen. Been there, replaced it, didn't fix it.
Thanks vp3G
vp3G said:
Look folks, the 'phantom tap' is a known and documented hardware issue with Hermes and has nothing to do with where/how/when/why the unit was acquired, nor for how much. Wise up (and shut up if you don't know what you're talking about).
To the OP: Don't give up so easily. In my experience HTC tracks the warranty by serial number. Call them and insist on an RMA. I was successful in getting one fixed free of charge. And guess what... I bought it on ebaY, and the warranty seal had been broken!
Btw, it's not the touch screen. Been there, replaced it, didn't fix it.
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Thanks for that man!
As it turns out the device was still under warranty and it's been returned...just waiting for it to come back!
Funnily enough when I had it the first time, the rom I put on it was your 'Black Satin'! Nice ROM, particularly the file explorer replacement!
Personally I didn't see much in the way of difference between the hermes and the wizard....but I did have it only for three days.
When I get it back I and test it out a bit more, I will gladly eat my words if it out performs the old wizard.
Anyway, I wasn't slating the hermes in itself..many of my friends have one p )..it was HTC themselves for still selling devices to consumers with a known fault.
Andy.
Andy Phillips said:
Sorry to say that I recently went from a wizard (which I've had for 18 months) to a hermes...disappointed doesn't even begin to describe my experience.
I had the 'brick' as I've come to call it, 3 days and already it's deceased.
Started getting the 'phantom taps' and now no TS at all.
Rebooted a dozen times and it just wont get past the screen alignment...in fact if you sit and watch it does it itself!
I even know what the issue is as it's been reported in the past but you'd think HTC would've sorted it by now.
HTC are palming off shonky goods as cutting edge.....really disapointed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One dud BMW doesn't make BMW's bad cars. You got a dud, plain and simple. Return it for one that works.
HTC has impressed me, especially lately as they are trying to "redesign" the interface for windows mobile to make it actually usable.
BMWs are incredibly bad cars for the price they are sold for.
Andy Phillips said:
As it turns out the device was still under warranty and it's been returned...just waiting for it to come back!
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Well..... imagine that...
Funnily enough when I had it the first time, the rom I put on it was your 'Black Satin'! Nice ROM, particularly the file explorer replacement!
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Thanks, but I can't take credit for Black Satin... that's JasJamming's ROM...
Personally I didn't see much in the way of difference between the hermes and the wizard....but I did have it only for three days.
When I get it back I and test it out a bit more, I will gladly eat my words if it out performs the old wizard.
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Hope you're hungry...
Anyway, I wasn't slating the hermes in itself..many of my friends have one p )..it was HTC themselves for still selling devices to consumers with a known fault.
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It's a valid gripe, IMO. The problem you experienced is certainly 'hush-hush' with them.
@vp3G
aaah....I thought it was your rom because of the nifty splash screens!
I was considering getting a kaiser but I think I will play it safe and wait until it's been 'in the field' for a while...
See you later,
Andy.
Hi all
Just wondering if theres anybody in here who is going to be upgrading to the kaiser and may be selling their old hermes?!
I am interested in purchasing to put it simply! looking for a quick and easy upgrade from my wizard.
Thank you
yea i got two heremes pm me if your interested both are nib
alleyezondisromo said:
yea i got two heremes pm me if your interested both are nib
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You're offering to sell him your stolen one? Not the nicest or honest thing to be doing.
uppity
surely someone?!
preferably in the uk
seel you mines?
duke_stix said:
Hi all
Just wondering if theres anybody in here who is going to be upgrading to the kaiser and may be selling their old hermes?!
I am interested in purchasing to put it simply! looking for a quick and easy upgrade from my wizard.
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and it is not stolen came directly from att a month ago let me know
I'm thinking of selling mine. I'm on Tmobile and I miss my Sidekick... Message me
youve got a message!
come on all you people who have upgraded to the kaiser!
there are a lot on ebay, if you want in person that is a diff thing.
But even i found a lot of buyers in person
i would have jumped on the kaiser as well if tmobile had there 3g act together, but im going to be skiping it i guess, until 3g is set in stone and something like the kaiser comes out with vga, reason for vga is that its really great for browsering from what i saw qvga vs vga... it does likee pretty damn cool, i also want some more beef on the cpu and esp gpu, i feel that kaiser is just a little bit of a step up and not worth the upgrade, for that price tag, if doing a contract and getting a great deal then yes or if having a lot of money burning in your pocket that or if your job req the use of pocketPC/pda heavily then ya of course you want the latest and greatest
Also interested
Also interested , even more if it already has Elf's Crackberry. New employer insists on BES .
(I'm a noob who's been lurking for a few weeks. Tinkered with Unix kernel 20+ years ago and admire good engineering work, but I've been on the business side for so long now that I know just enough to be dangerous. )
An easy capability to take the box vanilla would also be useful.
Best regards,
i also used craigslist.org great site for local buy/sell etc... you can also use some other forums... im not sure if were allowed to post other PPC/PDA forums here? but there is a big popular one as well that has a buy/sell forum... which i think is a must... because you get to know ppl here and would trust a times them more so then a random person on ebay or so.
How do all. just wondered if anyone would like to swop there universal for my Hermes? the hermes is in very good condition and is branded under the T-Mobile Vario II and is unlocked to any network. I really like this PPC but would just like a new toy really. The universal would have to be unlocked and in good condition. PM me if anyone is intrested and i will send you more info and pics etc.
i have ended up setting up a swop for my kaiser and 150 quid. am very happy
kaiser..
isnt the kaiser worth more than the uni?..
Are you in the US
The Kaiser is worth a lot more thats why hes also gave me 150 quid. i sent the phone today so i should be getting mine later in the week. i cant wait!
aah!, i mustve read it wrong lol.. wonderes when o2 will sell the xda star in uk.. =(.. they sell the kaiser tho..
seanpint said:
The Kaiser is worth a lot more
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That may change now that HTC has announced that they are planning to solve multimedia performance problems only in future devices and no fix is planned for the Kaiser...
I traded my TyTN II for an i-mate JASJAR, just a one-for-one swap with no cash in between. And I don't regret that for a second! I hated the TyTN II and was ready to use it as a skeet shooting target!
Then I traded the JASJAR for a JASJAM (Hermes) with a miminal amount of cash. This is something I am beginning to regret. Although the JASJAM is faster and has a slightly better camera, the lack of VGA display and bigger keyboard is starting to bug me!
so u basically swapped a kaiser for a hermes and a bit of cash, aint that like a big downgrade?...
No. What's the difference between the Hermes and the Kaiser? The Kaiser has a tilting keyboard and built-in GPS. What else do you get with the Kaiser? How about poor multimedia usability? Stuttering videos and touchscreen that needs a few extra taps to notice you. Not to mention the sluggish camera that's totally unusable indoors.
I just got the Universal today. i really do like it Ialso really did like the Kaiser mind. The only reason why i didnt use it as much was because it was locked to t-mobile and i now have a sim card for my mates work sim(free internet,free calls, free texts etc) Thats why i used the hermes and am really pleased i still got it. The hermes is by far the best pocket pc device out there. Its had more people cooking roms then the kaiser so we know how to play with it and get more out of it etc. its not bad sized(althought many people do take the mick out of me for having a brick as a phone. wait till they see the universal!) and also the hermes is just such a good alround brilliant phone. i am getting a artemis up and running soon mind so will have a good play with that and find out if i like WM devies without keyboards any good. will keep you posted!
seanpint said:
I just got the Universal today. i really do like it Ialso really did like the Kaiser mind. The only reason why i didnt use it as much was because it was locked to t-mobile and i now have a sim card for my mates work sim(free internet,free calls, free texts etc) Thats why i used the hermes and am really pleased i still got it. The hermes is by far the best pocket pc device out there. Its had more people cooking roms then the kaiser so we know how to play with it and get more out of it etc. its not bad sized(althought many people do take the mick out of me for having a brick as a phone. wait till they see the universal!) and also the hermes is just such a good alround brilliant phone. i am getting a artemis up and running soon mind so will have a good play with that and find out if i like WM devies without keyboards any good. will keep you posted!
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Why not sim-unlock your Universal, LOL
Its a O" branded Universal so it comes sim unlocked out the box
isnt the hermes worse than the kaiser.. lowwer spec anyway..
i was thinkin of gettin a anthena/advantage/ameo.. its vga but its mahoosive.. i was gnna get a touch dual but prob couldnt cope without vga.. lol and its got a hard drive.. 8gb aint bad..
(Deleted duplicate post.)
RoHaM said:
isnt the hermes worse than the kaiser.. lowwer spec anyway..
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What lower spec? If you take away the built-in GPS and the tilting keyboard, what else is still better on the Kaiser?
I have been trying to find a wing and just cant, i stumbled upon a v1605 hermes for 95$ and was curious if that would be a good price for this phone, its unlocked also. currently i have a htc excalibur, but my kid decided it needed a bath so tossed it in the toilet, ive actually got the phone working but it keeps having minor problems. using a cooked rom, know about customizing and all the various crap and wanting an upgrade and just curious if anyone could give me advice on the price and would love to hear if anyone is a past/current dash owner w/ a hermes also.
just unsure if i should bide my time and wait it out with a gimp excalibur until i can pickup a wing or if i should just grab a hermes.
dash i have overclocked and what not, i know the cpu is bigger on the hermes and it looks to have a lot more to play with overall.... but will i be getting my money worth at 95$?
the wing has a 220mhz prossessor, while the 8525 has 400mhz.
The HERMES FTW!!
My english teacher had a Wing, he asked me to do some moddification, if you know what i mean.. And i got to say, the keyboard is a little better, but the phone is really slow trust me. The Hermes is twise as fast. I have the hermes curently, its great, and for the price of 95$ you should get it. I got mine for 200$ and i think that THAt was a good deal. But yeah. Get the Hermes.
Not the leader of the pack anymore but still a solid little device. For the price, WHERE CAN I GET ONE TOO????
ultramag69 said:
Not the leader of the pack anymore but still a solid little device. For the price, WHERE CAN I GET ONE TOO????
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The wing or the Hermes?
Hermes...
Only HTC I own....
Cheers...