Database Users

Palm -> MDA -> Palm

I'm literally at the end of my fuse here. :doh: I really wanted to give the MDA a chance, but I'm sitting next to a pile of old fashioned index cards that have served as my PIM since I got my MDA. Here's my rant:
1. MDA is SLOW. When I want to call someone, the default software's call list takes forever to pull someone's name up. While I'm driving, this makes me 10x more likely to have an accident just waiting for the thing to pull up. I overclocked my MDA with Smartskey and did a simple registry change that speeds things up, but it's still SLOW. When you type a letter for a contact's name, it should pull up, even my 6 year old Palm Vx is quicker.
2. I tried Pocket Informant, and it's damn complicated and slow too. I would consider myself a pretty tech savvy guy, but I stil prefer Palm's Agendus, simple but does the job.
3. I hate Outlook! I'm not a corporate slave, but an entrepreneur that doesn't want to get tied to some ugly, generic Microsoft product that spreads viruses. I want my Palm Desktop back!
4. Internet with T-mobile is SLOW!!! I got this phone because I wanted to use google outdoors, then I'd have the world in my hands. I thought that EDGE would have bearable speeds, but it's worse than AOL 33.6k dial-up. I live in the Los Angeles area where EDGE is supposed to be active, but it just seems like a waste of $30/month.
So I've thought about this a lot, and was wondering your opinions...
I think I want to go back to the Palm. Windows Mobile sucks!! I thought WM5.0 would be the latest and greatest, but it's the same old Microsoft s**t.
I would really like to get the Treo 700p, but I have 9 more months of my T-mobile contract. I wish I could get out and try Verizon's EVDO.
Thanks for listening,
Hanguo Laohu

At a guess I'd say you're using the stock T-mobile rom then.

Stock MDA rom
You are correct. Does the newer ROM make that much difference? I mean, if my 6 year old Palm Vx can instantly go from contacts to calendar, I was assuming that the MDA could do the same.
HL

The new ROM is much stabler and quicker than its predecessor.

I owned a treo 650 for several months then I moved to the wizard. the wizard is hands down the better pda/phone than the treo.
if you have such hatred towards the wizard, then go back to the treo, no one is stopping you.

I used to have a treo 600 and then the 650. I then moved to the MDA, and I have to agree that the MDA is much better. I also agree that you should upgrade to the latest rom before giving up on the mda.

I think from your feelings about Microsoft, and this device, you would be far better suited to a Mac as your main PC, and a Palm as your PDA, and enjoy the simplistic no frills use from them.

I'm not going to bash Palm or defend MS products, merely state my opinion..
Palm seems to work fine for many people. In my experience these are people who prefer an "out-of-the-box" solution. Open it, put batteries in and go. That's fine, I can't knock that.
WM appears to be a platform more suited to "tweakers" who like a customized solutions and don't mind the effort of assembling the pieces. I really believe that if you're only using the preinstalled apps in WM then you are on the wrong device.

Using a cellphone whilst driving
Please don't take this the wrong way, you could do everybody a favour and not use your phone will driving?
http://www.talewins.com/protectyourself/cellphones.htm
regards

I like you moved from a Treo 600 to the MDA and hated it at first. It's slow, kind of like running XP on a 386 and almost impossible to use one handed although you can. But since I sold the Treo (& I've been a palm man since the pilot days) I thought I'd tweak the MDA to see what it could do. Here's what I suggest,
1 - update to the new ROM, just do it that solves a host of issues
2- Overclock it, I don't know why they dont do this out of the box but it makes the thing run almost normally
3- Careful about what you install, if you think it runs slow now, try maxing out memory
4- Use a Bluetooth headset
5- Keep reading this forum, many great ideas & programmers
After the above I like it, maybe not better than the Treo but it's every bit as good just a little different. I actually like Activesync better than Palms, really why push a button, it should just do it.

hanguolaohu said:
1. MDA is SLOW. When I want to call someone, the default software's call list takes forever to pull someone's name up. While I'm driving, this makes me 10x more likely to have an accident just waiting for the thing to pull up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use MS Voice Command. I use it while driving and I never even have to play with my MDA. I just push the button on the side that I assigned to the MS Voice command program, then I say, Call So and So and work....or home...or cell. It repeats it back, you either say YES if it got it right or NO, if it was a NO, you just repeat it again. It's really a very easy way to make phone calls while you are driving.

update to the T-Mobile 2.26 (if you have MDA T-Mobile). Or install cleaned rom, then install OMAP Plus to overclock you device.
I would know if palm is better than WM5. Windows hands down, i've used all the treos stopping at the 650. Horrible compare to any XDA. And i have used all the palm devices such as nx90 uh series. all of them cuz i sell them. Not great

hanguolaohu said:
I would really like to get the Treo 700p, but I have 9 more months of my T-mobile contract. I wish I could get out and try Verizon's EVDO
Hanguo Laohu
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use a air card EVDO adapter for my laptop for Verizon's EVDO. You will not get half the speed on any PPC/Palm because of their processors. Your best using your laptop for EVDO.
On my phone I just use Wi-Fi.

With BlueTooth headset and MS Voice Command, I do not even have to touch my MDA to make a phone call. 8)

to really see the difference between WM5 and Palm one should use the exchange activesync or the blackberry connect options on WM5 over the Palm ... i've configured so many palms but i would say WM5 is a much better OS than Palm when it comes to what it could possibly do.
When it comes to stability, both of them are the same. Out of 10 Palm Treo users, the one who decided on getting the Treo 700w was the only who hasn't really complained about anything.
if i were you, i would get a third party exchange hosting account which would cost around 12USD a month and see how different it is. With this service, you can have you email, contacts, calendar, and tasks (PIM) synchronized over the air to your mobile, laptop, desktop, pc or Mac ... no more bluetooth or usb activesyncing ....
choosing between GSM and CDMA is another issue ... if you choose CDMA over GSM then that means that you are stuck in the US, Japan (in some parts) and Korea and maybe another handful countries ... while if you decide on going GSM, you have the option of going to almost any country in the world since GSM is the global standard. ... even verizon's mother company, Vodafone is one of the biggest GSM service providers in the world (tell that to the government which made Vodafone use CDMA here in the US)
As far as the MDA, it has been known that the HTC Wizard (T-Mobile MDA Vario / MDA) is underpowered but having like a Universal or Blue Angel you would see the difference in performance.
Currently, i'm using a Qtek 8500 and it's quite snappy and it uses the same CPU as the T-Mobile MDA (Vario) ... it kinda slows down whenever i run PocketStreets 2006 (yes 2006!) with my GPS... i'll hold off until i could get the MDA Vario II or Cingular 8525 here locally stateside ... been buying all my gadgets in the UK just because the damn US is so behind in mobile technology ... he he he
Enjoy!

Brand New Unopened MDA (T-Mobile USA)

I'm getting a new t-mobile mda usa phone this week and was wondering what are the first steps expert gurus like yourselves would do?
I've never used MDA before, but I'm a quick learner and have upgraded firmware and whatnot for other things in the past.
So, what would be the first step?
Test it out, see if it works...bla bla bla
Then? Would I upgrade the firmware? Which firmware should I use?
If I upgrade to a firmware that voids the warranty, could I flash the firmware back to stock T-mobile firmware and they would never know the difference (not that i would do that, just wondering)?
What programs/tweaks would you install?
If i get the 5.99 or whatever T-Zones, could I view any website and send/receive email through gmail...or would there be additional charges? Could I also use AIM, or would that cost extra?
I bought 5 MDA's for $250 total from amazon. However, it required me to select the data internet plan which is like $30/mo for each phone. But i was told I could cancel it within 14 days for all the phones, and instead get t-zones for $5.99?
Also...could you guys recommend some good accessories w/links or prices?
Screenprotectors, BT headsets...etc?
I'm also looking for a good, but cheap MiniSD 2gb card.
http://www.outpost.com/product/4922971 <-- Would this work for me, or is there a better one I should look at?
Sorry for asking so many questions, it's just that my MDA is coming this week and I'm really excited and want to be prepared for it.
Thanks guys!

THAT KINGSTON mini sd is the roxs!! works really well!
thou it might not read on ur card reader thru teh mini sd adapter, but hey for that price you can't go wrong!!
there are a ton of progs out there.. i would carefully breeze thru the wiki and other sticky's and then mod/add prog
if you have 1.80 ver firm.. unlock sim and CID then upgrade to 2.26!!
then programs and stuff is your liking.
enjoy.. sorry im in a rush, but you'll get plenty of help!

well .. MDA's cool but if you could wait a couple of weeks or maybe just get it's current version which is the MDA II (Vario II) which should be coming out soon here in the US ... In Europe, it's been out for at least a month or so... The MDA II (Vario II), aka XDA Trion, HTC TyTN, Orange SPVM3100, and the soon to be released Cingular 8525 is available online... just my two cents worth .... the new version has a lot more power and newer / current features which would work on HSPDA/UMTS ....
FYI

I got my MDA in July or August, I believe. I got it from T-Mobile, not one of their distributers, because I could control the family plan better, that we already had, and could request the area code I wanted (Also got a Samsung t-809 slide--a really cool phone).
Coming from an HP IPAQ 6315, I am VERY pleased with the MDA. However, I did not synch it with my Jensen B/T headphones because the driver wasn't compatible with WM5. More importantly, no matter what I tried I couldn't hook it up to my Garmin GPS 10--a B/T GPS unit that works AMAZINGLY well at finding your location--Both the headset and the Garmin work with the HP.
So I followed T-Mobile's directions to upgrade the MDA firmware to the ROM version 2.26.10.105 and I am SO glad I did!
The new version has its own A2DP driver, so the Jensens immediately synched beautifully.
The Garmin was trickier. I had to buy a registry editor--I went for Kilmist which works very nicely. You need to hack the registry to reveal the GPS Icon in the System tray.
The tree is:
Pocket PC\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ControlPanel\GPS Settings.
You delete ALL the keys under GPS Settings, especially the REDIRECT key.
I've read that you can switch the HIDE key from 1 to 0, but I couldn't get that to work--when I cleared the REDIRECT it worked.
Reboot, and the GPS Icon should appear. This allows you to tailor the device's COM port to match the GPS software from Garmin.
I'm not really crazy about the Windows Media Player--it's a pain to use, a pain to set up, and I have NO idea what MS was thinking. Instead, I use something called BetaPlayer both for movies and music. It's simple, clear, obvious, and you don't have to go through stupid gyrations to get either music or movies to it (it plays AVIs). When we travel, I'll rip movies using Pocket PC DVD (an nice, inexpensive pgm) to AVIs in the 15-225 meg range, and dump them to the Mini-SD card. BetaPlayer allows me to play them without any problem and rotates to landscape mode with a tap.
BetaPlayer is a free download, that Pocket PC DVD sets you up with. I THINK they have replaced it with an upgrade.
I can use it with AIM, but the return key on the keyboard doesn't "send"--so far I've had to tap the Send icon with the stylus--Is there a way around this?
eMail works very nicely--I route to my own account, not T-Mobile's, so I can get and send my mail. But it ALWAYS truncates the mail, forces you to click on it and re-download. Again, anybody have a way to fix this?
Compared to the HP IPAQ 6315, there's really no comparison. The HP has a bigger screen, but it's a bigger, bulkier unit and I don't notice a difference. It does just about everything better than the HP, and I don't have to soft-boot it every single day!
BIG plus on the MDA/Wizard--the antenna doesn't stick out so you can't break it off (I actually broke off the cover of the antenna on the HP in an airport--Had to replace the entire antenna assembly to replace the cover!)
I really like the SanDisk cards. I have 4 2-gig cards I bought on-line for about $40-$50 apiece (I forgot which). I THINK it was at Buy.com--not sure. I've never had a SanDisk card or flash drive fail or fail to connect. Yeah, 2g mini-SDs work just fine on this PDA.
The MDA is more like a thick cell phone than a PDA in size and feel. I hope to explore a lot more of its capabilities.

Hi, thanks for all the replies guys.
I've been trying to do as much research as possible before getting the phone.
Bigshoguns said:
unlock sim and CID then upgrade to 2.26
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you explain how to unlock SIM/CID? I tried following a sticky, but it seems some of these forum links are dead or different b/c of the new forum software. I think i have to use lokiwiz or something, but I cant seem to find it? If anyone can point that out plus give me instructions, I'd appreciate it.
Also, I'm a bit nervous about OC'ing the device. Do you do it in increments? How do you know when you've OC'd it too much, does it start to freeze or will it just not turn on or something?
Yanktar03 said:
I can use it with AIM, but the return key on the keyboard doesn't "send"--so far I've had to tap the Send icon with the stylus--Is there a way around this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been doing some reading and I think I found an answer for you.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=985458&highlight=return#post985458
Not sure if you can do it with the regular AIM, but with the hacked AIM you could go to options/preferences and under IM/Chat/Mobile make sure "Enter Key Inserts Return" is unchecked.
Sorry if this is incorrect, I dont have an MDA and have never used one but I'm just going by some stuff I read.
Oh yeah, does anyone know when MDA II (USA) is coming out..I would feel a bit of buyers remorse if it's coming out soon and will be offered at an attractive price for new contracts. Oh well....MDA is still good, right?
Anymore help/suggestions would be greatful!
Thanks!

chroniX said:
Hi, thanks for all the replies guys.
I've been trying to do as much research as possible before getting the phone.
Could you explain how to unlock SIM/CID? I tried following a sticky, but it seems some of these forum links are dead or different b/c of the new forum software. I think i have to use lokiwiz or something, but I cant seem to find it? If anyone can point that out plus give me instructions, I'd appreciate it.
Also, I'm a bit nervous about OC'ing the device. Do you do it in increments? How do you know when you've OC'd it too much, does it start to freeze or will it just not turn on or something?
I've been doing some reading and I think I found an answer for you.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=985458&highlight=return#post985458
Not sure if you can do it with the regular AIM, but with the hacked AIM you could go to options/preferences and under IM/Chat/Mobile make sure "Enter Key Inserts Return" is unchecked.
Sorry if this is incorrect, I dont have an MDA and have never used one but I'm just going by some stuff I read.
Oh yeah, does anyone know when MDA II (USA) is coming out..I would feel a bit of buyers remorse if it's coming out soon and will be offered at an attractive price for new contracts. Oh well....MDA is still good, right?
Anymore help/suggestions would be greatful!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T-Mobile makes you wait 90 days before they will give you the unlock code and procedure for free. But if you already are a customer you may be able to bully them into it sooner. I did because I added my MDA and T-809 phone to our family plan.
I don't know about the CID, but if you get the T-Mobile unlock that's all you need. The upgrade of the ROM, via the T-Mobile procedure and software is very easy and does NOT void the warranty.
Thanks about the AIM--I found another thread here yesterday where there is a modified version of AIM 2.0 that is FAR better than T-Mobile's and gives you the "return" key back, and allows you to force the sign-on. Apparently you don't have to pay for messaging with it--it's via Internet!
Little by little the MDA is becoming the PDA I always wanted.

chroniX said:
Hi, thanks for all the replies guys.
Could you explain how to unlock SIM/CID? I tried following a sticky, but it seems some of these forum links are dead or different b/c of the new forum software. I think i have to use lokiwiz or something, but I cant seem to find it? If anyone can point that out plus give me instructions, I'd appreciate it.
Also, I'm a bit nervous about OC'ing the device. Do you do it in increments? How do you know when you've OC'd it too much, does it start to freeze or will it just not turn on or something?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for unlocking use Lokiwiz02b.zip which is found in the Xda ftp:
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=BA_FTP_Site
dont worry about overclocking - im running mine @ 224 with the 2.26 rom
i was overclocking @ 240 with the custom 2.24 - really helps out performance
for overclocking someone recommended Batterystatus which is a small neat program, using very little resources to manage the battery and overclock and its free
http://www.chi-tai.info/cs_BatteryStatus_XDA_Neo_WM5_iM_cs.htm

Whatever you do don't buy ShieldZone Screen Protector.

ZzFDKzZ said:
Whatever you do don't buy ShieldZone Screen Protector.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that the same as Invisible Shield? I thought those were supposed to be good.
What would you recommend then?

If you plan to upgrade to the Official Tmobile 2.26 rom you do not need to unlock. It will handle all of that for you. Just make sure your battery power is over the suggest amount (I think its 50%) I have seen some nightmare stories here from people who didn't.

HELP! Dash or MDA? Pocket Office on Dash? (for editing capabilities) Hack or Downloa

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HELP! Dash or MDA? Pocket Office on Dash? (for editing capabilities) Hack or Download (or Doea the Hermes also work with T-Mobile???)
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I've talked to everyone when considering choosing between the MDA and the newer Dash?
Is it possible to get a free version of Pocket Office to put on the Dash so I can have the editing option for Microsoft Documents?
MDA or Dash? Which is more versitile, faster, and good for work & networking on the fly?
Does the MDA have WiFi like the Dash? for free wifi connections.
After too many T-Mobile reps, HTC reps, and other users...I'm exhausted with beating around the bush form the simple, and exact answers I'm looking for. You advice and expertise would truly be appreciated. Help! Thanks.
Ryan

Tough call, Ryan... both are great devices in their own rights. However, Dash is Smartphone platform and MDA is Pocket PC platform. Pocket PC is going to give you more functionality and customization. Smartphone is going to give you more convenience and smoother performance (assuming the ROM is stable and current).
Both MDA and Dash have Wi-Fi.
Based on your other questions and desires, I think Pocket PC platform is probably more what you're looking for.

Thank you.
Thank you for the feedback.
I have been leaning towards the MDA, but didn't want to take a step back in technology advantage, given that I'll have this phone for a while and I'll want to get the most from the device. OR Should I go with DASH in hope of getting an app to edit documents? Is there anytihng coming out soon, or where should i go to find out where to get it? Can I use either device with google's new word and excel editting, without being connected to a free wifi?
Are both devices able to use Skype?
The MDA glitches and complaints do worry me about dependability. Do you believe the MDA is stable, and is the HTC Hermes able to be used with T-Mobile?
The phone I have (Nokia 3660) just died (only shows Nokia when booting up, in a continuous loop). Therefore i have just lost 600 numbers which weren't sync to the new laptop i had ot buy because my old one was stolen 2 months ago. If you have any advice on retreaving these numbers let me know.
Also, do you recommend getting the MDA from T-Mobile for $250 or from eBay? or other cell phone sites you recommend for purchases?
Ryan

I am unsure of the Dash's abilities to edit documents. I believe that there are apps out there for the Smartphone platform that allow you to do it.
As far as Skype goes... minimum requirements to run Skype on a mobile device are 400mhz or higher processor and Wifi or 3G network. That pretty much leaves you with Hermes if you are wanting to go the route of the MDA line of devices. Yes the HTC Hermes can be used on T-Mobile.
The only advice I could offer for extracting your contacts from your old phone is to get it to an authorized Nokia repairman and have them get it out. If your phone can go into bootloader mode, you should be able to rescue the data.
I can't recommend one way or the other on where to buy your phone from other than saying that if you don't buy it from T-Mobile, check around on Ebay.

Savior Pete
Thanks again.
I'm glad your active on here today.
So are you saying the Dash is the only T-mobile provided phone that will work with Skype? I don't believe you can buy the Hermes from T-mobile (just the wizard) Unless you know otherwise.
I don't see a tremendous savings on eBay (maybe $50) which leads me to buy from T-mobile simply for the support and warrantees.
I will be checking back frequently. [email protected] if you like Thanks again.

No the Dash will NOT work with Skype, and neither will the MDA II aka Wizard. Sorry, I was thinking before that maybe you were in the UK where the MDA Vario II is available on T-Mobile... that is the Hermes. I think your only choice if you are definitely wanting to run Skype is to get a Hermes, probably off of E-bay. Just make sure you get it unlocked... most of them will be. Do searches for Tytn and Jasjam. The Jasjam will on average run you $100-200 more than the Tytn.

Oz Telstra HD - Crap on Vodafone

Well, what a nightmare this phone turned into, piece of Telstra crap.
Basically couldn't get a unbranded HD in Oz, other than shipping one from overseas, so I brought one of the Telstra branded ones and put my vodafone sim in....straight away there was a problem, before with my HTC Touch (unbranded) when you add a new SIM, it configures the phone with all network settings etc......the Telstra HD doesn't so straight away you don't have the correct settings to connect to the internet.
Anyway, got Vodafone to email me the settings, (Doh, should have copied them from the old phone) so I thought that was it, but no....set up the vodafone internet settings etc for my data connection and I have managed to sync with the exchange server at work and can send and receive email from exchange, but can't browse the internet.....what's the go here??? also I can't get a POP 3 email account to connect, but still the Exchange sync and Microsoft Direct Push is working as well.
Just noticed there is no weather tab with this phone either....
Telstra have ruined this thing, to the point where I am beginning to hate it and I am thinking of taking it straight back and going back to the iPhone

I wouldn't blame Telstra for this, they've done their job in providing a phone that works on their network. I've gone ahead and flashed a generic rom which will give you the connection configurator and away you go.

I posted a thread over a week ago detailing how to fix the Opera browser problem with using the Telstra device on another network
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=476818&highlight=telstra

A bit harsh when it was purchased from Telstra under the understanding that I could use it on any network.
I am not really up on all this flashing and ROM stuff, so I think I might return the phone and write it off to a bad experience....to be honest for all the basic stuff the iPhone rocks....it was only due to the fact that we had blocked the iPhones from syncing with email at work that I thought I would give WM6 and HTC another try.
Came from the HTC Touch to the iPhone
Would love to flash the phone to the basic unbranded software, but the phone is only 4 hours old and I don't want to loose the warranty or brick the phone

i think your at a good stage since the phone is brand new, flash it and hope for the best.
If you brick, take it back to Telstra demanding that the phone just died and you want your money back.
Seriously your going to miss out on a good thing, don't let Telstra screw it for you.
Flash a new ROM and call it a good year.
iPhone is made for idiots dude, don't stoop to that level.
by the way, wasn't there something called HardSPL that prevents bricking?

iPhone is a good choice if you don't need GPS,if you're not a heavy user who must swap in spare battery during the day, and don't need to read and create/edit office documents.

G'day!
Thats the reason I never get into any sort of contracts , rather save money and buy an unlock unit. 4 yrs ago I paid off my Optus contract and since then bye bye to all the phone caps and contracts.
Wife's got a I-TOON its perfect for my 16 months old who cud take snaps of floor and carpet by just pressing the only button he can press.

Looking into getting a Wizard

Right now I have a T-Mobile dash, known as HTC Excalibur. I do llike the phone, however I have had it for three years and I just found out that the USB port on the phone looses contact and makes the phone difficult to charge.
I want to get another HTC smartphone running Windows Mobile, with Querty Keyboard. The phone must be able to sync to ms Outlook, and read/edit ms Word & Excel files. Also the phone MUST run off a SIM card.
I was looking around and I can get HTC Wizard for $140 on ebay. Is the wizard a good phone or should I look elsewhere? I dont want to spend more than $150...
The Wizard seems like a good deal for $140 new... Here is the link to the ebay auction; LINK --> http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-HTC-MDA-UNL...UFI%2BIIUM%2BP%2BUA%2BUCI&otn=11&po=LVI&ps=54

I am also in the same situation, I was offered a Wizard for US$80 2nd hand but in perfect order with no scratches (from a standard fone user, not a gadgt-freak ).
I asked here if it was a good deal, i had to hurry.. so I bought it anyway.
I would buy this phone for sure, I think it is very cheap for a new phone.

oops, wrote that twice.. sorry