Database Users

Is it a good time to buy a Jam with Magneto coming soon?

Hey,
I know its the age old adage of "New devices always around the corner" but I'd really appreciate if you could help me with a buying decision.
I really love the I-mate Jam, it has all the features I need, and the lack of wireless is not a big deal as it hasn't really taken off that much in the UK yet, plus I will be out of my current contract this month.
But I have used a friend's O2 XDA IIs (I-Mate PDA-2K) and wasn't convinced about its useability/reliability as a phone. But on the other hand I would love to not have to carry about a pocket pc as well as a phone.
I guess when Magneto is launched, it will at least be a few months before the new devices come out, and even longer before UK networks adopt them. But I can't help but think that Magneto will improve the overall experience with these kind of devices.
So is it worth buying one now?
I guess you guys may be sick of this following question, so feel free not to answer it:
With the other HTC devices having had leaked upgrades in the past, and with the "alledged" existance of a leaked HTC Magician Magneto rom, do you think that there is a strong chance of a leaked final upgrade for the HTC Magician?

Despite its many needless problems, the Jam has been a success for HTC so its fair to say that HTC wil follow up with another device of this similar form factor ie "Jam 2". Magneto is definitley out this summer.
Xmas season is where all retailers make their money. Put two and two togehter and you are looking at a Jam 2 in November - it would have to be Magneto since no one would buy one with the current OS at that point. But I don't see a Jam 2 coming out before then. In fact, if the Jam continues to sell well, they may just hold off to spring. But I thnk they'd be smarter to build on the momentum they've got and release Jam 2 for Christmas gift season.
But its up to you really what its worth to you. As a Jam owner I think the device is full of pluses and minuses. If you dont NEED its PDA capabilities tthen you're best off waiting a couple of months, because honestly the phone portion of it is adequate at best, primitive at worst. If you just plain need one, well then you need one. If its that urgent, but the Jam now and recoup whatver you can by selling it when the Jam 2 comes out.
You cannot future proof any device. There will AWAYS be something around the corner to trump what you have in you hand. Just a fact.
Also may be worth your while to give a look at the newly announced Nokia Series 60 touchscreen phones (N90 N91 or whatever the model number is).

Thanks very much for the feedback and the votes.
I guess the thing that I have to bear in mind is that being in the UK, where the MDA compact has only just become available, although I imagine the I-Mate version has been around for a bit longer.
I really dont see there being an HTC Magician 2 been available in the time frame I intend to buy a phone. I mean at present it is just a rumour, and it seems to go like this.
Rumour to product launch = 2-3 months.
Product launch to general availability = 2-3 months.
Like you said christmas period, so this is not so much of a worry for me.
What would annoy me is if they continue to sell the HTC Magician BUT with Magneto, and arranging it so that there is no method of upgrading. Hopefully the chances of that happening are slim?
What does concern me is:
because honestly the phone portion of it is adequate at best, primitive at worst
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I've had a look around the forums, it seems to be mostly hardware problems, and that the software problems are fixable, can you elaborate?
I mean I currently have a Motorola V600 which drives me mad; poor phonebook, buttons on the side which consistenly switch the phone from silent to loud whilst in my pocket, and a earspeaker which keeps coming loose.
I mean the main things I want to use it for are as an in car MP3 player & Sat Nav with tomtom bluetooth gps, calendar to store constantly changing uni timetables, and to do list. Pocket PC Phones look good for me for the above reasons and because I can track my monthly contract use.
And magneto isnt going to affect me that much for my purposes I think, as WMP10 comes installed on the Jam. But it does look like magneto will improve phone functionality, which is why I'm curious to know if it is bad at the moment?

It sounds to me like you have just about talked yourself into getting a new Magician. I have had mine for 6 months now. My old phone was a SonyEricsson P800, when I bought it it was THE phone (for my needs anyway). I dropped my P800 in the lake (no lie), even though I got it working again, I decided to look into a replacement because I didn't really trust it anymore. My Jam has been great. As for the complaints, well you know how people love to complain. I haven't found any real faults with my Jam except that it won't activate MS Voice Command from the wired headset (which my P800 did). I use mine to the maximum and it hasn't let me down. I have a good friend that has one also and he only has one third party program which is Small Menu and he couldn't be happier with his Qtek S100. So the Magician works well as just a phone PDA and for Power Users too.
I wouldn't expect the masses to be getting their hands on a Jam2 until January 2006, and of course if you are one of the first to get one you will pay pay pay, like I did for mine. My friend paid 200 pounds less for his Qtek by waiting 3 months. Like you said, there is always a new phone coming, but the Jam is a real breakthrough product.

remixme said:
What does concern me is:
because honestly the phone portion of it is adequate at best, primitive at worst
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Click to collapse
I've had a look around the forums, it seems to be mostly hardware problems, and that the software problems are fixable, can you elaborate?.....
.....And magneto isnt going to affect me that much for my purposes I think, as WMP10 comes installed on the Jam. But it does look like magneto will improve phone functionality, which is why I'm curious to know if it is bad at the moment?
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Click to collapse
Phonewise: Sound quality is not up to par. Most accept it because the device does so many other things in a small form factor. But it if was a pure phone with this level sound quality, I think many would toss it. I myself use a bluetooth headset to mitigate this problem. The "twaeks" don't really help - I'd sum it up as cheap hardware. Same goes for the camera BTW: 1.3MP should be a good simple camera but obvious cheap hardware is a letdown. My friends Nokia 6670 mades this Jam camera look stupid - and both are 1.3MP.
Phone software: Its okay, not stellar. Many buttons need to be resized for true thumb operation eg numbers, flight mode, message pop-ups. Its poor design if people have to pull out a stlus to navigate phone functions. Also text message ergonomics are very weak. Nothing I saw in Magneto really addressed these obvious problems.
So as I said, its probably the tidest physical sized PPC phone package and that is its plus. The tradeoff is the shortcuts (low-quality components) that were used to achieve the price point. HTC is not likely to change that and Ihave not seen anything in Magneto to address the OS shortcomings.
So honestly don't agonize too much. Just buy if you're buying. There is no magic bullet around the corner. When all is said and done, a Magneto powered Jam 2 probably only feature Wifi, 3g (or some similar thing) and larger ROM as its meaningful improvements. All the things that people like or dont like will be same on that device.

Thanks for all the feedback, I have gone ahead and ordered an MDA compact, on contract. For a good price. Just gonna wait till it gets here.

Time to replace the Hermes! But what with? Your advice needed!

Hi all,
Like most people who bought the Vario II in the first week it came out, it is time the contract is up... so I am looking for a new toy!!
I was originally tempted to get the Toshiba G900 before it came out, but the lack of a transflective screen, 3G-only, and the "won't wake up" problem were TOO MUCH for me to take! Even though it has nice resolution.
Kaiser sounds nice but it isn't really a very big step forward from the Hermes... yea its got better graphics and a built-in GPS, but not much else really. Not even a VGA screen. Probably not worth shelling out £500 for.
The E-Ten X800 (originally X500+) in theory is a very good candidate, but it is still not out!! Same with iMate's Ultimate series.
So what should I do?
Is the Touch worth the money?
Or should I go iPhone?
Or just keep the Hermes for another year...
Any advice welcome!
Thanks.

I'd keep the Hermes until something a little more revolutionary comes out.
But this did catch my eye the other day. Pretty much comparable to the Hermes (datawise, camera, etc.) but it's still not a big jump up from the Hermes if at all. But it does have a form factor I prefer (QWERTY always accessible without the flipping and rotation juggle).
http://www.mobileplanet.com/d.aspx?i=147071
Until the iPhone gets GPS, 3G, real OTA sync (Exchange or otherwise) and 3rd-party apps, it just can't compare. It is a joy to use and pretty to look at, but the functionality is way thin coming from a Windows Mobile, BlackBerry or even Palm device.

The new Nokia with the clamshell keyboard design and the keypad on the outside looks intriguing. However, if you're in the US, not sure if it supports US 3G bands.

sickchilly said:
I'd keep the Hermes until something a little more revolutionary comes out.
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Click to collapse
Same here, unless I get a good upgrade.

I was going to replace my Hermes with the Kaiser, untill i noticed there is no LED flashlight. Horrible. I happen to use it as a regular source of light in various conditions with VJcandela. So i guess i'll just have to wait untill the Kaiser comes with a flashlight...

Prerna said:
Same here, unless I get a good upgrade.
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Same here......................

okay, i read the tread this time
keep your hermes.

Ok so sounds like I should keep mine then!
But I'll probably still get an iPhone, and put it on eBay.

wywywywy said:
Ok so sounds like I should keep mine then!
But I'll probably still get an iPhone, and put it on eBay.
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iphones suck... aside from the beauty factor. functionality wise, they cant hold a candle to the hermes or kaiser.

Yea I know, and so does iPod.
I bet there will be a shortage in the Europe and some general iPod-fanatics who don't know much except hair-care products will pay any price to get it.
This is UK not US so there is no AT&T lock-in.

wywywywy said:
Yea I know, and so does iPod.
I bet there will be a shortage in the Europe and some general iPod-fanatics who don't know much except hair-care products will pay any price to get it.
This is UK not US so there is no AT&T lock-in.
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pretty good business decision. you can probably sell it for twice what its worth. thats what happened here when people were dying for the iphone.

worthy upgrade
man,
i think u should go for something like the sony vaio UMPC.
or maybe the HTC OMNI when it comes out(it's sexy )
i'd upgrade when something similar to HTC universal comes out with 5" vga/better screen, vista ultimate ,80 gigs(ok, i'll settle for 40 for a start) and a truckload of connectivity options..(much like a tablet pc, but with UNIVERSAL form factor)

Yea I've got my eyes on the OQO UMPCs, because they have good transflective screens... but I have way too many gadgets already!
Vario II, XDA IIi, Nokia 770 (internet tablet), desktop, HTPC, rackmount home server, ITX automation server, car PC, home laptop, work laptop... not sure what I am going to do with an UMPC really!

Instead of the OQO, I'd wait for the HTC Switch. Looks like a much better package than the OQO2.

It's almost feeling like keep the Hermes for another year - all the other stuff (including the Omni) just looks too big - I was put off the universal because I felt it looked terrible.
Hermes just about has it all...
...although if a Treo came out with wifi and as loadsa ram...I might be tempted back...

a good long run

long time lurker on these boards
have used my x7501 as my primary cell for almost 2 yrs.
loved it and still do
but the new hd2 caught me...i have retired the old gentleman to his box....lol
I really like the hd2 much more practical for everyday use
another reason i switched...wm 6.5 was going to be the limit..i think the 1000ghz cpu requirement was gonna be the stopper on 7

radiant777 said:
long time lurker on these boards
have used my x7501 as my primary cell for almost 2 yrs.
loved it and still do
but the new hd2 caught me...i have retired the old gentleman to his box....lol
I really like the hd2 much more practical for everyday use
another reason i switched...wm 6.5 was going to be the limit..i think the 1000ghz cpu requirement was gonna be the stopper on 7
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Click to collapse
I'm in the same boat as you. Just got an HD2 to take the place as my x7501. Much more 'phone-like' but with almost as big of screen. I'd still love to get linux ported to my athena, but I don't think it will happen... not enough people still interested in the athena, unfortunately.
If anyone is interested in buying my athena, let me know.

Strange, I am starting to carry around both the HD2 and the Advantage - they have different purposes. I still prefer to do longer emails on the Advantage, and the bigger screen is kinder on my ageing eyes for surfing and viewing documents. I think they both have a role. In fact, I am rather turning against the HD2, and starting to use the HD and even the Kaiser again - just so much more pocketable, and if you have the Advantage in the grab bag, you don't need the HD2.
Every time I get the Advantage out, people immediately start asking about it - I don't know why the concept didn't catch on more widely.
rjstep3

i totally understand where u r coming from...especially about the reactions when i pull out the "nasa satellite command module" as my coworkers call my athena lol
but im ready for something easier to carry...and im always afarid im gonna break the athena

zarathustrax said:
I'm in the same boat as you. Just got an HD2 to take the place as my x7501. Much more 'phone-like' but with almost as big of screen. I'd still love to get linux ported to my athena, but I don't think it will happen... not enough people still interested in the athena, unfortunately.
If anyone is interested in buying my athena, let me know.
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how much do you want for it? also where are you located?

josefcrist said:
how much do you want for it? also where are you located?
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I'm located near Chicago, IL. I'm not certain I want to sell my athena... I'd actually like to keep it, but I could really use the money as I've been recently unemployed. So, if you want to make me an offer, I will definitely consider it.
My X7501 is in close to perfect condition... always kept a screen protector on it, kept it in the case. The keyboard has a few light scratches from connecting it to the main unit... nothing serious. I also have a nice car-mount that attaches to the lighter hole in the car and the 4-in-1 adapter that has the USB-host, VGA-out, SVideo-out, & video-out. Also original box (rip on outside of box), and the included leather case(but one of the plastic pieces that grip the unit broke off... it's still usable, though.) I should also still have anything else that came with it originally (Software CD, Manual, etc).
Anyone interested can PM me an offer.

rjstep3 said:
Every time I get the Advantage out, people immediately start asking about it - I don't know why the concept didn't catch on more widely.
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I agree. People are always asking me about it in public, and many of my coworkers want one (but won't pay the price). Even when I pull it out in cell phone stores all the employees come over to look at it. Hard to impress cell phone store employees with a cell phone.
The HD2 will probably be my next phone, too, but I'm waiting for AT&T subsidizing this time. Hard to leave the 5" screen, so I'm not in any hurry.

Dell Streak worth it? Is it any good?

I've just seen that i can get the Streak for £60 with a £30 a month contract on O2. I'm very tempted... but is it worth it? What don't you like about the phone, what do you love about it?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated
Cheers!

Meltus said:
I've just seen that i can get the Streak for £60 with a £30 a month contract on O2. I'm very tempted... but is it worth it? What don't you like about the phone, what do you love about it?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated
Cheers!
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Naw... its a terrible phone and no one here would ever buy one
What dont I like about it? EVERYTHING
What do I love about it? NOTHING
Might as well get a locked down iPhone am I right?

I did that very deal,
As to whether I love it or not, well that's a tricky one, but easily demonstrated by the realisation that I haven't touched my hd2 Since... and those who know me will know how much Time I used to put into hacking that one..
The one review of the streak summed it up for me perfectly;
It has its foibles, its never going to be mainstream, it could easily become a classic, and if you're The kind of geek who likes experimenting, tinkering and improving things then this is the device to have.
be aware its more pda than phone though... it works fine as a phone, but its not its primary function..
Almost polar opposite to MS and their stooped winmoan 7 philosophy....
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk
Edit, I should also point out that I rarely use my laptop at home anymore...unless its attached to the streak and I'm running a adb shell investigating how it works...

ap3604 said:
Naw... its a terrible phone and no one here would ever buy one
What dont I like about it? EVERYTHING
What do I love about it? NOTHING
Might as well get a locked down iPhone am I right?
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I'm not entirely sure what you're getting at?
I've been using android phones ever since the G1 was first released and i'm thinking about getting the Streak, I was just curious as to what it's pros and cons are.
fards said:
I did that very deal,
As to whether I love it or not, well that's a tricky one, but easily demonstrated by the realisation that I haven't touched my hd2 Since... and those who know me will know how much Time I used to put into hacking that one..
The one review of the streak summed it up for me perfectly;
It has its foibles, its never going to be mainstream, it could easily become a classic, and if you're The kind of geek who likes experimenting, tinkering and improving things then this is the device to have.
be aware its more pda than phone though... it works fine as a phone, but its not its primary function..
Almost polar opposite to MS and their stooped winmoan 7 philosophy....
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk
Edit, I should also point out that I rarely use my laptop at home anymore...unless its attached to the streak and I'm running a adb shell investigating how it works...
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Click to collapse
Haha, it definitely sounds like my kind of phone
I still have my Nexus, so i guess if the Streak seems a bit too big for me to take to the pub i can take my nexus out instead
Although, from what i've seen that doesn't seem to be a problem.
Thanks for your help!

I picked one up on the O2 deal for £35 a month and nothing to pay on Friday so have had a weekend of playing with it.
What do I like? I LOVE the big screen and I love Android. It's so much smoother and faster than WinMo. I don't care it's running 1.6 as I know Dell are spending time on making sure that 2.1 works properly for us. Aren't you Dellboys?!
I was using an HTC Touch Pro 2 until I got the Streak. The TP2's still got my old sim in (waiting for a PAC code) I have hardly touched it since getting the Streak - and every time I pick up the TP2 it feels like a slow clunky toy in comparison! (and winmo keeps crashing...). Interestingly the Streak is the easiest 'phone' I've ever connected to via USB on my laptop - it connects straight away every time (unlike WinMo!)
The Streak is really nicely engineered - it feels well made and looks it too, it's very comfortable and easy to use in both landscape and portrait mode.
The only real problem I've had is finding a decent calendar program (still searching) and I thought my camera button didn't work, but you have to press it hard to activate the camera, then it focuses with a little halfway press and you have to press it harder again to take a pic.
As I primarily use the Streak as a PDA, browser, music player and ebook reader - the phone function is almost secondary for me although I text a lot. I'm having a few problems adapting to the keyboard although I do like the numberpad that everyone else seems to hate!! I'd recommend Swype or SlideIT as they offer a way faster way to type than pecking one key at a time.
I am really impressed with my Streak - I'd say it passed my expectations by about a mile. I think it is a brilliant piece of design, it's fast, it does everything I want and there's loads of free and cheap software - what else is there?!
I guess I'd better update my signature!!

samstables said:
The only real problem I've had is finding a decent calendar program (still searching) and I thought my camera button didn't work, but you have to press it hard to activate the camera, then it focuses with a little halfway press and you have to press it harder again to take a pic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try calwidget or pure calendar widget they are awesome. Ive been using Calwidget since the day it came out. from G1 to Mytouch to Nexus one and it will be on my streak as well (if it comes out for TMO)

samstables said:
I picked one up on the O2 deal for £35 a month and nothing to pay on Friday so have had a weekend of playing with it.
What do I like? I LOVE the big screen and I love Android. It's so much smoother and faster than WinMo. I don't care it's running 1.6 as I know Dell are spending time on making sure that 2.1 works properly for us. Aren't you Dellboys?!
I was using an HTC Touch Pro 2 until I got the Streak. The TP2's still got my old sim in (waiting for a PAC code) I have hardly touched it since getting the Streak - and every time I pick up the TP2 it feels like a slow clunky toy in comparison! (and winmo keeps crashing...). Interestingly the Streak is the easiest 'phone' I've ever connected to via USB on my laptop - it connects straight away every time (unlike WinMo!)
The Streak is really nicely engineered - it feels well made and looks it too, it's very comfortable and easy to use in both landscape and portrait mode.
The only real problem I've had is finding a decent calendar program (still searching) and I thought my camera button didn't work, but you have to press it hard to activate the camera, then it focuses with a little halfway press and you have to press it harder again to take a pic.
As I primarily use the Streak as a PDA, browser, music player and ebook reader - the phone function is almost secondary for me although I text a lot. I'm having a few problems adapting to the keyboard although I do like the numberpad that everyone else seems to hate!! I'd recommend Swype or SlideIT as they offer a way faster way to type than pecking one key at a time.
I am really impressed with my Streak - I'd say it passed my expectations by about a mile. I think it is a brilliant piece of design, it's fast, it does everything I want and there's loads of free and cheap software - what else is there?!
I guess I'd better update my signature!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, thanks for your input
I only got a Nexus a while ago (thank you android seeding program!) which i absolutely love and will definitely still use. But, i fell in love with the streak as soon as i saw it. I think you guys may have just persuaded me

Meltus said:
Awesome, thanks for your input
I only got a Nexus a while ago (thank you android seeding program!) which i absolutely love and will definitely still use. But, i fell in love with the streak as soon as i saw it. I think you guys may have just persuaded me
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don't forget we expect you to get involved in hacking it then as soon as you get your grubby mits on one
I'm learning rapidly (although I do have a background in *nix) but I'm still way over my head at the mo..
adn louder volume fix through the speaker would be good (if possible)
RE: the size as long as you don't keep it in a pocket that will put pressure on it(like any 3"+device) such as a jeans pocket, then it should be fine at the pub.. although obviously you may lose friends when they get fed up with you playing with it all the time...
if you're in manc then nip and get one of those cheap cases from superetrader, they work fine..

If mine broke today I would go and get one tomorrow, if you are getting it from o2 I was reading that they now have a 32 gig one but I don't know if that is on contract, the article just said o2 were selling a 32 gig for £449
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App

I recently purchased the Texas beta device and plan on purchasing the American unlocked device when Dell releases it (if hardware change is major). I really hope some great ROM development comes to the phone and I will be hooked until WP7.
But really, it all depends on personal opinion for any device that is 'worth it'
.

I think most people who have found the Streak disappointing (or just too big) have done so because they bought it as a phone instead of looking at what they really need.
Dell and O2 don't sell it like that - it's a just about pocketable web tablet with secondary phone functionality (think N800/N900 with much better hardware) - hence it being offered with a data only plan.
I bought it on that basis and it works really well at what it was designed for. Perfect screen for lazy eyes, good battery life, good audio, no lag to be seen. Gets used for web/mail/videos/audio round the house, SatNav in the car, and for access to non-corporate stuff at work.
There's no way I'd expect it to replace my main phone (BB 9700), if I did, I'd probably end up smashing it up like that bloke on Modaco.
Shame accessories are so ludicrously expensive but hopefully that will improve after the US release - as will app compatibility once 2.2 comes along.

Thanks for your input everyone.
I am now the proud owner of Dell Streak
Now as soon as O2 activate my account (could take 24 hours ¬_¬) i'll be able to play with it properly. Cheers guys

Meltus said:
I am now the proud owner of Dell Streak
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Awesome to hear, please let us know your thoughts after you have digested the device a bit.
.

Meltus said:
Thanks for your input everyone.
I am now the proud owner of Dell Streak
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No problem brotha! Happy to help

[Q] Are you glad you bought it?

Are you glad you bought the Mega and would you buy it again if you lost it?

aximman said:
Are you glad you bought the Mega and would you buy it again if you lost it?
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Click to collapse
YES, I would
Regards
cimber

I got a good deal on mine - sim free 200 UKP at Expansys - and at that price it was great value. The battery life is very good and it's small and light. I'd buy one again but only at that price. On the downside the touch screen is quite tricky to use and the display is small although obviously that goes with the device being small overall. I hate the HTC TouchFlo and bought the SPB mobile shell to make mine more usable. There are plenty of other stupidities in the Windows software that can at least be fixed by the excellent tweaks described in this forum. Also I'd rather keep my money out of Steve Job's pocket with his all-controlling attitude.

I wish i bought a tattoo.

Got it some days ago. It's an awesome phone. And by the time I would need a new phone, there would be better ones at that price range for sure. It costed like 280$.

I wish my diamond hadn't been stolen....
if only it wasn't in "bundle" with an i pod shuffle I think that I would bought a tatoo...
BTW camera it's fine, it's only the lack of the accelerometer that is a pain ( text writing)

hmm
not really, knowing the the HD mini came out soon after for roughly the same price :S

Yes,I will.This is great phone and I am very glad I bough it.
Sorry for English.

yes i would..
Best phone that fits my pocket

Got a Samsung Vibrant. Goodbye Windows Mobile, hello Android!

I bought it too. I pay for it only 201€ , this ppc is the best for me.
But WildFire looks great too. I don´t need big display

when i first got mine, it takes sometimes to get used to.
Need to get the soft jacket capdase to put on because its quite small for my hand but now it seems perfect hit. I like the touch screen.