Eagerly waiting for HD2 on T-Mobile US. Had some questions.. - HD2 General

I've wanted the HD2 since it was announced last year. It was to be my replacement for my iPAQ hx4700 (4" VGA pda). It was primarily my pdf reader + media player during my commute, while I had Razr as phone. Unfortunately it started having screen issues and not always detecting release of click (drag), so it's harder to use now. The HD2 would be the replacement for the iPAQ and my phone, which is now a HTC Dream.
Now that it'll really be showing up at T-Mobile US, I have some questions. Hopefully you guys can sort them out.
1. How well does it work as a phone? Sound quality, reception, microphone, bluetooth..etc
2. PDF reader - I currently use mobilexpdf and it works great. The options are perfect for what I need. Great zooming and image quality. Ability to set DPI so I can get exact zoom. Very important so I can zoom enough to 'crop' out the empty side space. (I tried the pdf reader on iPhone and while pinch-zoom was cool, it wasn't exact enough for me.) Also bookmarks. Did everything I needed and was bloat free AND it was free. Does mobilexpdf work on HD2?
3. Media player - I use TCPMP. It supported all my videos and even had subtitles. Also free. I did a search and it seems like it works but it needed some tweaks. Anybody use it?
4. Can I use the HD2 without a data plan? It is possible to shut off ALL data? I don't really need a data plan, though it has been cool to use google maps and web browse. I think there is 'NoData'. How well does that work? Can all (included) apps just use a wifi connection instead?
5. How does the googlemaps app compare to the Android version? I know it doesn't have the nav feature, but I don't really need that now.
6. Possible to unlock screen with button presses instead of swipe? It doesn't seem like it's possible to unlock with 1 hand.
I essentially want to use this phone as a phone that can handle my stored media/ebook files. I'd want to pay for it in full and not get a 2yr contract. I have an unlimited data plan now, but don't need it if I can entertain myself with ebooks or videos offline.
The HD2 has the screen, speed and OS to let me do what I need to. Android didn't really have any pdf readers that worked as well as I would have liked. Maybe it was the screen size/resolution. Some apps even sent the pdf file to server to be converted.. It also only supported a few codecs so video viewing wasn't fun. The google killer apps were nice, I only really needed googlemaps.
Thanks for your insight.

Related

Wanting to buy an XDA Exec/Universal - questions

Right, had my XDA11 for a year and a half now and getting bored. Just got a few questions about the Exec to help me decide. I'm in the UK, and on O2:
1. Is the flip and twist gimmick useful?
2. Is there much software compatible with the sideways screen and the qwerty keypad? And does it have to be specially written for Windows Mobile 2005?
3. Will my old apps from my XDA11 work on it?
4. Would I have to resize all my videos from Media Player that are currently 320x240 or does it fit them to the screen size?
5. I'm clueless about WIFI. If I bought a wifi adaptor kit for my desktop PC, could I lie in bed surfing the net from my Exec on a WIFI connection?
6. Is Internet Explorer better featured than the previous versions? I always found it a bit lacking (no forward button, no side-on option, poor image viewing capability, etc). Or would you recommend a 3rd party browser?
7. Does Media Player support MPEGs yet?
8. Are MP3 ringtones supported?
9. Is it also called the Jasjar? I keep seeing that word spouted around
10. WHERE CAN I GET ONE THE CHEAPEST? It's £149.99 on O2 site, is that the cheapest? Also do I need to wait for my contract to come up for renewal again or can I get one now?
Thanks in advance for any help
1. Is the flip and twist gimmick useful?
- i don't use it. but it could be good if you don't use the keyboard alot
2. Is there much software compatible with the sideways screen and the qwerty keypad? And does it have to be specially written for Windows Mobile 2005?
- most wm software works on landscape, however not much is specially designed. Some games are. apps like ie and word use it automatically.
3. Will my old apps from my XDA11 work on it?
- most will. utilities not specifically made for wm5 probably won't work.
4. Would I have to resize all my videos from Media Player that are currently 320x240 or does it fit them to the screen size?
- it works by default in 320x240. Only programs that 'know' about vga use it. There is software (e.g. ozvga) which forces non-vga programs to work in vga. some work well, others have a font too small, others don't work.
5. I'm clueless about WIFI. If I bought a wifi adaptor kit for my desktop PC, could I lie in bed surfing the net from my Exec on a WIFI connection?
- yes. As long as your desktop pc is set as a gateway presumably to a asdl or cable modem. most people use a wireless router with built in modem, as this is more convenient and won't require your pc to be switched on (netgear 634, linksys dt614, etc)
6. Is Internet Explorer better featured than the previous versions? I always found it a bit lacking (no forward button, no side-on option, poor image viewing capability, etc). Or would you recommend a 3rd party browser?
- yes, but its still mostly behind the opposition. You are better off with something like netfront. Some people here use opera, but I find it crashes all the time.
7. Does Media Player support MPEGs yet?
- I use tcpmp (betaplayer) and pockettv (for mpeg 1).
wm10 support mpeg4 but not mpeg2:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/windowsmobile/faq.aspx
8. Are MP3 ringtones supported?
- don't know
9. Is it also called the Jasjar? I keep seeing that word spouted around
- yes. generic name is universal. also called orange m5000, qtek 3000, o2 xda exec, tmobile mda pro
10. WHERE CAN I GET ONE THE CHEAPEST? It's £149.99 on O2 site, is that the cheapest? Also do I need to wait for my contract to come up for renewal again or can I get one now?
- I found online cheapest for o2, £150 + £19 a month for 50 mins (12 month contract) + £30 a month for 200mb or £17 a month for 35mb. Tmobile does webnwalk (inc 40mb) for £22 a month, but tmobile mda pro is locked, xda exec is not. also you can get exec from o2 shop for £150 + £30 a month data only (if you don't want the phone).
Thanks in advance for any help
everything you need to know is on this forum. just read read read. Also look at pocketgear, clickgamer, freewareppc or handango (select o2 exec) for compatible applications
10. WHERE CAN I GET ONE THE CHEAPEST?
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Click to collapse
On the T-mobile site they are doing the MDA pro on flext 30 (about £19 pm after discount) for £129
Add to that the unlimited data add on for £7.50 pm - and you're cooking !
Grrr, has to be on O2 I'm afraid Cheers anyway
Hmm, wondered where my other reply had gone. I posted it in the wrong thread, d'oh:
Cheers for that.
So if I use an older WM2003 app, will it stretch to fit the new screen size?.
Can the "open" mode (landscape, with keyboard) be used for anything or just for typing? I'd probably want it for texting, internet, and Word. Presumably I can still watch videos in widescreen without having to open it up?
Lastly, is the touch screen still active when open, or is all control given to the keyboard?
GaZ said:
Hmm, wondered where my other reply had gone. I posted it in the wrong thread, d'oh:
Cheers for that.
So if I use an older WM2003 app, will it stretch to fit the new screen size?.
Can the "open" mode (landscape, with keyboard) be used for anything or just for typing? I'd probably want it for texting, internet, and Word. Presumably I can still watch videos in widescreen without having to open it up?
Lastly, is the touch screen still active when open, or is all control given to the keyboard?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apps by default see 320x240. So any app that uses 320x240 will work fine. In addition, if the app is written to use windows fonts, although it will only 'see' 320x240 its fonts will be smoothed automatically by wm5 for the 640x480 screen (if cleartype is selected). Whether an app works or not more depends whether it relys on a wm2003 characterstic which is no longer there. Most apps work, most utilities don't.
You are misunderstanding the difference between landscape and portrait. They are just presenting a different resolution to the app. 240x320 (or 480x680). Any well behaved app. will adapt fine, just as in Windows XP if you resize the window the app still works ok. Badly written apps or ones that were written for very old versions of the pocket pc might work, but you may find odd effects, e.g. the right 1/3 of the screen is unused in portrait mode.
You always have the choice of the 'pop-up' on screen keyboard or the physical one. Although its a bit silly to use the pop-up one when the main keyboard is available.
Go into an o2 shop (or any other mobile shop) which stocks the universal and have a play, they normally have demo versions available.
rgds
GaZ said:
Grrr, has to be on O2 I'm afraid Cheers anyway
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
in that case ...
http://shop.uplands.co.uk/acatalog/XDA_EXEC.html
You ARE a business customer arent you ? :wink:
second from the bottom - £137 on a £13.99 24 month contract
Although it is a crap contract
I also recall there are some good offers on the o2 "student" site
( you ARE a student , aren't you :wink: ) :lol:
Ok, I was in the same boat as you, had the XDAII, hacked to WM2003SE, got sick of the bugs, and upgraded immediately for wm5 and the new tools. Never looked back. But to answer your specific questions:
1. Is the flip and twist gimmick useful?
Wonderful, love it, not for the flip and twist, but for the keyboard. I also like the clam approach to protect the screen. It also adds enormous geek factor. I really got sick of the tapping on the screen to type, and there is no way I could get into the sms or email thing tapping the screen. the keyboard makes typing and communication via a keyboard so much easier.
2. Is there much software compatible with the sideways screen and the qwerty keypad? And does it have to be specially written for Windows Mobile 2005?
There is a lot of software becoming now far more popular for WM5, but perhaps only say 50% of the software on the market, but those are usually the mickey mouse software apps, the serious contenders have updated most of the apps for this.
3. Will my old apps from my XDA11 work on it?
Some, maybe, but not all. Most of the apps usually have an upgrade policy. GPS systems struggle and need to be hacked. I was unable to get Navman to work. SPB has new releases for most apps, resco has been updated. So you may have to pay for an upgrade.
4. Would I have to resize all my videos from Media Player that are currently 320x240 or does it fit them to the screen size?
You can if you want them in full screen, change them to 640x480, but the existing camera still only uses 320x240 so they only use about 1/4 of the screen. This is the most common complaint, and my biggest gripe. An app called TPCMP will stretch the videos for you to full screen. Its free.
5. I'm clueless about WIFI. If I bought a wifi adaptor kit for my desktop PC, could I lie in bed surfing the net from my Exec on a WIFI connection?
Yes. You can also use it to share folders, copy your videos and pictures to your computer, stream music and videos from your PC to PPC. This is the biggest bonus and favourite bit for me, along with 3G fast internet.
6. Is Internet Explorer better featured than the previous versions? I always found it a bit lacking (no forward button, no side-on option, poor image viewing capability, etc). Or would you recommend a 3rd party browser?
It hasnt changed. You get a little bit more text to a screen, but no extra functions. There are 3rd parties, but I dont recommend or use any other. I find it is sufficient and acceptable, but not state of the art.
7. Does Media Player support MPEGs yet?
Not sure, but if you want full screen, you will probably use TCPMP anyway. Everybody else does.
8. Are MP3 ringtones supported?
Yes. I use them.
9. Is it also called the Jasjar? I keep seeing that word spouted around
Yes, O2 Exec, Imate Jasjar are the same hardware, and 95% same software. O2 has three different releases, useless, next to useless, and barebones basic, which is similar to the Imate. Both have crap support.
10. WHERE CAN I GET ONE THE CHEAPEST? It's £149.99 on O2 site, is that the cheapest? Also do I need to wait for my contract to come up for renewal again or can I get one now?
I paid $1,500 AUD to pay cash up front so that I could change and use whatever network and service provider I want, when I want. Its about 600 pounds (sorr my keyboard doesnt have a pounds symbol I am on the bottom end of the world).
I think you need to understand some of the other issues:
1. Speed, slower
2. Pemanent storage, limited but handy
3. Bluetooth better, but not good enough yet
4. Updated ROM has push email, but not the released rom
5. Landscape awesome
6. Camera, ok, not brilliant, but significantly better than XDAII
7. SD Card rather than Mini (on other devices)
8. No backpack, no VGA output
9. Two cameras, second for video telephone
10. Hot Keys for quick access to primary functions
11. Impoved Office tools word and excel
12. Better sound
13. Lacks external display, so you dont know who is calling unless you keep it in PDA mode
14. Extra size and weight makes it bulky
15. The case it comes with is crap.
Eitherway, no matter what, I do recommend the Universal device, though I was happy with the XDAII overall, I really really really wanted a proper Qwerty keyboard, and built in WIFI.
Hope it helps
Cheers
Simon
THAT was the reply I was looking for I needed it laying out for me in idiots terms, lol. I'm getting so pumped about this now. Thank you
Lastly, does anyone know if I can upgrade to this on my current contract NOW rather than waiting for renewal time again? I'm half way into my 2nd 12 month period but I took £70 credited to my account in place of a new handset at the 12 month mark. I'd be willing to pay the £149.99 up front but I understand this is a subsidised price, and common sense would dictate to me that I can't do it
Just phone O2 and ask them when you are eligable for the upgrade from the mobile its 202, landline 08702 410202, The Exec is a great device, very impressed with it - worth the outlay without a doubt - Mike
Just a hint for the Internet. Use the NetFront, it is an awesome browser. It supports true VGA resolution (640x480) without any registry hacks/SW resets and it shows almost all the webSites as on the normal computer ! (if they are wider then 640px, then you have the horizontal scroller, so the site layout doesn`t get broken)
Bundled Internet Explorer is absolute crap. When you`ll try NetFront (or Opera), you won`t come back
Gaz you will probably want a data alowance, considering O2 claim to be about to charge us for GPRS access. You could consider getting a new data only contract at the level you require and then swap the SIMs for phone use and heavy data use.
So you end up with 2 contracts, but it's only the same as adding a data bolt on to your current contract in terms of monthly recurring cost. The SIM swapping is a pain, but potentially worth it as O2 will not entertain an early upgrade.
Gajet said:
Gaz you will probably want a data alowance, considering O2 claim to be about to charge us for GPRS access. You could consider getting a new data only contract at the level you require and then swap the SIMs for phone use and heavy data use.
So you end up with 2 contracts, but it's only the same as adding a data bolt on to your current contract in terms of monthly recurring cost. The SIM swapping is a pain, but potentially worth it as O2 will not entertain an early upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can add a data bolt on to a monthly contract with no implications for contract period. you can also ask o2 to raise the data speed to 384k. this is far preferable to having 2 sim cards.
rgds
Well, phoned them the other day and they said I need to wait til July. Not too bad I suppose, but I'm not known for my patience, lol.
I might look into getting a data bolt on as well. Cheers lads

Going back to Athena? Maybe with a little help from my friends...

Many many moons ago I initiated a thread telling all of the impending sale of my Ameo, and my reasons for doing so. Since then I have owned umpteen handsets including a Toshiba Portege G900, Nokia E90, Tytn ii, HTC Touch Diamond and finally (to my own surprise) an Iphone 3G.
I recall an overbearing distaste for the Iphone and its supposed lack of a software scene, however it seems that times have changed: the iPhone, for all its flaws now has a huge modding scene and an almost limitless array of applications to cover all of Apple's oversights. For what it's worth the iPhone is the most enjoyable handset I have ever used.
Now here's the thing.
I've been offered a very good price for my Iphone and have recently acquired an INCREDIBLY cheap HTC ADVANTAGE. From the quick look at these forums I've had there seem to have been some great developments and I WANT to fall back in love with the Advantage (though I accept that the device is in itself a completely different handset!)
I suppose on a deeper level I want to know if windows mobile can offer me the solutions that I have on my Iphone and enjoy every day. Obviously each device has HARDWARE differences that can never be changed - the Advantage will never have multitouch just as the iPhone will never have a VGA display; but considering the HUGE software library Windows Mobile supposedly offers can it provide solutions to the following tasks....
Google Contacts OTA sync - with Gsync I can synchronize my contacts every day and ensure I never lose a number. This also updates my contact photos stored on Google's servers. I don't use Outlook, never have never will and want a simple over the air solution.
Podcasts. With Mobilecast on the iPhone I can search for an download podcasts which download in the background and update as and when new shows arrive. It supports both video and audio podcasts.
YouTube downloader - allows the download of high quality YouTube videos to keep and supports multiple simultaneous downloads.
Email with properly formatted HTML support. I recall the Windows Mobile html email client displaying weirdly formatted and ugly messages, shifted to one side/ I will happily pay for a replacement email client if it is as beautiful and useable as the Iphone's.
Browser - the iPhone's browser is far from perfect, but I'm able to happily type out a new thread on Safari right now. I recall many problems with the Touch Diamond's Opera browser - most irritatingly the cursor moving back in the paragraph you're typing for no reason. Have most of the flaws with Opera Mobile been resolved? Is it now better than the iphone's Safari browser?
That's pretty much my list. They might seem pretty banal but they make me enjoy my iPhone, and if I can get the Advantage to do all those things then I'll probably sell up. I'm not worried about the size of the Advantage.
Hi Leoni,
Good to hear from you again after such a long period of absence.
I still give the same advice: define your requirements first, and be comprehensive in doing so.
- Do you need navigation software? If yes, iPhone is out, Athena is in.
- Do you want hugh screen and not mind the size? If yes, Athena has a tick.
- Do you do word, excel, and power point, or at least often receive attachment of such and want to read them on the device? If yes, iPhone is out, Athena is in.
- Could you tolerate weak signal strength? If no, iPhone is out.
- Do you have the habit of using handwriting recognition, or write Chinese/Japanese/Korean characters? If yes, iPhone is out.
- Do you want to use the GPS for traking, or prolonged use without access to power source? If yes, iPhone is out, as you can't swap in spare battery.
- Do you a extremely fussy person in wanting really really smooth video playback? If yes, consider iPhone. However, if you'r willing to wait, Coreplayer is going to address this issue very very shortly and poor video playout is likely to be history.
- Do you placed lots of value in internet browsing wihtout having to zoom in and out? If yes, nothing beats Athena. But Opera Mobile would never be as smooth as Safari. As to your questions on typing using Opera, it depends on which version you use. You need to try out all of them to see the difference.
- Are you a fashion conscious person who want to be "cool". If so, iPhone is a cool looking phone, but so is HTC Touch HD (Which I have just bought).
- Do you do presentation as required by your work? If yes, HTC Touch HD is out, and Athena is in, because HD does not have TV-out. Although iPhone has TV out, it does not have presentation software, so iPhone is also out.
- Do you want FM radio? If so, consider Touch HD.
- Do you want good camera (say 10MP camera) and video recording? If so, consider Samsung SBH B600.
You get the idea... You need to know what your requirements are, then gather information to see if your target phones meet your need.
Yes, a lot has changed for the better in Athena since you last left it, but there are still many areas which are unchanged. You could post all your specific question after you've considered your requirements, and we'll be very happy to answer your questions. You have already posted some of those question, but it's a good idea to think more comprehensively to make sure you cover all aspects of your needs.
I may not be able to answer some of the questions as your needs are different from mine, but I'm sure others would respond to your questions.
Cheers.
Hi Eaglesteve - I had a feeling you'd be in here - good to hear from you.
My circumstances are that I already have an iPhone and have an Advantage coming in the post today. I'm not after turning the Advantage into an iPhone, simply wondering if there are one or two bits of software which would sell the idea of keeping the Advantage to me.
I'm surprised you'd go for the Touch HD Eaglesteve as its screen is quite a bit smaller than that of the Advantage. The device does interest me, although its price is more than the combined costs of my iPhone and Advantage! I wonder if I'd just be better off keeping two devices once again. What are your feelings on the HD versus the Advantage? How does the overall responsiveness and also audio and video performance compare with the Advantage?
Regards
Check this out: http://www.goosync.com/
F2a said:
Check this out: http://www.goosync.com/
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Click to collapse
Hi thanks for that. Unfortunately you have to pay, and 20 quid seems a rip-off considering I'd only be syncing my contacts. The solution I have for Iphone cost me £1 or something like that.
I'm seriously thinking of just throwing my Advantage straight onto Ebay. Windows Mobile doesn't seem to have the scope of free software it once had. I don't think the idea of free (or very cheap) Google contacts sync software is that ridiculous an idea - certainly it's enough of an issue for more than one iPhone developer to come up with free or cheap solutions. I bought the Advantage because it was cheap and i thought it would be something fun to play around with but I seem to have made a poor decision.
If every little solution costs me £20 then I'm going to be severely out of pocket by the end of the week!
It don't sync with google but....
Sync = www.dashwire.com is the best over the air sync up I've used. Photos, videos, contacts, photocontacts, emails and txt for free! Also snap2face (free) facebook app can sync up with your facebook contacts images too.
Rss video and audio = Beyondpod 3.0 (free) brilliant software. Use this in conjunction with Mort's Player and the Mypod skin (free). You won't look back with a 16GB SDMicro (w/adapter) in your advantage.
Browser = Netfront or even better Skyfire if you can get it. Netfront has so many different configs that you should be happy with one or two.
Email = I get by with outlook as any major media mails I get tend to need my home pc!
I don't download youtube vids but do use vTap as the wikipedia side of it is cool.
I tried to replace my Athena with an iphone and failed by a long way. I'll be using this Ameo for a couple of years I think. (Unless the 4g HTC Max kicks ass)
The one thing I would recommend is putting MichyPrima's 5.1 rom it as it is so damn rock solid and just works so good. All the sensors work with the new 'G' software knocking about and I have only hard reset once to clear out a couple of programs.
Long live the X7500. Best comms device I have owned, by a mile.
leoni1980 said:
Hi Eaglesteve - I had a feeling you'd be in here - good to hear from you.
My circumstances are that I already have an iPhone and have an Advantage coming in the post today. I'm not after turning the Advantage into an iPhone, simply wondering if there are one or two bits of software which would sell the idea of keeping the Advantage to me.
I'm surprised you'd go for the Touch HD Eaglesteve as its screen is quite a bit smaller than that of the Advantage. The device does interest me, although its price is more than the combined costs of my iPhone and Advantage! I wonder if I'd just be better off keeping two devices once again. What are your feelings on the HD versus the Advantage? How does the overall responsiveness and also audio and video performance compare with the Advantage?
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As for software for Athena, you should always have FtouchSL, Wktask and the like. But I'd strongly recommend SPB Mobile Shell as one of the most transforming software IMO. Not only it is finger friendly, it will also enhance the camera function, puts all the Opera mobile history and favoutries on the launch menu, but also give you lots of useful tools. Don't forget the latest Resco File Explorer and Registry editor. Of course Opera Mobile is a must, but you need to experiement with the various version to find out which is suits you. I find surfing with Opera mobile on Athena to be way way better than using Safari on iPhone, primarily due to the large screen and not having to zoom in and out. Try out FL3 and directly play youtube using Opera 9.5, something which was impossible the last time you had your Athena. When using Opera Mobile, go to the configuration to make minimum overview zoom 85 percent to allow you ability to activate links in zoom out mode if you so wish.
Don't forget youtubeplayer 1.0.0.10 which allows you to either play directly or download youtube videos.
I can't remember if I had already posted this info in my previous entry, so please excuse me if there's any duplication.
Regarding my using the Touch HD, it's the closest replacement available in the market today. I'm not sure if I could get used to the near 4 inch (3.8 precisely) screen or not, but would give it a try. I think 4.5 inch would be real nice, but let's see..
It has many things that I thought an Athena replacement should have: smoother rounder form factor, embedded ear piece, more dated 7.2mb/s download speed, FM radio, better camera (hopefully), and no keybaord (always much prefer without hardware keyboard).
I'm still waiting for my unit to arrive when I make this post. It is too soon for me to comment on performance, etc. I'd want to make sure that if I make a review it is going to be honest, truthful, and helpful.
I never let cost to influence my decision too much. I just want to the best available, if you know what I mean. Actually while considering HD, Mackaby influenced me to give iPhone a serious consideration, which I did. iPhone would have cost me nothing with a plan, but as you already know, it was a frustration and disappointment for me, so I chosed the HD, which cost me AUD1225, which is much cheaper than my Athena, that cost me about AUD1600.
I'd still keep my Athena, in case I could'nt get use to the small size in HD. Won't know until I try it. Unfortunately nobody in Sydney is selling HD, so the only way to try is to buy.
Enough rumbling. Will let you get back to your Athena. Welcome back, my friend.
Lioni,
Forgot to mention podcast. I've never used this myself, but there should be two ways of doing this in winmo devices. You could do it in Opera mobile
In the address bar, enter the URL address of the web page that contains the RTSP link to the desired *.3gp, *.mp4, or *.sdp file, then click on the RTSP links.
Another way is to to use the Streamin Media program. The media is sent in a continuous stream to winmo devices and is played as it arrives, along with the audio. You could play 3GP, MPEG-4, and SDP files. To use this program, go to start/program and start the streaming media program (I think most of MiChy's ROM has it, if I'm not mistaken), then click connect. On the next screen, enter the URL for the website, then tap connect. You can play/pause, rewind, fast forward, etc.
Hope this helps and hope it satisfies your need.
Cheers.
Regarding Opera mobile versus Safari, my opinion is that Safari is still better in terms of being fluid and smooth. Opera tends to be jerky and unsteady in comparision. However, speedwise, there is probably no difference. Safari tends to require some waiting for the blurred webpage to turn clear before you could take control of it (during this time, it is temporarily frozen). Opera also has this pause. I would rate Safari the better browser overall. However, Opera on Athena clearly triumph over Safari on iPhone in my honest opinion, because of the big screen.
I'm currently using my athena again, as my x1 developed a serious flaw yesterday. It jumped under the wheels of a lorry!
Awaiting replacement device from Vodafone as their insurance department is a bad joke.
Anyway, I'd got used to the comparitively tiny screen of the X1, but having gone back to the athena there's a couple of observations.
Both Screens are fantastic, the X1 is noticeably sharper (small screen hires), but using the athena again I can't see how I can cope with the X1 when I eventually get the replacement. It's like using realvga on a screen half the size of the athena, yet I have been coping with it, it's amazing how much you adapt really quickly.
There's a massive speed difference, the x1 does things nearly instantly, all that memory does it I suppose, it's like running an XP machine on 256mb then sticking 1gb of memory inside instead.
Gps is near instantaneous, screen rendering is the same,opening applications don't bring up the spinning wheel of doom, the athena crawls along in comparison yet it didn't feel that slow when I was using it before. It's all relative I suppose (it's not really that slow, maybe 1/4 of a second or so).
But having said that I love the athena, I mentioned before that I don't find it too big to use as a phone, and the screen is amazing. It's a pity we can't squeeze a newer motherboard in there ;-)
When I get my replacement X1 through I'm not certain what to do, I'm very tempted to sell it and get a touch HD, the form factor certainly works better. But then I could keep using it and have the Athena as a wifi tablet for websurfing.
As for browsing speed (noticeably this forum), I find Netfront on simple browsing to be the fastest there is especially across gprs, not very pretty but who cares about the backgrounds when the info is so important!
to throw a spanner in the works, I had a decent play with the blackberry storm while waiting for Vf customer service and their insurance & repairs dept to sort out my x1. The hardware is the best I've seen, not sure how long the funky screen would last, but the form factor is great and build quality looks good, but the OS doesn't look amazing, and I'm not sure how much you can get access to change stuff, plus there's no wifi !
how stupid is that?
Sorry to hear about your SEXXI mishap.
Are you using MiChy's ROM? His ROM should be noticeably faster.
The screen size is the thing that I would miss most about Athena. No doubt about that. A larger screen with the same resolution would off course appear to be less sharp. I hope just like you I could adapt to the tiny 3.8 inch screen in HD.
You should be able to get almost instant GPS signal with Athena. There is a thread that I started on this on how to get that result.
Talking about speed, Asus has just released a 800 mhz winmo phone. This is the fastest on a winmo phone. But sadly it has only 2.8 inch VGA screen, which I would never be able to live with.
yep im running michys latest, and with gps ive never been able to get less than a 35second fix, usually its much more like 5 mins, despite all the tweaks
Beyondpod 3 looks to be EXACTLY what I'm looking for - well done Arctic Matt!
Now here's a stupid question....
I've relied on my iPhone and 'sync in a blink' (a Google OTA contacts sync application) to back up my phone contacts. Now I know that I can back up all my contacts to my Windows Address Book with Itunes, but does anyone know how to put my contacts from my Windows Address Book OR my online Google Contacts onto my Athena (just as a one-off)? I feel stupid even asking this but in the past I've always relied on having my contacts on the SIM card but a few weeks ago I got a new sim and threw the old one away. I don't use Outlook or anything like that, wondered if perhaps I could just do it with Activesync.
Thanks in advance.
leoni1980 said:
does anyone know how to put my contacts from my Windows Address Book OR my online Google Contacts onto my Athena (just as a one-off)?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an account in Live.com, when I setup Windows Live in my X7510, there is an option to use another email account. I am not sure though if it can use Google (GMail), but to make the story short, upon setup, it will ask you if you want to syncronize your email and contacts to your device.
If Windows Live won't work with GMail, how about creating an account in Live.com. They might have an option to copy your contacts from GMail to Live.com then use Windows Live from your device to syncronize.
Just some thoughts...
fards said:
yep im running michys latest, and with gps ive never been able to get less than a 35second fix, usually its much more like 5 mins, despite all the tweaks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which GPS Navigation do you use???
cktlcmd said:
Which GPS Navigation do you use???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
memory-map
eaglesteve said:
- Do you a extremely fussy person in wanting really really smooth video playback? If yes, consider iPhone. However, if you'r willing to wait, Coreplayer is going to address this issue very very shortly and poor video playout is likely to be history.
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what's the core news?
Don't forget to....
leoni1980 said:
Beyondpod 3 looks to be EXACTLY what I'm looking for - well done Arctic Matt!
Now here's a stupid question....
I've relied on my iPhone and 'sync in a blink' (a Google OTA contacts sync application) to back up my phone contacts. Now I know that I can back up all my contacts to my Windows Address Book with Itunes, but does anyone know how to put my contacts from my Windows Address Book OR my online Google Contacts onto my Athena (just as a one-off)? I feel stupid even asking this but in the past I've always relied on having my contacts on the SIM card but a few weeks ago I got a new sim and threw the old one away. I don't use Outlook or anything like that, wondered if perhaps I could just do it with Activesync.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go into the advanced settings of Beyondpod 3 and access Beyond Scheduler! You can automate so much stuff on your Athena without having to program in Mort Script. Via this software my x7500 goes into flight mode at 11pm, wakes up at 6am, connects to my home wifi, downloads all my podcasts, downloads all my emails, syncs with dashwire, switches on realplayer and wakes me up to live BBC radio (I live in Norway - NRK would send me back to sleep.).
Oh and
Once you have all you contacts on your phone I really think you should give Dashwire a go. It is rather spiffing.

Best Application and Top 10 Apps!

Hi All,
What do people think is the best application to watch video and listen to music on the HD2?
Also has anybody put togeter a list of the top 10 must have apps for the HD2?
Cheers,
P
I'm afraid I don't know, but I desperately want to, and I'd prefer this list to be the Top 100 Apps.
I mean, Leo has unbelievable specs for such a little unit, but I feel like what's the point if there are hardly any apps to take advantage of it?
I'm very much hoping that WinMo 7 will be a success, HTC will stay true to its rumours and give us an update, and developers will get interested in WinMo on the same scale as the iPhone.
you will probably get a better response in the software section.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=535
The core pocket media player is in my opinion the best video player available to date.
I don't remember as to how well it worked on the hd2 though.
My phone is off to be repaired so I wouldn't be able to try till I get it back.
Here is the link to the site:
http://picard.exceed.hu/tcpmp/test/
dont have a list but here are some applications i really like and use
fpsece (playstation 1 emulator)
nav4all (free satnav, because i dont use satnav much and im too tight to pay for nav 4 all)
the flashlight application (cant remember the real name but uses your flash as a torch)
[email protected] CM internet router (came from this forum... allows you to use your phone as a wireless router... This feature is removed in o2 roms so the application is well needed)

Newbie-HTC Mini-Can I go for it..Pls help?

Hi guys,
SO glad tat I was able to find up this forum...I have a SE walkman series phone for the past 4 yrs and feel its time to change to some touch screen mobile. I have zilch knowledge abt smartphones and wat ever i know r based frm my 2 days of browsing this forum.
My issues are
1)Basically am not appl freak and want my phone to stand out from others..Does mini fit the bill..?that is I want a phone with touchscreen,decent cam, very good multimedia playback capacity,something sleek...and thats how I zeroed in on HTC Mini..
but after reading this forum., got 2 know tat not much appl's r developed for Mini becos of the screen size..(Is tat right..?)..
SO, after some point of time, after launch of Win 7 mob, will the case be like HTC Mini left alone..? I am investing close to 480$(Indian money) and want to find out that does HTC mini really have some shortcomings applications wise or is it enough for a normal user..?there r no smartphones among my friends...
2) we do not still have 3G networks here in India, but expected in 1-2 yrs..IS MINI WORTH SPENDING TAT AMOUNT (480$=24000 Indian rupees) wihtout 3G? Or can I go for low-end models like Nokia 5800 or HTC touch.. and jump the 3G ship wen it comes later?
Again, i am asking too many questions, but pls guide me...
THANKS..........
HD mini, regarding my point of view, a very nice device with a lot of preinstalled very nice apps.
The resolution is effectively a bit strange in Windows mobile environment, but it was the same and even worst when I purchased my Diamond with VGA screen.
Regarding applications, most of them work. Some qvga ones do not fit on the screen, it remains two black bands on top and bottom of the screen because of aspect ratio. But the applications, even a lot of high graphic games run well (secret of Da Vinci, return to mysterious island,...), even emulators such ScummVM.
I found a lot of chess games (majestic, Kasparov,..) they run really fine. I nevertheless had some difficult to find a good Sudoku, “Panoramic ultimate Sudoku” works very fine but it do not have problem solving mode.
In brief, screen resolution is not really an issue, but if you want to play some specific games such Play station emulator or other resource consuming games. In this case, HD2 should be a better choice.
You could also consider other OS such Android. For me there are not an option, because I live in a small town without 3G and downloading and syncing via phone line costs an arm and a leg. With winmo, I can natively upload all the things trough my PC, and it is just fine.
Each customer has different taste, that's why there are hundred of million of different phones out there. But from my personal point of view and for my needs, the Mini is just perfect for me.
Any other smartphone looks like a damn brick next to it, so yeah, it does stand out from others.
About the apps, I was worried about them, but for some reason all the apps I need work without a single problem in the Mini. iGo 8, MSS Converter, ClearTemp, Opera Mobile 10, Skype, Dictionary, TCPMP, Shazam Music, BSB Tweaks, JWMD IconChanger, PocketRAR, Midomi...
Personally I don't give a sh!t about Windows Phone 7, since it's gonna be more "phone like", while WM 6.5 is like having a small Pentium III in your pocket and that's why I like it.
Thanks a lot moscard and NitroNitrous. Positive comments do matter a lot for me..since its a one-time big "investment" for me.
I know its upto me to decide but just want to be well informed and do not want to be over excited.....also wat do you guys think abt the multimedia handling of the phone..does the processor seem dragged in case of heavy multimedia usage..? I would want to listen mp3's, check out tracks in radio and video songs..tat's it......
I do not think so, regarding my old Diamond, the HD mini is way ahead in performance. It is very responsive for all the daily tasks including photo, video, music, multi-media and so on. I use a Bluetooth headset and it connects almost immediately against the 10s used by my old Diamond.
Internet and remote desktop that I use often are simply wow. Do not worry about that. Some leaks, but nothing dramatic: Led flashing is less visible than on Diamond, there is no native voice tag for contacts, there is no native close or ok button especially for office applications. Nevertheless it is a lot nicer with real glass screen and crisp colours.
Another thing that annoying me a little bit regarding HD2, there is no electronic compass. This would be really usefull in hiking using navigators or google map.
I watch a movie almost every night in DVD quality and it handles it with no problem. Besides, with TCPMP player it can reproduce almost any video format. As for the music you just need a proper player like PocketPlayer 4, which is the one I use. It has everything you can ask for a music player. I have around 300 songs in the playlist and scrolling the list with the finger is always smooth.
There are some bad points also, but nothing new for someone who has used WM before and is not hard to get used to them.

Advice wanted

Hi All,
I've just been given an Omnia 7 and I'm not sure what to do with it.
I have an HTC Wildfire (Unlocked running CM) and my initial thoughts were to put CM on the Omnia, after a bit of research I found this wasn't possible.
So do I migrate from Android to Wm7 on the Omnia (and how would I copy my contacts etc) and is it worth it?
I don't expect an answer to: is Android better than WM7 (nor is this the place for it) but has anyone else came from Android to WM7? Anyone prefer the Omnia over the Wildfire etc? Are there like for like apps between Android and WM7? Things like Task killer, utils, games etc
If I do use the Omnia is it worth upgrading (as per the great guides on here) and what version should I upgrade to?
I also notice that the links to the Samsung USB Driver/Flash utilities don't work any more, does anyone have a copy of they available to dl?
Appreciate I'm asking a lot here, any advise would be greatly received.
D
its all about tast , If I where you I would play with the omnia for some time.
DavidJBrown said:
Hi All,
I've just been given an Omnia 7 and I'm not sure what to do with it.
I have an HTC Wildfire (Unlocked running CM) and my initial thoughts were to put CM on the Omnia, after a bit of research I found this wasn't possible.
So do I migrate from Android to Wm7 on the Omnia (and how would I copy my contacts etc) and is it worth it?
I don't expect an answer to: is Android better than WM7 (nor is this the place for it) but has anyone else came from Android to WM7? Anyone prefer the Omnia over the Wildfire etc? Are there like for like apps between Android and WM7? Things like Task killer, utils, games etc
If I do use the Omnia is it worth upgrading (as per the great guides on here) and what version should I upgrade to?
I also notice that the links to the Samsung USB Driver/Flash utilities don't work any more, does anyone have a copy of they available to dl?
Appreciate I'm asking a lot here, any advise would be greatly received.
D
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
150% worth! omnia7 has one of the best SUPER amoled screens by far and is with 4" really perfect. htc wildfire are a VW Polo and Omnia7 are a Audi A4 All good apps and games has wp7 too and it works fast smooth with a pure and clear UI. and if you flash my mi7ROM you get a Full unlocked (root) OS with ability to install custom apps and improvements
look in my signature you will find my omnia7 rom and my online storage ....
SAMSUNG OMNIA 7 mi7ROM 8107 and - my storage content on htcfanboys.com
mirolg said:
150% worth! omnia7 has one of the best amoledPlus screens by far and is with 4" really perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to point out that it's not AMOLED Plus, it's just SuperAMOLED. Galaxy S2, Galaxy Tab 7.7 (the new one) and Galaxy Nexus are the top-tier devices for the moment utilizing Super AMOLED Plus display matrix.
Like i said to derik123derik123, i´ll try to put my toughts in a parcial way...
First of all, i´ve been always merging between iOS and Android,like them a lot, lived with it for years, all kinda of mobiles, jailbreakin, rootin,flashing custom, downgradin, even opening to change hardware parts...
Last year i had Motorola Atrix 4G and iPhone 4S, great ones, but without the opportunity to live with an oficial ICS ROm, i sold Atrix and in this January without jailbreak and tired of iOS, sold iPhone 4s....
Now, i had the opportunity and bought and Samsung Omnia 7...remember when you´re a kid and saw that toy in TV or Movie and when you got it sounds just more perfect then you could thought? When sounds that you will pass your entire life with it spending all minute just adoring it?
Well, i felt just like when started to use Omnia 7 with Mango 7.5, i really felt happier each time i scrolled my finger, the system is so fluid, so fast, so responsive, its beautiful, its simple, modern and intuitive, you dont have to dig its already there in your face.
For the first time i felt that my years with Droid and iPhones passed...Microsoft has now conquered me and surprised with an inteligent innovation, they just create something unique, there is nothing in their system that remebers Android or iOS, they have their identity.
I think that if you like the new, the unique and different, Windows Phone 7 it´s a new and beuatiful world to explore all time.
Well I took your advice. I gave my Wildfire to the wife (Her G1 was getting a bit long in the tooth) and installed mirolg's excellent rom.
I'm now sat here with the Omnia running the mirolg unlocked rom and I'm impressed! Google/Facebook/Linkedin contact all came across and worked perfectly.
Yes the screen is very nice, must get some video to play on it. Just a few niggles though if anyone can help.
It would be nice to be able to turn on/off 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS from the start screen. I've installed toggle but it only does 3G and Wifi, anyone know of an app that does all 4?
Slightly annoyed that there is no SD slot to upgrade the capacity, I though most phones came with this these days.
On a much wider note are there any 'must have' apps or games on this device? What do you lot run and recommend?
Look forward to the replies!
D
DavidJBrown said:
Well I took your advice. I gave my Wildfire to the wife (Her G1 was getting a bit long in the tooth) and installed mirolg's excellent rom.
I'm now sat here with the Omnia running the mirolg unlocked rom and I'm impressed! Google/Facebook/Linkedin contact all came across and worked perfectly.
Yes the screen is very nice, must get some video to play on it. Just a few niggles though if anyone can help.
It would be nice to be able to turn on/off 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS from the start screen. I've installed toggle but it only does 3G and Wifi, anyone know of an app that does all 4?
Slightly annoyed that there is no SD slot to upgrade the capacity, I though most phones came with this these days.
On a much wider note are there any 'must have' apps or games on this device? What do you lot run and recommend?
Look forward to the replies!
D
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check marketplace for Connection Tiles.
Cheers!
I believe Supreme shortcuts should do the trick: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1343993
HOMEBREW xap wp7 apps ( tnx xda developer)
Marketplace apps:
AlbumFlow- music player with cover
AudioAnalyzer- sound check app
Babylon Translator- ad free translator with the most languages
Bedbug- better sleep soundplayer
Betty Crocker- best recipe app with pics
Cocking Timer- very cool 3x timer- works in background
Convert2Go- convert app
Clinometer
Cocktail Flow- cocktails
Dance Hub- Dj- mix with offline download
Ebay- ebay
Filmstarts- Kino/movie app
GPS Voice Navigation- online GPS Voice Navigation
handyscan- scan your documents and load up to skydrive
IMDB- movie DB
Lighting Dial- cool homescreen alternative with much shotcuts
MobileTag- barcode scan
Notes- simple, clean notes app
Remotely Possible- play you media from PC on your device- cool!
SleepTimer- sleep music timer
Slydr-keyboard like swipe
Sky Drive- Microsoft skydrive app
Signal Generator- generate test- audio signals
Stick Tiles- stick a notes
Soundtracker- best music app like spotify but free
Soudhound- better shazam alternative
Free Music Cloud- Dj- mix with offline download
SweetNSpicy- Indian and Thai recepies- great!
Tech New Now- best Technical rss feed reader
TuneIn Radio- Radio app
Timer- timer
TuneWiki- live Lyrics app by play a song- in different languages!
QuickMinder- Time minder tile app
WhatsUp- short message app multicross OS
Voice Memos Lite- record Voice Memos
wikipedia Reader- wp reader
Wiztiles- Induvidualize your custom tiles
Weave- best Technical rss feed reader
WPcentral- wpcentral.com app
WP7Applist- Marketplace overview
XDA-Developers- board express forum app
Youtube Pro- with down- and upload!
Thanks again for all the help! Supreme shortcuts is exactly what I wanted and I've installed most of the apps mentioned by the awesome mirolg.
Phone is now almost perfectly setup...........apart from Zune! For a start it's seems unnecessary as I was used to drag and drop on Android, but I can live with it.
What I can't live with is the way it won't copy a full album over! I have a lot of Audio Books, I do a lot of driving and I find them better than music.
They are all ID3 marked up and work fine on all other devices. I sync them up with the Omnia 7 and for some reason it copies over file 1,2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11 etc!!
I really don't understand why it will not copy the FULL contents of the album, I've checked the tags, they are all good, all files are there and play on other devices, I have removed and re added the library, but no. It does not seem to work!
Also, a very strange thing. I fully charge the phone, connect Bluetooth in the car and the phone to USB to charge and by the end of my journey (6Hrs) the phone battery is nearly dead! I havn't used the phone for anything, 3g, Wifi, GPS all turmed off!
Any idea why the phone seems to discharge? I know the USB port on the Car Stereo is fine as I have used other phones with it.
Thanks again, I'd appreciate any advice!
D

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