Related
Hmm I'm not sure if this is just my experience or not but I have never had a contract mobile before ..
Always suspected they were a bit of a con/rip off/customer service black hole.
So anyway, I finally decided I need a personal organizer/pda for work and since my employer gets a 50% discount on o2 I figured why not splurge.
Ordered my XDA Exec yesterday on 400 mins cross network tarrif (£15 p/m) and the handset was £149.
It arrived 48 hours later!
Only it came by DHL in an obviously re-sealed box. The unit was inside, no cellaphane in sight. The battery was charged already and despite the courier listing a simcard in the box inventory there wasnt one in there anywhere.
I am pretty deflated by this rather awful service so far .. is this normal?
Anyway I figured, this does not prevent me from firing it up and playing around on the WIFI networks at work.
I have played with this thing for a good 6 hrs today at work and here's my first impressions...
1. Asthetically its lovely but the buttons are easy to press while getting it out of the leather wallet. Camera is always on when I open it up .. grr.
2. My screen has a yellow tint to it. Is this normal? Seems kind of like a crap TFT panel used to look on earlier laptop units.
3. Anything network related seems to frequently cause the unit to hang. Checking my mail .. downloading 500 mails from IMAP took 15 mins and eventually crashed it.
MSM seems to crash a lot.
IE on this thing is quite simply poor. This may be biased by the fact I am a firefox developer .. but it is clunky, slow to respond, PHP sends it into a catatonic state and secure websites just plain confuse the thing.
Lots of crashing. No flash support??
Not impressed.
4. Software. Like, where is it? WM5 has next to nothing useful thats free. I don't believe in shareware at all .. where's the OS stuff? Where's the PDA port of this and that? Very dissapointed that all the stuff I found was win 2003 se only and that was that.
This alone renders the thing a waste of time .. sadly ..
5. Keypad is just useable but I hate the feel. Keys are flat and the rebound is so firm you frequently have to go back and press it down harder to get the right chracter to appear. Its hard work tbh.
Oh and the most annoying 'bug' of all ..
When the thing turns the backlight off to power save, it doesnt seem to come back on at the same level it was at before going into standby.
It comes on so dark you have to tilt it to the light to get through the menus to turn it up.
Annoying .. but fixable I'm sure ..
Anyway, some thoughts.
Generally I think this has potential but it clearly hasnt got enough memory to run smoothly .. 49mb of useable memory? Pah! It reminds me of the kind of things you see on ebay where someone is selling a p4 laptop with 64 mb of ram installed. Waste of time.
The cpu is either crap or scaled so far back to save power it crawls. Jury is out on that for now ..
Summarizing, I DO like this .. but the lack of good free software and the diddy memory and seemingly bloated and clunky wm5 + bugs ruins it totally.
I will probably be trading this in for an XDA IIi next week.
That is if O2 sort me out. As it is, I am frankly disgusted with their approach to new customers! "Lets send em a refurb and see if they notice ..". I even told the guy I was a customer relations rep for a large corp. Like I know how it works .. bah.
That said, am getting 50% discount over Mr. Public. So can't complain TOO loudly ..
- Deleted -
This is the most useful review I have read. Thankyou.
TBH, its windows. It's gonna be buggy. I think they just send these out untested, safe in the knowledge that:
a) Buzz or Mamaich will inevitably patch, repair or find awkward ways around 90% of the bugs.
b) The average XDA user is a nerd and will probably follow those instructions/patches and *happily* put up with the buggy features.
c) Joe public isn't clever enough to operate a PDA properly. The average person is too stupid to realise that their PDA crashes itself. They think they're making it crash and are too proud to ask for help/consult the internet. They want a PDA 'cos all their work buddies have them and it makes them look important, using it for little more than checking emails occasionally.
d) Microsoft/HTC know that the kind of person who buys these PDA/phones is the kind of person who will always want the newest gadget, and so will forget about the bugs/issues as soon as the new XDA is released (with its own host of problems). Why bother fixing it when in a few months it will be old news and people will have something new to complain about.
PS, 02 gave me a refurb XDA2s when the insurance replacement they sent me was faulty. It works fine which only around 25% do so I'd rther put up with a refurb than complain and have a 75% chance of the brand new one they send me being faulty.
Sending this on the exec ..
I kinda figured o2 would be light on customer consideration. Hehe.
The phone I got appears to be alright now tbh. I have hard reset to corporate and it is light years smoother. In fact it hasn't crashed once in the last 4 hours!
Performance is fine now too. Still not as fast as you'dd like but it certainly feels more responsive.
I AM A DUMB ASS. The sim was in the box, it had been tossed in loose and was wedged between the user manual compartment lid and the inner structure of that fruity pandora's box.
I'm VERY impressed with the battery life so far.. Talking hours. Neato.
Of course the complete lack of developer interest/support in this version of winblows means i'll still not be keeping it unfortunately. Only Microsoft would release a next gen pda os and NOT include binary compatibility either natively or virtually.
So far haven't found a good free irc client that works. All either pay-for-fun or 2003se only. Bummer.
I have now decided the keyboard is useless. That + the wm5 software absentism means I might either trade for a 2003 xda or buy an IPAQ. Since they seem to have a vast quantity of stuff available: Including a LINUX distro.
With regards the keyboard.. Why the f00 they didn't consider half the number of keys correctly aligned and reasonably proportioned ... who knows. Maybe its like you say, this technology is just blingware and nobody seriously expected people to sit down and type a post like this one. Which, incidentally I am doing with the stylus!
Anyway my hand/neck/wrists hurt already.
Must decist for now.
gubbs said:
Hmm I'm not sure if this is just my experience or not but
3. Anything network related seems to frequently cause the unit to hang. Checking my mail .. downloading 500 mails from IMAP took 15 mins and eventually crashed it.
That said, am getting 50% discount over Mr. Public. So can't complain TOO loudly ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
500 mails.. Wow!
Huib
My JJ crahes when downloading POP email, usually when I am using 3G.
I have to say the ergonmics of the JJ/Exec are mixed. But for me the keyboard is fantastic; typed for 2 x 30 minutes on the train.
for it is great
I have had mine three weeks and it is excellent.
The screen is clear and all functions work great.
I did not load the standard settings as this gives all the o2 stuff that slows it down.
Loaded spb pockect plus which gives as many features as i need.
i believe you have a returned unit.
I have purchased three phones from o2, the XDA, XDA11s and now the Exec and i have always had everything boxed and sealed the battery is normally partialy charged which is standard these days.
Your comments are the same as a friend of mine who ordered the T mobile option and his arrived like yours i told him to return it that day.
He contacted T mobile and his replacement arrived today boxed correctly and perfectly happy with it.
You have a 14 day return policy which some people seem to find a good way of ordering the phone playing around with it and then sending it back under the policy. This then will go back out to a new purchaser as O2 believe it is just a return as the customer did not find it to be what they wanted.
My advice would be return it now, tell o2 you are not happy as the box was resealed they will send yoiu a replacement probable overnight.
clive
How on earth did you get that Tarrif??
'Ordered my XDA Exec yesterday on 400 mins cross network tarrif (£15 p/m) and the handset was £149.'
I have not seen this anywhere and iot sounds great?
Hmm ok, well I'll get on to o2 in a few mins. Have a cup of tea first - has been a long morning.
Reg. the tarrif it's o2 200 + free double minutes for six months.
It would normally be £30 a month but my employer staff contracts afford a (generous) 50% discount.
The handset is marked the same on the public o2 website ... £149? I don't think I got any reductions on that.
BTW I am typing this on the keyboard today and would like to admit as long as the surface you have it on is very level and very firm (ie not your knee or briefcase lid) then its not so bad.
I also need to google and find out what spb pocket plus is ..
Also you know, I am a pda n00b. I'm sure a lot of what I have said is entirely because I haven't sufficient experience with this technology. I don't pretend to be giving anything more than as-is impressions.
Ok. Spoke to a nice lady at O2 - I think we had chemistry or something - cos she called me 'hun' and arranged for a replacement (new) handset straight away and bunged me £10 off my first bill.
Sweet.
I took it to my manager at work today who I know owns an XDAii and who is a SUPER Geek (tm). He informed me I am not using the keyboard right .. you have to hold it in your hands and type using your thumbs.
Doing this, with autocomplete by tapping the screen with a thumbnail produces some pretty impressive and speedy typing.
I also compared the screen to the one on his XDAii and frankly, it is noticeably smoother. Also in comparrisson the unit weighs in it's case practically the SAME amount as an XDAii (in real world tests not on paper I'm sure). It also found more networks on wifi, quicker than his XDAii and he has announced he wants one. Which would suggest, from a long term XDAii user, that these are a step up from that model. Well either that or he's viciously insecure, competative and fickle. I did say manager didn't I?
All in all, its OK. I seem to get it very grimey tho. Must get some wipes.
I'll be posting a proper, intelligent, considered, non-reflex review on here next week when I get it up and running. I'll also be taking the pictures with the camera and what not ..
Thanks, helpful opinions and info. Ordered mine from O2 on Friday, just watiting for it to arrive
M.
I've had mine about 2 weeks now and at first I wasn't that impressed. It was mainly that speed that annoyed me, but that's sorted now.
I did a basic install and removed all the O2 crap, well, I tried but it failed on the remove, so I deleted the relevant program from the startup and it's all good now. I went back to the Windows default theme as well.
I've got Resco File Explorer, MagicButton running and GSPocketMagic++, though all the features for GSPocketMagic++ are turned off (just having it installed makes it quicker, which is odd).
Screen flips are now down to under 2 seconds, which I think is reasonable. It now responds instantly to screen taps, whereas before it would have a delay of a second or so.
I installed spb pocketplus for a while but found it really slowed my system down. I think it was the battery monitor on the today screen that did it. It's now uninstalled and the thing flies.
All I need to do now is get some kind of navigation sorted and I'm fully happy. I think it's way better than my old XDA2.
So, which install should I do then, basic or corporate?
Thanks
M.
lol gubbs @ your thoughts and experiences.
The sad truth is that many of us get so much pleasure out of just owning a machine like the Exec that we're prepared to overlook its flaws, of which there are (to be honest) many. I love mine, but you're right: there's sod-all software available yet that is 100% compatible (and I mean properly compatible, not just "well, we think it works but it might slow your machine down a bit: try it and let us know how you get on"), and WM5 is horribly crippled by a lack of feature-rich functionality.
There is a halo effect on the Exec caused by its position at the cutting edge of Windows-based phone/PDA models. We think we have the best machines available.
IMHO there are three groups of Exec users:
- technologically ignorant users who use it exactly as O2 intended. Will be either happy or ambivalent about it
- geeks who love to tweak. (I'm in this group.) We, with this website, will work on the damn thing until we're happy with it, and this is part of the satisfaction and pleasure of ownership. Are already happy with their Exec because it's the best money can buy, and we overlook its little faults.
- newcomers who've previously owned a Palm/Treo/whatever. Will generally be disappointed with the Exec because it's different from what they're used to and will seem slow/crippled/buggy. Might become happy in time, but more likely to return unit and swear they'll never touch Windows Mobile again.
gubbs, I'd guess you were in the third group when you first posted here, but now you're moving towards the second group. I reckon you'll be a-tweakin' and a-moddin' with the rest of 'em within weeks! Then (and only then) will you love your Exec.
I agree.
After spending 10 months with the XDA 2s I couldn't go back to a "normal" phone. I've had PDAs since before they were called PDAs - this was my first one - http://tinyurl.com/cyhjo
Yes, I have to reboot it most days, and yes it does some odd stuff, but in general it's been an amazing device.
It's in for repair (lose keyboard) and I'm using an old Nokia 6600 while I wait for my Exec to arrive. I've only been without of for 3 days and it's been like losing my right arm!
M.
Hi guys, there are more news on the HTC shift, it has been official presented on the 28th in Taiwan by HTC. This is the official retail package and it's 100% what you will get in retail store.
Here is a link for some picture: http://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php?f=224&t=508252&last=4825702
For those people who can't see the picture, see my attachment of how to show the picture.
My HTC contact was there and he has tested the device, i specific ask him to test on phone and gps function, he report back saying that there is 100% no phone and GPS inside the Shift.
I know a lot of people will say they seen photo of GPS or phone, but that me remind you this, this is the latest official retail version, all device before are prototype. Yes, i have also seen the picture on FCC website showing there is GPS inside, that's the reason I asked my friend to test it! And let me say this again, there will be no GPS or Phone out of the box.
Our hope will be for the developers here in XDA to crack the function to enable full windows mobile, phone, and GPS.
p.s. Another news i got from my friend, HTC is saying the SD slot will only support up to 2GB.
can you getem?
Hi Wu, how are you doing, just wondering like you got me my Dopod, can you get hold of a shift for me? Thanks Dude
faisal.husain said:
Hi Wu, how are you doing, just wondering like you got me my Dopod, can you get hold of a shift for me? Thanks Dude
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Faisal, i am fine thank you. I hope you are doing well too.
Yes i can get the Shift for you, it's currently on pre-order and the device will be available on the 4th of Feb. Price is a bit lower then anywhere else and you will get bonus with it such as GPS and extra battery....etc.
If you are interesting in getting one, please PM me and we can discuss more there !
Hmm.. i´m ordered a sample from our german distributor but now i´m thinking about to cancel the order. We thinking long time ago about a integration of the shift in our company network for our VIP customers. But without gps, without Mobile and without LAN (or can i install Windows over netboot over WLAN??) i should search better for a other solution. there is not really a innovation inside. maybe the better solution with same features is a Toshiba Portégé R400 Series laptop..
but we will see the next on cebit i hope. maybe a other manufactor. we support htc from scratch with their first devices. after over 7000 devices and the problems within it´s time to test a other manufacor i think. maybe asus, samsung
Pre-Order all gone
Please do not ask me any more for HTC Shift, all the 200 unit for pre-order is gone already, first shipment will be on the 4th of Feb, if there is any more stock available, i will let you all know asap.
joy.d said:
Hmm.. i´m ordered a sample from our german distributor but now i´m thinking about to cancel the order. We thinking long time ago about a integration of the shift in our company network for our VIP customers. But without gps, without Mobile and without LAN (or can i install Windows over netboot over WLAN??) i should search better for a other solution. there is not really a innovation inside. maybe the better solution with same features is a Toshiba Portégé R400 Series laptop..
but we will see the next on cebit i hope. maybe a other manufactor. we support htc from scratch with their first devices. after over 7000 devices and the problems within it´s time to test a other manufacor i think. maybe asus, samsung
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
weird comment .. I don't see any device being a half of what the Shift is ... and even without GPS, without Phone, without LAN and without full WM6 .. the shift is still the best device on the market for my needs.
WLAN will replace LAN over the time.. so I don't think it is a big mistake, but it could have been great
GPS "should" be in the SHIFT but not in WM6 (GPS in Vista).. but the choice is not perfect (who whant a GPS that is working only 2 hours..)
The Shift is not the perfect device, for everyone, but we have to see the real potential of the shift before crying for any lack of feature.
HTC has announced a "shift" like device with 5" .. maybe it will have GPS, Phone, etc.. we will see
weird - yes of course.. ;-)
i´m think it´s a new strategy of HTC to make devices without completly knows features.
maybe, LAN is only for Enterprise Customers like us with over 200tsd Users worldwide interesting, (automatic Software distribution) but Phone Functionality is interesting some more users. Is not really practicable with a 7" Device, but with BT Headset and Speak Control - why not. GPS is only a nice Addon for freaks like me, they travel around the world.
But overall: you´re need really a device like this? (i call that "the innovation factor" inside ;-)
But it´s really needed? Sometimes i think about Asus EEE PC, there a many Websites with modding this mini laptop, it´s crazy. when i have a look to this modding sites I see one:
they have much fun with modding her cheap Asus EEE Laptop.
But after 6 Years with HTC devices in all colors I ask me sometimes:
where is the fun - as i start with it..
;-)
joy.d said:
weird - yes of course.. ;-)
...
But overall: you´re need really a device like this? (i call that "the innovation factor" inside ;-)
But it´s really needed? Sometimes i think about Asus EEE PC, there a many Websites with modding this mini laptop, it´s crazy.
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well well well .. yeah I really need a device like this. I hate laptop (it's almost like bringing my desktop tower ...) because it's too big for me (even 11" ones). The shift has the perfect size for being a good laptop to use everywhere (including when travelling, when being on the bed, ...).
A laptot is not silent at all... mine is making too much noise.. almost the same as my desktop ! And it's warm.. warm... too warm ! I can't keep it on my knees more than 10 minutes ... WAW ! Totally useless to have a laptop.
The shift is quite, cold (not warm I mean ) and I can put it in my pocket (yeah I can... really ... I can ! .. have I tried... not yet.. but I have look the size and it fits well in my pocket... yeah.. really !).
I have bought an HTC Touch to work without any computer with me ... and .. ouch.. impossible to work with the Touch ! No real application on Windows Mobile .... Mobile Office? NOOOO it's too horrible ! On the shift I can use Windows Vista to work .. mmh so nice !
And what about the size .. 40Go is enough to work everywhere I want .. i can plug a VGA cable to my TFT to have a real screen .. and I can do this in so many room (I'm a student, so believe me... I do see a lot of monitor that just want to put their VGA cable in something !).
The only thing that can be bad was the keyboard, but I have tried it.. and WAW it worked well ! Not as well as my own Logitech Media Keyboard with about 80 words per minute... but I can type about 60 words per minute... enough when I'm not @ home.
I do believe the shift is the only solution for me right now, and I'm waiting a little to see all the real features available on the "retail" shift.. but I have great hopes in it !
Supposedly the Shift has the Qualcomm MSM 7200 chipset in it which has voice and gps built in. I can not see them "removing" that from the chipset. It's just a matter of time before this device get's "unlocked" to it's fullest potential.
I still do not see the marketing strategy of HTC leaving these features "out"... You would think that every device you release you would want to sell the hell out of it no? Are they that cocky that they believe they will be around forever to keep selling up their products to us?
i.e. Model Shift II including GPS!!! More money!!!
juiceppc said:
Supposedly the Shift has the Qualcomm MSM 7200 chipset in it which has voice and gps built in. I can not see them "removing" that from the chipset. It's just a matter of time before this device get's "unlocked" to it's fullest potential.
I still do not see the marketing strategy of HTC leaving these features "out"... You would think that every device you release you would want to sell the hell out of it no? Are they that cocky that they believe they will be around forever to keep selling up their products to us?
i.e. Model Shift II including GPS!!! More money!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hard to know... but it's sure that the strategy seems completely wrong .... maybe they want us to buy a Phone and a GPS ... but it's not the right choice.... many people will not buy a HTC device because of it...
It is an odd strategy but not the first time they've done this stuff. Still I think most people who are inclined to buy Windows Mobile devices usually research them. A WinMo device is alot more advanced than your cpl hundred dollar nokias, I think when people are spending over $500 on a phone they are pretty inclined to do some research.
With that said im pretty sure HTC know if they release a shift w/o GPS or phone enabled, good people here can hack it and enable (remember the P3600) and then its on the users onus if things mess up. Actually sounds like a good strategy when you think about it, they only have to meet target "X" in terms of standards for "X" features. If end users decide to try activating features "Y" then they do so at their own risk...
Osir1s said:
It is an odd strategy but not the first time they've done this stuff. Still I think most people who are inclined to buy Windows Mobile devices usually research them. A WinMo device is alot more advanced than your cpl hundred dollar nokias, I think when people are spending over $500 on a phone they are pretty inclined to do some research.
With that said im pretty sure HTC know if they release a shift w/o GPS or phone enabled, good people here can hack it and enable (remember the P3600) and then its on the users onus if things mess up. Actually sounds like a good strategy when you think about it, they only have to meet target "X" in terms of standards for "X" features. If end users decide to try activating features "Y" then they do so at their own risk...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i don't think it's smart.. because about 50% of intersted people will not buy the shift only because of missing GPS and Phone.
I was in a hurry to make a connection and left it in the seat pocket on the plane. Someone in Chicago or another connection has a great device. I bought the redfly to go with my ATT Titan II and just connected it this morning. The big disappointment is that video is terrible. Other than that most apps work great. Let me know if you want me to test something.
It is unlikely that the airline will find it, so I'll have a battery and original box for sale in about 10 days.
thats really sad
Re Redfly, how is the performance in mobile office? Read some reviews mentioning about pdf files opening extremely slow... your experience so far?
Using BT, how is battery life? Just curious to know the real user experience.
Thanks.
Redfly
All of the mobile office apps work great, it is not hard to see why they are targeting the business market. The only thing that I'd love to see would be better video play, but I did not expect that. The keyboard is fine for touch typing and I've had no trouble getting used to it. The screen is really good in the truck and I'm enjoying it for gps, google maps, and expensable. The view of contacts and calendar when in the truck is so much better than the phone itself. It is priced ok and worth it at $199 but that is still a stretch since it cannot replace my phone screen or media player for video on flights. So my dilemma is still multiple devices if I want a larger screen. The screen for Mobile Office is better than the Advantage, but for a do it all device I'd like to have it back.
I just received my scratch and dent x7501 from an ebay transaction, and it only came with the charger, so I might be interested in whatever you have, especially proprietary cables. I can't say I necessarily have to have them, but it might be helpful in case i decide to sell.
I didn't think I'd miss it like I do. So I'm going to watch the "for sales" and ebay for a couple of weeks to see if I can find a replacement. If not, I'll contact you 1st.
hitch said:
I didn't think I'd miss it like I do. So I'm going to watch the "for sales" and ebay for a couple of weeks to see if I can find a replacement. If not, I'll contact you 1st.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
u can always get my athena if ur interested.
RE Comments and a Question About Redfly As Well
First off, very sorry to hear that story. Thats a fine piece of equipment to have to get over from the loss. I know how I am, I'd be walking around kicking the ground with my head down for weeks. Just remember, you never know, that airline could call tomorrow and surprise you. I would also make sure you contact them again. You never know. Perserverance in a case like this can be invaluable.
Let me also take a second to say to the masses, if you do not have your devices clearly marked with Contact Info, your making a mistake. I simply go into Word or Notepad or whatever and make some simple pieces of paper with my name , number. the words CALL IF FOUND, use a Size of 7 or or 9 FONT depending on how big device is and use BOLD. Cut them out, apply to back of battery is best, but at the least under the battery, people find a device I guarantee the battery comes off sooner or later, and then just use a piece of clear scotch tape (or two). This got my $1400 Black MicroTAC back in 1984 or 85. (something like that) When the Car Kit was $2700. One other thing. Sure Auto Locking on a device gets old. But there is nothing better then to know after a loss or theft that at the best he has a worthless piece of equipment and the least he will have to maybe spend some money and time to get it unlocked. It will help take the sting out of it mentally.
REDFLY:
As to Redfly I also said what the heck for $199 I will jump. With a coupon from MODACO I got another $18.00 off so I am priced right. I am a sceptic about this "seeding"program. I think it was not selling and it was time to get cost out of these units back before it is too late. When they are gone they may be gone and then used and marked up Ebays will be what is available. They may even hold value awhile as they do work as stated.
The OPS statement that the RedFly is for the Business user ( I will also say Student, perfect for Student for taking notes etc) is correct. If you want to watch Videos, forget it. But if you want to type documents, get on the Internet, web browse and check emails and know your phone is staying charged all the while and get good battery life with the whole combo, the Redfly works. It does EXACTLY what it is supposed to do well, and NOTHING else really. Your getting a nice big screen for your phone, keyboard and touchpad, abilty to charge / maintain battery level on phone while using (give or take a bit) for hours. It is small and you will see about 8 hours of battery life. If you need to use a projector it has a regular VIDEO port for say classroom or Power point meeting presentations
RedFly Question / Issue:
Im curious if the OP has experienced the intermittant connect between the AC cord and the Power IN port on the Redfly. Mine barely makes the connection and will pop out while just sitting there doing nothing or being lightly moved or typed on. It seems to be an R and D issue that got by. I have read others complain about it. Mine is bad enough I am exchanging. BTW, if you are going to get a RedFly allow me to suggest Erik Patterson at Expansys USA. This guy has taken care of me before, during and after the sale on the Redfly. I have been very impressed. On a $199 sale he is making very little (if anything) commission wise, He has treated me like I did just buy an x7501 with every available Accs. LOL. He is a true professional salesperson and I would love to see him get the business (RedFly or anything else for that matter) . He has earned my future business hands down.
OK thats enough for this "cover everything" post.
Here is Eriks Info. Please tell him Ron sent you.
Erik Patterson
EXPANSYS USA Sales
800-675-2638 ext 1344
EMAIL: [email protected]
As for the power plug you might want to see if you are getting it plugged all the way in. Many have noted, as I have with mine, they have a lot of tension on the socket so it doesn't come unplugged and you think you have it plugged in when you don't.
I have appriciated all the help over time here but been doing alot of considering and talking to verizon rep. and alot of posting and looking over at crackberry and think its time to give up on windows and get the new blackberry storm this friday! that thing is sweet and does all i need plus some. my main things are internet and media
i just flashed to dcd's latest 2 days ago but this thing still gets meto mad with the memory issues running movies andso much more.
the new stormhas somuch to offer, larger screen, way more rom memory, 1gb storage with 16gb micro card (comes with 8gb) and so much more
But the BB Storm has no wifi, no flash support, no tabbed browsing. Those are deal breakers right there....and also only 192MB of RAM, nuff said.
dearls said:
I have appriciated all the help over time here but been doing alot of considering and talking to verizon rep. and alot of posting and looking over at crackberry and think its time to give up on windows and get the new blackberry storm this friday! that thing is sweet and does all i need plus some. my main things are internet and media
i just flashed to dcd's latest 2 days ago but this thing still gets meto mad with the memory issues running movies andso much more.
the new storm has so much to offer, larger screen, way more rom memory, 1gb storage with 16gb micro card (comes with 8gb) and so much more
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Decision is yours obviously, so I am not trying to talk you out of it, but you are trying to compare apples and applesauce. The Titan is an apple that can be customized to be everything from apple juice to an apple pie. The storm will only ever be applesauce. Sure it looks more refined but it has no customization ability and cant really be improved. Good luck in your decision, but I would never have a crackberry, especially with a Touch pro in my hand.
maskedlion said:
Decision is yours obviously, so I am not trying to talk you out of it, but you are trying to compare apples and applesauce. The Titan is an apple that can be customized to be everything from apple juice to an apple pie. The storm will only ever be applesauce. Sure it looks more refined but it has no customization ability and cant really be improved. Good luck in your decision, but I would never have a crackberry, especially with a Touch pro in my hand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Applesauce. Nice!
Feel free to try it out.
and you cannot sync email. Like with an exchange server. They only go via blackberry. I would also recomend against it. Go with the HTC Touch Pro/Diamond. Or something else like that. Or iPhone with AT&T. Blackberry is only if your work requires it.
I do tell all of my frinds that are less technically skilled that they are probably better of with a BB.
That way I can continue to dazzle them.
dearls said:
I have appriciated all the help over time here but been doing alot of considering and talking to verizon rep. and alot of posting and looking over at crackberry and think its time to give up on windows and get the new blackberry storm this friday! that thing is sweet and does all i need plus some. my main things are internet and media
i just flashed to dcd's latest 2 days ago but this thing still gets meto mad with the memory issues running movies andso much more.
the new stormhas somuch to offer, larger screen, way more rom memory, 1gb storage with 16gb micro card (comes with 8gb) and so much more
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you have a bad phone obviously, or having user-specific issue, and going to giv eup on windows mobile? lol....my 6800 works flawlessly everyday, with data and calls. I have everything I could possibly want on a 4gb card, I run my multi-messenger client (agile) all day pretty much, constatly IMing people, even while I am driving (probably not safe, but still cool), am able to browse the net, play games, I get a GPS fix with TomTom 7 in 30 seconds or less, etc...I mean the only thing my 6800 doesn't do, is wash my clothes for me, lol. Plus, it runs fast, and no memory problems.
Plus, all your email has to go through a blackberry email, so everything is relayed, and not truly using your email server...Blackberry server basically have a copy of every single email communication u make now...not only is that unsecure, but totally worthless...my 6800 on Windows Mobile connected DIRECTLY to my mail server, no intermediary email account neccesary.
Technically ignorant
I would also have to agree with worwig. We should not try to talk people out of buying devices like blackberry and the iphone because there is no point in hooking them up with a windows mobile device because they will never be able to tap into its potential. You guys have to remember in here we are the select few. Most people are retarded and look at devices like our titans and go, "oh this is definitely no iphone." And they will never understand why intellectual people will never go for devices such as these. Just let them live in their cloud of ignorance and let us live in clarity.
Sweeny Russ said:
I would also have to agree with worwig. We should not try to talk people out of buying devices like blackberry and the iphone because there is no point in hooking them up with a windows mobile device because they will never be able to tap into its potential. You guys have to remember in here we are the select few. Most people are retarded and look at devices like our titans and go, "oh this is definitely no iphone." And they will never understand why intellectual people will never go for devices such as these. Just let them live in their cloud of ignorance and let us live in clarity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I was shaking my head for weeks when the iPhone was first announced. People were like "Wow, look at all the new features Apple invented." the first few times I showed them my WM phone, and they were like...That's old, the iPhone is all new! I said "Yeah the case is now and interface, but not the technology" They would say "Yeah, but you can make calls, browse the net, text and use GPS all from the same device" - to which I responded "I can do all those things, plus I don't have to pay for GPS, and I have Word, Excel, unlimited email, IR beam, internet sharing, ettc etc...."
Yeah, u just can't convince them. They have blinders on thinking Apple saved the world, when all it did was put old technology into a shinny wrapper.
People are like flies roaming neighboorhoods at night, and Apple is a big pretty neon Bug Zapper.
crobs808 said:
People are like flies roaming neighboorhoods at night, and Apple is a big pretty neon Bug Zapper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking flies and a cow field.
But seriously, I found that I can do a huge amount of work on my WinMo phone. But some of it falls outside the built in functions, and there are few people that I know that I would even think about trying to get to do the non-standard setup. But on the other hand, I like the large amoutn of customization.
I mean, on my desktop today screen, I have the temperature AT MY HOUSE from my personal weather station and a constantly updated webcam picture of my driveway. I know how to do that on WinMo, but anything else? And more then once I have shared my connection using WMWiFiRouter. A lot of people couldn't set that up.
But I've never bought one! Every time Apple come out with a new product I want to rush out and get one. Then, I don't. This has happened for the iPod, Apple TV, iPhone, new iPod, Mac, etc. There is always some limitation that is a deal breaker (and the high prices). With the iPhone, it is locked to AT&T or O2 or whoever. Take it overseas and your going to be paying incredible roaming fees. You can buy an unlocked 3GS in Europe (Italy) but it costs around $1100 (that is US dollars) and you probably won't find one without a contract. It won't play xvid/divx etc. The Apple TV looks awesome. Ahh, but you're locked in to iTunes and supported formats are not that great. The iPod Touch - wow, that looks fantastic. But I keep having to pay for upgrades? And it's not a phone? It just goes on an on.
So I went out and bought the HTC Hero. I absolutely love this thing. I'm not saying it is perfect, but there are only a few faults so far. Once I turned off that silly clock on the home screen it became quite snappy. The browser is amazing. Bookmarks are easy to access, though I wish you could do it with a finger swipe. Or at least cycle through open pages that way. Integration with Google accounts (maps, gmail, contacts) is fantastic. The maps work great with both GPS and just the cell tower information. Using Google street view and sky is really cool. The device knows its orientation at all times. Enable compass mode in street view and when you face North, the phone will show you that view. Turn in a circle, it will follow. I bet Google will eventually do turn by turn and 3D navigation. Why not? They'll make loads of money on it. The PDF reader is actually very useful. Since the Hero did not come with a manual, I downloaded the manual (all 220 pages) and actually skimmed it very easily with the PDF reader! That was amazing. Come to find out, the manual was actually on the included SD card, but there was no file manager to access it (but there is an app!) Now maybe this phone is so awesome because I'm getting ~4mbps throughput (yes, throughput) with my HSDPA connection....but it works pretty good on Edge too. The Wifi antenna is reasonable for the size of the phone, though my laptop usually gets a stronger signal. The ability to switch from the Sense UI to the normal Adroid environment sweet. I don't know why they have to still call it Touch Flo though. That is just confusing (but I can deal with it!). Start up time (boot) for the Hero is abysmal. I have not timed it but probably on the order of 1 minute. Hope you don't need to call the hospital or something. Have no idea how the iPhone compares. My solution, just leave the phone on.
The day after I bought the phone I set it next to my friends iPhone. I thought, ohh no! His screen is much bigger. This is going to be a train wreck. After a week, I much prefer the Hero size screen. It is so much easier using with one hand. I can type and browse fairly easily with one hand. Plus, when you actually use the Hero as a phone (to your ear) you don't look like you're talking into a small TV. It fits in my pocket much better than the iPhone. Still looking for a really good case that protects and is small. I do wish the "back" button was on the other side of the phone as it is a bit awkward. I guess the designer was a lefty. I can deal with that. The build quality is quite nice, though the back panel is quite flimsy. I hope they sell replacements because it is going to break sometime.
HTC Hero, what I always really wanted my Dell Axim X51v to be.
clobber said:
..... I do wish the "back" button was on the other side of the phone as it is a bit awkward. I guess the designer was a lefty. I can deal with that....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
... bought mine couple a days ago, when breaking my Diamond.
just to say: I love the "hero". and as Im "lefty" I love it even more...
Now just waiting for decent outlook calendar syncing program (funambol) for android to be ready and good offline navigation option, as usually I need navigation when out in foreign country and roaming fees are quite high then.
P.S. I will never go back to WM... never ...
Another satisfied Hero customer here as well And I second the WM opinion, I had a XDA Exec for years - and although the hardware was good the OS just ruined it!
clobber said:
You can buy an unlocked 3GS in Europe (Italy) but it costs around $1100 (that is US dollars) and you probably won't find one without a contract. It won't play xvid/divx etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have an android divx player? Link please!
Kudos to the thread starter, I agree completely!
Hear hear(o)!
I had the iPhone 3g , good phone loved it , but I hated apple , their restriction have ruined it for me , I felt like if I was renting it and not actually owning the thing , but over all good phone .
You're right. I don't see a divx/xvid player yet.
clobber said:
You're right. I don't see a divx/xvid player yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You had my hopes up.
guys ... what should i say ... i was WM usr for years ... and tested one interface after the other (wisbar advanced desktop, touch flo 2d manilla, and so on)
but this here (YES I GOT A HERO, TOO) is just awesome... will be a hard fight for microsoft to bring me back ... (maybee windows mobile 7 - we will see)
but this phone is the best i ever had my hands on ... and i'm workin for a big german provider, so i touched much phones
LOVING THE HERO