Dell Streak makes me feel like I am cheating - Shift General

My office was closed part of last week thru yesterday. Today is the first day back to work since receiving my Dell Streak. For over a year my Shift went everywhere with me. I never had a 3G connection [should I have?] but it didn't matter. I rarely used it for voice, but have on occassions .. In fact, I see I can install bluetooth in snapvue if I can do without it in win7. BUT ...
I am getting ready for work today. Changing purses etc and I start to pack my shift and then think "why?" I have the Streak now. It can do everything my Shift can do.. the screen size is between my iphone and shift .. my iphone is semi-retired right now .. It just feels very strange not packing the shift. Maybe I should continue taking it to work for a while at least just to see if there is anything the Shift can do that the Dell can't ..
Can you thinking of anything ??

How about:
BBC iplayer (or other TV streaming)
Play Halo
Visit Tetris Friends
Emulate Amiga with WINAUE (Stunt Car Racer)
Program with Cygwin
Internet banking
Dropbox synchronisation
Office 2007 or 2010

I'm sorely tempted by the Streak but it can't replace my Shift and TP2 combo because I need to:
1. edit, not just view MS documents (word, excel, powerpoint). I know you can pay for Android office suites to edit not just view the documents but the reviews aren't great so far! I need to produce documents that can be sent to clients
2. have software that Android just doesn't have and I don't see having anytime soon. My company uses some software that needs a 'proper' operating system to run. I would be crippled if I couldn't take this software with me
3. 5" is nice for a phone screen but I find even the 7" of the Shift is a pain for some websites (most notably our work webmail!) and
4. have a physical keyboard! Well, I don't NEED it, but I really like it as you don't lose any of the screen for something that you can't touchtype on
Having said all that, I am seriously considering a Streak to replace my TP2 (yes and it's physical keyboard) just because WinMo is severely slow compared to Android, it needs rebooting at least once a day and that 5" screen on the Streak just looks fantastic! I have a month to decide when my phone contract is up for renewal
I'll be keeping the Shift though - if nothing else, the resale value isn't worth the hassle of selling it!

Has anyone ever used one of those keyboards that reflect on your desktop? I don't know if 'reflect' is the correct word, but maybe someone can put words in my mouth .. Meanwhile, I am late for work ....AGAIN ...

Related

The HD is a piece of garbage?

so we have to buy coreplayer, and gsen. I plugged my HD into my dutch language computer that runs Vista. No response. I don't know what else to say it doesn't even play nice with windows. I am not an advanced user and if anybody wants to buy oneI then a sale can be made $500 is what I am asking. This phone for all purposes is a hunk of junk.
Then get an iPhone and have fun with a phone that can't connect to any computer, has lots of expensive applications and little freeware, doesn't even have any software like gsen....
Sorry but WHY THE *BEEP* DON'T YOU INFORM YOURSELF BEFORE MAKING A POST LIKE THIS?
1. The phone connects nicely to any Vista PC, you probably did something wrong. Get an Update of Windows Mobile Device Center.
2. GSen is freeware, and so is Gyrator 2.
3. No one forces you to buy Coreplayer. Windows Media Player and lots of other freeware players also play videos.
Troubleshoot sync connection problem (Taken from page 109 of user manual)
In some cases, when the computer connects to the Internet or a local network, it may disconnect the connection with your device in favor of the Internet or network connection.
If this happens, tap Start > Settings > Connections tab > USB to PC, then clear the Enable advanced network functionality check box. This makes your computer utilize a serial USB connection with your device.
... never mind. Does this solve your problem?
Note that if your intention is to be able to copy big files quickly, then you shoud tick the diskdrive option instead of activesync option.
ryaninuk said:
so we have to buy coreplayer, and gsen. I plugged my HD into my dutch language computer that runs Vista. No response. I don't know what else to say it doesn't even play nice with windows. I am not an advanced user and if anybody wants to buy oneI then a sale can be made $500 is what I am asking. This phone for all purposes is a hunk of junk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
since it is so bad I will give ya $375 today!!! deal? PM me if youre interested
Probably just needs to do the Windows update thing you have to do the first time you plug a WinMo phone into a Vista computer, usually it pops up when you plug the phone in but sometimes it doesn't.
I'll give you $380 for it if it's in perfect condition
Hey, can I buy it for $400? Since then I can sell it to some of my iPhone toting friends who have been waiting patiently to buy it, after having been especially impressed to see how well and easy my HD instantly connected with my vista PC(s) to synch contacts, upload any file I want like a video that plays perfectly on my HD without even having to touch iSuckingTunes...
But back on topic, $400 is enough for ya?
Sorry to be a bit sarcastic (the above IS NOT EXAGGERATED btw), but your thread title could be a little more constructive than damning the whole phone to hell over a synching issue...
but yeah PM me if you want to sell this HORRIBLE piece of **** phone to me for $400... I would not want to see anyone be so dissapointed with their phone so I will sacrifice myself and give you money for it
@maati - sorry but you are not right - the iphone is a great device
Hello
I think your opinion about the iPhone is very unfair and not very true.
I own a iPhone as my PRIMARY Device (mobile)
It works in all situation smoother and better than alle the HTC devices.
Sorry !
Iown also own a SE XPERIA X1 and the new Touch HD and these are fine hardware devices but WinMo is not as clean as the iPhone OS.
Also WinMo is very long on the markes the iPhone software is better and more stable.
You should not write such Things without Knowledge or Examples.
Both systems have their good parts.
WinMo runs best and syncs best with Windows
iPhone certainly runs smoother with Mac OS, but iTunes is great on Win, too
WinMo is better in Exchange Systems
WinMo is slow because of the wrong Multitasking - the systems MUST run always stable and therefore application MUST be regeind by the OS.
WinMo runs not as smooth and the GUI is terrible.
HTC and SE made a great job on putting software over the OS,
BUT they do not improve their systems and offer legal updates.
You always must buy new Devices to get the latest version.
Apple offers complete improved OS Version nearly every 3 Month and those improvement are very noticle.
Personally I'm fed up reading people whinging about the HD. If you don't like it, sell it and go away.
I love the HD. Its not perfect, I agree. The iphone isn't either.
But I think its the best windows mobile phone so far.
If you want to wait til the perfect phone comes out, good luck waiting!
I come to this forum for helpful, constructive info and discussion...STOP THE WHINGING!!
69reichertm said:
Hello
I think your opinion about the iPhone is very unfair and not very true.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is it untrue?
You CANT connect the iPhone to any or multple computers to either transfer files/folder management or tether to a laptop as a modem.
In fact you cant do a damn thing with the iphone unless itunes is installed.
Hey guys,
If this is to become another iPhone versus HD discussion, please proceed to this thread, but please read everything before you start.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=443900
Thank you.
I make you an offer you cannot refuse.
I am ready to swap my HTC P3300 with a 2GB microSD for your HD.
My P3300 is fully working with Vista.
Come on, this is a once-in-a-lifetime bargain .
my rant
It’s so funny to me how people defend it like it’s a person! If you like something buy it, if not don’t.
I have owned three iphone 3G’s Three! In two months. I feel that the iphone is still in beta!
It freezes up and seems slow. The biggest problem I had is its touted as the best media device on the market. However it has no stereo Bluetooth no VGA screen substandard battery life and very poor call quality! I purchased four iphones for my family.
My wife used hers for a week and didn’t like it and my daughter used her for two weeks and went back to her blackberry.
My son still has his however I have to take him back to apple to get another, after his last update it has been having nothing but problems. I think as an iPod its fantastic. I will look at the next gen iphone when it comes out. Maybe they will fix the camera on the next one. I think the fisher price kiddy camera shoots a better picture! Oh I was going to include a link to a cool iphone web site for iphone owners to look at, but its pretty long and the iphone has no copy and paste! Oh I almost forgot, the new iphone also comes with a packet of grape Kool-Aid! When I get a chance, ill MMS you a quick video clip showing the proper way to make Kool-Aid! Oh **** I forgot, iphone cant record video or send an MMS. I pick my HD at 11am today should be a nice change. Got mine on eBay!
This thread is heading nowhere!
...and please, not another iPhone related thread!

I've always wanted an Apple product....

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

Why all the hate for Winmo powered HD2

so i spent a long time trying to decide whether to go with an android phone or hd2
i searched high and wide all over the internet. the only android phone for gsm with a comparable screen is the samsung i9000 which looks like it would come out at about 700 bucks. either that or you take the nexus one/desire which is also in that same ballpark. after all that i went ahead and got the hd2, and i am glad i did. any hardware comparable phone to the hd2 (which there currently isnt because with 1gb rom and 576 mb of ram, beats any other phone)(US version)
After a close look at everything and playing with a friends droid incredible while comparing it to my hd2, the only big advantages i could see to get an android phone would either be the open market place, google maps, speech to text.
Resolution 1:
ok so you decide, hey let me dictate this msg. HERE IS AN IDEA, WHY NOT CALL THEM. (you might even get a chance to dictate it to someone listening).
the only place i can find real use for speech to text is while driving, and in that case, you technically shouldnt be using your phone PERIOD at that time.
Resolution 2:
people keep griping (pronounce gryping) about googlemaps, but as great as googlemaps is, what happens when you lose your bars or do not have a data plan? *gulp* you are screwed. do yourself a favor and get a non-internet reliant gps software (like actual gps devices use), and i also feel that bing does a good job of matching googlemaps.
Resolution 3:
THE MARKET PLACE. I do wish we had a market place, a nice central location where you can find everything you need. But i can tell you this, there are only so many apps you need until you get to the point where you are just trying to justify spending $X on a phone. A friend of mine while justifying how great his mytouch (android) phone is shows me all these apps he has. one app is a barcode scanner, and one app is google goggles. with goggles, the use of the barcode scanner is lost on me. (i think HD2 can also do that though). why go through all the trouble of opening your camera, looking for the barcode sending the item over the internet and all that when you could either just search for the barcode numbers (which funny enough is usually under the barcode) or searching for the items.
granted there are some nice apps like the statefarm pocket agent app out there, and most reputable companies(like banks etc) prefer to release apps for the iphone/android (my bank allows nexus one and iphone users take pics of check and automatically deposits the money into your account) but lets face it, most apps that people will need on a daily basis are also on winmo. An app that is used once or twice a month, while nice to have doesnt seem like that much of a big deal. Its kinda like getting a standby physician. Plus after a quick skim through the top apps on the marketplace, you find that 9/10 of all these apps are games (go figure), and even though they might be nice for your when you have to wait in a line or something, wouldnt a much larger screen be nicer to watch part of your fave tv show instead?
the hd2 has quite a few flaws, but the they are being fixed. Even though app development for windows 6.5 might go down when winmo7 comes out. I still like the HD2. I do not even think i would be switching to winmo7 since if i wanted an iphone, i would go get an iphone, i am not on facebook, twitter or any other social networking site.
only real reason i switched from my att tilt (the first one) was because the screen was so small and it had started to fall apart.
winmo by default sucks ass, but has limitless potential, where else would you find sms spammers, or american idol spammers (lol)
I'm not knocking android either, it has its perks and it would be nice to see what android is like on the hd2, but it makes little sense getting a winmo phone when you already knew you wanted an android phone, and then cluttering the boards asking for android. my winmo phone does everything i need it to do, so i am happy with it, i see my stocks, have my navigation from igo, have my alarm clock, IM, and calendar. ITS JUST LIKE BUYING A LAMBORGHINI AND COMPLAINING IT IS NOT A FERRARI.
only real sore point i can see no way around is flash coming to android. would have been nice to have flash but i guess i just have to take what i get.
Guys wasnt the main reason we fell in love with winmo because of the limitless possibilities?
Could not agree more, and don't forget the selection of UI's available and
the ability to configure your phone as you like it to be. Less than a month ago,
after researching Android and with the option to upgrade to the HTC Incredible
on Verizon vs the T-Mobile HD2, choose the HD2 with no regrets.
I agree too
I am really tired of all the people going i ditch my android phone or iphone for this and blah blah blah it windows mobile people what dont you get you can actual do something with this phone i love windows mobile after the years i know i know how could of like windows mobile with this will sense UI did the work to make the HD2 the best phone i had so far. I had a iphone it was okay I spent so much time fixing it to how i like it and boy it was not that easy at times lol but after a while I got the hang and did it but the apps please I stop using it for a while i would play with it for like a week and then i go boring android another story i never had one but i played with it and i was like wtf is with this crap please i don't want a phone that is set to make it easy to use because i was use to setting things to too and i know if i had an android the first thing i would do is flash it just to get to flash it lol but let get to the point if you want a android then get a android stop complaining about the windows mobile. If you want a iphone then go for it but sop you complaining about windows mobile too lol. I love my HD2 because there is a lot of nice roms and many possibility. And I forgot to mention the huge screen lol
The hard thing is trying to make sense of why a winmo phone is not more like iPhone or Android.
Do I buy Microsoft's arguement that they write the OS, but do not control the hardware that a Mobile Operator and a device manufacturer (OEM) put it on, or do I believe that someone is chasing their own tail?
I have the Nexus One, the Cliq and the MyTouch 3g. All are nice phones that I was perfectly happy with. I also owned an earlier version of the iPhone...and yes...my opinions then...and now...it was awesome...even with any faults. Yet, when presented with the HD2, my Nexus One now sits dusty and on my table.
'Good Hardware' is the key here. WinMo on the PURE...sucks. it lasted 48 hrs in my house. The Hardware package around the HD2 makes WinMo work...better. XDA makes WinMo better. So what if they take parts from here...and there....and produce great stuff....shouldn't that be ok.
I think some body in Redmond is watching. Windows Phone 7 has the potential to be GREAT...and I want one. A winmo OS with Zune...and Zune marketplace...on a 1300+ ghz hardware device....makes my toes curl. I saw a couple of models on PDADB.net the other day. I think that Microsoft, controlling more of the hardware...is the right idea. people do NOT realize how much Microsoft Windows Mobile suffers from Mobile Operator spec and boreware ...until they get to XDA and REMOVE that stuff. Right now I have the EnergyRom on my HD2....If I show it to ANYONE....they are surprised but interested. This is the same for any other ROM I may run. EXCEPT...the stock TMO rom...WP7 is supposed to remove that option....
BUT.....but....a winmo based Marketplace...hmmmm....it would be nice. Don't ya think the Apple ads...."We got an app for that"....are cool? With my androids, I could find anything I wanted,....at that moment...for my Nexus One....at the airport....is the flight on time????? Marketplace...tap tap touch...no...flight is delayed by 20 minutes. Try doing that on Windows Marketplace....you can't. Where's the nearest seafood restaurant....on Android...tap tap touch...get directions.....try doing that on Windows Marketplace...you can't. Or, my favorite....touch button..speak...Starbucks near here...get directions. It's not how many apps you can have....its about getting the apps you may want...when you want them....
But Android (or apple) marketplace did not keep me from the HD2. 5 minutes after holding the phone...I knew I made the right choice...XDA proved that anything can be done with the phone. Now, my buddy with the iPhone....says ....Wow...I can't do that with my iPhone. I just tell him...maybe there's a app for that...
After all....Windows 7...was my idea....maybe they'll listen to me about Windows Phone 7 too....
+1 on all of you.
Explain that to most people is really hard. WinMo is Vast, limitless but at the same time also complicated. I can live with that, the OS is so Fun to tweak and tinker. My earlier desicion was HD2 or Milestone thanks god i choose HD2 otherwise i only had free apps to have fun with and then get bores while with HD2 you have tons of Custom ROM just for start.
I think WM7 is too limited and controlled in comparison to WM 6.x and try to be more like "the other -read Android/IPhone" Not sure if i will upgrade but only time will tell.
I dont want to talk about Iphone, it is just boring.
I dont regret buying the Hd2. Windows mobile is nice for customization.
I just get tired of the layer skinning. My biggest problem with windows mobile is how different the text messaging looks when you get away from the sense ui
I had a g1 and the screen is just to small for me. Love android but hate small screens
well most people want to get these phones and they want it to do everything there is in the world to do. well i say that ITS JUST A PHONE!!!!!!!! sure i have a htc hd2 don't get me wrong its amazing on what it does and what it can do but remember this that its a phone. people want phones to do everything like gps, bank stuff, music, youtube, facebook, and other stuff. I don't really care on what the phone can or can't do, its a phone and its screen is amazing for seeing vids and besides i want a phone for my entertainment, text, calls, and well since it has internet of course use it. Either way The htc hd2 is a multitasker if you ask me and it is one of the most impressive phones out there and thats why i LOVE it.
try me.. its the next best device regardless if its wm 6.5
very solid points addressed! I use Garmin mobile XT, with 2011 maps 3D moving maps that were released in late April. the maps and program take 2 gigs on my 16 gb sd card. It rarely uses data other than to locate gas prices and weather. POI and everything else is stored to the phone. It has the speech step by step direction. I find it to be annoying, and set it to silence. The radio is really powerful, the satellite are found in seconds... unlike my Tp2 that takes around 10 minutes locate.
cookie Ht has a huge advantage on Sense... why even give windows credit other than better, stable drivers and 6.5 start menu vs 6.0 list..... Sense 2.5 covers to whole interface of the hd2 and paints a beautiful device. i have greatly enhanced my skins on sence, keyboard and dialer.
people complain cuz its not intuitive first time out of the box like the iphone that has beautiful eyecandy UI and they feel good knowing a child could use it. nor do they want to spend a cent more for programs to do actually what they want. its a shame. i really dont think the camera should matter, since their not meant for profession use. just a quick snap shot of a memory, all these camera phones in the dark are terrible. im happy for once, these are equipped with a 3.5 jack for music. i could ask for more. but we know that some people cant to be pleased nor willing to make it better by talking to the community to give us what would be it better.... their lose... our treasure... worth more than in the weight of gold. hehe
ok i''ve owned the g1 and them mytouch 3g. ive rooted these phones n played with them to their extreme . now i own the hd2. trust me the Android operating system is very very good also windows os, but there is two things that will make the windows os outstanding over any os ...1 i think that wm have the most apps than any other os in Apple n what they should do is have a complete make over of the wm market n have every app there is n categorize them according to what os version you have....2 finishing touch to this is creating a new os system which its UI is modern n very attractive because to be honest it feels like im running windows 5 on laptop built in 2010...im not fund of Wphone 7 becauseuUI to me isnt that customizable but one thing i do love about it is the gaming. if this is implemented onnn the hd2 you will have close to perfect mobile os ever
I still have a lot to learn about operating my hd2 – but coming from a Palm (680 and Centro) I really am happy with this phone. I wanted to stop carrying around my media player (Archos 604), my thumb-drive, a small fm radio and wanted to have a gps, real internet access , and a phone that I could listen to books on through my Bluetooth while in boring meetings. I feel I have it all in the hd2.
I picked up one of the many iphone books the other day and went through it to see what I would use on the ipone and couldn’t find any, that I would want to do, that I don’t have on the HD2. I’m not knocking the ipone, everyone I know who has one loves it – I’m just not that into texting, games, fart apps, facebbok, twitter ,or any other social media.
It is aggravating though, to walk into Best Buy and see 50 docking stations, 100 cases/covers, etc. and nothing for the HD2.
if you really wanna see how android is gonna fare on the hd2, just check out your local sprint store and check out the htc sprint evo 4g.
that being said, i own both an hd2 and two android handsets that are rooted.
what i like most about win 6.5 is the ability to customize it as much as i can a rooted android phone i.e. overclock the cpu (i just found an app for it), custom theme, save apps to sd card, play flash videos etc etc.
however, i do feel that it is a bit outdated and is more complicated to use. takes a bit of a learning curve v. android os, which is more simple to use. i see tons of potential for windows mobile 6.5 but it's a damn shame that microsoft is moving on to a more closed platform with windows mobile 7.
long term, i will probably head back to android in that regard due to updates and that it just keeps getting better and better (upcoming froyo update and then the gingerbread update which will allow for the saving of apps to sd card, etc)
engineer14 said:
so i spent a long time trying to decide whether to go with an android phone or hd2
i searched high and wide all over the internet. the only android phone for gsm with a comparable screen is the samsung i9000 which looks like it would come out at about 700 bucks. either that or you take the nexus one/desire which is also in that same ballpark. after all that i went ahead and got the hd2, and i am glad i did. any hardware comparable phone to the hd2 (which there currently isnt because with 1gb rom and 576 mb of ram, beats any other phone)(US version)
After a close look at everything and playing with a friends droid incredible while comparing it to my hd2, the only big advantages i could see to get an android phone would either be the open market place, google maps, speech to text.
Resolution 1:
ok so you decide, hey let me dictate this msg. HERE IS AN IDEA, WHY NOT CALL THEM. (you might even get a chance to dictate it to someone listening).
the only place i can find real use for speech to text is while driving, and in that case, you technically shouldnt be using your phone PERIOD at that time.
Resolution 2:
people keep griping (pronounce gryping) about googlemaps, but as great as googlemaps is, what happens when you lose your bars or do not have a data plan? *gulp* you are screwed. do yourself a favor and get a non-internet reliant gps software (like actual gps devices use), and i also feel that bing does a good job of matching googlemaps.
Resolution 3:
THE MARKET PLACE. I do wish we had a market place, a nice central location where you can find everything you need. But i can tell you this, there are only so many apps you need until you get to the point where you are just trying to justify spending $X on a phone. A friend of mine while justifying how great his mytouch (android) phone is shows me all these apps he has. one app is a barcode scanner, and one app is google goggles. with goggles, the use of the barcode scanner is lost on me. (i think HD2 can also do that though). why go through all the trouble of opening your camera, looking for the barcode sending the item over the internet and all that when you could either just search for the barcode numbers (which funny enough is usually under the barcode) or searching for the items.
granted there are some nice apps like the statefarm pocket agent app out there, and most reputable companies(like banks etc) prefer to release apps for the iphone/android (my bank allows nexus one and iphone users take pics of check and automatically deposits the money into your account) but lets face it, most apps that people will need on a daily basis are also on winmo. An app that is used once or twice a month, while nice to have doesnt seem like that much of a big deal. Its kinda like getting a standby physician. Plus after a quick skim through the top apps on the marketplace, you find that 9/10 of all these apps are games (go figure), and even though they might be nice for your when you have to wait in a line or something, wouldnt a much larger screen be nicer to watch part of your fave tv show instead?
the hd2 has quite a few flaws, but the they are being fixed. Even though app development for windows 6.5 might go down when winmo7 comes out. I still like the HD2. I do not even think i would be switching to winmo7 since if i wanted an iphone, i would go get an iphone, i am not on facebook, twitter or any other social networking site.
only real reason i switched from my att tilt (the first one) was because the screen was so small and it had started to fall apart.
winmo by default sucks ass, but has limitless potential, where else would you find sms spammers, or american idol spammers (lol)
I'm not knocking android either, it has its perks and it would be nice to see what android is like on the hd2, but it makes little sense getting a winmo phone when you already knew you wanted an android phone, and then cluttering the boards asking for android. my winmo phone does everything i need it to do, so i am happy with it, i see my stocks, have my navigation from igo, have my alarm clock, IM, and calendar. ITS JUST LIKE BUYING A LAMBORGHINI AND COMPLAINING IT IS NOT A FERRARI.
only real sore point i can see no way around is flash coming to android. would have been nice to have flash but i guess i just have to take what i get.
Guys wasnt the main reason we fell in love with winmo because of the limitless possibilities?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Each to its own. Now we have HD2, iPod Touch, iPhone 3GS, and iPad. We also got an Android phone in the family. Instead of pitching them against one another, we make them complement and work together. For example, we have the only mobile data plan we need on my iPhone - beside all the goodies it can offer, we use it as a wifi router for all our mobile devices.
The main reasons I bought HD2 were its beautiful/huge screen, and the xda-developers forum. I don't intend to upgrade to WM7 even if it was available.
The same kind of people that complain about WinMo and think their iphone is so much better are the kind of closed minded people that cant think for themselves, try something new, and actually embrace and learn it.
The iphone/ipad are created for one thing mass consumer media consumption, and apple getting a cut of every itunes/app store purchase, with the iphone having a phone built in. It's definitely a very smart business for apple, but not one that I want to be part of, since im quite capable of figuring out how to get apps, and media on my WinMo device without the need of itunes or an app store
Im sure like many others here happy with their WinMo Phones, you have probably been using WinMo phones for a long time already, and some like myself have been using WinMo before it was ever on phones and just a PDA. I still have my 1st WinMo PDA, a toshiba e750, amazing for how old it is, the processor in it is almost as fast as most of last years WinMo phones. I used to BT tether the PDA to my cell phone to be able to do email and web browsing, then finally got a T-Mobile MDA shortly after it came out to merge the 2 devices into one, though at a performance hit, because of the lower processor speed.
These phones are quite literally like having a desktop PC in your pocket, with android also being similar experience from what i've read, though i've not actually owned an android device to play with
I've been fascinated by "palmtop" portable computing for quite awhile, with my 1st such device being an HP 200LX palmtop running DOS 5. I still have that palmtop sitting on my desk and it works still too! I always wanted to get one of the palmtop format windows mobile devices (windows ce), but couldn't justify the expense at the time having just graduated from HS and in college. I also remember the laptop format WinMo devices.
I also find it fascinating to find windows mobile/ce in devices that people would have never expected it in, nor complain about because they cant see the underlying OS. an example is the car stereo I have, a Roadmaster VR3 VRVD640G. There are hacks for it that somewhat let you get into the underlying OS.
I recently recieved my Hd2 and I love it. It is my first WinMo powered device. I owned a G1 (Dream) and while I really liked it and Android, I think that WinMo 6.5 is a much more customizeable and powerful OS. The level of complexity is alot higher, however. That is what I think turns people off of WinMo. I am enjoying the undertaking of learning this new (to me) OS.
Edit: I do think that in time, as it matures and with devices such as the N1 and the Desire, Android will be a quite powerful OS.
you know im so happy to see that their are others out there that see past winmo on the HD2 and are taking more consideration for the hardware specs...ive had the gsm htc hero,the nexus one,desire,Nokia n900 etc. and honestly, i was completely let down by all of those devices,but,thats just been my experience with them. even though the winmo isnt as snappy as android or the iphone..its still is kick ass phone...not downplay winmos but they are working on the kernals for linux and WM7 and considering most devices,we have one the better devices to date and iam very content with wm6.5 and 6.5.5
Well symbian and windows mobile had been the most hated OS in the US and maybe windows mobile been hated all over the world. I think its a nice OS but I think windows slept on the development, I think it became so critical how much they slept on the OS that alot of people here knows the in and out of the OS with out been hired or took any training about the OS which to me that amazing and probably never seen in any other OS in the world. not to mention HTC took sense and did their part as well but you never see windows team developing anything. I almost didnt buy the HD2 for the simple fact microsoft decided to develop KIN and windows 7 series instead of giving us a better support.
HEY I DISAGREE......... but i must say thank you for the info u gave me more info then any carrier could give the hd2 is a bigger & faster device but the differences u pulled the hd2 also hav hd2 has googlemaps it also has text to speech wat people people fail to see and realize is that the andoid market allows u to demo the product winmo doesnt which is suck and thats why u hav guys like me that searches the web for the product for free its out here it just cost but most of the apps that the andoid market hav winmo also has its just a matter of searching for it. my job on here is test multiple software to see if it can run and work together without issuse and or bugs and to run on the hd2 without error its crazy i go to a site find software and its free then find it at another site that charges for it .... now i dont think i can list the sites because of forum rules and regs but there out there waitin on u but u hav googlemaps with buzz also microsoft myphone and microsoft voice command
ryan562 said:
if you really wanna see how android is gonna fare on the hd2, just check out your local sprint store and check out the htc sprint evo 4g.
that being said, i own both an hd2 and two android handsets that are rooted.
what i like most about win 6.5 is the ability to customize it as much as i can a rooted android phone i.e. overclock the cpu (i just found an app for it), custom theme, save apps to sd card, play flash videos etc etc.
however, i do feel that it is a bit outdated and is more complicated to use. takes a bit of a learning curve v. android os, which is more simple to use. i see tons of potential for windows mobile 6.5 but it's a damn shame that microsoft is moving on to a more closed platform with windows mobile 7.
long term, i will probably head back to android in that regard due to updates and that it just keeps getting better and better (upcoming froyo update and then the gingerbread update which will allow for the saving of apps to sd card, etc)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wait it out and u will be able to run both the drod and winmo on the hd2 without problems
ryan562 said:
however, i do feel that it is a bit outdated and is more complicated to use. takes a bit of a learning curve v. android os, which is more simple to use. i see tons of potential for windows mobile 6.5 but it's a damn shame that microsoft is moving on to a more closed platform with windows mobile 7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally wonder if WinMo is as dead, atleast from a MS prospective as people are saying. Yes WinMo is used in many consumer phones which is what I see WinPhone7 replacing, but WinMo is used in MANY other places still.
Like my example of my car stereo in the post lastnight.
Symbol uses it in the "LRT" devices that many stores use for stock tracking. You see target employees carrying them all the time. hell APPLE stores used them with WinMo until they managed to hack a card reader onto their iphone.
The Symbol price check scanners you find at many retail stores are WinMo based. I've seen them crashed at walmart with the floating WinMo keyboard on top of their price check app.
I've seen symbol Pin entry/signature capture/card swipe terminals at stores like JC penny and the now defunct circuit city that i highly suspected to be running windows mobile due to the sound tones played while using the touch screen, they were the default for WinMo.
I highly suspect that Symbol is a huge WinMo customer of MS.
I've also recently been to the Seminole hard rock casino here in Tampa and noticed on some slot machines that the little screens just shows small ads had WinMo intenet explorer windows that had apparently got stuck while loading the next ad and you saw the default IE could not load page screen. I have no idea if the entire slot machine is WinMo based or just certain functions like that screen.
Yes i understand from a consumer prospective its pretty much dead because there will be no more releases for phones and app development is likely to die off as time goes on.
Also in alot of these cases it is more technically Windows CE, which windows mobile is a subset of, but its quite literally all the same code base, just a matter of what modules the OEM loads in their distribution
God knows how many other places it's running, you never know till you see one crashed or notice a few telltale signs. Some ATMs used to be Win98 based. Yes I quite literally saw an old style Win98 BSOD on one of my credit unions's ATM's years back. it was a Diebold machine. Would not surprise me if alot of them are WinMo or embedded XP now.

my Review (or rant if you will)

hmm where do i even begin.........
This phone is actually not bad from a hardware standpoint, its fingerprint resistant (rubberized coating) with a responsive touch screen.
-CPU is very fast, never hangs up or goes jittery, all the animations are very smooth
-the keyboard has good feed back, you know for sure if a key is pressed or not, though it feels kind of cheap, as
-long as it holds up to my crazy texting for 2 years ill be happy.
-shift and function keys just piss me off, they are not in a very convenient location nor are they easy to find in
the dark, they don't illuminate, which leads me to my next point.
-the keyboard is not evenly lit, the right side has some buttons half dark however... with keys that require the function button to be pressed, you can also press and hold the button to use the special character like onscreen HTC keyboards
-the camera sucks, but then again i think all cell phone cmos cameras are junk. i also cant turn off the freaking camera sound, its so loud and annoying.
okay now to the software... here we go
we'll begin with the things that are right...
-animations are super smooth and very aesthetically pleasing, i would even venture to say its better than android and the iphone animations
-maps is amazingly fast and fluid, when you zoom into the max position it will auto change to sat view
-app store isnt bad, lots of cool free apps already (only time will fix this properly)
Onto the bad......
so many things are missing from the basic OS itself its ridiculous! its unusable out of the box..
- battery %, please dont use a retarded batter icon that doesn't tell me anything, not even the iphone is this crippled
- cant connect to hidden networks, this make the device totally useless as alot of companies choose to hide the SSID, i dont CARE if it doesn't add another layer of security, you hide it so guests connect to the public shown SSID and employees connect to the hidden.
- cant connect to exchange, this is completely unacceptable, i cannot type in a space on this device to connect, alot of companies use First Space Last as the user name for simplicity, short names or garbled user names dont identify a user as easily. when setting up your exchange connectivity, space is disabled.
- after getting the network admin to change my user name (ridiculous, i really shouldn't have to do that), i got connected only to find i cant sync text messages or Tasks, now this phone is as useless as android and the iphone. i have a ton of info in tasks that i need, and the SMS sync was for ease of use, in outlook 2010 i can send and receive text msgs right from the email window so i dont have to take my phone out.
- no file browser, we arent retarded apple users, why is this missing?
- bluetooth is completely crippled like the iphone, windows mobile 5 had more functionality! (cant send files, cant receive anything, cant do ****)
- proprietary drivers, wtf is this? again, crippled like the iphone doesnt show up as a removable drive, i cant access this phone on other computers (android and WM6.5 asks you if you want to charge, show up as flash drive, act as modem, etc)
as it stands now, i cant replace my sony X1 with this trash, basic functionality is GONE, i guess we can thank apple for making everyone retarded. this OS was obviously WAAAY too rushed.
In fairness, WP7 is not aimed at the business market, WP6.5 will continue I believe for precisely that reason.
It's a very different take on the OS that we're used to. They're looking to make it as user friendly as possible and quick and intuative to navigate.
Personally I think they've done a great job, and I'm a hardcore WM5,6,6.5 user. This is NOT a techy phone - hence why a lot of stuff is locked down, because 95% of users would have no idea of all the options you have for say bluetooth in WM6.5.
I really like what they've done with WP7, it's a new direction, and there are bound to be niggling bugs and features that aren't yet included, they've written this from the ground up so it's always going to take time to add features. I got one for my wife at the weekend, and she absolutely loves it - coming from an HTC Hero on Android 2.1 which she liked the apps and stuff, but hated the fiddliness of it all. Now she has what she loved without what she hated.
From your review above, it's clear that WP7 is not the kind of OS you want, but that doesn't mean it's bad.
rob_p said:
In fairness, WP7 is not aimed at the business market, WP6.5 will continue I believe for precisely that reason.
It's a very different take on the OS that we're used to. They're looking to make it as user friendly as possible and quick and intuative to navigate.
Personally I think they've done a great job, and I'm a hardcore WM5,6,6.5 user. This is NOT a techy phone - hence why a lot of stuff is locked down, because 95% of users would have no idea of all the options you have for say bluetooth in WM6.5.
I really like what they've done with WP7, it's a new direction, and there are bound to be niggling bugs and features that aren't yet included, they've written this from the ground up so it's always going to take time to add features. I got one for my wife at the weekend, and she absolutely loves it - coming from an HTC Hero on Android 2.1 which she liked the apps and stuff, but hated the fiddliness of it all. Now she has what she loved without what she hated.
From your review above, it's clear that WP7 is not the kind of OS you want, but that doesn't mean it's bad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah i get what your saying and i think that this is a REAL competitor to the iphone, i am still using the LG phone and for the first time in 3 or so years i used the zune software again (had an original zune) and WOW, its a HUGE freaking change from what it was before, the animations and downloaded content is far better than itunes.
its pretty painless for a regular user to put music and videos on, any videos seen are auto trans coded and thrown on the phone, i honestly prefer the phone to be able to play any file that is dragged and dropped over
the smoothness of the UI is actaully what i wanted in a windows mobile phone with all the features. if microsoft can add the things WM6.5 could do, im sold, even if i have to use the zune software to transcode.
How did yall get a Quantum already?
Could you post a pic and movie example from the phone?
I'm holding out buying a new WP until I can play with all 3 in the store.. So far, every phone I have had has had a slide-out keyboard.. I have a Fuze now, so even with the Quantum's quirks it will still be a huge upgrade..
I just got back from the AT&T store where they had a Quantum on display. The phone seems smooth and fast, and the keyboard is great (I like it better than my Touch Pro’s keyboards). It is slightly longer and wider then the Touch Pro, and almost as thick. The screen is rather small, it is only 3.5” which I believe makes it the smallest of all the WP7 screens. I did pop off the battery cover and look what was there. The SIM card is easily assessable, but no signs of a hidden/covered micro SD card.
I've been waiting to play with the Quantum to make my decision on which phone to buy..
I have a broken Fuze now, so the 3.5" screen will seem huge to me..!
I'll check the store tomorrow and see if they have it..
I must agree with the first post as far as limitations are concerned, with one specific addition. I have to pay 14.99 in the Marketplace to get RDP functionality.
Okay, two additions: WTF is with the ringtones?! Please MS, please, please let me have a couple ringtones.
All I want for Chistmas is: RDP, a file manager, and ringtones.
(my exchange server works fine, and i'll have my sharepoint up in the week, so i'm good on that)
Hey,
can you please check the RAM on your C900 QUANTUM?
There is conflicting literature on this phone. Some sites say it has 256mb RAM and others say 512mb RAM.
Can you let me know what the actual phone says if there's a way to pull this information from the phone?
Thanks
pezius said:
I must agree with the first post as far as limitations are concerned, with one specific addition. I have to pay 14.99 in the Marketplace to get RDP functionality.
Okay, two additions: WTF is with the ringtones?! Please MS, please, please let me have a couple ringtones.
All I want for Chistmas is: RDP, a file manager, and ringtones.
(my exchange server works fine, and i'll have my sharepoint up in the week, so i'm good on that)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Quantum is supposed to arrive on Monday (from Amazon). I couldn't for the life of me figure out the right DataPlan from AT&T. I had one of their old school unlimited plans that let me do everything, but had to change over to get the new phone. I chose the DataPro 2GB Smartphone personal plan, and am worried I won't be able to setup my gmail to use Push Mail via activesync. Can you enlighten me on which plan you have? I'm afraid I may have to switch to the more pricey "Enterprise" plan to get this functionality.
Thanks In Advance,
Skorpyo
vst2010 said:
Hey,
can you please check the RAM on your C900 QUANTUM?
There is conflicting literature on this phone. Some sites say it has 256mb RAM and others say 512mb RAM.
Can you let me know what the actual phone says if there's a way to pull this information from the phone?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just picked mine up frm the ATT store. The outside of the box Def says 512mb of RAM.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
Well, my Quantum cam early and while it took some acclimating from my fuze running 6.5 the UI experience is fabulous. It definitely is a UI groomed for the average joe/jane rather than a power user. I'm bummed there's no file manager and that many of the customizations available in 6.X aren't in 7.
As for the quantum it is a great piece of hardware. The screen is beautiful, the build quality is great and the keyboard slide is solid. The keyboard is an adjustment for me. My fuze sported a 4 row 54 key keyboard while the quantum has a large button 4 row 38 key keyboard with separate fn/shift keys. Overall the keyboard is nice for fat finger guys like me though the space bar is a bit clunky.
so far I'm thrilled with the unit, and look forward to wider app support. Oh, and itd definitely 512/512 RAM/ROM.
Skorpyo
honestly one of the nicest feeling phones i've held in my hand ina loong time.. win phone 7 is a brand new thing.. so don't expect there not to be a few things that aren't quite rite.. but hey... this forum will straighten most of that out i'm sure... def glad i got this phone all the way around.
Skorpyo said:
My Quantum is supposed to arrive on Monday (from Amazon). I couldn't for the life of me figure out the right DataPlan from AT&T. I had one of their old school unlimited plans that let me do everything, but had to change over to get the new phone. I chose the DataPro 2GB Smartphone personal plan, and am worried I won't be able to setup my gmail to use Push Mail via activesync. Can you enlighten me on which plan you have? I'm afraid I may have to switch to the more pricey "Enterprise" plan to get this functionality.
Thanks In Advance,
Skorpyo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the derail. So you had AT&T's grandfathered unlimited plan and they wouldn't let you transfer it to a new phone when you renewed your contract?
If that is the case, it's utter bullcrap.
EDIT: I found the answer to my own question. If you have the unlimited data plan, it remains grandfathered in as long as you are upgrading laterally (smartphone to smartphone). It won't allow me to post the link to where I found it but the relevant solution ID is KB110282.
gillbell said:
Sorry for the derail. So you had AT&T's grandfathered unlimited plan and they wouldn't let you transfer it to a new phone when you renewed your contract?
If that is the case, it's utter bullcrap.
EDIT: I found the answer to my own question. If you have the unlimited data plan, it remains grandfathered in as long as you are upgrading laterally (smartphone to smartphone). It won't allow me to post the link to where I found it but the relevant solution ID is KB110282.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, to be honest I probably would've still changed to the new plan cause I've never gone over 900mb in the two years I've has it and the new plan was $60 a year cheaper. Not much, but in today day and age every penny counts.
Five Quantum Days
Today is day five with the new Quantum. The keyboard is great and the odd fn and shift keys are easy to get used to. IMHO, there is no question that the Quantum feels better in your hand than any of the other WPs. It is REALLY solid feeling!
I have flashed many custom ROMs on my Fuze and had to go through the eMail setup many times with varying levels of success. When you fire up a new WinPhone for the first time it asks for your ‘Live’ account, and it sets itself up flawlessly the first time.
My wife is just emerging from the stone age with a flip phone and I have her using the Quantum with her SIM card, trying to spur her interest. Every so often I hear "Cool" or she says "Sometimes I turn on the phone to look at the purple birds” (one of the lock screen wallpapers). She has a couple of favorite websites and she has them pinned to the bottom of the home screen and sometimes looks one up while we are driving. BIG step for her!
Most of our family has iPhones and she likes some of the iPhone apps. Apps are lacking on the WP platform and there are some real shortfalls in the 1.0 version of the OS, but Microsoft is serious about competing in the Smartphone arena and I am willing to give them a chance. The December issue of MaximumPC magazine surprisingly rated the new WP OS number one in the field of: Blackberry, iOS, Android and WP.
We should see the first update to the WP OS soon and that should give us some indication as to how serious MS is about keeping the old WinMo fans in the fold.

Polaris Office - last straw think the note is going back

Sigh. Just had some disturbing problems with polaris office and I think this may be the straw that causes me to return the note before my date comes up on it. I just post this here in case other people are thinking about purchasing one or want to know its limitations.
I would preface this by saying I absolutely love this note, it works amazing, is fast, light, amazing build and am continually impressed by it. All the shortcomings are more of the android ecosystems issue.
So the issue, Ive been editing documents in Polaris office during meetings, and finally have noticed that polaris has been quietly corrupting my documents. Sure they look good, even edited. But when I open them in Word there are small but aggravating issues. The biggest is it breaks paragraphs, and I have no idea how to fix them in Word.
For example paragraphs st
art looking like this with th
e wording and word spacin
g all disjoined. And Micro
soft says if this happens yo
ur Document is corrupt.
I have found other people online and even on XDA complaining about this issue over a year ago, don't know if there is a solution but it doesnt seem like. I also wonder how I would get updates to Polaris (why isnt it in google play?).
Other problems include SNote not quite being up to par, and not being able to find a suitable replacement, although lecturenotes tries hard and may get there. Not being able to find a lot of high quality apps in other categories (e.g. childrens books/learning games). And it not playing nice enough with my groupwise/exchange appointments.
Darn I like this thing. But I keep thinking on the 26th Ill get an amazing SNote replacement (one note) with complete office integration, pluse my email will work fine. Oh and Ill be able to get unlimited learning games on an x86 tablet. Only downside the thing would probably only last 7-10 hours in battery life instead of the 2 days my notes been going. Hmmmmm
Anyone else notice this problem in Polaris? Solution?
Get a different app and keep your Note. Samsung doesn't make Polaris.
hanexs said:
Sigh. Just had some disturbing problems with polaris office and I think this may be the straw that causes me to return the note before my date comes up on it. I just post this here in case other people are thinking about purchasing one or want to know its limitations.
I would preface this by saying I absolutely love this note, it works amazing, is fast, light, amazing build and am continually impressed by it. All the shortcomings are more of the android ecosystems issue.
So the issue, Ive been editing documents in Polaris office during meetings, and finally have noticed that polaris has been quietly corrupting my documents. Sure they look good, even edited. But when I open them in Word there are small but aggravating issues. The biggest is it breaks paragraphs, and I have no idea how to fix them in Word.
For example paragraphs st
art looking like this with th
e wording and word spacin
g all disjoined. And Micro
soft says if this happens yo
ur Document is corrupt.
I have found other people online and even on XDA complaining about this issue over a year ago, don't know if there is a solution but it doesnt seem like. I also wonder how I would get updates to Polaris (why isnt it in google play?).
Other problems include SNote not quite being up to par, and not being able to find a suitable replacement, although lecturenotes tries hard and may get there. Not being able to find a lot of high quality apps in other categories (e.g. childrens books/learning games). And it not playing nice enough with my groupwise/exchange appointments.
Darn I like this thing. But I keep thinking on the 26th Ill get an amazing SNote replacement (one note) with complete office integration, pluse my email will work fine. Oh and Ill be able to get unlimited learning games on an x86 tablet. Only downside the thing would probably only last 7-10 hours in battery life instead of the 2 days my notes been going. Hmmmmm
Anyone else notice this problem in Polaris? Solution?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
None of the faux-Office products are great; on the Note or any other Android device. I do OK editing existing documents but the more complex ones (outlines, tables, charts, graphs) can be challenging. I pretty much don't use formatting when I'm creating a documents from scratch and import it in to Word as text and finish it off there. You sound like an excellent candidate for a W8 tablet. Speaking of which, MS has said (via Europe) Office for Android is due late this year via TechNet and early next year generally.
Before you send it back, try this app as it is supposed to resemble MS Word really well, there is a free trial if you give them your email and register your interest:
http://www.softmaker.com/english/ofa_en.htm
hanexs said:
Sigh. Just had some disturbing problems with polaris office and I think this may be the straw that causes me to return the note before my date comes up on it. I just post this here in case other people are thinking about purchasing one or want to know its limitations.
I would preface this by saying I absolutely love this note, it works amazing, is fast, light, amazing build and am continually impressed by it. All the shortcomings are more of the android ecosystems issue.
So the issue, Ive been editing documents in Polaris office during meetings, and finally have noticed that polaris has been quietly corrupting my documents. Sure they look good, even edited. But when I open them in Word there are small but aggravating issues. The biggest is it breaks paragraphs, and I have no idea how to fix them in Word.
For example paragraphs st
art looking like this with th
e wording and word spacin
g all disjoined. And Micro
soft says if this happens yo
ur Document is corrupt.
I have found other people online and even on XDA complaining about this issue over a year ago, don't know if there is a solution but it doesnt seem like. I also wonder how I would get updates to Polaris (why isnt it in google play?).
Other problems include SNote not quite being up to par, and not being able to find a suitable replacement, although lecturenotes tries hard and may get there. Not being able to find a lot of high quality apps in other categories (e.g. childrens books/learning games). And it not playing nice enough with my groupwise/exchange appointments.
Darn I like this thing. But I keep thinking on the 26th Ill get an amazing SNote replacement (one note) with complete office integration, pluse my email will work fine. Oh and Ill be able to get unlimited learning games on an x86 tablet. Only downside the thing would probably only last 7-10 hours in battery life instead of the 2 days my notes been going. Hmmmmm
Anyone else notice this problem in Polaris? Solution?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Return your Note 10.1, and wait for the Surface.
Another great app worth looking at is OfficeSuite Pro and remember that sNote should receive a very nice update with the JB release that I am hoping/expecting before month's end.
Wait for the 4.1 update and maybe it'll be resolved
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda app-developers app
Livebyte said:
Return your Note 10.1, and wait for the Surface.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to wait on W8 that's all good but bring money. Getting the same level of performance as the SGN10.1 with pen input will cost you many hundreds more.
Don't get the Surface - it's junk with that silly soft keyboard. How the heck do you even use it on your lap? I guess it's called "Surface" because you have to have a flat surface to use it.
Returning a device you love because an app that's available for it sucks? That's ... an interesting decision. You know Samsung's decision to bundle Polaris Office doesn't mean you have to use it, do you?
Softmaker Office is a very popular alternative among XDA members. Last time I looked, they only had the word processor available on the Play store, not spreadsheets, presentations etc. You can probably get them from the developer's website.
There are also plenty of other alternatives. Kingsoft Office gets VERY good reviews on the play store - I'm tempted to try it just from the reviews. OfficeSuite Pro is also apparently good on a tablet.
BarryH_GEG said:
None of the faux-Office products are great; on the Note or any other Android device. I do OK editing existing documents but the more complex ones (outlines, tables, charts, graphs) can be challenging. I pretty much don't use formatting when I'm creating a documents from scratch and import it in to Word as text and finish it off there. You sound like an excellent candidate for a W8 tablet. Speaking of which, MS has said (via Europe) Office for Android is due late this year via TechNet and early next year generally.
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And there are reports (take with grain of salt) that MS will be offering a version of Office Mobile for android.
I just did a round of budgeting at work on my Note 10.1 using OfficeSuite Pro and had no issues. Primarily Excel. No problems with formulas at all.
HasC said:
Before you send it back, try this app as it is supposed to resemble MS Word really well, there is a free trial if you give them your email and register your interest:
http://www.softmaker.com/english/ofa_en.htm
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thanks for the tip. I just got this from the play store and it seems really good so far
Thanks for all the tip. Installed OfficeSuit Pro, and Softmaker and QuickOffice pro. Softmaker worked the best, but none of them had the ability to input with the stylus (e.g. freehand draw) like polaris does. Polaris really sold me on this tablet, I mean sure, it doesnt have onenote, but who needs onenote when i can instantly open the doc from my dropbox, make the notes I need, and finalize when I get back to the office. But it doesnt really look like thats possible yet with polaris corrupting so many files. And if Im going to type out my nights, I have an amazing Lenovo Thinkpad X100e that blows any tablet out of the water for keyboard entry. I was really hoping for stylus support, but the apps just arent here yet, Ill look again on Jelly Bean update, seems like this stylus computer dream has been in waiting for sooo long.
Incidentally my 2 year old daughter really loves the tablet. shes been the one reason I've been wanting to keep it, all the touch games, shes been doing puzzles and books and learning her letters with it, quite amazing. Now I just have to decide what to get her, Nexus is pretty cheap, or there might be some used ipads kicking around with better app support (might as well get a toy to be used as a toy after all).
Samsung made an awesome piece of hardware here, all the talk about it feeling cheap is wrong, its slick, fast, small, light and just awesome to hold. Just wish it had some better app support. Soon hopefully.
Get 7Notes with mazec. It's an HWR keyboard you Can use almost everywhere.
Here's the thing MS has for years worked real hard to keep their office suite and word processing software proprietary and have been quite sucsessful at this. So any time you try to use a system that is not controled by MS with MS software you will find this problem to some extent. Whether it is a tablet, laptop or desktop. This is one of the reasons I refuse to use MS products, but that is me. What all this means to you is until you find a MS compatible tablet running MS software that MS has said is compatible with their office suite you will have these problems. On top of that there is (as yet) no evidence that a Windows tablet will be 100% compatible with all Windows software. In fact there are reports that there will be programs that would run on Win 7 that are not expected to run on Win 8.
My question to you is do you want the features of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.0 or do you want to give up those features and hope a MS Windows machine will fulfill your needs without compromises? I personally have never seen an OS or a computing device that did not have compromises.
Think I read last night Microsoft are releasing office for android soon.
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Sparksltd said:
Think I read last night Microsoft are releasing office for android soon.
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... and today they denied the statement.
smrsxn said:
... and today they denied the statement.
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It's coming...just like a lot of their Xbox live features made their way to the iOS ecosystem. Of course they denied their slip, it is just a few weeks until their new tablets become available. I am sure a big selling point of Surface and other Win 8 tabs will be the availability of MS Office products, if they did not deny the rumors; those who were going to switch from iOS and Android because of Office would have just stayed with their current devices instead of dropping $$$ on MS's new Hardware. MS is smart, they know they can penetrate other ecosystems with their products. They will just wait until the hype surrounding Windows 8 and Windows 8 RT dies down so that they can capitalize on hardware sales out of the gate.
Having said that, I dropped my PC and have moved on to just using the GN10.1. I am a freelance journalist, and I do all of my writing on the tablet. Polaris is good, but Office Suite Pro 6 is excellent. I have zero problems creating and editing pieces in .doc format. It just works.
Its back and I already miss it! lol
The microsoft atoms should be able to fill what I need, but I suspect they'll have their own problems. Still, samsungs making one with a keyboard dock and s-pen. Might be enticing.
The other office programs worked better, but they didnt have the ability to free draw on top of the document like polaris has. I want a tablet because in my many meetings, when someone is commenting or we are discussing a plan, I want to quickly mark it up. I can go back to my top to do the real work, but the thoughts I'd like to write, directly on the document in question. I can't do that in snote because my pc cant modify snote. And if I have to type it I'll just bring my netbook. Has anyone found an office program that works well with an ability to free draw? I bought a few last night but couldnt find one.
I may get a note 10.1 again in a couple months, who knows the app I need might be in development

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