Database Users

Would you recommend it?

Hi,
I am currently using a Samsung F480 and I really have to say the difference in the touch screen experience is very much noticeable compared to my HTC Wizard (I'd probably call it Apple-esque - even though I never actually used their phone), however at the very same time I also have to admit that I am really missing the possibilities Windows Mobile offers.
So when I first read about the Touch HD it seemed it would unify all those. Well, meanwhile I found out that the touch screen technology basically remained the same so I'd really be interested to hear how you would actually rate it? Does one still have to press/push the screen or does a simply touch do it as well?
Apart from the touch screen topic I am also a bit uncertain after reading threads like this and in particular vangrieg's posting. How would you rate the overall performance?
Basically what I would be looking for would be a compact phone with a good display, easily extensible (Windows Mobile) and a nice touch screen experience (Apple) ....

i have it for a week now and i am very satisfied with it. Not one program crashed and no reboot so far. Internet browsing is fast and really usable. For the first time ever i really like to surf the net while commuting on the subway. GPS with TomTom7 is great - i locks in seconds even when in downtown surrounded by skyscrapers.
regarding the touchscreen, i find that i have to press really hard to get a reaction. at first i even was reluctant to press so hard because i thought i would break it with the stylus. but now i am glad that it does not react to simple touching because i usually carry it in the pocket of my trousers and touch the display when handling it and it should not react to simple touching in my view - and it does not.

Thanks kkrammer, so you havent noticed respectively cant confirm the lag mentioned by donbronzi and jon- in the indicated thread. I am asking in particular because vangrieg stated the used Qualcomm processor shouldnt be the fastest.
As to the touch screen, this is certainly a subjective matter but personally I really like Samsung's way to respond even to a very very light touch without having to actually press it. So you would say one actually has to press it, a light touch doesnt do it?

Touch HD finger pressure
After owning a Touch Diamond, I feel that the screen is much more responsive. I dont have to press hard at all. I really like it so far. Yes it is a bit bigger and heavier, its still thin. All my programs are working great.

Thanks wfhowell, actually I just went to a store and expectedly they didnt have an HD yet, however there was the Diamond and considering my touch tests I slowly begin to understand the Apple fanboys. Coming from the Samsung F480 I was almost unable to use it. So how much would you say was the HD improved in this area?
Maybe someone who used Apple's, the F480 and the HD could outline where he/she would see the differences.

hi drzoid
i know what you mean about the screen but thats the difference between the two different screen technologies. if you want the ability to use a stylus the phone can only detect it if you push. iphones can measure the current through your finger with a lot less screen pressure.
that said i use rhe advanced configuration tool from the diamond forum to make the screen more sensitive. not as nice as iphone but close

Its the best phone till today... awesome tough still not perfect..
Unless you still think that a phone requires a QWERTY keyboard (I haven't missed on yet on this awesome phon) I'd run to my local dealer

Is it worth paying £500 to upgrade from the diamond? I'm not sure wether to go for it or not? Is the HD just a diamond with a bigger screen? Its a lot of money to pay just for that.

marcel808 said:
hi drzoid
i know what you mean about the screen but thats the difference between the two different screen technologies. if you want the ability to use a stylus the phone can only detect it if you push. iphones can measure the current through your finger with a lot less screen pressure.
that said i use rhe advanced configuration tool from the diamond forum to make the screen more sensitive. not as nice as iphone but close
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Marcel, I know Apple's touch screen as well as - probably - the F480's measure via the skin but nonetheless I was "shocked" today when I saw what touching means in terms of the Diamond.
How "close" would you say is the sensitivity you mentioned?
Can someone who has experience with the Wizard and the HD tell if there is an actual difference in the sensitivity.
I'd love to get an HD - even if its price is currently almost prohibitive - but I am not sure whether I'd really like to go back.

mwatson said:
Is it worth paying £500 to upgrade from the diamond? I'm not sure wether to go for it or not? Is the HD just a diamond with a bigger screen? Its a lot of money to pay just for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its not worth the upgrade in my opinion.

I found you have to push a fair bit harder with the stylus on the screen than with your finger. If you use your finger it responds to a very light touch in comparism and is very responsive.

Thanks, for a real-world example, how hard would one have to press to slide the tabbar on the home screen left and right. Would just placing the finger without actual pressure be enough?

hi drzoid
how sensitive is the screen on mine...not sure how best to answer.
On an iphone I hardly have to touch the screen. As soon as the skin touches, thats enough.
With the HD, if I press the screen, I have to push until the top of my finger squashes by 1mm. Does that makes sense??!
So try pushing on a hard surface so 1mm of your finger squashes...and thats an HD

marcel808 said:
On an iphone I hardly have to touch the screen. As soon as the skin touches, thats enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just like with the F480.
marcel808 said:
With the HD, if I press the screen, I have to push until the top of my finger squashes by 1mm. Does that makes sense??!
So try pushing on a hard surface so 1mm of your finger squashes...and thats an HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you Marcel, perfect explanation, even though I am not sure whether this is really close if one has to push 1mm into the screen .
Somehow my excitement gets colder, unfortunately

F480 has a capacitive screen, just like the iPhone and G1, so the HD would be worse touchy-wise (resistive screen), but according to reviews HD's screen is quite close to iPhone's sensitivity. Anyway, you can't write with the stylus on those and you can on the HD

Insaneboy said:
F480 has a capacitive screen, just like the iPhone and G1, so the HD would be worse touchy-wise (resistive screen), but according to reviews HD's screen is quite close to iPhone's sensitivity. Anyway, you can't write with the stylus on those and you can on the HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, personally I dont really need a stylus, although the magnetic of the HD makes a precious impression. Anyhow Samsung's screen is what I would really define as touch screen. It would be interesting how close it is, but the 1mm Marcel mentioned doesnt sound too close .... I guess I will have to wait until I can see the HD live.
What a shame almost

For me, the ability to use stylus is a big plus. I like the option of being able to use product such as Netfront Browser. It is a lot easier to click on links and to type quickly on keyboards as compared to using finger. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against fingers. In fact, 99% of the time I use my device with just fingers. There are times when I feel that stylus is a lot easier. I consider this to be a plus over iPhone actually. I wish iPhone can support both, because then I need not zoom in before activating a link.

I would say it's about the same as using a touchpad on a laptop if using your finger, it's pretty good

mwatson said:
Is it worth paying £500 to upgrade from the diamond? I'm not sure wether to go for it or not? Is the HD just a diamond with a bigger screen? Its a lot of money to pay just for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have both the diamond (business phone) and, recently, the HD (personal phone). The HD is a step change in a number of ways. The larger screen, in purely size terms, makes sense of the touchflo interface. Buttons are big, and useable, and I'm rarely (if ever) pulling out the stylus. Also the software itself is faster, more developed (losts of little changes - like answering a call uses a finger gesture, rather than pressing a button - which means you are much less likely to inadvertantly answer an incoming call in your pocket. a little thing, but one of a myriad of significant little changes). The stock ROM is blisteringly fast in comparison (my diamond is the t-mobile version, and a shocker in comparison). Given that they are roughly the same hardware it shows what the diamond may become capable of. The screen is spectacular. The sensitivity (though lacking multi-touch, no biggie for me) feels just right. The battery life literally takes my breath away. I've run it for two lumps of two days, and not yet got the battery below 50%. My diamond corpses after about 24 hours.
It's the best WM device I've had by a country mile, and I've had a few. I still like my diamond, though. It's little and I can look after it much better when I'm out for a riotous night on the town. The HD is big, and until I can get a silicone case for it, it's a dropped smashed phone waiting to happen (I hate having to remove a phone from a case to use it, it massively increases the chance of accidents).

Philio25 said:
I would say it's about the same as using a touchpad on a laptop if using your finger, it's pretty good
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? If I judge it from my Acer Aspire I would then actually call it decent.
I really have to find a store where you can try it out .
eaglesteve said:
For me, the ability to use stylus is a big plus. I like the option of being able to use product such as Netfront Browser. It is a lot easier to click on links and to type quickly on keyboards as compared to using finger. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against fingers. In fact, 99% of the time I use my device with just fingers. There are times when I feel that stylus is a lot easier. I consider this to be a plus over iPhone actually. I wish iPhone can support both, because then I need not zoom in before activating a link.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I can talk only for the F480 which actually has Netfront and there you can click links without zooming, even if you have aim well sometimes.
Lets say I am not against a stylus but I am for the touch experience the F480 brings .

My contribution. Ask me about Touch HD compared to X1

Hi,
i love you folks too much.. i am still pretty much here...
as my own way of contribution, i present this thread..
when i wanted to change to touch hd, i was worried.. will i regret etc?
i understood the pain and now i want to help.
if anyone wants to know more about touch hd with ref to X1, ask me, i will be happy to answer...

Great idea.
First impressions of the Touch HD vs. Xperia?
Perhaps a direct comparison of one against the other in all the normal fields?
After having an x1 for some time, you probably have a greater idea of its capabilities compared to the average reviewer who plays with the phone for a couple days before speaking their piece.
What are some of the reactions you get from other people the first time they saw your HD versus reactions when people first saw your x1? Did some people mistake the HD for an iphone?
Thanks for the thread!

jabe604 said:
Great idea.
First impressions of the Touch HD vs. Xperia?
Perhaps a direct comparison of one against the other in all the normal fields?
After having an x1 for some time, you probably have a greater idea of its capabilities compared to the average reviewer who plays with the phone for a couple days before speaking their piece.
What are some of the reactions you get from other people the first time they saw your HD versus reactions when people first saw your x1? Did some people mistake the HD for an iphone?
Thanks for the thread!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) i get more wows with the touch HD versus the X1... not as iphone look alike, more of.. wow the screen is big
2) the big screen REALLY helps alot.. gps navigation net surfing.. video watching goooood
3) although the lack of real keyboard hampers it.. but with my x1 set and other bros having the same prob, rectify the triple letters or space not pressed etc wasted more time! so i rather do with the virtual keyboard.. the big screen helps alot
4) about battery life.. with the smaller capacity and bigger screen.. shorter.. but not so bad.. after 16 hours of moderate use, 60% left.

updates
The welcome package is good.. SPB GPRS monitor and Sprite backup !
My GPS is not working.. apparently wifi too.. will revert

So basically this is a media consumption device, but not really optimal for those who do a lot of data input. Is that fair to say?

Looking at the size of Touch HD, is it hard for someone to put it in the pocket, especially when wearing jeans?
Cheers.

I think HTC actually includes a warning not to sit with the HD in your pocket.

garr89 said:
I think HTC actually includes a warning not to sit with the HD in your pocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol'd
..wait, for real?

yes LOL
it says to prevent damage. remove from pocket before sitting .. something like that.. LOL
but ntc gives u a good pouch to keep it...
touch hd is very good for media.. i view videos on it.. it is great.. taking note the screen is bigger than iphone.. sunlight performance is not very good.. but other than that, it is clear and sharp
external speaker seems to be better than x1.
i feel it is ok in my pocket.. side pocket.. not my bum.
I do use my calender alot for appointments.. the on screen keyboard is ok as the BIG screen makes up for it.. i also installed a small program to provide small vibration feedbacks on typing.. it helps alot...compared to my x1's triple spaces or nothing problem.. i choose this!
BTW my gps is solved.. its a spoilt set.. changed it

steven10freak said:
Looking at the size of Touch HD, is it hard for someone to put it in the pocket, especially when wearing jeans?
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if it is those tight jeans with small pockets.. yes i think..
note that touch hd is really slim... so pants should be ok.. the weight is similar to X1 but it feels lighter because of the size distributing the weight

dude, compare with X1,how about the strength of vibrate of HD? My x1 is too bad when it was vibratiing....so,I often miss some call

the vibration is ok.. but i will say it is similar...
however one thing i like about touch hd's vibration is the strength is "adjustable". What i mean is when using touchresponse, X1 will result in a hard vibrate everytime i touch the screen... for touch hd, i can set to only 25miliseconds and it will result in a very nice soft vibrate.. providing me feedback about my screen touches..

am loving my HD.. imho, i love it more than the X1

Do you think the Leo is too big?

I have a Blackstone and I'm thinking about getting a Leo but a friend of mine has one and the one time I saw it I remember thinking it was way too big. Is the bigger screen useful at all? Does the phone feel too big when you're holding it in one hand and trying to click stuff or send a text? Does it feel too big in your pocket or is it fine?
Before I had the Blackstone I had a Diamond so I'm used to smaller/slim phones. Just want to make sure the Leo is something I like before I buy one, so if anyone can help answer these questions I'd appreciate it.

Only 4" and a bit smaller would have been better, but it's not too big.
In fact, it's more convenient to carry around in the pocket than the HD, because it's less bulky.

Had a Touch HD before and think the HD2 feels much better in the pocket. It's actually not that much longer and wider, but quite a lot thinner ...

the bigger screen the better. Size of the phone is good, but must not be much bigger. then i wouldnt call it a "phone" anymore.

no, i dont think so! but i guess this is a really personal decision! Just go to a store and hold i in your hand, and then you can decide yourself!
greetz

rpimps said:
Before I had the Blackstone I had a Diamond so I'm used to smaller/slim phones. Just want to make sure the Leo is something I like before I buy one, so if anyone can help answer these questions I'd appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are basically following in my footsteps (Diamond, HD and .....eventually HD2) or should I say maybe I would like to follow in yours. Well depending on your choice.
I just got my HD and I'm happy but if I had a choice right now. No doubt it would be the HD2 as the width is hardly noticiable between the HD and the HD2. Well it least when I measured up the HD with a dummy HD2.

The HUGE screen is one of the reason I love this phone so much.
My first impression when I unboxed my phone was, " Damn! The screen is so damn big!"
But, it is not bulky, thinner than many other phone in fact. I feel much more comfortable having HD2 in my pocket than my previous N95.
I'm an asian with no large hands but i can handle the phone with one hand easily.

Nope, I think it's probably at the limit of how big you would want a phone to be though. Any larger that the HD2 and I think it might end up being too cumbersome.

Size does matter but it's not a problem with the HD2
I owned the HD and I never had a problem with the size. Before buying the HD2 I though size would be a problem nevertheless I put a deposit down to ensure I got mine from the initial shipment. I’m not disappointed. I think the size is perfect. The thinness more than overcompensates for the slightly increased width and height.

Coming from using a Diamond before, this is freckin' massive and considerably heavier than my diamond. However it's not bad at all, feels so well constucted and a pleasure to use.
I don't think of my HD2 as a phone anymore, it's like some awesome mini tablet PC that just happens to have phone capabilities .

As said above, thanks to it being so thin it's perfect. The big screen is so amazing and I don't think its worse than having my SE P1i in my pocket which was alot thicker but also alot smaller in height and width. So in my opinion the big size is great, and thanks to it being so thin it's perfect even in the pocket.

rpimps said:
Is the bigger screen useful at all? Does the phone feel too big when you're holding it in one hand and trying to click stuff or send a text? Does it feel too big in your pocket or is it fine?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes. no. fine.

I cant think any phone larger than Leo without losing the term phone and entering the netbook territory. On the other hand I am so spoiled by the perfect screen that all others seem like miniatures now!

perfect
when i first saw it i though it was going to be just a bit too big but after a few days it just seemed natural.
now i can't believe how inadequate my girlfriend's diamond is.
it also fits my shirt pocket perfectly - my diamond used to fall out a lot.

too big for one handed use
I am comming from the Touch Pro, which was very hard to use completely without stylus. The HD2 screen is very nice for touch control, but too big for one handed use.
I never had a Touch Pro 2 in my hand unfortunately, so I can not judge if it is still big enough for touch control and small enough for one handed use.

josep54 said:
when i first saw it i though it was going to be just a bit too big but after a few days it just seemed natural.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed.
It fits into a jeans pocket with ease, even when in a pouch and the big screen is a plus. When I look at my bro's Touch Pro I immediately take my eyes off it, so small are the words

Would agree with the above. I came from the HD and actually the HD2 fits better.... Its thinner so feels less bulky, the screen goes right to the edge of the device which is only slightly wider and taller.
I was really worried about the size, i remember thinking the HD was pretty large so thought the HD2 must be gigantic.
Coming from the HD i have to say the size is def not an issue. (Oh, you'll love the screen!)

Wait a sec, does it work with AT&T 3G in the US (I think 850 band)?

I dont think its too big, i have came from a touch hd and with a rubber case on its basicly the same size, i absolutely love the hd2 I have customized it to fit my every need and i havent had 1 problem with it so far....
(my previous phones, xda orbit, xda orbit 2, iphone, touch hd and now the hd2)

screen size very nice, does not feel too big when holding in hand thanks to the thin design, and be careful with tight pockets.

Teetering on the edge of getting the HD2, but need clarification...

Hi all,
well as my x1's screen is not working and I may not be able to fix it on warranty (still working on that as I have to take it in to see) I am going to get a new phone, the HD2 seems to fit the bill as I do a lot of reading and watching vids on my phone... the big screen appeals but I use Pleco a chinese dictionary and so much more. It enables me to write in chinese and with a stylus this is fast and simple... however I am worried that I will not be able to use a stylus on the capacitive screen and thus it will render Pleco in operable or nearly useless (the ability to write Chinese characters is very important)... thoughts on this, will the finger be able to write accurately enough, can I get a stylus or make one to use (ie do I have to buy a special one or will a slightly thicker one work ok (compared to an x1 stylus for example)... thanks for any advice or info...

The iphone stylli even with tweaked screen sensitivity don't seem to work well on it. The Dagii stylus for the hd2 looks good though. Youtube it.

Thanks for the heads up... that might be what I am after although I have read there are issues with usability...

Shadowdh said:
Thanks for the heads up... that might be what I am after although I have read there are issues with usability...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HTC have launched their own stylus for use on capacitive screens. I think they are available on Clove.co.uk and many other stores.

HD2 and Pleco
I have an HD2 and use Pleco almost every day. There is an option to use the whole screen to hand-write characters. You have to use your finger, but its not that bad. Sometimes when I try to go too fast the results aren't super accurate, but overall its really not any more inconvenient that having to pull a stylus out.
I'd say it doesn't impact usability at all, and the larger screen makes the software much better in my opinion.

I have tried every stylus I could find and none of them work very well with the hd2 at all. I have found that your finger is much easier to use and more responsive and accurate than any of the capacitive stylus'... so if it's an app that needs a stylus and isn't easy to use with your finger, you're going to have a difficult time with the hd2.

pen?!

hi!
I was just wondering. Has anyone tried to use a pen on the HD mini. I know the HD mini comes without a pen, but I don't know for sure whether the screen only responds to the fingers (warmth) or whether it also responds to pointy things (pressure).
Using ones fingers to control a smartphone is alright, but I do like using a pen for the fidgety stuff or scribbling notes. I also use the pen that goes with my wacom tablet on my phone when I am working both at the same time.
So I am curious about this.
Can anyone tell me more about this?

Pen
HTC HD Mini has a capacitive display so you cannot use pen because it doesn't respond on a pressure caused by pen. Fingers only.

Hi,
It exists some capacitive pens, but be careful.
I purchased some cheaper pen on ebay for almost nothing; nevertheless they do not work well.
What I tried to do is to find a precise pen for playing to games where precision is needed like ScumVM.
But these cheaper pens react less well than the finger and are less precise. In brief the fingers are better!
Nevertheless I found a special HTC pen “ST C400”, they say that is a must. I ordered one but it cost about $40 with shipping, for only one pen! I hope for this price it will work!

Capacitive pens for the mini
The HTC STC400 from htc or on Ebay(about £16 in the UK) will work fine on it and seemingly also on most of the htc range.I use one on 3 different htc phones including the Mini.
The cheaper ones are very poor and feel just like an ordinary pencil rubber !! and drag so better to avoid them
Clive

You can also search for the capacitive pens from a taiwanese company called "DAGI". They are more affordable than the HTC STC400 and are really precise. From what I can tell, they use almost the same design as the HTC STC400.

Having to buy a expensive special pen that doesn't fit in the actual phone itself, doesn't strike me as progress, to be honest.
So how about scribbling and doodling with your fingertip instead of a pen?
Does that work?
I find it hard going on the pressure sensitive screen on my Touch. I have to use my nail for it to work, and I can't see what I am writing.

@ Windows: you´ll probably need some time to get used to the capacitive screen. As a previous HTC diamond user I also used my nails to type and to navigate through my phone. Nails don´t work on capacitive screens. You´ll have to put the flesh of your fingers on the screen. The problem for scribbling is that the line you draw is usually thinner than your finger. So you cannot really see what you are drawing. Since recent programms are usually fingerfriendly I didn´t encounter that many problems so far. Only programms that use a lot of drop down menus can be really tricky. I only use the pen for one programm. But even we that in mind, I personally wouldn´t go back to a resistance touch screen.

same as nivi,
I am not sure if it is really a resistive or capacitive debate, but new phones are really more reactive.
I broke my mini and I had to return to Diamond (resistive) but very slow in regard to mini, and I have lot of dificulties to readapt myself to the stylus and Diamond usage.

take a look at this :
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/12/iphone-sausage-stylus-kor_n_459845.html
Hehehe

LOL ... a porc ou chicken ?