Related
I was a XDA Atom user (boy, was that a big mistake), then i shifter to a Sony Ericsson P990i. A friend of mine is offering to swap with me my SE P990i with an XDA Trion (HTC TYTN). Now comes the question, should I or shouldn't I?
I got frustrated with the Atom's performance (poor battery life, slow sluggish response (especially with MS Voice command as compared to my imate jam), memory drains, and clunky MS 5.0 handling). I got rid of it as soon as I could.
NOw I have an SE P990i. I miss my pocket PC. Shoudl I swap the phone, or should I stick with my SE P990i? Can someone give me a direct comparison between the Atom and the Tytn?
Thanks in advance.
Thats a tough question because its not as easy as comparing an atom to a tytn for example. However, the biggest comparrison I always remember when weighing up a non windows mobile device (because there are a few on the horizon that have tempted me to contemplate it) is the software and the interface. Because really why else would you consider swapping if not for the fact that you obviously miss the windows mobile platform?
Anyway you were probably looking for hardware comparrisons but as a TyTN and M3100 user I can tell you the TyTNs only suffer 1 problem as opposed to the Atom series - which (until the end when they got the software right) was one big stuff up; and thats screen alignment issues and to a small extent sticky keys on the keyboard. Besides that the device is very quick, responsive, one handed use is great, keyboard is fantastic for everything from emails to sms, phone reception is well up there, and the interchangable roms between all the Hermes variants mean if your have a compatibility issue with some software or responsiveness chances are another variants ROM will correct it, as some users have found with GPS and performances.
You could ask your friend WHY he wants to trade. Does his TyTN have the famous Screen- and keyboardproblems, does it have a weak WiFi section, does the keyboard slide in and out to easy and\or has he trouble with the stylus?
I had 3 TyTN (up to version HT633) and ALL had serious problems. And remember the screenalignment can make thet TyTN unusable at times.
Theoretically speaking Tytn is the most capable for many things. Personally I have regretted the fact that I spent so much money buying this problematic device and this because the cons are more than the pros. I'm talking about the known problems of screen allignment and freezing when in sleeping mode etc. Only these two factors are major drawbacks when u r speaking about pda phones. In my opinion HTC did not manage to fully "support" the device before put it on the market resulting the "bugs" now coming out one by one. I hope HTC will take seriously all these problems and fix them with the appropriate ROM..
takis999 said:
Theoretically speaking Tytn is the most capable for many things. Personally I have regretted the fact that I spent so much money buying this problematic device and this because the cons are more than the pros. I'm talking about the known problems of screen allignment and freezing when in sleeping mode etc. Only these two factors are major drawbacks when u r speaking about pda phones. In my opinion HTC did not manage to fully "support" the device before put it on the market resulting the "bugs" now coming out one by one. I hope HTC will take seriously all these problems and fix them with the appropriate ROM..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I fully agree. I also regretted the fact that I bought one...but luckily my reseller is giving me a refund. This device is rushed to market and not fully tested. I hope HTC has it QC better for the devices that will be released the next few weeks\months. I never...never...never had a device with this many bugs right out of the box. It even makes me agry because I paid almost 800 US dollar for this - and I am realy sorry to say - piece of garbage.
WM devices all the way.....
I had read this post previously but decided not to share my opinion as I haven't had the pleasure of evaluating the new P990i. But on reading over some of the posts on this thread I thought it suitable to do so now.
I have previously owned a P800, P900, K750i from SE and an XDAIIi, XDA mini, Universal, Vario, Prophet and now a VarioII. So whilst I have had much experience of owning & using these devices, I am by no means professing to be any kind of expert.
IMHO, based on my personal experiences and frustrations of getting to grips with Windows mobile devices and their buggy ROMs, I still believe that they are the best convergance devices out there. In short:
Cons:
1. Always buggy ROMs/software and incompatibility across avrious applications.
2. Too many releases of newer and better devices, only shortly after everyone has bought in to the current one, leading me to believe that I've been conned, yet I always buy into it again.
3. Lousy support from manufacturers (even worse if bought on contract-network providers branded phones).
4. The frustration of petitioning and waiting for manufacturers and software devlopers to rectify their incomplete software (sometimes a big part of the reason for purchasing certain hardware/phones).
Pros:
1. No other platform offers as much personal customisation, modification and the ability to update your software/ROM as Windows mobile devices.
2. This point really ties in with the first; closest and most compatible format to Windows PC O/S, in my opinion. providing your not a Mac user!!
3. If you have the time (most people don't) to invest in resolving all issues that affect you (not including defective hardware), you will end up with a nigh on perfect device for your purposes (within reason of course).
That said, my list of Pros don't seem to be too extensive do they? That's because, for me, they encompass all I personally need.
For me the TyTN/VarioII is slowly but definately becoming a very reliable and stable device. As a matter of fact, it already is! I just have one gripe about video playback performance using a 3rd party appl, but that is also being resolved by the developers as we speak, but it didn't happen overnight and not without perseverance on my behalf. Hence the reason why WM devices are not for everyone.
If you click on my name and read all of my boring posts (no funny comments please), you will find that there has been a teething period for all my devices and a fair share of frustration and dissapointment on my behalf too, but I stuck with them all until they gave me virtually no problems. Then the next best thing came out and I moved on to the next challenge or toy.
Bottom line for me is: Does my current device meet my immediate needs? Yeah, pretty much most high end phones do that.
But for longevity: Is my current device versatile enough (in terms of features), configurable/modifyable/adaptable and compatible with my PC and my hobbies. Yes Yes Yes. Nothing else even comes close for me. The TyTN, in my opinion, may be a buggy device for many, but not for many others. I have no major issues at all. I use wi-fi everyday without issue. I use HSDPA several times a week and whilst I'm not always able to achieve my highest 1.4 Mbps, I now usually achieve a minimum of over 800kbps in poor reception areas. I have not had any screen alignment issues at all, no sticky keys, no dropped calls or poor quality calls (& I only get one bar signal where I live & work), but I do suffer from occasional lock-ups (mostly due to my impatience when multi-tasking) but no more than 1 or 2 a fortnight. Battery life is pretty good given my wi-fi usage. I charge every night (by choice or habbit) but actually don't need to charge until the end of the next day. TomTom GPS works like a charm as does bluetooth and basically everything else I do with it. Camera is not the best out there, by a long shot, but it is pretty good for day shots.
There's too much to mention. I guess the Pros list just grew!!
Im by no means an advocate or employee of Microsoft either, but they just happen to produce what I want and I'm prepared to take out the time to tweak these things to MY liking.
If like me, you're this way enclined, you won't regret moving back to WM, especially the TyTN, providing you don't get a dodgy one like many seemed to have done.
I put my money where my mouth is;
Wifes Phone: Universal (MDA Pro, not my old JasJar)
Daughter 1's Phone: Hurricane smartphone (poor support from manufacturers though)
Daughter 2's Phone: Prophet (my previous device)
Son 1's PPC: HP iPAQ rx 3715
All devices are running on different ROMs than the ones they were shipped with, and none of them have any issues at all. TyTN beats the Universal hands down (well except for the VGA screen).
Hope this helps.
When my airtime contract came up for renewal, I waited for the P990, but was sorely disappointed when it arrived. In my opinion its an excellent piece of hardware but severely let-down by the software. This was compounded by operator firmware that came with the device that was not subject to the normal Sony Ericsson firmware updates. The phone was therefore very buggy and I just couldn't live with the instability and inflexibility/lack of customisation of the OS and software. Also, in my opinion, due to the P990 coming so late to market it is likely to be superseded sooner rather than later (there are rumours of a replacement in Q1 2007).
I returned my P990 and got a 1605 instead - it was a good choice. If I hadn't waited for the P990 I could've got the TyTN when it was released! Anyway, I so far have had no issues with my 1605 and have loaded it with a whole bunch of software and got it to function in the exact way I want. OK, the camera is not so good on the TyTN and the screen has only 65k colours (the P990 has 250k) but I can live with that. In my opinion, you might want to bear in mind the P990 is more of a phone and the TyTN is more of a PDA.
Another plus for the TyTN is the syncing software (very important to me). Overall, ActiveSync is fairly stable and I think it performs extremely consistently when syncing, i.e. exactly the same items appear in the PPC as they do in Outlook. The Sony Ericsson software is a mess. They took the old xtnd connect software (I think that's what it was called) then tacked on module after module to get it to do what they wanted. This resulted in crappy product that conflicts with other software (e.g. WIDCOMM) and multiple installation issues and doesn't even sync well - there are still bugs left over from the days of the P800 (I won't deal them here).
I am very happy with my TyTN. Fingers crossed I won't get the screen alignment issue that appears commonplace. Personally, I think the TyTN wipes the floor with the P990 as far as functionality goes. (Before the P990 I was a diehard SE fanboy!).
Ce said:
You could ask your friend WHY he wants to trade. Does his TyTN have the famous Screen- and keyboardproblems, does it have a weak WiFi section, does the keyboard slide in and out to easy and\or has he trouble with the stylus?
I had 3 TyTN (up to version HT633) and ALL had serious problems. And remember the screenalignment can make thet TyTN unusable at times.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
>Well, actually, she wants to trade it because it is a pocket PC phone. SHe had not problem with it at all. She just prefers a symbian phone as opposed to a pocket PC one.
Ce said:
I fully agree. I also regretted the fact that I bought one...but luckily my reseller is giving me a refund. This device is rushed to market and not fully tested. I hope HTC has it QC better for the devices that will be released the next few weeks\months. I never...never...never had a device with this many bugs right out of the box. It even makes me agry because I paid almost 800 US dollar for this - and I am realy sorry to say - piece of garbage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
>What unit are you using now?
Slider758 said:
When my airtime contract came up for renewal, I waited for the P990, but was sorely disappointed when it arrived. In my opinion its an excellent piece of hardware but severely let-down by the software. This was compounded by operator firmware that came with the device that was not subject to the normal Sony Ericsson firmware updates. The phone was therefore very buggy and I just couldn't live with the instability and inflexibility/lack of customisation of the OS and software. Also, in my opinion, due to the P990 coming so late to market it is likely to be superseded sooner rather than later (there are rumours of a replacement in Q1 2007).
I returned my P990 and got a 1605 instead - it was a good choice. If I hadn't waited for the P990 I could've got the TyTN when it was released! Anyway, I so far have had no issues with my 1605 and have loaded it with a whole bunch of software and got it to function in the exact way I want. OK, the camera is not so good on the TyTN and the screen has only 65k colours (the P990 has 250k) but I can live with that. In my opinion, you might want to bear in mind the P990 is more of a phone and the TyTN is more of a PDA.
Another plus for the TyTN is the syncing software (very important to me). Overall, ActiveSync is fairly stable and I think it performs extremely consistently when syncing, i.e. exactly the same items appear in the PPC as they do in Outlook. The Sony Ericsson software is a mess. They took the old xtnd connect software (I think that's what it was called) then tacked on module after module to get it to do what they wanted. This resulted in crappy product that conflicts with other software (e.g. WIDCOMM) and multiple installation issues and doesn't even sync well - there are still bugs left over from the days of the P800 (I won't deal them here).
I am very happy with my TyTN. Fingers crossed I won't get the screen alignment issue that appears commonplace. Personally, I think the TyTN wipes the floor with the P990 as far as functionality goes. (Before the P990 I was a diehard SE fanboy!).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
>I totally agree with you. The P990i is a bit clunky and clumsy especially when in comes to synching.
Thanks
mackaby007 said:
I had read this post previously but decided not to share my opinion as I haven't had the pleasure of evaluating the new P990i. But on reading over some of the posts on this thread I thought it suitable to do so now.
I have previously owned a P800, P900, K750i from SE and an XDAIIi, XDA mini, Universal, Vario, Prophet and now a VarioII. So whilst I have had much experience of owning & using these devices, I am by no means professing to be any kind of expert.
IMHO, based on my personal experiences and frustrations of getting to grips with Windows mobile devices and their buggy ROMs, I still believe that they are the best convergance devices out there. In short:
Cons:
1. Always buggy ROMs/software and incompatibility across avrious applications.
2. Too many releases of newer and better devices, only shortly after everyone has bought in to the current one, leading me to believe that I've been conned, yet I always buy into it again.
3. Lousy support from manufacturers (even worse if bought on contract-network providers branded phones).
4. The frustration of petitioning and waiting for manufacturers and software devlopers to rectify their incomplete software (sometimes a big part of the reason for purchasing certain hardware/phones).
Pros:
1. No other platform offers as much personal customisation, modification and the ability to update your software/ROM as Windows mobile devices.
2. This point really ties in with the first; closest and most compatible format to Windows PC O/S, in my opinion. providing your not a Mac user!!
3. If you have the time (most people don't) to invest in resolving all issues that affect you (not including defective hardware), you will end up with a nigh on perfect device for your purposes (within reason of course).
That said, my list of Pros don't seem to be too extensive do they? That's because, for me, they encompass all I personally need.
For me the TyTN/VarioII is slowly but definately becoming a very reliable and stable device. As a matter of fact, it already is! I just have one gripe about video playback performance using a 3rd party appl, but that is also being resolved by the developers as we speak, but it didn't happen overnight and not without perseverance on my behalf. Hence the reason why WM devices are not for everyone.
If you click on my name and read all of my boring posts (no funny comments please), you will find that there has been a teething period for all my devices and a fair share of frustration and dissapointment on my behalf too, but I stuck with them all until they gave me virtually no problems. Then the next best thing came out and I moved on to the next challenge or toy.
Bottom line for me is: Does my current device meet my immediate needs? Yeah, pretty much most high end phones do that.
But for longevity: Is my current device versatile enough (in terms of features), configurable/modifyable/adaptable and compatible with my PC and my hobbies. Yes Yes Yes. Nothing else even comes close for me. The TyTN, in my opinion, may be a buggy device for many, but not for many others. I have no major issues at all. I use wi-fi everyday without issue. I use HSDPA several times a week and whilst I'm not always able to achieve my highest 1.4 Mbps, I now usually achieve a minimum of over 800kbps in poor reception areas. I have not had any screen alignment issues at all, no sticky keys, no dropped calls or poor quality calls (& I only get one bar signal where I live & work), but I do suffer from occasional lock-ups (mostly due to my impatience when multi-tasking) but no more than 1 or 2 a fortnight. Battery life is pretty good given my wi-fi usage. I charge every night (by choice or habbit) but actually don't need to charge until the end of the next day. TomTom GPS works like a charm as does bluetooth and basically everything else I do with it. Camera is not the best out there, by a long shot, but it is pretty good for day shots.
There's too much to mention. I guess the Pros list just grew!!
Im by no means an advocate or employee of Microsoft either, but they just happen to produce what I want and I'm prepared to take out the time to tweak these things to MY liking.
If like me, you're this way enclined, you won't regret moving back to WM, especially the TyTN, providing you don't get a dodgy one like many seemed to have done.
I put my money where my mouth is;
Wifes Phone: Universal (MDA Pro, not my old JasJar)
Daughter 1's Phone: Hurricane smartphone (poor support from manufacturers though)
Daughter 2's Phone: Prophet (my previous device)
Son 1's PPC: HP iPAQ rx 3715
All devices are running on different ROMs than the ones they were shipped with, and none of them have any issues at all. TyTN beats the Universal hands down (well except for the VGA screen).
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally! Thanks! I am beginning to miss WM. After reading your post, I am now more inclined to get the tytn. I just hope that you guys would help me get out of a rut should I get in to one
How bad is the screen alignment bug?
What is the screen alignment bug? How bad is it and has it been resolved?
Search the forums as there is a large thread on the issue but in short, it was mainly, and I emphasise mainly early models of the TyTN that had issues with screen alignment and sticky keyboard keys.
However, some users are still coming across the problem, but this is at times due to them getting an early model that has just been in stock.
But like anything, its always the bad/troublesome experiences you will hear about more then the good points. Ive set-up and purchased 7 of these devices for friends and a business (due to them not being sold in AU until this week) and none of those have had issues or complaits. But I would be questioning why your friend wants to trade still.
Welcome back to WM...
@Deadman:
of course we'll help you if u run into problems. that's what we all do here, as you know, being a WM man at heart. Welcome back.
Osir1s said:
Search the forums as there is a large thread on the issue but in short, it was mainly, and I emphasise mainly early models of the TyTN that had issues with screen alignment and sticky keyboard keys.
However, some users are still coming across the problem, but this is at times due to them getting an early model that has just been in stock.
But like anything, its always the bad/troublesome experiences you will hear about more then the good points. Ive set-up and purchased 7 of these devices for friends and a business (due to them not being sold in AU until this week) and none of those have had issues or complaits. But I would be questioning why your friend wants to trade still.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
She's just more comfortable with symbian (UIQ phones) than PPC, I guess.
Have to agree with the general opinion. I have a vario II and my brother in law has a P990i. The P990 is a great device, but at the moment he is really suffering from software availability for UIQ 3.0
Thanks guys.
I have seen the light
I have seen the error of my ways and will rturn to my beloved PPC/MS based PPC
just another thing I thought I'd point out - I'm a member of the esato forum, and it seems a lot of die hard SE fans have picked the Tytn over the p990. I chose the tytn for the keyboard, apps available, hsdpa, and the cheaper price. Tytns are going for around £280 compared to the p990s £400.
I think your "friend" is trying to make a quick buck
Yep, I agree wholly with the above 2 posts, no point writing it all out again!
There is an interesting mix of 'stuff' on this forum at present and what seems to be a considerable amount of interest and emotion around the HD2. There are:
Threads asking for opinions on upgrades
Threads slating the device
Threads doing the basic 'work' of the forum (in my opinion) i.e. sharing information, trying to find ways of making things work, helping one another out, etc
Judging by the critical threads and by those jumping in to defend the device, there are two essentially polarised schools of thought; those who love it and those who loath it (and of course, many shades in between).
Many of those who hate the device seem to be inclined to share their dissatisfaction in the interests of providing balance for those considering a purchase, so instead of the emotion and mud slinging, how about a simple poll so that everyone can submit their own view in as dispassionate a manner as possible?
No comment!
IPhone Windows Style
I cant wait until My Pink Photo phone is warrantied so I can load a different ROM on it. This phone out of the box is so locked down on features it even hides two games. To install owner information you have to fill out your contact card not Owner information through windows because it is nonexistent without reg edit. If I didn't know how do do some Reg Editing I think I might have thrown this phone even at the $800 US Price tag. I cannot even switch the view to landscape in Excel, so now I can only see half of my spread sheets.
On the plus side the 1 GHZ processor runs all of my programs at lightning fast speeds. The screen is big enough to enjoy anything you do on this phone. The cellular radio has great reception I have not dropped a call yet.
I'm in the US, so like many of my brethren, I'm waiting for my order to be shipped.
I may have some problems with the phone, but truthfully, if not for the trailblazers and those having problems, I would be lost in most of the issues I'll run across.
Ultimately, the specs on this device make it too delicious not to love.
Positive
This is the best device I have ever owned.
I started with an XDAII, which was classic and the 2nd of it's kind, that is, a computer phone.
HTC pioneered this, making the first, the XDA.
They solved many of the power issues and other technical issues of earlier pda's and melded the mobile phone with the pocket computer.
It was instantly better than any Nokia.
I have owned many classics like O2 Mini, Atom, Polaris and HD.
Though it is a good phone without needing any major changes, I couldn't stand not being able to customise my phone at the cellular level.
But then, I have built a dozen hi performance pc's in my time and similarly would not be happy with a DELL or a Mac or anything like that. I owned a top line powermac 12 years ago that cost 22 G's but my HD2 is 10 times more powerful, has the same size storage and fits in my pocket.
There are plenty of phone-computers that cannot be customised and so there is no scope for the problems that can arise in trying to mod a phone to make it do things an ordinary phone can't.
What's not to like?
Have to say when I got mine i was sooo impressed and yes for a while it was unconditional love.
Realised the shortfalls pretty quickly but they are minor and I can live with them.
However after 3 days the phone completely died and (fingers crossed) the replacement is due this morning.
C'mon vodafone / parcelforce ... make me happy again ......
GG
Xaddict said:
HTC Touch HD
Miri Manila 2.5 Rev 13
Donated to my girl
(so she won't be mad at me for buying an HD2)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol very wise mate.
Initial Analysis...
With just over 50 responses in, the poll results, to me at least, are a more accurate reflection of end user response to the HD2, with around 70% of respondees either liking or loving the device.
Interestingly, the modal response (just) is currently 'like it, but accept that it needs tweaking'.
Around 10% of responses are ambivalent and less than 10% dislike or hate the device. This tends to back up the suspicion that the noisy negative threads reflect the minority, rather than the majority.
The balance of responses are in the 'don't have it yet, but will/won't get it', where there is little to choose between the two responses.
I'd like to believe that the poll approach gives everyone a chance to state their opinion in non-emotive terms, so for those contemplating a purchase the XDA recommendation currently seems to be 'go for it'.
I'm also of the personal opinion that a 70% early adopter approval rating isn't too bad for a bleeding edge device that will only improve with HSPL/USPL and cooked ROMs.
Nice, i like your thinking and giving objective statistics to the crowd!
I'm going to give this a gentle nudge as I'd like to be sure it captures the opinions of as many HD2 users as possible, plus there are still people asking for opinions on the phone and whether they should upgrade.
As it stands, there have been 73 responses (I think 64 of those are from people who actually own the device) and the dislikers/haters number precisely 5 of that 64, with a further 6 ambivalent.
Unless a good many HD2 owners are so appalled by the device that they won't even register their vote it seems clear that the overwealming majority are happy with the device.
Wouldn't be wonderful if that meant a bit more of a useful tone in some of the threads in this forum. At least the number of 'Kill all HTC emplyees, kill them all and slaughter their families, beat them to beath with iPhones' type threads does seem to have dropped off a bit...which is nice.
I've had my HD2 since Monday 30th November and I am very pleased with it.
I upgraded from a Touch HD and found the capacitive screen ( using the pad of my finger ) on the HD2 compared to the resistive screen ( using my fingernail ) on the Touch HD took a bit of getting used to. Once I mastered the new typing style required by the HD2 I found it very fast and accurate to use. I have not applied any fixes for the screen.
The only problem I have with this PPC is stopping myself from playing with it
In light of the threads that seem to keep being opened by those with an axe to grind against the HD2, I'm going to give this a nudge as I still feel that a nice, simple poll is the best, emotion-free way to gather opinion about the HD2.
I truly don't go big on conspiracy theories and smear campaigns but the evidence of 98 votes in the poll so far say that two users don't like their HD2 but are stuck with it and another three users hated it so much they have binned it.
Approximately 5% of HD2 users therefore seem to be accounting for an awful lot of noise, heat and light. Worse still, they are clogging up a forum that should be helping those of us that do like the device to get the most from it. I don't know about anyone else, but that's why I'm here, not to have increasingly petty arguments. There is an old proverb about a wise man arguing with a fool; very quickly it becomes difficult to tell which is which. Sound familiar?
I don't hate the iPhone - don't rate it either, nor did my wife, a convinced technophobe who is now very happily using my old HD having binned the iphone - and I don't think that people who don't like the HD2 are intrinsically bad people, but I do wish what appears to be a very small minority would have their say and jog on.
The fact that they don't and that they keep on (and on and on (and on and on and on)) making their points about the HD2 is suspicious, but maybe the poll is lying. So here's a bump - if you haven't already voted, do so now, especially the HD2 haters. Let's have some objectivity and balance instead of flame...ready? Go
This should be sticky
75% satisfaction and 10% ambivalent is better than what the iPhone scored in some surveys.
Gustopher said:
In light of the threads that seem to keep being opened by those with an axe to grind against the HD2, I'm going to give this a nudge as I still feel that a nice, simple poll is the best, emotion-free way to gather opinion about the HD2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I definitely like it. No digital device has ever wowed me so much that I didn't want to tweak it. The 'killer app' of the HD2 is in fact its tweakability (is that in the dictionary?) That's what makes it win out over the iPhone.
All of my frustrations are with the WM 6.5 operating system, and all my admiration is with HTC for virtually relegating WM to a background sub-system, where it belongs. (Don't hold your breath hoping that WM 7 is going to be a better user interface than HTSense.)
I've been trying to get a HD2 and not going anywhere. I've got two vodafone accounts (one for 14years, one for over 10) and they totally screwed me over in getting the HD2 by deliberately sending a Satio in my order instead of the HD2 thus removing me from the order list which I had got on the 15th, one day after the device was released.
They never then called me back when they got stock of course despite putting in several more orders. Even getting my PAC got me nowhere.
Sadly all vodafone reps on the phone say they love the HD2 instead of the iphone. I personally feel that vodafone are bullying people into the sub-standard iphone and especially 360 devices for profits.
What I did agree on with the vodafone reps are that:
Pros of HD2
a) Great large screen
b) still surprisingly pocketable (like TG01)
c) faster than any other device.
d) Battery DOES last longer than iphone (I got 5hours of iphone 3gS use on vodafone greece network with mild usage).
e) high-res screen.
f) will support WM7.
g) has more ROM space than many other devices.
h) You do not have to jailbreak the device and worry about apple updates bricking your device. HSPL lets you put in new cooked ROMs, you cannot even do that on an iphone.
i) Less jokey than the iphone. I dont see it as a serious device.
j) If you can cope with the technical stuff and the sheer volume of tweaks a WM6.5 device can be anything you want it to be!!!
k) it is not out of the question in the future to put android on the HD2 either.
l) Tons of useful software, not just gimmick stuff!!!
m) microsdhc can be up to 32GB now, just released in Times Square in Hong Kong. branded 16GB dirt cheap (class 6).
Cons:
a) SMS issue is worrying for a prospective user especially as the problems seem widespread on Vodafone UK.
b) Yes, pink camera issue, but i couldnt care less about it.
c) HSPL for official ROM upgrades around vodafone is almost like jailbreaking.
d) the tweaks and stuff is quite technical - and there is just so much of it!!! but of course this is also a pro!!
e) Battery quality seems variable. Some good units out there, some bad.
f) So much to tinker, so much to break!!!!
In short, the HD2 has no competitor due to the processor and the screen size and its resolution. Sure it's not 16M, but that can come with an upgrade.
It has the grunt for the future with the CPU, you have chainfire to compete with cortex+gpu, and enough ROM and RAM and you can tweak it to your heart's content!!!
I say the HD2 is a WINNER - I CAN fix most of the issues or ignore them, or avoid them just like i do with my E65 every day. What I can't get on another device is the screen. I do pray that I dont get teh SMS issue though.
I just have to make sure HD2 fits in my tight pockets!!! (31" waist).
I am going to have to admit that, when I opened the box and powered on the device, I was bouncing up and down with glee. And I still was for days. I stopped bouncing when a) it started hurting and b) some minor niggles reared their heads.
1. When I adjust the volume on the music tab, with music playing, it stutters and does not show the slider. If I lock the device or use a different tab, it's fine.
2. Today, after about a week of use, the much-touted SMS not sending issue struck me. This may be to do with me not trimming my message box - but apparently HTC are working on it and in the meantime I can disable the HTC messaging app and use the basic WinMo one which is still highly functional, and everything works.
These have reduced my enjoyment level a little - I paid £475 for this device and to be fair I expect it to have, at most, very very minor issues, but I still enjoy it, I think it is a marvellous bit of kit and look forward to HTC's fixes addressing everything.
chris_ah1 said:
I've been trying to get a HD2 and not going anywhere. I've got two vodafone accounts (one for 14years, one for over 10) and they totally screwed me over in getting the HD2 by deliberately sending a Satio in my order instead of the HD2 thus removing me from the order list which I had got on the 15th, one day after the device was released.
They never then called me back when they got stock of course despite putting in several more orders. Even getting my PAC got me nowhere.
Sadly all vodafone reps on the phone say they love the HD2 instead of the iphone. I personally feel that vodafone are bullying people into the sub-standard iphone and especially 360 devices for profits.
What I did agree on with the vodafone reps are that:
Pros of HD2
a) Great large screen
b) still surprisingly pocketable (like TG01)
c) faster than any other device.
d) Battery DOES last longer than iphone (I got 5hours of iphone 3gS use on vodafone greece network with mild usage).
e) high-res screen.
f) will support WM7.
g) has more ROM space than many other devices.
h) You do not have to jailbreak the device and worry about apple updates bricking your device. HSPL lets you put in new cooked ROMs, you cannot even do that on an iphone.
i) Less jokey than the iphone. I dont see it as a serious device.
j) If you can cope with the technical stuff and the sheer volume of tweaks a WM6.5 device can be anything you want it to be!!!
k) it is not out of the question in the future to put android on the HD2 either.
l) Tons of useful software, not just gimmick stuff!!!
m) microsdhc can be up to 32GB now, just released in Times Square in Hong Kong. branded 16GB dirt cheap (class 6).
Cons:
a) SMS issue is worrying for a prospective user especially as the problems seem widespread on Vodafone UK.
b) Yes, pink camera issue, but i couldnt care less about it.
c) HSPL for official ROM upgrades around vodafone is almost like jailbreaking.
d) the tweaks and stuff is quite technical - and there is just so much of it!!! but of course this is also a pro!!
e) Battery quality seems variable. Some good units out there, some bad.
f) So much to tinker, so much to break!!!!
In short, the HD2 has no competitor due to the processor and the screen size and its resolution. Sure it's not 16M, but that can come with an upgrade.
It has the grunt for the future with the CPU, you have chainfire to compete with cortex+gpu, and enough ROM and RAM and you can tweak it to your heart's content!!!
I say the HD2 is a WINNER - I CAN fix most of the issues or ignore them, or avoid them just like i do with my E65 every day. What I can't get on another device is the screen. I do pray that I dont get teh SMS issue though.
I just have to make sure HD2 fits in my tight pockets!!! (31" waist).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just saw your comment about praying not to get the SMS issue. Apparently, keeping your message box counts low will help prevent it - but I cannot guarantee it. if it DOES strike, there are solutions in numerous threads - the one I suggest most as it worked for me is disabling HTCs messaging app and using WinMo's own.
Yep, of course not all solutions work because I personally believe that Vodafone SMS is *shiste* service.
Interesting thing is that there are two SMS issues - slow browsing and display - which you can avoid by bringing up menu and closing it.
And messages staying in the outbox is something Ive had with my E65...I merely have to tell the phone to resend them and it goes.
Just to recap solutions I've seen, but not all work for SMS sending:
a) disable htc messaging
b) change to classic view, not conversation
c) set messages to GSM only not GPRS
d) disable 3G/2G switching and stay on GSM.
e) reboot phone and take out battery.
f) get a new vodafone Sim card.
g) get the phone to re-register itself on a new tower.
h) install HTC hotfix and/or later ROMs.
For SMS delayed view:
a) switch to classic view,
b) disable htc messaging
c) get menu up on random message and cancel menu.
d) purge your SMS box.
I must note that My E65 does this automatically - it only keeps a low number of messages in memory and automatically purges old ones. It also soft-resets itself automatically every 24hours. So S60 is not so special either - all mobiles have these issues. at least my E65 SMS not sending is sporadic.
MY HD2
I got my HD2 three weeks ago & loved it when it first booted up. I have had no serious problems with it since except when I tried to update the ROM, it keeps coming up: "not suitable for this pocket pc".
Either I have done something wrong or the phone will not update I do not know. So, it ain't broke, so don't fix it is the way to go!
beegeebopper said:
I got my HD2 three weeks ago & loved it when it first booted up. I have had no serious problems with it since except when I tried to update the ROM, it keeps coming up: "not suitable for this pocket pc".
Either I have done something wrong or the phone will not update I do not know. So, it ain't broke, so don't fix it is the way to go!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're either:
- Running the ROM update on the device - you can't, you need to run it from a PC with the phone plugged in and in bootloader mode.
- Running the ROM update on a PC but the phone isn't in bootloader mode.
- Running the ROM update on a PC but the update isn't for your serial number. (Try looking at all the ROM updates on the HTC website for your area, i.e. htc.com/uk)
- Running the ROM update for a custom ROM without running HSPL first. (Check the HD2 ROM forum - http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=534)
Hi Everybody,
iPhone 3G about to be sold off, HD2 arriving Monday.
Having read this forum I'm now thinking WTF have I done!
Come on, give me some encouraging words on HD2 ownership pleeeease!
If you've got any tips for out the box new phones, like "Whatever you do don't press that button!" I'd like to hear them.
Fingers crossed it arrives on Monday as the small cold spell and a little snow grinds the UK to a standstill...
Cheers,
Gavin
It's a great phone and it works just fine. I'm sure you'll love it
Upgrade to 1.61 Turkish ROM (can set to English)
or choose your favourite cooked (unofficial) ROM, however, "voiding" the warranty.
As has already been suggested- just play with it as it is.
Remember it isn't an iPhone so some things will be very different- maybe not better or worse, just different like going from a desktop Mac to a PC
Once you are familiar with it, then decide what you want to do with it and ask for advice here if needed.
I'd say DON'T mess with the ROM- yours should come with V1.48 which is just as good as the later builds in most areas. If you can't live with the HTC Sense interface and the huge amount of memory it uses, then later consider a cooked ROM, but they are not as reliable as they need to be just yet.
If you want to use this as a media device, you will need more than the supplied 2GB memory card, so be prepared to buy one!
In short this is a fantastic device- you will be surprised how much more it can do than an iPhone once you are familiar with it, and being able to run as many programs at the same time as you want will be a novelty! The MS Marketplace is a joke though! You will need to become familiar with buying programs online then manually installing them- not difficult though!
you're making great progress
i'd say:
tip 1: order HD2
tip 2: register as a user here
tip 3: play with phone
tip 4: search these forums for whatever your needs are (fixes to things you don't like/ problems you are having; advice for how to do things; applications you require)
Hi Gavin, welcome on board,
Don't be fooled, the HD2 is NOT an iphone. You will be tweaking things till you get it just right to suit you. This is the major advantage winmo devices have over others, ie if you don't like something you can tweak it or change it.
If you have not got the time or the inclination to do this then run like hell and get your iphone back quick. If you are up for the spirit of adventure and can live with a few niggles knowing that if you spend time on here you can sort them out then welcome to our world.
Start off by reading the hints & tips thread on here plus all the other similar threads here that have said the same thing as you ie "convince me to buy a HD2" and see what they say.
All the best,
WB
PS: I'm well happy with mine but then I have been with winmobile for 3.5 years and am quite used to tweaking and changing things as part of a generally very enjoyable ownership experience.
Hi,
Thanks for the replies.
I've no problem with tweeking things, I'd rather that than stuck with no options on the "locked down" zPhone!
It's things like the volume and SMS problems that concern me
Cheers,
Gavin
Maybe it’s just me but I wanted air my views on current crop of cooked ROM’s. I have been an avid flasher since the glory days of cooked ROM’s from the Hermes (TyTN) era but recently I no longer feel the urge to flash, I guess the novelty has worn off me or I’ve just become a boring old fart whatever but to me it seems that a lot of talented chef feel the need or urge to release a ROM every other day with all the bells and whistle i.e. latest drivers, builds etc…. Quantity rather Quality!! The latest and the greatest does not always mean it’s the best!!!
Initially it’s great to have that choice and flash the ROM of the day until the next, just like a kid in a sweet shop all that choice but surely is it not better to release a ROM a few weeks or month down the line then to release it almost on a daily basis? At least that way one would be able to see significant improvements on the ROM!
I would like to make it clear there are very good cooked ROM’s here that would put some stock ROM’s to shame and with the recent advent of the 576 RAM hack it’s just another valid reason for novice to flash, all I’m saying is can we have more Quality ROM’s then Quantity it’s getting to the point “Too many cook spoil the broth”
well, there are many broths out there, not only 1 broth. So it doesnt matter to me.
i am inclined to agree, up to a point.
I used to cook firmware for LG phones (Viewty / Renoir) and often got accused of releasing too many, sometimes just days apart. My arguement then, and now, is that nobody if forcing you to upgrade.
However, the choice of cooked roms is mind-boggling, and there seems to be no definitive comparison table to easily show the differences between them, and the information supplied with each one is not always accurate. I have only had my HD2 for a week now, (and still loving it ) and i have flashed about 5 different roms, and keep going back to the same one, Leo Lite, by Mr Vanderlay. For me it is the best. And so far, seems to be the fastest for my own useage.
I do think there needs to be some collaboration between cookers to make comparisons easier. And perhaps slowing down releases, just a bit would make a world of difference.
Not naming names or ROMS, but some i have tried are indeed the latest and greatest, but some fundamental things remain broken and are therefore not useable in an everyday situation. This is a PHONE after all, and whats the point of reinstalling everything evry single day?
Find something you like, and stick with it
I think the section should be more organised, e.g. a WM6.5 and 6.5.x subsection with WM build and Manila build specified in tags.
g.lewarne said:
i am inclined to agree, up to a point.
I used to cook firmware for LG phones (Viewty / Renoir) and often got accused of releasing too many, sometimes just days apart. My arguement then, and now, is that nobody if forcing you to upgrade.
However, the choice of cooked roms is mind-boggling, and there seems to be no definitive comparison table to easily show the differences between them, and the information supplied with each one is not always accurate. I have only had my HD2 for a week now, (and still loving it ) and i have flashed about 5 different roms, and keep going back to the same one, Leo Lite, by Mr Vanderlay. For me it is the best. And so far, seems to be the fastest for my own useage.
I do think there needs to be some collaboration between cookers to make comparisons easier. And perhaps slowing down releases, just a bit would make a world of difference.
Not naming names or ROMS, but some i have tried are indeed the latest and greatest, but some fundamental things remain broken and are therefore not useable in an everyday situation. This is a PHONE after all, and whats the point of reinstalling everything evry single day?
Find something you like, and stick with it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course no one is forcing anyone to flash! and yes I do have a preferred ROM, my own custom ROM!
Jack E said:
I think the section should be more organised, e.g. a WM6.5 and 6.5.x subsection with WM build and Manila build specified in tags.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Great idea. I'd love something like that as well. I feel overwhelmed trying to swim through all the choices sometimes.
Hi !
I think some chefs should work toghether creating the best rom ever ;-)Collaboration is the best !!
not wishing to sound elitist, cos im pretty noob at the whole cooking game, but do you not think the lack of a super simple join the dots scheme actually helps prevent accidents by forcing people to do a little investigation themselves?
if it were boiled down to "click here for best rom" people with zero idea what they are actually doing would be flashing like crazy, then complaining when they get a brick.
samsamuel said:
not wishing to sound elitist, cos im pretty noob at the whole cooking game, but do you not think the lack of a super simple join the dots scheme actually helps prevent accidents by forcing people to do a little investigation themselves?
if it were boiled down to "click here for best rom" people with zero idea what they are actually doing would be flashing like crazy, then complaining when they get a brick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think you misunderstood, what we have said is some sort of comparison chart / better named and layed out ROM section would make it easier for everybody. Nobody has stated they want a "click here for the best ROM" system.
eg:
ROM SECTION
--------------------WM 6.5
-----------------------------"Freds rom v1.1" 21889 Manilla 2.5.2010 WWE
-----------------------------"Marys rom v4.5" 21890 Manilla 2.5.1922 GER
--------------------WM 6.5.x
-----------------------------"Andys rom v1.0" 25315 Manilla 2.5.1921 WWE
-----------------------------"Janes rom v2.3" 24001 Manilla 2.5.2010 ITA
whats so wrong with that sort of layout? at least it makes it easaier to find the type of ROM you want rather than trawling through 3 or 4 pages of highly confusing rom names that get all muddled up. Its even worse where some chefs have WM6.5 and 6.5.5 roms with similar names.
Since Leo is currently the most powerful WM device, most cooks definitely would get one, and is understandable lot more cooked roms would be available.
You folks should feel lucky for that. (man, I am still waiting for the NA version...)
jackleung: import one from Australia! 850 3G compatible!
Also, someone tried to create some 'sense' of the ROMs by making www.xdaroms.com but it comes a bit short.
The concept is sound but some things need to happen to make the site great. Namely:
1) Chef support: Dedicated accounts where they can upload freely, add details, etc.
2) UI revision: It looks like the same damn mobile oriented sites we've seen for the past decade
I like the fact that there are many releases and so quickly. I also like the fact chefs are pushing the latest tech to us so quickly even if the rom is not perfect. release early get bug reports release fix etc.. its moving the platform forward and keeping it interesting imho. sure some better organization would be nice but the changelogs on the chefs pages for me do a good job of telling me what's inside the latest creation.
now I have just cooked my own rom I want more faster latest releases of dev branches to play with
I think too that there are too many choices without clear layed out differences between them.
I hope that there were some comparasion but I think its just a matter of variety
There is no substitute for real-life usage bug discovery, so I think releasing newer tech as soon as possible (letting people know that it is sort of beta and will contain bugs) means those bugs can be found and resolved quicker.
Actually, most chefs do tag the topics with WM6.5 or WM6.5.3 and mostly even include the Sense version.
After a while you realize what rom offers what. Personally, i stick with one rom that i am happy with, until the cook changes something that doesn't fit my needs anymore.
Also generally there are concepts to rom design: Some chefs cook roms with particular flavor, i.e. tweaks, hacks, design changes (such as custom task bar, backgrounds, boot splashes), and some just create "stock rom like" roms, that mostly offer either a stock rom with removed junk, or a stock rom with updated components. I prefer the latter.
gfreek said:
Maybe it’s just me but I wanted air my views on current crop of cooked ROM’s. I have been an avid flasher since the glory days of cooked ROM’s from the Hermes (TyTN) era but recently I no longer feel the urge to flash, I guess the novelty has worn off me or I’ve just become a boring old fart whatever but to me it seems that a lot of talented chef feel the need or urge to release a ROM every other day with all the bells and whistle i.e. latest drivers, builds etc…. Quantity rather Quality!! The latest and the greatest does not always mean it’s the best!!!
Initially it’s great to have that choice and flash the ROM of the day until the next, just like a kid in a sweet shop all that choice but surely is it not better to release a ROM a few weeks or month down the line then to release it almost on a daily basis? At least that way one would be able to see significant improvements on the ROM!
I would like to make it clear there are very good cooked ROM’s here that would put some stock ROM’s to shame and with the recent advent of the 576 RAM hack it’s just another valid reason for novice to flash, all I’m saying is can we have more Quality ROM’s then Quantity it’s getting to the point “Too many cook spoil the broth”
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel the same, in fact my new years resolution this year is to only flash stock ROMs!. My HD1 was the worst for it, every other day I would be flashing a new ROM, the pattern would normally go something like this:
Week 1
"Steve" finds a new way of improving speed and creates a ROM including the fix, I flash it but find that a few other things are broken.
Week 2
"Sam" then builds a ROM with the new speed improvement and nothing broken. So I flash it. But then realise that its blisteringly fast, because the ROM has nothing in it!
Week 3
"John" then builds a ROM that looks beautiful and has many applications, but lacks the new speed improvements. I flash, and am back to square one! And the cycle continues...
I don't think its anybodies fault, and I don't want anything to change, but I think that perhaps some of the more experienced users are feeling a little jaded now. Whereas the newer users are still in the honeymoon phase of being able to flash new, varied ROMs! I also think that there is more competition between chef's these days, and users demand the new discoveries in their favourite ROMs. (576mb / 1gz for example), meaning that the cycle is becoming ever shorter, as people are discovering new things almost daily!
it is very hard to flash rom every day this way you cannot keep any data on deice you need to inistall programms every day apply tweaks every day so so hard
Schooleydoo said:
I feel the same, in fact my new years resolution this year is to only flash stock ROMs!. My HD1 was the worst for it, every other day I would be flashing a new ROM, the pattern would normally go something like this:
Week 1
"Steve" finds a new way of improving speed and creates a ROM including the fix, I flash it but find that a few other things are broken.
Week 2
"Sam" then builds a ROM with the new speed improvement and nothing broken. So I flash it. But then realise that its blisteringly fast, because the ROM has nothing in it!
Week 3
"John" then builds a ROM that looks beautiful and has many applications, but lacks the new speed improvements. I flash, and am back to square one! And the cycle continues...
I don't think its anybodies fault, and I don't want anything to change, but I think that perhaps some of the more experienced users are feeling a little jaded now. Whereas the newer users are still in the honeymoon phase of being able to flash new, varied ROMs! I also think that there is more competition between chef's these days, and users demand the new discoveries in their favourite ROMs. (576mb / 1gz for example), meaning that the cycle is becoming ever shorter, as people are discovering new things almost daily!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said, I couldn't agree more!
All true and all the different choices don't make it easier but I do notice I usually stick to a few cooks having my favorite roms...
I mean, I like a certain windows build, certain looks (default white clock, no transparent stuff), some basic apps and functionality, no need for a document tab, etc...
As a result I stick mostly to the Miri roms (and every now and then I try another, now running energy since I really liked that on the touch pro) so once you have your mind made up about what you want in general a number already drops out of the picture.
Wouldn't it be better to ask some of this enthusiastic "chiefs" to help developping Android instead for developping redundant versions of windows mobile in different "flavours". It is just waste of time. We need Android, where the real fun is!
It makes sense (to me) that if Google saw the fantastic efforts of chefs on XDA, they would probably consider releasing the tools/equipment to ensure a 100% experience on current WM6.5 models.
Lots of WM users are facing a switch to a new OS soon but not necessarily ready to part with new hardware. It seems a good way of boosting their users by a couple of 100,000/million or so.
I was just wondering if this is a (remote) possibility, apologies if this is a ridiculous question
Google would gain nothing compared to antagonising ms and htc. yes they sue each other weekly, but this would be annoying them for no gain.
besides which, they don't need to, its already shaping up to be one of the smoothest ports so far, so even less reason to rock the boat.
They do not give a hoot about their users.
They care a great deal about their next "buyers". I am waiting for that great piece of hardware that will come from AT&T with Windows Phone 7 on it! So, I can put WinMo 6.5 and my Cookie to work. The best thing about WP 7 is that MS will not care what we do with <7 versions. It can become a real OS of the people, for the people, by the people, because the revenue center is behind them now. When was the last time that MS had much to do with your <7 OS? All of you <7 users don't dispair. MS thought enough of you to give you Officve Mobile 2010 didn't they? If they were going to abandon you they would have done just that. Let the WP7 people Twitter their life away. I have work to do!
Clue: It is not going to be the OS that keeps you from doing what you want to do with your phone. It is going to be the manufacturer of the phone and their customer, the cell provider.