Database Users

Questions about the XDA2 from a novice

I'm about to buy one of these, but I've had trouble finding info about it. Everywhere just has the same basic list, so here's my questions:
1. Does it come with it's own cable/cradle, or other means of connectivity?
2. Does it come with a memory card? How big? And how much internal memory?
3. I am currently using a SonyEricsson P800, and the MP3 player is one of my favourite features. Can I play MP3s just as easily on this? And is it straight forward enough transferring them to the device?
4. Does it have MMS? If so, how functional is it? The P800's was excelent, allowing multiple pages, variable time per page, sound, multiple pictures, etc etc. But before that I had a Nokia 7650 which was limited to one picture with text, and no sound.
5. Flight mode?
6. Does bluetooth allow transfer of files to and from Symbian devices like the P800 and the Nokia 7650, 6600, etc?
7. Are any JAVA applications supported, or just the native Pocket PC format?
8. Anything else cool you wanna tell me?
9. Where can I find the full spec for this device? On here or another site?
Thanks in advance. I hope at least some of my questions can be answered

My answers..
1. Cradle, Ir and BT is included.
2. Mine comes with a dummy card, but try looking around for special offers. If i were you, I get a 256mb card. Why? When you do backing up, you are sure to use the Storage card memory to put it in. A 128MB SDcard is just not enough.
Internal RAM Size is 128Mbs, considered big for todays PDA standards.
3. MP3s? Simple to do it. But Infact, I dun download MP3s now to the XDAII cause the size is big. What i do is compress it to WMA (half the size) and still get good quality music. Just use your Desktop Windows Media Player to do it and even download it to the PDA from there.
4. MMS? Yes...but i'm not using MMS so can't really comment.
5. Flight mode? Yes. Just click on the Signal icon and select flight mode.
6. I really dunno. I use BT only for the Headset functions.
7. Depends on the ROM type. Mine does support Javas after downloading a software. But why Java? Pocket PC application and games are much more better...trust me.
8. Cool?..Yes, but wait for the XDAIII or even the new HP63XX?
Think that way.
If you still insist on the XDAII, I can say the screen, speed, memory and design is superb. The phone reception is comparable to any Nokia set.
9. You can try http://www.my-xda.com/ or look around in googles
I'm sure other members will help out.

Cheers Just remembered another one:
10. Does it come with a hand strap?

Nope, but it comes with a waist strap.
I think the XDA II is one of the fastest in it's class. 400mhz and the screen quality is great in comparison with other Pocket PC Phone. I was able to watch my 2 hour length movie just like I would with my iPaq.
It has fast bus, everything is much faster than my previous pocket pc. The great thing about this is that, which I just found out, if the OS crash, you can still use the phone function. Someone here said it's like 2 device, phone and pda.

Greetings fellow Nottinghamian!
Ex P800 and P900 user here, some points.
1. No, it doesn't come with a lanyard (hand strap) and I can't see anywhere to attach one. Looking back this would have been a good idea as I worry about the metal finish of the XDA2 slipping through my hands
2. It's slightly bigger than a P900, but the funtionality makes up for it. 400Mhz of raw power in your hand. Emulators, Games, flawless MP3/video playback and of course on the wonderful big screen.
3. The Px00 was a phone first, and a PDA second. The XDA2 is a PDA first, phone second. The phone side of the XDA2 is pretty good, especially when combined with a BT headset, but may lack features that you're used to, like T9 input.
4. SD memory is far cheaper and more available than Memory Stick DUO. Be sure to buy a fast SD card though, some people have reported problems with Sandisk cards. My cheapo Viking Interworks one from eBuyer works a treat!
5. Get a sync and charge cable or a second charger - the features on the XDA2 take their toll on the battery, but if you charge it nightly you'll be fine. I keep my cradle and charger at work and my sync & charge cable at home.
6. The camera on the XDA2 is still a VGA (640x480) camera like the Px00 but the CCD is far better and produces much nicer pictures. The camera also does a good job of taking video. There's no limit to video lengths either, unlike the stock P800.
7. There are several features in the pipeline for the XDA2. Windows Mobile 2003SE is a possible upgrade, featuring things like landscape mode and Blackberry support. Also, you can add a WiFi card to the XDA2 to access wireless hotspots (try the Broadway Cinema on Broad Street!).
I think that's it for now, but I'll post again if I remember anything.

Eeeeeehhhh!
What a coincidence. 2 P800-come-XDA2 users in the same city :lol:
Bit of an arse about the hand strap thing. I use mine ALL the time on my P800. You can't be too careful. Are you sure there's nowhere to attach one? Not even under the battery cover?

Ex-P800 user.
I used my P800 for 13 months before upgrading to an XDA2. Within hours of getting my XDA I felt like I'd just thrown my money away ever getting a P800 in the first place.
The XDA is FAR superior. The video and music capabilities as excellent.
As for T9 dialling, I have purchased PhonePlus II. It is superb and makes up for the only real weak part of the XDA 2 which was the phone functionality.
I also dropped my P800 a lot, 'cos I never used the shoulder strap. I haven't dropped my XDA2 yet but I'm sure the leather case will provide excellent protection. (Mine's insured anyway so I'll get a new one if I break it.)
Hope this helps...

Sounds good
I'm still going to look into attaching a wrist strap though. Coulda kept the one off my faulty digital camera, since the dumb ***** at argos never checked the box contents before she refunded me. I coulda kept the camera an' all :lol:

Have a look at the xda2 skin case here http://www.pdamods.com/proddetail.asp?prod=XDA2SCCS
I know it doesnt show it in the photos, but I think it has a tab for a wrist strap

Just ordered my XDA2!!!
I'll let you know how I get on

how do you feel about the newer n95 type phones

How do you feel about phones like the Nokia N95,
while we watch the spec roll out for pda's the symbian guys ,are getting really good
N95 specs ,wifi,tv out,HSDPA (3.5G) device, but also boasts Wi-Fi, WCDMA, quad-band GSM, Bluetooth (including A2DP), IrDA and USB 2.0 connectivity (via mini USB connector). Other hardware features include a 5 megapixel camera, a built in GPS, TV-Out, 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio, a MicroSD memory card slot and 150MB of internal memory.
MP3, AAC, AAC+ and WMA. Video playback 3GP, Real Video and MP4 with support for the latest AVC codec.
Feature's like firmware over the air updates, 2.6" QVGA 16 million color display, 3D graphics, built-in stereo speakers offering a 3D stereo effect
At 99mm x 20mm x 53mm
now ok its symbian and no windows etc,and not really a pda but they are managing to get the specs we want in our pda's,
Furthermore they are doing it with small neat relaible devices,with decent battery life
I think its good to bring such things into the mainstream,people who dont know a thing about pda's or smartphone's will be using the spec of the phone and that can only raise the bar for other devices
Myself i will have a look and if it turns out to be as good as it looks.i have no problem to switching to one,if it provides what i need ,email,net,gps ,wifi and decent storage with a good phone
then i will get more beneift day to day than with current pda's
How do the rest of you feel about it all?
will you wait till the dream pda comes along or will you jump ship and get a device that just works

Personally I still dont understand why GPRS or EDGE windows mobile devices are still being made - in the last 3 years not one 2.5g symbian device has been made - they have ALL been 3G, yet all but 3 or 4 windows mobile devices are 2.5G
WHY!!?
if your going to make "smart"phones boasting internet explorer, and fancy iknternet features like remote desktop and most importantly exchange access then why use the slowest possible internet connection
yes you can get wm phones with wifi, but 3g covers 87% of the country (at least on orange it does) - wifi covers something like 30%, and will p retty much never be available when you really need it
I REALLY want a pocket pc phone, but I NEED to have the 3g internet at least - ive tried going back to 2.5g, which lasted precisely 3 days before I went back to my 6680 - and the 3g pocket pcs are so god damned expensive that I cant afford them because theres so bloddy few of them.
Hopefully, I will end up with enough money to get a HTC Universal, but until then I'm sticking with my 6680, which has never even hung up, and provides dead-on 384Kbps 100% of the time its on 3g, which is more than can be said for the n series (oh, and I'm perfectly happy paying £4 a mb on my orange tarriff because of their excellent 3g services - they also have a pay £1 get a days unlimited internet tariff, which i use frequently)
so...to sum up, im probably posting in completely the wrong place, but im just trying to make the point - the ONLY reason i have a symbian phone is because windows mobile just doesnt live up to the devices its put on, and hasnt really advanced in a damned long time, whereas symbian seems to get a new feature every 90 seconds and a new HIGH END, RELIABLE device every 90 days or so.
All hail SE - but not nokia, I wont be surprised if that n95 will break pretty quickly considering its so close to the cutting edge line and nokia probably havent done much to the backend code, personally I will be waiting for the n95 (mainly cause i definately wont be able to afford it, and I cant have a contract)
So I guess now the choice for me is an overexpensive old windows mobile device, stick with my trusted 6680 for a while, or get another symbian

Im an exec owner and as mention in another thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=1138793
ive had my fill of microsoft,places like this make the windows pda great not microsoft,and they refuse to see this and turn out crap
im going to treo or nokia next as they deliver

sorry broswer and dial up issue double post

A few questions regarding the Prophet...

Hi everyone - just stumbled onto this forum in search of a few answers that I can't seem to find anywhere else (at least not all in one place...), but I'm guessing most of the people here should make short work of my questions.
I've just ordered an O2 XDA Neo, which should be here within the next three days or so - and I've got a few questions as to which software and accessories etc. I'll be needing. I'm a complete n00b when it comes to Windows Mobile, so a few of the questions may seem a bit obvious or stupid... sorry in advance!
1. Windows Mobile 5.0 vs. 6.0 - how big is the difference? What's the big advantage of 6.0? Is upgrading worth the trouble? Are the ROMs available on this forum legal?
2. I'd like a halfway decent video player - what would you guys recommend? What formats should I be aiming for? 320x240 is pretty obvious (does the Prophet do full screen without problems? i.e. rotated 90 degrees so that it fills the whole screen, etc.?). Is the proc fast enough to decode DivX/Xvid in that resolution? Or should I consider encoding in MPG format?
3. I want to use regular headphones (3.5mm jack, TRS) with the Prophet, so obviously I need an adaptor - does anyone know what the pin layout on the Prophet's 2.5mm jack is? Is a regular 2.5mm TRS => 3.5mm TRS converter enough? Or does it need to switch the layout around or something?
4. I've read that it isn't possible to switch off internet access via GPRS (which I'd actually like to do, since I'll only be using Internet while I'm in reach of a WLAN) - is this true? Any workarounds? The costs for GPRS here in Germany are outrageous, so I'd like to prevent any costly accidents ...
5. What's a decent music player for the Prophet? Preferably something with good playlists and ReplayGain...
6. How's the battery life? Is it worth getting a second battery (or two) and a charging station so that I can always carry a charged spare around with me?
7. Are there any decent instant messengers like GAIM for Windows Mobile? I'd like something that can do ICQ and MSN at the same time, if possible...
Well, that's it for now, but I'll probably think of some more later - thanks in advance!

bemymonkey said:
Hi everyone - just stumbled onto this forum in search of a few answers that I can't seem to find anywhere else (at least not all in one place...), but I'm guessing most of the people here should make short work of my questions.
I've just ordered an O2 XDA Neo, which should be here within the next three days or so - and I've got a few questions as to which software and accessories etc. I'll be needing. I'm a complete n00b when it comes to Windows Mobile, so a few of the questions may seem a bit obvious or stupid... sorry in advance!
1. Windows Mobile 5.0 vs. 6.0 - how big is the difference? What's the big advantage of 6.0? Is upgrading worth the trouble? Are the ROMs available on this forum legal?
2. I'd like a halfway decent video player - what would you guys recommend? What formats should I be aiming for? 320x240 is pretty obvious (does the Prophet do full screen without problems? i.e. rotated 90 degrees so that it fills the whole screen, etc.?). Is the proc fast enough to decode DivX/Xvid in that resolution? Or should I consider encoding in MPG format?
3. I want to use regular headphones (3.5mm jack, TRS) with the Prophet, so obviously I need an adaptor - does anyone know what the pin layout on the Prophet's 2.5mm jack is? Is a regular 2.5mm TRS => 3.5mm TRS converter enough? Or does it need to switch the layout around or something?
4. I've read that it isn't possible to switch off internet access via GPRS (which I'd actually like to do, since I'll only be using Internet while I'm in reach of a WLAN) - is this true? Any workarounds? The costs for GPRS here in Germany are outrageous, so I'd like to prevent any costly accidents ...
5. What's a decent music player for the Prophet? Preferably something with good playlists and ReplayGain...
6. How's the battery life? Is it worth getting a second battery (or two) and a charging station so that I can always carry a charged spare around with me?
7. Are there any decent instant messengers like GAIM for Windows Mobile? I'd like something that can do ICQ and MSN at the same time, if possible...
Well, that's it for now, but I'll probably think of some more later - thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
here are some anwsers I can bring you regarding to my experience with prophet.I own one for one year now.
1° > I used official prophet rom for more than 8 month (WM5 powered) and I deciced to upgrade to WM6 here.I swear you I'll never downgrade to wm5 again, this is really slow compared to cooked wm6 roms from here (especially Cross 4000x ones).
There is no BIG difference comparing wm5 and wm6, but wm6 is quite less buggy. (that does not mean that wm6 is not )
2° for video playing I highly recommend you the use of TCPMP (fast, stable, it can read many formats, even youtube videos with a plugin), no prb for full screen video ,just need to be around 240x320 sized. If you find your prophet is a little bit to slow, Proc can be overclocked with "battery status plugin" that you can find on this forum .Allows you to speed up around 247Mhz (180Mhz is ogirinal speed).
3°) i use a very regular converter i bought 5€ on the net. no problem with it.
4° never heard of this gprs problem ,I do connect to WLAN only, so I just desactivated ALL gprs connection .
5° TCPMP supports MP3 format too, but some of WM6 roms (like 4.0.0.0.5b) uses a plugin on today screen that allows you to play mp3 playlists easily.
6° As many pocket Pc's , battery life is quite short, consider that 3 days are the maximum you can reach, with normal use .
I do charge mine every 2 days. (good to know that you charge it on your pc via usb port too) The last roms cooked here do not drain too much. I highly recommend you the use of 4.0.0.0.5b cross (only with tuouchflo).
Wifi is highly greedy !
You also can find some 1800mA, 2500mA or even 3000mA batteries on the net, just search for google or ebay.Not tested this.
7°) There is an official msn messenger on wm5 and windows live messenger on wm6, didn't tried other !
hope that I could help you !
sorry for my frenglish.

Hi Ogre, thanks a lot! That's helped me a lot already...
However... any hints as to the legitimacy of the Windows Mobile 6.0 ROMs available here? How buggy are they exactly?
And another question - how does the Prophet handle Skype and other VoIP apps? Is it fast enough?

I own my Prophet for over a year.
I never upgraded to WM6 cause I was too chicken but I am considering it now that I here the versions stabilized.
Now as for "legitimacy" of the ROMs: HTC never did and never said they were planning an official WM6 ROM for the Prophet so you will not find a "legal" ROM anywhere.
That said you should know this:
If you by your phone form a cell company on a contract any modification even opening the ext. ROM (which is just a registry hack) will void warranty unless you put everything back as it was (which could be a problem on a malfunctioning phone).
What this means is - even if HTC ever does release an official ROM update for your phone you can not use it without voiding warranty and will have to depend on O2 to make their own version (which will not happen until HTC provides them with one).
As for Skype:
It seems to work ok for me (don't use it much) but only when I overclock to 260.
Otherwise the sound is crappy and the program hangs every now and then.

Hi, same thing here, one year owner, I'll try to complete the two other posts which are already good answers.
bemymonkey said:
I've read that it isn't possible to switch off internet access via GPRS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you don't set any GPRS connection up, where could it connect to ?
bemymonkey said:
What's a decent music player for the Prophet? Preferably something with good playlists and ReplayGain...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd highly recommand Mortplayer, but you could find it a little slow, so.... GS Player is a good (and still free) alternative.
bemymonkey said:
How's the battery life? Is it worth getting a second battery (or two) and a charging station so that I can always carry a charged spare around with me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's always too low
I charge mine every night in day to day use, cause it wouldn't handle a second day of normal use (mp3 listening with BT headset, appts & tasks editing, some phone calls and sms typing/sending, and a bit of internet browing / emails)
I use the best battery available, 1800mh/a, check ebay for it around 20€ (I got a free charger with it). Higher batteries are bigger and need an extra cover.
bemymonkey said:
Are there any decent instant messengers like GAIM for Windows Mobile? I'd like something that can do ICQ and MSN at the same time, if possible...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was using IM+ which did a good job, but just discovered the soft I was looking for since ages
Fring, it can do ICQ, MSN, google talk, Skype (!) and SIP at the same time !!!
It's free, still need development but is already VERY efficient.
++
niko

Hey everyone... thanks for the replies ... you've helped out a lot.
Downloading Fring right now (still waiting for that damned sms )...
Anyone else's SD card REALLY slow? I don't really have any other SD cards or even devices which use them, but my Kingston card is extremely slow - about 5 minutes to transfer 25MB via the cable... is my card incompatible with the phone? Or is that pretty much normal?

Transferring files via ActiveSync is slow. Also your device only has USB 1.1
If you want to transfer large files to your SD I recommend you get a USB 2 card reader - some sites sell them as cheap as 3$.
Alternatively try WM5STORAGE it improves a little on AS speed.

Hmmm, looks like I'll be getting a cardreader... why is this crap so expensive?
Thanks for all your help, everyone!

bemymonkey said:
Hmmm, looks like I'll be getting a cardreader... why is this crap so expensive?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
??? I can get one for 5€..

I Learned It : )
Thank;s

what's the most suitable WM6.1 ROM for me? ^ ^

hi guys, I bought a BA recently, & I found this forum, HEAVEN!!!
I:
-play a lot of mp3 through earphone, TCPMP is my only player
-run on 3600mAh battery, battery life is my life
-play video clip @ <500kbps occasionally
-share file with other devices & active sync through BT
-do simple phone operations like sms & calling only, not using BT headset or what
-want stability
or which rom has least problem (& what are they?) apart from being free from any problems related to the above?
thanks for any possible guidance

generally, our WM6.0 or 6.1 is designed for latest handheld with vga screen, higher speed, better hardware so each ROM has its own characteristics... you should do trial and error... practices make perfect bro...
cheers
evo
PS:dont worry of making mistakes.. all the information that you need is here.. happy upgrading

I'm pretty new to BA like you are. What I've learned so far is that you need to try each ROM yourself and see how your device responds to it. I'm guessing that these BAs are like any other piece of computer hardware. You can have 5 devices all exactly alike and get 8 different responses as to which works best.
Some units have problems with Wifi depending on which ROM you use. That's been my biggest issue is trying to find a ROM that'll let me use Wifi without too many headaches. I've had mine for like a month or so now and I'm still flipping ROMs to compare.
Swampy just came out with a new one which I need to try, and Sundream mentioned he'll have a new one soon too. Xplode said he would a while back, but I'm still waiting on that one as well.
Unfortunately there isn't a sticky with a list of ROMs that list each person and their latest ROM. That would be incredibly handy and help clean up the forums a bit I'd think.

Repurpose HTC HD2 as wifi only music player/tablet?

Hi Everyone,
Now that I have a shiny new HTC One X I am looking to repurpose my much loved HTC HD2. I think this will be the case for many people here so would like some ideas on how to best use my old HD2
I would like to run it as a music player/tablet much like an android based ipod touch or android tablet where there is no phone functionality or sim required only wifi connectivity.
Does anyone know of a ROM suited to this at all?
Currently without a valid sim and network I am unable to download apps from the play store.
Really it probably needs to be a rom based on a tablet i think....
Any ideas much appreciated.

I haven't tried this before, but you might give it a shot.
Just turn airplane mode on and use Market Enabler to stimulate a simcard.

If I decided to keep my HD2 after getting a new phone, I'd flash the lightest WM6.5 ROM I could find, probably one without Sense/GUI, and make it launch iGO on boot.
Unfortunately, WM6.5 iGO8 is still the best navigation piece of software, and with pinch-to-zoom hacks it works perfectly on HD2.

What about gaming? If you don't want gaming, then flash a WinMo or possibly WP7 ROM, but if you do want to use gaming as well then CM9/AOKP with HWA is definitely the way to go. Sense has the best music player app though, so maybe a GB Sense build would be good (I think one of them actually has HWA enabled too).

I going to go for keeping android on there i think.
I've set it up with a tune in radio widget which I can keep in synch with my phone and tablet.
Turning airplane mode on then the wifi back on sorts my network issues just fine too.
Market enabler works a treat to for O2 UK.
Now I just need to find a docking station for it so that it can sit happily alongside my stereo.
Cheers.

you could give SENSe ROM + Beats a try
music does sound a little better but that can be done also with other ROMS + enhancements apps.