Database Info

"myO2" on xdaII: can it be copied from xdaI?

It was the app that I probably used the most, so is it possible? Yell searches and contacts integration, news etc. it really was the app I most valued whilst on the move.
It had active update as part of it... has anyone ever gotten anything through the version on the xdaII? I don't know whether there aren't any updates or whether mine's knackered.
Also, on another note I have just called o2 for the 10th time trying to get some costly text alerts to me stopped. The calls are costing me a fortune and each time they tell me that, yes, there will be no more alerts... but there always are. I really am getting sick to the high teeth of o2's crappy service. Any advice / specific numbers to call before I kick them to the kerb?
TIA guys.

The My O2 application is something I really miss now that I have switched from an XDA I to the XDA II.
If you manage to resolve this I would be really grateful if you could let me know.
Regards

I'm one of the Active Engine testers and do have access to the WM client. Unfortunately when loaded on my Xda II and one tries to use the updater to bring in the O2 system nothing is ever received, so I think they have dumped the system.
The USA 'channels' are available but not mant of those are of use to us in the UK.

I miss the access to Yell and also to AA Roadwatch / Routeplanning.
Why didnt they carry forward that application to the XDA II.
Steve

Well I guess they must have had a fal out with the AE Corp, plus think there are alternatives via the mobile web... yeah right..

Good News on Crossbow availability!

I just attended a session with our Corporate wireless providers: Verizon, Cingular and Sprint regarding US devices.
When I specifically asked the question "Will you be providing WM6 updates to existing devices", the answer was pretty much universally "Yes"
Very unexpected! From an HTC standpoint, this covers Wizard, Hermes and Apache handhelds and may be one of the reasons behind why we've been seeing leaked WM6 ROMs for these devices already. Palm enthusiasts should see the 700W series refreshed as well. I'm not in a position to speak Internationally here, but for the US at least, this is very welcome news!
I believe the reason is that WM6 contains significant security enhancements that are pretty much business driven: SD encryption tops the list here. Windows Update is also huge (especially now, given the DST patch issues with corporate IT staffs trying to roll it out to mobile users).
Additionally, WM6 is closer to an AKU refresh than it is to a whole new OS. Crossbow resembles AKU3.x in many respects.
Bottom line: It doesn't appear that the "Buy a new device to get WM6" mentality is going to play out with WM6. From a device pipeline perspective, there's reasons for this too. Lot's of cool new stuff is coming. That, not the promise of a fixed or patched OS, should always be the device upgrade enticement IMO.

What about Uni?
Edit: Nevermind. Forgot that no carrier has Uni in the US.

this is great news. it does contradict a lot of other view's i've read.
some ass burglar on howardforums.com told me (very nastily too) that the wizard support will be at end of life in a couple of months. hence, no wm6 official rom update from carriers.
rebuttal, anyone?

hiimcliff said:
this is great news. it does contradict a lot of other view's i've read.
some ass burglar on howardforums.com told me (very nastily too) that the wizard support will be at end of life in a couple of months. hence, no wm6 official rom update from carriers.
rebuttal, anyone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't see that happening. I bought my Cingular 8125 when they first rolled out with my local Cingular store in February, 2006 and had to sign a 2-year agreement. They'd BETTER support it for the full 2 years of my contract, or I'll be going elsewhere. Doesn't matter to me, though. It's already unlocked, so I can use it on ANY carrier's network.
Would just be a "bust" for Cingular, though -- with all the business I've sent their way after being a satisfied customer for 8 years. I can always send people somewhere else, too.

The 8125 isn't on Cingular's EOL list. The 2125 is however....

Sleuth255 said:
The 8125 isn't on Cingular's EOL list. The 2125 is however....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't matter. . . I'm already running Crossbow. I figured "why wait for Cingular??" I didn't want all that JUNK in their Extended ROM, anyway.

Hey sleuth, If the 8125 isn't there on cingular's list, do u know if its there on T-mobile list (for the MDA?), we can always take a little "help" from t-mobile ROMs to update the other lesser priviledged wizard variants...

Sorry, I've not heard anything about TMo devices.

Well, with pressure from other telco company, i'm pretty sure tmob will need to do something about it. The question is now then.. WHEN

Glad to here that the carriers will be giving this update.....its about time.

in my country, o2 zinc was just released with wm5... and i was just thinking that this is a sign that wm6 wouldn't be available for my dopod 838pro...
this is truely good news indeed... infact it's better then windows vista which is crap now that i've tested it...

hanmin said:
Well, with pressure from other telco company, i'm pretty sure tmob will need to do something about it. The question is now then.. WHEN
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good question, that.
A few months ago (after I got my V2... around September last year), I was speaking to a TM tech support guy as he was setting up my HSDPA (managed to get it sorted before they got all arsey about non-corp customers ringing up and asking for it ). I asked him about any possible roadmap for Crossbow for the Hermes and other capable devices, and he said that they had absolutely no plans for at least the next 12 to 18 months regarding WM6 rollout or availability for their existing supported devices.
Of course, I hope this changes given the US carriers saying yes (from what I've read above), but I can't imagine TM will jump on it quicksharp. I'd expect O2 to offer it first out of anyone.

I would assume, then, that those of us running HTC unbranded/unlocked products will eventually get them. My TyTN is just a month old and I borderline hate it (running the original 7/06 ROM- I'm too much of a coward to hack an updated ROM into it)
But I'm in Chicago enjoying 3G love (on a $25 unlimited legacy blue plan) and it's like heroin: there's no way I could go back my to my Treo 650. So this will keep my hopes alive for the time being.

What has the world come to?

I just got done reading a PM from someone who bought a used phone. And guess what they had on it, My Vanilla ROM.
Guys if you are going to sell your phones, please flash them back to factory. I dont think its smart to sell it with my rom or any other bleeding edge rom. These releases are still considered to be testing.

I understand your concerns and I agree...but I think that if we (as a community) are sharing ROM's...this is one of those things that is going to happen and we'll have to live with ya know...

agree with j3d1n4s7y (pain to copy out!lol)
and i agree with you nottoosmart.
if the seller didnt make it a selling point then, it shouldnt matter. but if the seller was saying 'oooo loooky here, wm6-rare!!!!!!buy me!' then the seller frankly is an idiot!

"What is the world coming to?" ?
Frankly, I don't see what the issue is. As long as the seller clearly indicates that the phone is running a third-party ROM, such as mUn's, then what's the problem? Undeniably, the person ought mention such information, but that's just an issue falling under the category of normal auction and commerce etiquette (i.e., that one should always disclose any major modifications made to a device).
Most people would be happy to get a phone pre-installed with mUn's ROM (regardless of what it's re-branded as). The functionality and stability of the mUn WM6 ROM you speak of are real and significant improvements over the OEM's ROMs.
This thread seems little more than public boasting.
cheers.
fluxist

fluxist said:
Frankly, I don't see what the issue is. As long as the seller clearly indicates that the phone is running a third-party ROM, such as mUn's, then what's the problem? Undeniably, the person ought mention such information, but that's just an issue falling under the category of normal auction and commerce etiquette (i.e., that one should always disclose any major modifications made to a device).
Most people would be happy to get a phone pre-installed with mUn's ROM (regardless of what it's re-branded as). The functionality and stability of the mUn WM6 ROM you speak of are real and significant improvements over the OEM's ROMs.
This thread seems little more than public boasting.
cheers.
fluxist
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
much agreed

People are now SELLING the cooked roms...
Check out what I found on craigslist...
http://vancouver.craigslist.org/ele/294772477.html

not cheap either lool

anichillus said:
not cheap either lool
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know... If I wasn't worrying about M$ getting up my ass, I'd sell your rom at a lower price than that guy and we can split the profits...

Selling cooked roms
OK, I guess I have to disagree with a lot of you folks here. I think it is a bad idea to sell cooked roms. The problem is with people who are new to pocket pc's and to WM5 and WM6. If you will remember, there is a learning curve to these devices, and the extra complexity of many cooked roms adds to the confusion. Also, where are they going to get help for their questions about WM6? or where do they turn to when their comm manager screen doesn't look like the one in the picture? Is the seller going to offer support? Likely not, probably they will refer them to this forum and they will end up PMing the rom chef indignantly, expecting their help.
Leave the stock rom in place. If you want to unlock the device, fine, but put it back the way you found it. That way the people who buy them know where to turn for support. (Microsoft, or the carrier).
Regards,

Make it Factory!
Heck even if you update to the original carriers latest rom, thats fine. You are doing the next guy a favor. But just think of it this way.
If you DONT flash it back to a factory rom, can you really be sure that you have removed all your personal info from the device?
Ever hear about the 100's of HDs that are bought and sold on ebay without being security wipped? Phone numbers, B-Days, eww its ripe for the identity thief.
If you have taken the time to unlock it and play with it, have the common courtesy to put it back to a carrier supported format.
btw Great rom there NTS

sellling cooked roms WTF?!

jacob-mda said:
sellling cooked roms WTF?!
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Click to collapse
I second that!!!!!!

Here is another person selling on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...E:L:RTQ:CA:1&viewitem=&item=120106155132&rd=1
Updating Roms are great but they need support for what they have purchased.

lol i love it..some sorta powerseller this jackass is..
Description (revised) Seller assumes all responsibility for listing this item.
Item Specifics - PDAs
Manufacturer:
--
Installed Memory (RAM) (MB):
--
Model/Series:
--
Condition:
--
Features:
Bluetooth, Camera Built-In, Color Screen, Email/Web, MP3 Player, Phone Built-In, Video Player
This translation is provided as a service. eBay cannot guarantee its accuracy. View Item Specifics in original language.
SquareTrade Seal Member
SquareTrade Seal Member
SquareTrade © AP6.0
Like New Unlocked Cingular 8525 ( HTC Tytn ) Quadband GSM World Phone & Windows Mobile 6 /w 2gb Microsd & TomTom GPS Navigation Installed (US edition) Buy with Confidence from a PowerSeller! This is one of a kind phone.. Its fully unlocked, Loaded with Windows mobile 6 and TomTom 6 edition and it works great! Just Send me if you have any questions! The phone does work with Tmobile Tzones $5.99 settings.. I can setup the right ports for you! Dont miss this auction.. Included Accessories CaseUSB CableAC AdaptorBattery Overview Cingular Exclusive! Check out North America's first 3G UMTS/HSDPA Pocket PC with multiple mobile email options. It is interchangeable on both 3G UMTS/HSDPA and traditional GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks for global coverage. Use this all-in-one global handheld for email, simultaneous voice and data, and other wireless application needs at broadband speeds. Its high powered 400 MHz processor and industry leading email options will keep you on top of your game. It includes Microsoft Windows® Mobile 5.0 with Direct Push Technology, Bluetooth® v2.0, and even Wi-Fi. If you feel the need for mobile speed this is one Pocket PC you won't leave home without. Included Features Cingular Exclusive - Ultra fast 3G UMTS/HSDPA Pocket PCSingle integrated device for simultaneous voice, data, and emailMicrosoft Windows® Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC with Messaging & Security PackMicrosoft Direct Push Technology - Email, calendar, contacts & tasksGo global with Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA and Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGEGood Mobile Messaging, ActiveSync, & Xpress MailMusic, MP3 and video support - Windows Media Player 10 MobileSliding QWERTY keyboard with trackwheel for easy navigationMicrosoft Office® Mobile - Access Word, Excel, PowerPoint filesBluetooth 2.0® wireless connectivity -use multiple accessories simultaneously2 MP camera with video and flashTethers to your laptop as a high-speed modemMultimedia, text and instant messagingIntegrated Wi-Fi (802.11 b.g) and infrared connectivityVoice command and voice dialing

Ok, let me state the issue with this......
I got 3 PM's through the forum about support of this. I know this sounds like me coping out on support, but I am not about to support someone who does not know anything or has not spent the time reading the posts here. Most of the PM's I get are from people who have done the research here and not just saying "BTW I bought a device with your ROM on it, can you help me do this or that"

nottoosmart said:
I got 3 PM's through the forum about support of this. I know this sounds like me coping out on support, but I am not about to support someone who does not know anything or has not spent the time reading the posts here. Most of the PM's I get are from people who have done the research here and not just saying "BTW I bought a device with your ROM on it, can you help me do this or that"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree with this. Its very similar to the people that are seeing posts in PC Mag, and other places about WM6 roms for the wizard can be found here. They come here and start flashing before they even know what they are doing then start demanding (and yes I mean demanding) people to fix their phone they have now screwed up (I get numerous PM's from people that want me to be their personal support center and tell them step by step how to do things. Most of those PMs get deleted or I will point them to one of the how to threads and not answer further PMs from them. I'll continue to assist people that post in the forums, but am starting to ignore ones that its pretty obvious they haven't even tried looking before asking. I love the ones that ask for where to download a rom, and just a couple of posts above theirs is a link someone posted.

Tmobile Win Mob 6.1

Afternoon guys, Flame me if this has already been discussed but thought I pass the news of my repaired Vario 3... It had upon it Winmob 6.1...HEHEHEHE oh
Unfortunately I had to pass the poor little blighter back has it still had not fixed my original issue.
Thankfully as this issue has been going on for a while they kindly replaced it with a brand new Vario 3
The bad news the new Vario 3 had Winmob 6.0... Ah never mind. Any how, SBE are T-Mobile’s logistics repair centre and if this is the case then the official release should be soon on the web site (Well I hope, but I could be proven wrong.)
Apologises is this is old news... I've not had the time to search the issue, but know from past experience it can take a while from SBE to official.

This is all good and all but I don't understand why t - mobile have taken so damm long to rollout windows mobile 6 to its HTC devices. Its been out for a while now after all ...

psychoben87 said:
This is all good and all but I don't understand why t - mobile have taken so damm long to rollout windows mobile 6 to its HTC devices. Its been out for a while now after all ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I spoke with a Tmobile insider, I've even seen the Demo room in Hatfield where all the little devices are on show to the business peeps. I got the impression from both parties that the testing of this device along side the network must be fully working. If anything fails they start again and put the date back. But may I stress both parties were coy to admit what the faults were.
I dared to mention the Vario4 and a smirk came along his face with the Phrase "i'm not at libilty to say when that device will be available"

About time! I'd almost given up hope!
Shame I've fallen in love with Manila type ROM's now.... but this should be useful to flash the device back to stock T-Mobile whenever I come to sell it on or have a problem.
Thanks for the news, I'll keep a look out for it.
(And hopefull Tmobile will release the Vario4 soon, Im looking to upgrade in December! If not... I'll have to take my business somewhere else!)

I recently received my UK Vario III back from repair to find it had been updated to 6.1 too. Unfortunately it seemed to be buggier and leakier than the original 6.0 :-(
I've since put PDACornerUltimate on and find it a much more worthwhile upgrade

XDA Flint - Impossible to buy :(

HI,
Has anyone been able to get there hands on a rebadged XDA Flint?
I have been calling O2 everyday for over a week, no one on there sales / upgrades team has any idea this device even exists. They have no information about it, when it will be available, how much it will cost. Nothing.
There website says it is available and on myxda site its the first device you see.
The shop section will allow you to add to basket but 404`s when trying to pay / enter details.
Has anyone got any information from them or know when I can get my hands on this!?
Thanks,
Embassy

O2 the great pain. The saga conntinues.
This device is only available online and to NEW business customers only.
I have now spent over 3 1/2 hours in total trying to do one of two things.
Either upgrade my contract to a Business package or close it and re open a new acccount under a business tarrif.
This seems just a little to complicated for O2. I have been passed from department to department.
They all say they cant do what I request and pass me on to another team, I work in a call center enviroment myself and it is becoming painfully ovious that these agents simply do not want to handle my call, most likely as they are scored on there call durations.
I will update this IF and when I finally manage to get this device.
O2 better get there finger out, there getting one more try and im taking the 5 phones on my contract to orange and will get the HD instead.
I warn you, if you want this device on O2 be prepared for a up hill strugle with there phone system and there staff.
Anyone know of another provider offering the X7510?

O2 are unusual in that the Online, Offline, Personal and Business departments operate as separate entities, so transferring between them is difficult or impossible.
Also, it is common for new devices to be unavailable for upgrades for some time after they are available to new customers.
Interestingly, the price of the Flint has risen from a fixed £179 on all tariffs in early December to a sliding scale starting at £279 now, and all contracts are 24 months.
There is no doubt the Flint is a good device- I was one of the pre-release testers. However it is not a major step forward over the X7500/Ameo, and really suffers for the lack of hardware buttons, and also an older implementation of WM6.1 than more mainstream devices.

T-Mobile offers the x7510 (branded as the Ameo)

x7510 = t-mobile ameo 16gb

Buy an O2 XDA Flint
Hi,
I had the same problem when I tried to get a Flint for myself.
I got through to a [Mod Edit: e-mail address removed for respect to personal privacy] who actioned it for me under a personal account - (from Customer Relations)
Just email him & he'll hopefully sort 1 out for you mate.
Hope this helps...
embassy said:
HI,
Has anyone been able to get there hands on a rebadged XDA Flint?
I have been calling O2 everyday for over a week, no one on there sales / upgrades team has any idea this device even exists. They have no information about it, when it will be available, how much it will cost. Nothing.
There website says it is available and on myxda site its the first device you see.
The shop section will allow you to add to basket but 404`s when trying to pay / enter details.
Has anyone got any information from them or know when I can get my hands on this!?
Thanks,
Embassy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Explodingfist said:
Hi,
I had the same problem when I tried to get a Flint for myself.
I got through to a [Mod Edit: e-mail address removed for respect to personal privacy] who actioned it for me under a personal account - (from Customer Relations)
Just email him & he'll hopefully sort 1 out for you mate.
Hope this helps...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"So, Mr Robinson, what did you get for Christmas?
"Well, a customer I went out of way to help went and posted my e-mail address on XDA-Developers.com, and for Christmas I got a deluge of SPAM. Well, as you know, SPAM is not just for Christmas..."
Ouch! What a way to thank a guy!

Oops!
NanoRuler said:
"So, Mr Robinson, what did you get for Christmas?
"Well, a customer I went out of way to help went and posted my e-mail address on XDA-Developers.com, and for Christmas I got a deluge of SPAM. Well, as you know, SPAM is not just for Christmas..."
Ouch! What a way to thank a guy!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be quite fair I don't understand why they only honour this on Business tariffs!
But Oops, you're right there Nano, and didn't realise that actually and I'm very sorry. I was stressed out for you guys not being able to get the device so I was only trying to help...
- Thanks for pointing that out NanoRuler

Explodingfist said:
To be quite fair I don't understand why they only honour this on Business tariffs!
But Oops, you're right there Nano, and didn't realise that actually and I'm very sorry Mark Robinson. So guys if you're emailing him plz don't mention my name. I was stressed out for you guys not being able to get the device so I was only trying to help...
So don't mention me guys - Thanks for pointing that out NanoRuler
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It might be wise for you (and nanoruler in his quoted post) to edit out the O2 guy's email address- if you want to assist people, they could always PM yopu for the address.
There are a lot of bots out there combing sites,and harvesting email addresses to add to spam lists.

NanoRuler said:
T-Mobile offers the x7510 (branded as the Ameo)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it in UK yet? It was originally only in Germany, and doesn't appear on T-Mobile's UK site at present.

It's been available in the UK for quite some time now. My x7510 is an Ameo.

good suggestion Neil. Can you help instruct me how to omit out the address
Much appreciated

Explodingfist said:
good suggestion Neil. Can you help instruct me how to omit out the address
Much appreciated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The moderator,kyphur has already done it for you
Anyway, if you look at any of your old posts, you should be able to see a box called Edit in the bottom right of the message frame. Just click this to open an Edit box.

I bought my XDA Flint on eBay for £470.

Still no joy with this, absolute nightmare.
Now being told the only way to get this on o2 is to change to downgrade to pay a go from a standard consumer account and then upgrade to business.
This doesn’t add up with being told I can negotiate a free handset as I have been a long standing customer.
It’s looking like I need to make a complaint to get this resolved.
With regards to eBay, I have never paid for a phone / pda in my life.

Neither have I really. Not fully anyway. The way to do it is to upgrade to the most valuable handset you can for free or by paying as little as possible, then sell it as brand new for a shedload of cash. Use that cash towards the purchase of the handset you really want.
The trick is to sell it on again before it goes too commercial i.e. before it goes to the big network providers. That way it will retain most of it's original value, and you can put the cash you make towards the next new thing, again before that hits the networks. You'll still get your default upgrade too. Just upgrade for free again to a valuable device and sell it on. Then you have two pots of cash to use towards a new power toy every 12/18/24 months (depending on your contract). Gotta stay one step ahead! This isn't too difficult because, at least as far as HTC are concerned, their devices are released by them about 6 months before the networks get hold of them and stick all their ugly badges and buggy software on them!
I was a bit slower with the Flint, as the Advantage x7510 was far too expensive anyway beforehand. I just gave into temptation, even though O2 and T-Mobile already have their hands on it. Hopefully, it's value won't depreciate too much in the next 6-12 months.

Got my new XDA Flint for FREE!!! (hee-hee)
I just got my new XDA Flint but am afraid of starting it up. Will it try to install an O2 HMI instead of the normal WM 6?
This forum helped with my XDA Exec with WM5 by providing me the corporate number to overide the O2 HMI.
Can anyone help please?
I got this as a new upgrade plus I reduced my monthly costs on my business tarrif with their new small business tarrif...sweet!!!

There is no 'Corporate Mode' option on the Flint- all installations are the same.
However, there is no O2 customised front end. In fact there is no front end at all, as O2 do not include HTC Home in the build.
The release ROM for the Flint is a good one- newer than the cooked ROMs, and is fast and reliable.
If you use it with a non-O2 SIM, you will need to manually enter the connection details as it doesn't include HTC Connection Manager.

Thank you NeilM!
NeilM,
Thank you very much for your help.
So I should have done the full install instead of skip it? Ooops? I will do a hard reset then and start over. The quick start guide says I can make video calls....is this true in WM6 I thought this was not supported?
My next task is to see if I can port the Tom Tom license over to this PDA. Then put an SPB front end unless anyone has a better suggestion?
As you can tell I am behind the times - it has been a long time since I upgraded from the XDA Exec (2005 - which has always been rock solid and reliable) and the Flint fits my purpose of a mobile office whilst going to clients facilities. This Flint in a small briefcase and a note book makes my commutes to clients a breeze. I see other consultants with giant ruck sacks and 20 million gadgets/laptops notes books etc and I pop out with this thing, my mobile phone, a leather note book and I am ready. I did not get the Flint to be a phone. My problem with Blackberry's are the keyboards are too small for my fingers and Blackberries dont have MSWord and Excel apps to create/edit information and the Flint has a video out so I can show PPT presentations on sales calls. If only MSFT could allow creation/editing of PPT...that would be a result. (Suggestions anyone?)
Also, does anyone know if there is an Open Source application for pushmail as my company run Linux servers and was looking to see if one existed to mimic the push of mail instead of the Flint constantly checking, thereby saving power. (In no way am I trying to avoid the MSFT push mail solution, I just want to know if another exists as Open Source)
Don't reply if any of the above has already been discussed in this forum. I should do the work to find out the info. However, I did not find too many Flint threads on this forum so I do not know if there are SW or HW nuances that need to be considered.
Thanks to all!

No problems with the questions! The Flint/X7510 is sufficiently 'rare' that there are few comprehensive answers out there, though it is very similar to the X7500.
You definitely need to hard reset (Settings/System/Clear Storage) as a lot of essentialstuff gets installed from the supplementary installation (Opera, JetsetPrint etc)
The O2 theme is very blue as you would expect, but there is absolutely no other O2 stuff apart from the O2 Connection mamnager which configures the settings for whichever O2 provider you are with. If you use another operatorSIM, you will have to enter the settings manually, but this is not difficult.
For using as a presentation tool, I'd advise buying the enhanced output cable (unless it is already supplied)as it includes a USB host connector and an RCA Video Output. The USB can be used with an external mouse/keyboard (even a wireless combo) or a pen drive if needed.
If you are serious about needing Powerpoint presentations, and don't mind spending a bit of cash, then I can highly recommend Softmaker Office. It is expensive at €70 but has 3 programs which are respectively fully compatible with desktop versions of MS Word, Excel and Powerpoint. You can create, edit and read any file on the WinMo device, and can even print to PDF format.
For a front end, I think Spb Mobile Shell is an excellent choice, especially in combination with PocketPlus (but you need 4.03 Beta available from the SpbClub forums). You may also need to look at an extra Soft Keyboard, as the Flint only includes the basic MS ones. Cootek Touchpal and Spb Keyboard are both good options.
Video calls have been supported in all 3G Windows Mobile devices, from WM5 onwards- not sure where you got the info about WM6, but that is not the case! Maybe you were reading about US versions of the X7501 which some companies insisted on their users utilising- this had the front camera removed for security reasons (supposedly!). Obviously both parties need a decent 3G signal but it works well. The Flint runs WM6.1 and has good video capabilities.
TomTom- how old is your version? If more than a year it would pay you to buy the current version with its updated maps- currently on offer at £30 for UK and £40 for Europe. If not, then TomTom will supply you with a new activation code. If you have only used one previous activation, you can go to www.ttcode.com, enter your map's product ID and your new phone's Device ID, and it will generate a new activation code. If you've already used your activations, then email TT support with a proof of purchase for the Flint and they might provide a new code. Beware though that if they deem the Flint as unsupported, they may not give you a code.
For 'quick and dirty' location, then the new MS Live Search V4 or Google Maps work well, though the GPS does take up to 5 miunutes for a 1st fix (subsequent fixes are quicker).
Hope this helps!