Related
:!: Sorry for the shameless attempt to get you here with a dreamy subject but it's relevant to the topic - honestly. :!:
I'm after a PDAPhone with built in everything. But looks so far like I'm going to have to compromise and get an external GPS receiver, however was just hoping someone might have a little gem that I couldn't find anywhere else in the forums.
I have owned and loved the O2 XDA range ever since my first XDA years ago and have since lugged around an XDAII. I damaged my II recently and have a nice cheque for £550 burning a hole in my pocket courtesy of the insurance company. This means that for the first time ever I don't need to go to a subsidised model. My initial thought was that I'd stump up a few extra quid and get a JamJar :lol: from expansys but now I'm a bit more mature I decided to check out the options first.
So far I've found (Ignoring Naming Variations):
Prices quoted are from expansys - they could be cheaper elsewhere. Pls let me know if you find any (UK Only though)
:arrow: iPAQ hw6515 - Looks a bit crap, small screen and no wi-fi listed but DOES have GPS & 1.3Mp Cam - Anyone know of any Square Aware issues with programs?
:idea: http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=120563
:idea: £439.95
:arrow: i-mate JAM - Small and sexy but no Wi-Fi and no GPS but would stop people asking if I've got a brick taped to my head. + 1.3Mp, COuld afford external GPS with this one.
:idea: http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=I-MATE_JAM
:idea: £359.95
:arrow:Qtek 9090- Has everything But GPS but would leave enough money for a BT GPS - No camera spec but I think it's 0.3Mp like the XDAIIs - Could be upgraded to WM5, My Mate has one and the Thumb Keyboard is easy to use whilst walking - If I use my head not my geekometer this is my favourite.
:idea: http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=QTEK_9090
:idea: £414.95
:arrow: i-mate JASJAR - Dogs balls but still no GPS and not much more than the 9090 + v Expensive & Getting Bigger - 1.3Mp Cam I think. (I have no 3G service anywhere near me so that's not a bonus) I really like the 3.5mm Jack - Overall a severe number of geek points! NO CRADLE Still needs GPS Seperate, not sure how useable while walking the keyboard will be. I really want one.
:idea: http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=119353
:idea: £669.95
:arrow: i-mate K-JAM - WiFi, BT etc, Smaller and lighter than Universal, WM5, 1.3Mp. I like the keyboard. Maybe my new best choice. JUST leaves enough money to think about an external GPS. Thanks JamiJam
:idea: http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=125518
:idea: £504.95
My criteria to consider are as follows, argue with them and persuade me otherwise with reasons if you so wish:
Phone + PDA Essential (Tri Band+)
Camera - Prefer 1+Mp
BT - Must Have
Wi-Fi - Optional but Preferred a lot
3G - Not required
Keyboard - Like to Have (It's awkward using handwriting when travelling)
GPS - Very Nice to Have I Drive a lot and would like to use TT in the future.
OS - Not Bothered, these can be changed
I have 1 Month to decide before I burst and spray money all over the place so I'd really appreciate any comments you might have.
Don't go off on any obscure tangents though please, post them in a new topic and link to it if you wish.
Wizard...
(aka K-Jam, aka Qtek 9100)
Not sure when it will be out but Orange are going to release the Wizard and call it the SPV M600. If you can wait then you'll have it subsidised. :wink:
hmmmmm
Ok, so far the Wizard is my favourite now. I'd completely forgotten about that. What's the keyboard like though? I'm not too fussed about the size (the one on the XDA III is smaller and still useable)? It's more the key action I'm bothered about.
Does it have those rubbish 'rubbery' 'spectrum' style keys? It looks like it does.
I'm still yearning for a Universal cos none of my mates will have one but my head is still saying I don't need it and one of the others will do everything I want.
AFAIK HTC has some kind of arrangement with compaq - HTC will not make a phone with GPS as it competes with a model HTC makes for compaq that does have GPS or something like that (the hw6515 maybe ?)
I have a Blue Angel (O2 XDA IIs) and it does all of this.
http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=I-MATE_III
WM5 now available and working fine on it.
It has a keyboard too, it's those blister things (more like a ZX81 than a spectrum) but it is useable, although the keyboard layout is a bit ****e.
What with the newer models coming out you should be able to pick one up cheapish.
I run mine with a Globalsat Bt-338 Bluetooth GPS and Tomtom 5
oh, and FYI, this PDA holder from halfords holds the BA perfectly and can be mounted to your dash. It obscures no ports.
(The pic is upside down BTW)
http://www.halfords.com/opd_product_details.asp?id=16600&type=0&cat=397
The keyboard on the wizard is excellent, in my humble opinion!
It also snaps in and out in a way that makes you feel it won't break down easily.
Finally, it automatically turns the phone's display into landscape mode, which is very handy.
Wizard or BA
I have to say I'm still impressed with the Wizard. Just made a scale model out of card (how sad is that) and it's tiny!
I like the BA but if the keyboard doesn't let the Wizard down I think it'll be my PDA of choice. The one thing I really didn't like about the Jam was its lack of Wi-Fi and that's solved in the K-Jam.
I assume the screen's readable, I like to think that I'll have good eyesight for a couple of years yet so I don't think the size will be an issue.
iPaq HW6515
I have tried without success to get details of the built-in GPS. The one authoritative source to whom I spoke was scathing about its performance. So whatever you do choose, I do not recommend the iPaq.
On a separate note I saw my first Jasjar close up today. It is lighter than you might think, but heavier than is reasonable for prolonged use as a phone. A bluetooth earpiece was being used that included a display for caller ID. As a data device it is pretty impressive.
I too run a GlobalSat BT-338 GPS, in my case with Mapopolis.
if you are going GPS, make sure it is SIRFstar III chipset (the current latest-and-greatest), especially if you live in a city as they are really good at "urban canyon" reception.
I have seen new BT-338s on ebay for £65 "buy it now" recently
plus another thing to think about...
a seperate BT GPS unit has various advantages:
1) Battery
It won't drain your PPC battery when operating, except the charge needed to communicate via BT.
2) Upgrading
If a new improved GPS unit comes out and you have an onboard GPS unit, you are carrying useless baggage and can't sell the old one.
Also bear in mind there will likely be new features added to GPS units.
one example: digital compass. At the moment, if you stand still and rotate, a GPS unit has no clue which way you are facing until you move. A GPS does already transmit heading AFAIK - it works out which way you are facing by assiming you are looking in the direction of travel. Integration of a digital compass therefore would probably require no changes to the protocol. This does exist ( see http://www.xemics.com/internet/solutions/compass.jsp?productID=108 )
3) Switching.
BT GPS units work on laptopss too you know
4) Safety. I use my GPS for a sport called mountain boarding. Same kinda deal as downhill mountain biking, I trace a route I have done using GPS software. I ride with my XDA in a reinforced case with foam in, but find the GPS reception suffers, so I keep the BT GPS unit in my bag and the XDA in the case.
Seeing as the XDA is MUCH more valuable than the GPS this makes sense.
5) Reception versus viewing position.
Sometimes the position with best reception is not the same as the position you can see the screen of your PPC best.
????
Good point.
Ok, more questions on the K-Jam
Camera: Says 1.3/2 Is this 1.3 with software to 'frig' it to 2?
Keyboard: Is the expansys keyboard silver ( http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=125518 ) or black ( http://www.expansys.com/zoompic.asp?type=item&code=125518 )
Silver ones look plastic whereas black ones look rubbery. Which have you got JamiJam? Is it from Expansys?
Processor: 200Mhz? Is that right? Seems quite a drop. Do you have any problems with media playback? I remember my XDA I used to have a problem playing big avi files.
Ta Very Much
Camera is 1.3MP, and it is ****.
Yes, it's better than the Magician, but it's still pretty bad. I wouldn't buy the Wizard hoping to use the camera for anything useful. In my opinion this is the #1 point on which HTC is lacking. They've worked on everything else, now they need to start putting decent cameras in these devices.
I have the silver keyboard and I bought my Wizard in a store. I believe that if you order from expansys you'll get a silver one.
Processor is 200MHz (different CPU architecture) but it seems to be on par with the Magician in practice, maybe 10% slower. So yes, you should be able to watch full screen movies, once you find a bit-rate/resolution/format that works for you. Not sure which XDA you had, but I would expect similar ballpark performance.
Hope this helps.
Ta
The 'performance lacking' XDA was the original XDA I and I'll take your word for it that performance is ok. I don't use it for anything too hot and my XDA II never had a problem with films.
To be honest, every camera phone I've had from the XDA Range was ****ty quality (Very grainy) but I spend a fair bit of time on site collecting info on wagons and stuff for my job and it's always handy to be able to snap a quick video or pic of something. The only reason I want a higher res is so that when some tit with a Sony Ericson goes on about his 2Mp camera I don't loose too many 'top trumps' points. I never print the pics and my main contract doesn't support GPRS so I don't often send MMS. You'd be surprised how easily you can still get by with just plain old WAP.
Good news on the silver buttons. I prefer them. Has anyone bought one from Expansys who can verify?
Sweetness & Joy
Just thought I'd post my decision for those of you who like seing things through to a conclusion.
After much ponderation and constructing various cardboard models I have decided on the HTC Wizard, purchased from expansys (i-Mate K-Jam). There's a delay on delivery at the moment (3 Days!!!! I can't wait) but once it arrives I'll post back with my oppinions.
I've also heard that my mate is buying the JasJar so I'll be able to make a comparison and post it back.
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:!: Come on Friday! :!:
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D'oh! Just a note not say the expansys delivery has been put back but they've dropped the price too.
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:!: Come on Some-Day! :!:
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Just been looking at some larger photos of the buttons
http://forum.xda-developers.com/files/keyboard-flash.jpg
I take back my spectrum comments, they look pretty good.
Hurrah!
Ok! I've got my Wizard at last. I ended up buying the Qtek 9100 rather than the K-Jam. Looks like I'll miss out on Club i-Mate. :-(
Thought I'd post my views on the phone here just to give closure to anyone reading this thread.
The screen is very sharp. Everything obviously is smaller because the pixels are closer together but the overall effect is a very good screen. The guy in our office with really bad eyesight liked it and he's normally a miserable git when it comes to gadgets.
I take back my comments about the keyboard, it looks fantastic, the action is really great and you can use it to type replies to text messages on the move, which is something I've always struggled with before using the Transcriber. People are also really impressed when the screen rotates thru' to landscape.
I've used it for playing some music and although the speakers built in are tinny as you'd expect, the headphones are really good. I don't know if they'd be the same for the i-Mate but they fit comfortably in my ears and have a very good sound compared to the old XDA & XDA II headphones (Not that that would be hard)!
I miss having a cradle. It was nice to be able to display your phone on your desk while it was charging. Just using a USB cable makes it all feel a bit less sexy as an experience but then you can't have everything I suppose.
The coolest thing I found was the Stylus. It's about 50mm long when it first comes out of the phone. Then you give it a little pull and it extends to... hold on let me get a ruler... 85mm. It's not as comfy to use as the XDA/XDA II styli but since i haven't used it for writing much it doesn't matter. The keyboard is so easy to pull out and use that I've only really used the stylus to point at stuff so that my fingers don't get the screen dirty. The softkeys in WM 2005 also mean that you rarely need to touch the screen.
It's a bit chunkier than I expected but still not big. It's only marginally bigger than my girlfriends Nokia 6230 and compared to an older XDA model it feels like it's tiny!
Voice recognition button on the side works really well so far. I've got about 10 contacts programmed in and it seems to be picking them up ok, even in the car.
Overall, i'm yet to find much of a fault with it. I'll try to get some piccies of bits posted sometime next week.
Feel free to ask any questions.
JASJAR II
When the damn thing releases.....of course
I really wouldnt auction my spare kidney and buy it, and then suffer with a RAM deficit! My xda 2 currently running on wm5, has 128megs ram and 32megs rom....compared to 43megs ram & rom of jasjar........one word.......RIDICULOUS!
i cant believe seeing a 7MB RAM free on a device, and i dont ever want to see it! HTC/ IMATE/ Whoever claim they put in less RAM for extended battery life....bucket of crap! I really dont care for those couple extra hours that i'd probably get, and i dont mind carrying a spare battery or a charger wherever i go....
Its a handicap which is BIG! Besides this, the Jasjar is divinely irresistable, and i cant stop oggling at it :shock:
So, i guess i'll wait for a JJ II to come out with same form factor, and somemore ram which would make the device practical....
HTC do you hear me??????
San
weeel
:shock:
RAM isn't everything. I have been using the device for a day now (Non-stop), often running WMP10, Outlook, PIE etc also playing Tomb Raider. I haven't noticed any diference between this and my XDA II which had I think 64Mb and a 400 odd MHz processor. The odd app is a trifle slow to load up but nothing more major than that.
If the battery life sacrifice is true, then it's not for this little puppy. All this usage (with wi-fi on but not actually using a wi-fi network) and the battery didn't drop below 60% yesterday (Using lightly whilst at work and heavily in the evening. I even synced using bluetooth).
Memory has crept down to 1Mb program mem free at times but I assume windows is just doing its thing because this comes back up after a while and I don't notice any drop in performance.
Re: Hurrah!
eayuwna said:
I miss having a cradle. It was nice to be able to display your phone on your desk while it was charging. Just using a USB cable makes it all feel a bit less sexy as an experience but then you can't have everything I suppose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This site: http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/product/5735.htm claims that this desktop charger/cradle is compatible with the K-Jam so if that's true then it should be OK for your QTek. 8)
As an ex Palm 650 owner (still my favourite in many ways) i'm really interested in the 750v. i've currently got a TyTn (MDA Vario II) but, as usual with these devices, i'm not totally convinced by it, especially the phone functions (too easy to miss a call!).
So, does anyone have direct experience of the TyTn and the 750v? Which do you prefer and why?
Also, if you are making the switch, would it be better to wait for the Palm release (a couple of months i've been told) rather than going Vodaphone and having to unlock it and having all the Vodaphone add-ons?
thanks
mike
I have the same question. I have a TyTn now, it's great, but the form factor of the Treo seems better (I loved my 650 other than the OS)
I was first thinking of getting the Tytn but I don't like the looks. I'm actually still contemplating of either the Treo 750V or the HTC Artemis.
I have owned the Wizard and now the 750v I think that the Palm tweaks are what sets this phone aside from any other. Yes it doesn't have Wifi, but to me it's the best WM PPC "PHONE" out there. If you need WiFi then i will stick with your Tytn, even though you can add a mini sd WiFi card to it. I also own a SE P990, and right now the Treo is my primary phone, it's just amazing, and it's fast. Really happy with the shipped ROM for Voda, even though they have lost points for not including Pocket MSN ie. no messenger, or hotmail accounts built in. Which sucks cause I actually use it, but you can get it with the Cingular ROM on here. One thing found out is that I do not like phones that move. I love the fact that it has a static kb, and WM 5.2. the screen is great to me very bright. Just really happy with this device.
i too owned a Tytn, but sold it because my employer required me to use a corp phone to get reimbursed for cell expenses. after suffering severe PPC withdrawal symptons and pleading for an exception with my employer, i picked up the 750v. kudos to Palm for making this a solid one-handed device. oh, and not to mention the great call/sound quality. i'm using the HTTPMail program to get my MSN/Hotmail. it adds "HTTP" as a mail service similar to "POP3" and "IMAP". this implementation allows one to create a MSN/Hotmail account using the PPC outlook clien..i know it's an extra expense, but it's well worth it to me.
I decided not to get Treo because of its screen resolution. At a time when small VGA Pocket PC are on the horizon aka Gigabyte g-Smart i200, why would I want to be stuck with nasty 240 * 240?
I come from a Dopod 838, which is the Cingular 8125 in the states. Personally, the resolution problem is not as bad as it seems. Most things fit well, and its an acceptable compromise for someone the device 50% for calls/sms/email and 50% for data. If you're an 80% data user, the Tytn may make sense.
For me, having to flip the slider EVERYTIME really made the 838 quite inconvenient. I have played with the Tytn, and a personal friend who owns it, says its alright... but crashes once or twice each day. (granted he loaded LOTS of 3rd party stuff). I think its more practical as a data pda... the phone features are an afterthought.
Yea, not having PocketMSN is a bummer, but you can try the Windows Live messenger beta. (Just turn off the Today screen plugins,.. and the Live email doesn't work yet because the servers/services are not activiated on MS's end)
Live messenger works great, looks great. Though its quite a power hog, so hard for extended day long use. For that Verichat works better... but there's an annual charge.
raven2000 said:
I decided not to get Treo because of its screen resolution. At a time when small VGA Pocket PC are on the horizon aka Gigabyte g-Smart i200, why would I want to be stuck with nasty 240 * 240?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
form over function? i agree it's not at pretty as the Tytn's but the 750v screen is more than adequate.
This is great guys, thank you. haven't seen anything to put me off the 750v - I don't use MSN or Hotmail and I definitely prefer the form factor of the 750v.
Guess I'll be switching over soon
I was a Treo 600 user till I got a MDA Vario (aka Wizard), changed to TyTn after that, the screen is great and that about the only thing I miss, I have to say I hated that phone, the phone itself is so unfriendly to use, I missed so many calls and it has a habit of crashing alot.
I managed to swing a trade to 750v and my life improved dramtically, going from the TyTn screen to the 750v screen take all of a couple of days to get over, the 750v screen not great but does the job just fine, now I can use it as a phone, its just so easy, love it. I would never turn back, i loved my Treo 600 and 750v has put Treo back on track for me.
For me there no choice in the matter, 750v everytime.
took the plunge
So, went down to my local Vodafone business store yesterday and got the 750v. £50 for the phone on a 12 month contract at £25 per month - good deal.
Instant love - the form factor just can't be beat! it just feels right in your hand.
unlocked the phone and put in my t-mobile sim, set up the push email and everything works like a dream.
put in my favourite software and.......that's where it falls down (slightly!). that 240 x 240 screen resolution means that a couple of things just don't fit the screen size (space reclaimer and some of the wallpaper I use). is it a big deal?
not really. space reclaimer still works but you can't actually see how much space it's reclaimed. i've changed the wallpaper to one of my photos - looks great. pocket informant, spb backup and gprs monitor are fine. might put in memmaid or pocket mechanic.
big test will be when i get my 2gb mini sd card and install TomTom 6. looking forward to that?!
Good luck!
I hope the Treo works out well for you. I have had a TyTN from Vodafone UK for a while although have not been making serious use of it, and I borrowed a Treo from them on evaluation.
After three weeks I have just returned the Treo for a few very specific reasons (bear in mind that this is a business-driven evaluation):
1) BlackBerry Connect exists but is not supported yet by VF UK. I know this is true for the TyTN as well, but it would be a major driver for me to migrate my company from RIM devices.
2) After putting into silent ring using the top slider switch on a twice-daily basis, eventually the Treo does not make any audible ring or vibrate regardless of the setting. The only way to recover is a soft reset. A colleague who has a pre-production model has the same experience and thought it was because it's pre-prod; evidently not.
3) Microsoft VoiceCommand comes bundled..... Great idea, except that it's the US version. Recognition of names requires an American accent and dialling numbers direct by voice is all to pot as a result. I have followed this up with both Palm and MS but got nothing except confirmation on how to remove the bundled version, which otherwise cannot be uninstalled.
Battery life was reasonable, screen quality decent and Bluetooth performance with my Nokia CK7W car kit was the best of any device so far - absolutely no echo reported.
I have gone back to the TyTN but the lack of a decent charging holder means that I am still dependent on my Blue Angel for some applications.
Hope this helps!
The positive side of the Treo
Regarding the last 2 posts:
1. Tomtom 6.0 works like a charme on the Treo even with a 2 gig MiniSD. I even use TTtraffic without a problem.
2. I bought the Brodit carholder for the Treo 650 and it fits like a glove. (www.brodit.com: 968635 Active Holder, Tilt Swivel)
3. I haven't had the problem with " silent ring using the top slider switch on a twice-daily basis" the phone still rings without a problem. (I'm using the cingular though!)
gpsenzo68 said:
Regarding the last 2 posts:
1. Tomtom 6.0 works like a charme on the Treo even with a 2 gig MiniSD. I even use TTtraffic without a problem.
2. I bought the Brodit carholder for the Treo 650 and it fits like a glove. (www.brodit.com: 968635 Active Holder, Tilt Swivel)
3. I haven't had the problem with " silent ring using the top slider switch on a twice-daily basis" the phone still rings without a problem. (I'm using the cingular though!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks gpsenzo68 - i was wondering whether it was safe to get the Brodit Treo 650 carholder. Is that a passive or active holder you are using? Good to know about TomTom 6 as well .
jbn said:
2) After putting into silent ring using the top slider switch on a twice-daily basis, eventually the Treo does not make any audible ring or vibrate regardless of the setting. The only way to recover is a soft reset. A colleague who has a pre-production model has the same experience and thought it was because it's pre-prod; evidently not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had that problem, but only once to date. I do restart the device at least once a day, though... after all, it's Windows!
Alarms don't go off when they're supposed to.
The storage card is not recognised after some (varying) length of time in stand-by ("off") mode, requiring the card to be taken out and reinserted.
3G reception is not the best and the device drops calls when switching from UMTS to GSM. I've set it to GSM now to get more reliable phone performance and only change manually to automatic band selection if I need to access the internet.
I finally ended up purchasing Palm Treo 750v on Ebay. Just waiting to receive it
I have been a long time hermes (tytn,8525) user and have recently given the 750v a try. Wow. Long story short, 750 wins hands down for my usage. I'm a heavy pda user and it is still worth it for me. I'll have a video comparison review on howardforums later this week.
video review up on howardforums.com in the ppc section
mikewchandler said:
video review up on howardforums.com in the ppc section
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you post a link? Thanks.
zerimar said:
Can you post a link? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HowardsForum > Pocket PC > Treo 750 Video review
Wasn't to hard to FIND.
This is more of a rant but I'm wondering how many people agree with me. I've been looking at current and upcoming phones to replace my ageing Wizard. It really sucks that manufactures of Windows Mobile phones can't come up with some new creative designs for ease of use instead of the typical PDA form factor!
I was playing with the Blackberry Perl recently and thinking to myself it would be an awesome form factor for a WM phone. The text entry is awesome on the Perl, much faster, easier on the fingers and you can type text pretty fast even with one hand. I had someone who was using it for a while type a paragraph to see how fast he could go and he blew me away. The number pad also makes it easier to make calls when you need to do it by hand instead of using Voice Command. If only it was running Windows Moble and had a touch screen. Even better a bigger screen and a slide out number pad.
Is it just me or do other people wish there was a phone like that. So far I'm looking at the HTC Trinity to replace my Wizard but I hate the form factor. It's just not easy to use with one hand even with the wheel. I was looking at the TyTn but I find I can type a lost faster with the stylus then with the keyboard on my wizard and it's pretty useless making calls quickly with the numbers on the keybard. Even the Treo keyboard sucks compared to the Perl's keyboard which uses two characters per button making it less finger movement.
If only someone could release something with the features of the Trinity in the form factor of the Perl. Samsung has come close they have a nice form factor with a slide out number pad, and someone could easily right software to emulate the Perls predictive text entry but unfortunately their devices are TriBand (I'm in North America) and are lacking in features.
I really wish someone would release a phone like I mentioned above!
Samsung i760, nuff said
Not bad Raven2000, I'd still like a Blackberry Pearl style number pad/entry but this exactly the kind of phone I'm looking for. Perfect in every way except last time I checked, it's TriBand meaning it's missing 850 band for North America
what about the Treo 750?
What about ASUS P525?
Not sure if its quad band, but it has the right form factor, as well as WIFI.
And I agree with you. PDA phones don't really need full QWERTY, specially since they come with built in T9 app anyway. The "phone pad" is the way to go.
TheBrit: Treo 750 still lacks features and square screen resolution (too small) but even if I could live with that, it's keyboard is about as useless as the wizards. It's amazing that everyone copies this design, it was amazing when there was nothing else to compare to it but it's really showing it's age.
levenum: This one is a possibility, I've been considering it, speed wise and screen size is good, wish it would be a little updated in the other specs (bluetooth ect)
What I really wish for is something like the O2 XDA Stealth or Samsung i760 in Quad Band and HSDPA. But the perfect phone would be something like this with a Blackberry Perl style number pad (2 letters per key)
I second levenum. Asus P525 is really what I like and I am seriously thinking of replacing my Jasjar with the P525. If only it was 3G and had EDGE the decision would have been much easier on me.
I think that the Asus P525 is one of the best devices but I still think the Hermes is the best device.
What I want is a ppc phone that has a screen around 20cm x 10cm that has vga res x 2 (ie like 2 screens together). I do not need the power of a tablet so a ppc device is perfect. The small phones are all nice but not that practicle for computing or video. I know that umpc's are going to do this kind of job, but I think the price is too high. To go with this fantasy would be a ppc version of evc++ compilers so I could do my programming anywhere (ie at work instead of working).
The Asus P525 looks like a good phone and has a nice design but the specs aren't all there. I'd still like something with a slide out number pad like the Samsung i760 with close the featueres of say the HTC Trinity, or at least have HSDPA along with the current gerneration features of a pocket pc.
shoey5 said:
I'd still like something with a slide out number pad
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
O2 Stealth - but again the other specs aren't all there...
Well I wish the O2 phones were at least quad band, people outside of North America are so lucky. In North America the biggest feature manufactures look at is the colour of the phone. I guess as long as people keep buying pink razers it won't change.
I was looking at the Asus P525 as a possibility but unfortunately and just as I expected when I saw the keyboard, a lot of people say the little joystick between the number 2 and 5 keys make it a big hinderence. I guess HTC and other manufactures don't use Cell Phones because it's hard to see how they can see their designs being perfect as phones since they keep releasing the same formfactor with each generation. I guess all the phone manufacturing execs are walking around with Pink Razers
Well you can never satisfy everybody. Personally, I am very pleased with my Jamins, form factor (though as I wrote before the phone pad sliding or not is a good idea).
I actually got to play with a 525, though for only a brief time and I must say that the joystick is no real bother. Certainly not a reason to give up on this phone if other specifications are close or matching your needs.
levenum, I agree with you, can't ever be 100% satisfied. Here's the problem, I love my Wizard but based on using it, I've come up with a short list of must haves.
The number pad I find to be crucial, it's the one thing I miss about having a plain phone. I use Voice Commander and love it, could never use another phone without it (BTW, VC 1.6 with actual BT Support is out) But there are times when it's handy, you're driving and someone gives you a number (Voice Commander isn't always accurate) or you have to type a quick SMS. It's a lot easier to do with one hand and not even looking at the phone when you have a number pad. The touch screen number pad just doesn't cut it for this type of use.
I've been using Push Email another thing I can't live without anymore and I type a lot of emails. The Wizard and other long slide out keyboards suck, they are two big for two finger use. I can type faster with the Fitaly SIP (great application) and the stylus. So the numberpad and SmartKey entry method like the Blackberry Pearl would make the device more usable for emails. It would even be better than the sqished down keyboard of the Treo and Samsung phones. Less keys for 2 thumbs the better.
Quad band in a phone is something I need because of the phone networks where I live.
HDSPA is also something I'd like to see as my carrior is impleneting it this quarter.
Other than that, I can sacrifice a lot of things. Just kills me that these companies keep releasing the same Pocket PC form factor when I hear a lot of people saying they wish they had something that was more useable one handed.
Hello all:
I've been trying to do my homework dilligently to decide whether I buy a x7510 or not. To me, the lack of vibrate is a showstopper.
However, in one review posted on pocketpcthoughts.com, I read that the vibrate function is enabled when the keyboard is attached.
Is this accurate or not?
What does "keyborad is attached" mean exactly; does it mean "attached" as in "covering the screen", or "attached as in "typing mode"?
Thanks all for any hints here.
That review/opinion is not correct.
The X7510 does not have a phone vibrate function- these are generally built into the battery pack or on the motherboard.
The keyboard 'vibrate' feature refers to the 'haptic feedback' enabled on the X7510's hardware keyboard, which gives a small vibration and sound 'pulse' when any key is pressed, as the keys have no physical travel.
Thank you very much for the clarification !
It's still a good device!
Yes, I am sure it is a great device.
I am somewhat concerned though since I've used vibrate functions forever, and if I were to go with the X7510, I'd like to use it as a phone as well (with BT headset, something I've used for what it seems forever as well .
I have read about some workarounds (like recording a vibrating phone and use it as a ringtone), so I am still thinking about it. But the review at pocketpcthoughts threw me off a bit; I am glad you clarified.
My problem is that I am absolutely against ringing phones; they are so disruptive :-(
Do you use it as a phone? Do you have another workaround?
Thanks again...
IMHO
The xda universal is still the best pda on the market. I would never recommend purchasing this device (x7510). The phone features is 'average' at best.
Just me 2 cents
orinoco said:
Do you use it as a phone? Do you have another workaround?
Thanks again...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The short answer is no- I don't use it as a phone unless in emergencies. I use mine mainly as a reference, research and media device, and my Diamond as my primary phone.
When I do use it as a phone, I use it with a BT headset. My Plantronics earpiece does have a 'beep' or 'vibrate' function so I simply have the ringer sound on the X7510 muted.
@youmeus: Granted, the XDA Exec/ HTC Universal was good in its day, but is very long in the tooth now. The processor and memory are both low and the GPS and 3G performance was pretty poor.
OK, it wasn't such a brick as a phone, but you do look a bit of a wally holding it to your ear, so it still really needs a BT headset. I used mine for a few months before changing to a Wizard/ XDA MiniS.
It's all in the eye of the beholder though
What do you need from the CD?
There's nothing on there that can't be downloaded from Microsoft .
to orinoco :- use the phone recorded vibrating buzz sound as advised by steve eagle post , it works pretty good , you can hear it for sure but u will feel the sound a bit if u are touching your device - only a bit though , dont expect the same as ordinary phone vibration .
to neilm :- yes u r right - it's a damn great device
to youmeus :- u r dead wrong , no way in this world this device will lose to your xda universal , x7510 of athena family is the king of pda , period ...
and please go back to your universal forum
thanks for reading , cheers to all athena owners - jimmunsw
My View
Hi Guys
I have a Universal and an Ameo (Athena) and using them both I would have to say that the ONLY place the Universal wins, is as a phone and its great keyboard. Dont get me wrong, the universal as a 4-5 year old phone is superb and some of the uni roms are as good as stock. It will do most of what you ask, but it lacks up to date hardware. The Athena as a laptop type replacement is exactly what it was made for, the phone is like a secondary item. HOWEVER if you use a styleI as a blue tooth addon the problem is gone If you switch the sound off then the styleI has a very quiet discreet ring. you answer the phone as you would a normal phone and the Athena stays in its case. I still look a bit of a prat using the Uni as a phone coz it is BIG, the Athena is only 15mm wider thats all. I only have both now coz the Uni is only making small bucks now, and you know how it is when its sitting on the shelf looking at you saying use me
Jay
Hi Jay- good to see you over here
I agree with your comments- the Ameo with BT headset is a good combination . Will you be getting an Ameo 16GB/X7510 then?
NeilM said:
Hi Jay- good to see you over here
I agree with your comments- the Ameo with BT headset is a good combination . Will you be getting an Ameo 16GB/X7510 then?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its all about cost against what extra enhancements you get, so yes I would love to but the cost at the moment is a put off. apart from the extra 8gb, what would you say is better than the Ameo?
P.S dont tell the X7500 guys, I may get banned, talking to the X7510 lot and admitting to owning a Uni
Regards
Jay
responderman said:
P.S dont tell the X7500 guys, I may get banned, talking to the X7510 lot and admitting to owning a Uni
Regards
Jay
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We all have our little secrets
TBH if I hadn't got an X7510 (XDA Flint) free from O2, I would probably not consider upgrading from the X7500 apart from the fact that it's newer and less battered
The extra 8GB is nice but not essential for me, and there is always the miniSD for expansion.
In some ways the X7510 is a retrograde step- the lack of a joystick is a total PITA as there is no way to manually navigate some programs without executing a screen click.
The keyboard is a big improvement, but TouchPal is so good that I very rarely use the physical keyboard. The X7500 ROMs by Michy et all are every bit as good as the X7510 ROMs- no surprise I suppose as the hardware is identical in most respects.
I'd second all the good reviews of the XDA Shift (HTC Advantage X7510 with an O2 case). I've had two, yes count them, two XDA Execs (HTC universal with O2 case) because I couldn't find a device which was as universally adaptable as the Exec for several years. (did you see what I did there?)
With the addition of an external bluetooth GPS receiver and a bluetooth headset I had everything I needed. A decent size screen, hardware QWERTY keyboard (which is a must for me as I'm a writer, in fact my last novel was written almost exclusively on the Execs) Sat Nav (via tomtom nav 6) games, phone, browser, media player, and all-round super gadget in a clam shell with tablet mode swivel screen! Then my second Exec broke (from extreme over-use) and I had no option of a replacement as O2 no longer stocked them :-(
Then I discovered the Flint...
It has all of the benefits of the Exec but with more memory, bigger screen, built in GPS, and funky magnetics to boot! Admittedly it has no vibrate function, and O2 de-activate the G-sensor in their ROM (both of which I'm certain are functions that can be re-activated with cooked ROMS -at least I'm sure I've read on this here forum of such things being achieved- am I right?), but the benefits really outweigh these small issues for me.
So as a user who sang the praises of the XDA Exec for several years, I can say that the XDA Flint is a superb progression and excellent replacement device, well worth the £50/month contract to get it free (which includes unlimited data and texts, and 950 mins! -no, I don't work for O2).
(HTC and O2-you can pay me later
Hi Thintin- glad you like your Flint.
The G-sensor thing with O2 is odd. Some examples have a working hardware even with the O2 ROM though it needs G-Sen or similar to activate it. But some examples need a new, cooked ROM to get the G-sensor working and a small number seem to have it physically removed.
As one of a small group of pre-release testers for O2 we had a number of discussions about this- O2's line was that they requested NO G sensor in the hardware build, but HTC only did that with a small number. My 1st one definitely didn't have it, not did it have a working sub display. A replacement had both working with the O2 ROM, though a colleague never got subdisplay working, and another colleague never got the Gsensor working.
O2's Flint ROM is actually pretty good. It's very basic, but all the better for that. However, Michy's Lite WM6.1 is so much better
NeilM said:
...O2's Flint ROM is actually pretty good. It's very basic, but all the better for that. However, Michy's Lite WM6.1 is so much better
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm hoping my device falls into the category of having the g-sensor, my sub-display works fine (I'm assuming this is the display that can be seen through the keyboard's letterbox shaped portal when the device is closed?). Glad to hear that Mitchy's lite ROM is better than the O2 one because I'm planning on flashing it soon.
Great vibrate ringtone
This works like a charm...
Hi Guys & Gals.
First, a thanks for the website. It's a good read, and I've got some useful info off it. Don't know enough in this field to contribute though.
I've got a generic "which phone" question for you all.
I currently have an Orange SPV C600 (HTC Tornado), upgraded to WM 6.1. I use it mostly for phone calls, e-book reading with Mobipocket (probably 95% of the time I actually use the thing for), and sat-nav using TomTom 5 and an external Holux GPSlim 236 (which I've had to re-solder the BT module, due to the dodgy batch of receivers).
The phone is now showing its age (I bought it 2nd hand almost 3.5 years ago). It won't always start TomTom (only about 20% of time will it start properly) , it'll randomly flatten itself overnight, hangs mysteriously etc.
I now want a newer phone. Money is tight though, so I can't justify spending large sums (e.g. >£80/$130) of money on a new phone, even on a contract (my mobile bill is typically £8 a month: £3 calls, £5 data).
I'm currently looking at...
SPV M700
SPV M3100 (Hermes?)
HTC TYTN II (Kaiser)
HTC Touch Diamond (1st version, only if going for silly money on ebay)
HTC Touch Pro (1st version, only if going for silly money on ebay)
Wish list...
GPS
3G
WiFi
Touch screen
Keyboard would be nice.
Better res than 240x320 would be nice
My thoughts on the list are...
M700
Can be quite expensive on ebay (can be cheap though). Fits all of the important stuff though. Not too old.
M3100
No GPS, but has keyboard. *Can* be bought fairly cheaply, because it's quite an old model now. I've borrowed an O2 XDA (which is AFAIK the Orange SPV M3000, which is a 3100 less the 3G and WiFi). Getting on a bit.
TYTN II
Has everything, but have read many bad reviews online about graphics performance (has this been fixed?) and battery life.
Allowing for the down sides, this (so far) is my favourite, in that it ticks all of the boxes.
I *think* I've even seen a video on Youtube of someone getting TouchFlo 3D working on it.
It's getting on a bit too, but Expansys still sell them new (oddly enough for more than a Touch Pro!)
Diamond
Gorgeous screen, No keyboard, no expansion, ticks all the other boxes. Main downside is the cost. Even a broken one went for £52 on ebay!
Touch Pro.
As Diamond, but including keyboard, got expansion, ticks all boxes. Even more expensive than Diamond.
Are there any other phones I should be looking at? Have I missed a point somewhere? Am I better of sticking with my ancient flaky phone and waiting for the Diamond II prices to push the Diamond prices down? I need help here!
Thanks.
Pete.
Welcome to forums
I think 1st you have to have clear what is your main use for a device, said that and taking your list, I would choose Touch Pro.
Also will depend on how much $ you want to spend
If you are looking for something much cheap include on your list Universal, it´s a great device!
Good luck,
if you already have an external gps you should get a wizard they are really cheep an pretty good. they are a lot more responsive than the specs would have you believe. also you can get a tytn II for pretty cheep these days and the battery life is really not that bad if the wizard had an internal gps and more ram i would pick it every time over the tytn II.
Hi.
Thanks for the feedback.
I'd discounted the Universal (SPV M5000), mainly for 2 reasons.
1) It's an old design (12 months older than the M3000, and about the same age as my current phone)
2) It's just too big. Even though it's got a good size screen, I need a pocket phone.
I'll be using the device mostly for reading e-books (it saves carrying around huge numbers of physical books!). I don't find the screen size of my current Tornado sized device a problem. The other thing I'll be using it for is sat-nav. Again, the screen size isn't an issue, because I mostly follow the voice navigation, not the screen. Finally, there's the normal phone stuff of voice calls and texts, occasional web browsing etc.
Ideally it'll be 3G. I'd really like it to have WiFi.
My budget is tight, about £80/$130
josefcrist: You've echoed my own thoughts. Do I keep my existing BT GPS receiver (which gets flaky when it's hot), and go for the Tytn, or do I spend a bit extra, and go for the Tytn II with built in GPS.
One thing that makes me nervous about the M3100 is the ease with which you can brick it. Upgrading my last phone was very easy, but the Hermes forums are full of people who've bricked their phones. I'm a constant fiddler, and if there's a chance of upgrading an OS, or cooking my own, I'll give it a go.
I've found that http://pdadb.net/ allows side-by-side comparisons of phones, so I can now compare my targets, and choose the most appropriate one (e.g. I now know there's been a change in processor from Tytn to Tytn II, both ARM based. The II has double the RAM and ROM.
This page compares my existing phone with the 3 main contenders in my list.
Does anyone here have a Tytn II? I've been using a Wizard (borrowed), and I find that even though the resolution's the same as my existing phone, the pixels have quite a gap between them, giving quite a pixellated appearance.
Many thanks,
Pete.