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Should i buy into the XDAII or not ?

HI
Looking for some input from users of the XDAII.
I have been reading these forums for a while now and i see lots and LOTS of problems with the XDAII. Specifically it seems to be flaky as a phone ...go figure.....
So what i am wondering is if you had your time over would you buy into the XDAII again or give it a miss based on your user experience?
Primarily i need GPS navigation around U.K (as an Aussie who has only been here a few months i find the road signs and directions on signs confusing to say the least...lets not even get into some of the stupid junctions and the way they are set up...). The phone part is nice and is of course why i am considering it over an Ipaq. However whats the point of an XDAII if the phone is flaky ? i need reliable comms on the road not excuses ..or lost data on the SD card...or blue tooth problems etc etc....
Having said all that i still really want one but i am just worried about all the niggly problems i will in all likely hood have to deal with and frankly who needs more s*** in their life then the boss/wife/kids/lover/s already give us ;-) ( i'm talking about you guys there not me , i only flirt with my computer )
So i am stuck right now between the XDAII or an Ipaq........perhaps the Ipaq and my trusty 6310i is the way to go......but the idea of a phone wrapped into the pda is SO so appealing......
ah , decisions decisions.....
anyone got any words of wisdom ?
Thanks for your input
Regards
Mark

I'll always choose XDA II hands-down over Ipaq and 6310i. Bluetooth for the in the latest ROM update is fixed. I've had my XDA for 3 months now and I have no regrets...Well, maybe when XDA III comes out probably

I was pondering this same question just yesterday, wondering whether I was happy with my XDA2 when I see so many people in these forums with problems.
The truth is that it's still a superb machine. These forums will always be full of the users who have problems and questions - that's why this forum exists. The phone isn't flaky at all, IMHO. I've never had a problem, and everything works as well as I would expect, including my (original, never-upgraded) ROM and Bluetooth stuff.
But then I've never tried GPS, and this seems to be the cause of a lot of problems for people.
A small vocal minority of people will never be happy with their XDA2 because it isn't perfect in their definition. The posts of those people might give the impression that the XDA2 is fundamentally flawed, which IMHO it isn't at all. It's not perfect, but then nobody who complains has ever proposed an alternative that is.
All devices have their faults and weaknesses. The XDA2 has far fewer than anything else I've ever used. Go for it!

also people without issues dont really write that many thread
looking for asnwers as to why they dont have issues and what they
are to do to change that

Integrated Wi-Fi and blue tooth on the 6300 and it'll most likely be cheaper for U.S. customers who don't want a plan, it's an easy decision for me.

Hi
yeah i'm on the fence with this one. When i read a problem post i decide to give it a miss. then i read someone who say they have such joy with this unit and i think yeah i'm going for it.
i do this evryday. result ...a monh later i dont have anything !!!
so i reckon a lot of you are right, its probaly screwy software that messes up the phone.
I'm going for it !!!
Now watch all my frantic posts ...Help BT not working, my phone talks to me after midnight , ...my XDAII has a crush on me and wont stop stalking me etc
Thanks for the opininons
Best Regards and you'll be hearing from me soon heheheehe
Mark

Well, good luck! If I had a choice, I wouldn't go with O2 again. While the XDA2 may be good, I have been distinctly unimpressed with O2, having come from Orange.
If you can (and I'm not sure when Orange are to release their M1000) go for a non-O2 XDA2, or get an unlocked one.
Let us know how you get on.

i just gotten my 2020 after being without my xda1 since it were stolen i'm happy with it
though i think that people should know that a xda1 and 2 are much closer to the pc world then cellphone world
also i feel that palm is more of a PDA and pocketpc's are more well
pc's which fit the pocket
this mean that the user have to be more active making it spin
and also that the user have more power to mess up the device

sublimatica said:
A small vocal minority of people will never be happy with their XDA2 because it isn't perfect in their definition. The posts of those people might give the impression that the XDA2 is fundamentally flawed, which IMHO it isn't at all. It's not perfect, but then nobody who complains has ever proposed an alternative that is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
very well said. i think the issue with the XDA2 is either people are too tech-oriented and want to make the XDA2 do amazing things (which it can, but of course we cant claim that it was designed to do EVERYTHING) or the noobs who tinker with it and end up messing up, then blaming the manufacturers, software, etc. etc.
But if you're a normal user. . . out of the box, the XDAII in GENERAL is a sublime piece of hardware.

New Phone - Help me decide: Prophet, Magician, wizard, TyTn?

So my phone (SPV m500) was nicked and even though Orange could see who has my phone (IMEI + SIM network tracking) they won't tell me anything or do a thing about it and the police even though they were happy to take my report, "don't really get involved with stolen phone enquiries"..WTF?
I have looked at the Vario on T-Mob, XDA mini S on O2, SPV M600 on Orange and want some advice from seasoned users as to which phone and company comes up trumps.
I need built in wifi, a decent-ish camera, very very small amount of internet useage, the ability to stream audio to a headset (mono if poss) and cos I only make a small number of outbound calls, a very cheap 12 month package. Any ideas?

Re: New Phone - Help me decide: Prophet, Magician, wizard, T
phatphat said:
So my phone (SPV m500) was nicked and even though Orange could see who has my phone (IMEI + SIM network tracking) they won't tell me anything or do a thing about it and the police even though they were happy to take my report, "don't really get involved with stolen phone enquiries"..WTF?
I have looked at the Vario on T-Mob, XDA mini S on O2, SPV M600 on Orange and want some advice from seasoned users as to which phone and company comes up trumps.
I need built in wifi, a decent-ish camera, very very small amount of internet useage, the ability to stream audio to a headset (mono if poss) and cos I only make a small number of outbound calls, a very cheap 12 month package. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm partial to the TyTN/Hermes/Vario II, but it ain't out yet, so have got a monthly contract that I can cancel at anytime in the meantime.
If you wanna stream audio, for good quality, stereo or mono, make sure the device does A2DP.
If you'll be using data, the £7.50 for relatively unlimted data bundle on Tmobile is hard to beat.

Thanks for that
The only problem is I need it now, and I just got back from visiting the carphone warehouse, O2 shop and T-mobile shop and all of them had no clue about the Hermes/TyTn/VarioII and looked at me like I had just questioned their parentage!
Is the vario/XDA mini S a good choice as it's available on a £20 per month contract (all I really need) for £49?
The SPV M600 (prophet) is always out of stock and much more expensive to buy and you have to have it on a expensive tarif.
Which one is better/worse?

phatphat said:
Is the vario/XDA mini S a good choice as it's available on a £20 per month contract (all I really need) for £49?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a bad deal, but again, make sure you get unlimited data - maikes such a device much more usable. Having to curtail my own data usage with O2 by disabling push email, turning off images on browsing etc, is a PITA.

Good point(s), but is the 02 XDA mini s a better handset than the Orange SPV m600?

New Phone
phatphat,
I just received my new Atom, and I frickin love it!!!!!!! I went from a Magician to the Atom and what a difference. Way better sound than on the Magician, both through the earpiece and on the built in speaker phone. A little smaller phone physically, and WM2005 rocks. My phone came pre installed with the newest Rom so no issues there either. I have read some negative stuff about the Atom, so I was a little concerned. That all dissapeared when I used it for the first couple of days. I never thought that a phone could ever top the excitement I first fealt when I used my Magician for the first time, but the Atom topped it......by far!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Todd

New Phone
phatphat,
I just received my new Atom, and I frickin love it!!!!!!! I went from a Magician to the Atom and what a difference. Way better sound than on the Magician, both through the earpiece and on the built in speaker phone. A little smaller phone physically, and WM2005 rocks. My phone came pre installed with the newest Rom so no issues there either. I have read some negative stuff about the Atom, so I was a little concerned. That all dissapeared when I used it for the first couple of days. I never thought that a phone could ever top the excitement I first fealt when I used my Magician for the first time, but the Atom topped it......by far!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Todd

I know what you mean about the first time you get a magician, (which was also the first PPC phone I had).!
I am considering the Prophet, but I'm not hearing great things about O2 even though thay have some cheap deals for tarifs/handsets, and orange want £179 for an m600.
I see the spec are quite similar in terms of functions (BT, WM5, Wifi etc) but Is the prophet/atom much better than the Wizard(XDA mini s / vario)?
and what are the technical differences between the Atom and prohet? (i know they are based on the same HTC reference but are there any differences in features/performance?)

Tytn/M3100 vs Jamin/M600

OK - due to a change of jobs and the time coming to upgrade anyway, I am looking to get a PDA phone. Previously been a nokia user.
Was looking at the Jamin, but then along came the Hermes.....
New place is all Terminal Server based so not sure if i will be able to sync with Outlook. May still want to use calendar on phone independently.
As far as I can see, the pros and cons are as follows :
Jamin - thinner - more likley to fit in pocket whereas Hermes will be a bit bigger.
Hermes has keyboard however - and jog wheel - useful especially if I use the calendar without syncing and have to enter data. (suppose i could sync with my home pc calendar and enter that way tho.) How much do people really use the keyboard on it? odd friends with them tend to say not much. But not having a keypad still concerns me.
Hermes is faster/newer, but uses micro SD cards and mini USB for headphones. Jamin uses SD and 2.5mm jack. Jamin can be overclocked a bit (seemingly with no great impact on stability) but should make it reasonable.
Both have wifi, both vibrate I assume and both can have MP3 ringtones.
I am currently on orange and their current plans suck quite honestly. Obviously T mobile have web n walk or whatever, but I still remember the days of one to no-one and have concerns - A phone with poor reception is useless to me. (mind you not sure the Jamin is available on other networks?) How much data would I really use anyway whilst out and about.
Hmmmm. Its all a bit too much and most of the shops near me don't have examples I can go in and pick up to see what they are like to even hold.
Any advice or things I have missed would be greatly appreciated.

I currently use M500, unlocked to use with T-Mobile Web'n'Walk.
I upgraded to M600 (again, unlocked it to use with T-Mobile), but it wasn't even capable of scrolling through pdf documents, so I've just got rid of it.
So, if there was a choice between M600 and M3100, I'd go for the M3100 due to the extra processor speed, even though I've never been keen on the extra thickness caused by having the thumb-board.
Another major reason for preferring the M3100 is that the M3100 has 3g and is capable of 3.5g, the best the M600 is capable of is Edge.
If I do get the M3100, I will of course unlock it and use it on T-Mobile web'n'Walk.
Incidentally, I was a loyal Orange customer for nearly 10 years, but I refuse to pay their data charges. I have had no issues with T-Mobile coverage, but then I am in London, so woulldn't really expect any problems.
Regards

Well I love my Jamin which I had for almost 3 month now. (Used regular Motorola for phone and iPaq for PDA before that).
I have a long commute on a bus each day, and it makes it pass quite fast, listening to MP3 and surfing the web at the same time.
For all my daily uses I never had a speed problem, and I never overclocked it. Although I don't use navigational software and Skype.
Yes, the full SD is a plus, but if I had the choice now I would probably choose the Hermes because of the 3G and the faster processor.
Mainly I would have suffered the microSD because the device is newer overall, but I like gadgets.
As for the keyboard, I used my PDAs for over year and a half for various stuff and never felt the need for it. Unless you intend to type word documents or very long emails, the virtual keyboard will do just fine.
Personally I would prefer a phone pad like on ASUS 525 (not out yet, unfortunately).
Well that's just another opinion for you.

Still not decided
Cheers guys, although I am still in a quandry.
I guess the remaining key questions are:
How much of a hassle is the lack of a normal headphone socket on the Hermes?
Given that I have finally concluded that I can live without a keyboard is the jog wheel on the Hermes worth the extra thickness - I have heard it is great for quick and easy use.
How much would I notice the slower speed (not bothered re Skype) - I have heard that people who have not had pda phones before notice the speed the most.
Any experiences advice welcomed again.
Cheers
C
How much would I really use the data part whilst out and about (as wifi at home) - could get a good deal with say vodafone if you exclude the data element. Am still worried about T mobiel coverage - I live in Kent and work would take me round the country once or twice a month - reception then would be useful.

Just seen main tytn thread about possible new Orange data oackage - may answer one of my questions.....

OK - the unlimited GPRS off peak only bundle is not what I was looking for.(Orange- you really don;t have a clue about this data stuff...)
Am still in a quandry, have been watching the tytn threads as well. Cost is also an issue at the mo, and looking at the other threads the device cost may be a bit steep for me.
Seems to be quite a few suspect handsets around with dodgy keys and screens that lose alignment. Byt the time the device comes out on Tmobile and Orange (imminent I know) and then gets out of stock and back in etc it will be months before I got one anyway. I am now thinking it would be better to get a Jamin on Orange and just not really use the data during the day too much. Just sign up for 12 months and look again next year.
Would be able to use existing and cheaper SD cards. 2.5mm jack is good. T mobile reception for the data still worries me as I would be travelling a bit. Hopefully most of the bugs are now ironed out of the
Jamin, and it is thinner.
Any other hints/advice would be appreciated.

HTC Mogul coming in July!

http://www.geardiary.com/2007/06/17/unboxing-the-htc-mogul-sprints-new-wm6-phone/
this phone looks promising.. hopefully it isnt a flop like the 6700

already there....
Telus P4000
http://www.telusmobilite.com/qc/pcs/handset_htc_p4000.shtml
Sprint Mogul
http://nextelonline.nextel.com/NASApp/onlinestore/en/Action/DisplayPhones?phoneSKU=PPC6800SP

Actually it came today.. UPS just dropped mine off from Sprint.

OK I have 7 days to get out of my TMO contract to go with the cheaper service of sprint.
Bugout...how it the phone (I have a Wizard)? The main confusing I'm having is Sprint lists it as having GPS-A and no where can I see that in any specs (nor can I find the claim it has ATI graphics). Any validity, first thoughts.

There's reviews all over the place.. but here are my first thoughts coming from 2 weeks with an 8525 (which im returning back to AT&T) and a 700p..
The keyboard has a very nice "spring" to it, unlike the hermes, which requires more of a push/pull to open and close it.
I dont know the exact number, but it's about 10mm thinner then a hermes, but it feels much thinner and lighter then a hermes.
I'm still wet behind the ears with WM (long time palm user and the 700p nightmare had me jump ship). All the applications are very snappy. There is no button in the comm manager to turn on/off wi-fi, there is however a hard switch on the lower left to turn it on and off. SPB pocket plus will turn wifi off/on via an the screen button.
It came with 2 Y adapters in the box. 1 for a/c charge and usb sync, and another for charge and a 3.5mm standard headset jack.
The GPSA is only for location based services, it does not have a standard usable GPS in it. As far as I know it also does not have ATI graphics.
I'm still having usability issues because there seems to be steep learning curve coming from palm i.e. no contact list in the sms app, very annoying or maybe I haven't found it yet, or I just have to retrain my brain to send SMS from contacts instead of the actual SMS app.
Another very annoying this is that there is no battery meter on the top bar. I have to do my research to figure out how to turn that on.

My Mogul should arrive today. I ordered it because I wanted a reliable 3G phone. I've been using an 8525 with Cingy. The 3G internet works great. However, voice call quality with Cingy in Salt Lake City sucks. Lots of dropped and garbled calls. Also, battery life is about 10 hours.
It's rumored that The Mogul has better battery life. Sprint also offers some very nice data packages and 3G in many more places than even Verizon.
I cannot wait to give the phone a try.

Here's the link to the ATI claim http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=7748
I think Dailytech is just confused because the chipset uses it (it also allows for an 8mp camera which would be nice )
I know GPSA is location based only but supposedly Sprint is offering their Navigator program with it to work. GPSA does talk to GPS satellites...just with a network and probably something proprietary.
Does anyone know how hackable the Mogul will be. I don't want it on a different network, just maybe a different ROM or something. I've always seen the issues with unlocking CDMA phone but the Apaches seemed to unlock sooo.
Sorry for all the questions...I just now have 6 days to switch (which I'm going to as sprint offered to take my $70 monthly bill to $30). And sprints basic call centers dont understand some of my spec questions.

if alltell gets this by december ill get it thru them because i was thinking of switching to alltell around that time..

My gfs doing that same with Altell...however...someone just reminded me of this http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/07/feds-impose-partial-ban-on-qualcomm-powered-phones/ Qualcomm phones now have a partial ban on them (shipping into the US) which could lead to supply issues.
On a sidenote either one of the sprint people what to do the $25 refer a friends. I sign up, claim you (give them your cell) refered me...you make $25...i make $25....PM me if your in!

hmm well that ban sucks ass.. if sprint wasnt such a POS id switch over to them..

yes, sprint does offer a navigation service, but it's $9.99/mo.
The internal GPS on this thing is very accurate. I signed up for the free trial of "Sprint family locator" and it had me pegged exactly where I was. Locating my wifes phone (a treo 650 which is in the same house was 2 miles off).
I don't think anyone knows how hackable the mogul is just yet.. That's what we get for "bleeding edge"

can someone post the sprint today theme

I'm still still new to this, but if you can point me to a link that shows me how/where it is, I'd be happy to.
edit found it:
http://rapidshare.com/files/38364040/Sprint_Default.tsk.html

LG KS20 - User Opinions?

I wanted some feedback from KS20 owners.
It's available here in India for approx Rs 20k. I am presuming it will come with an English ROM.
Rather than ROM extraction and cooking, I wanted owner opinions on the unit.
How stable is the firmware?
Any bugs/crashes?
Any compatibility problems with programs?
Any physical problems with the unit (easily scratches/paint peeling etc...)?
Do you use a screen guard?
What was included in the box?
What's the ringing tone volume like? (Lots of reviews have said it is VERY low. India is a very loud country and I need a load ring tone and strong vibra).
What's the earpiece volume like? (As above, I need a loud earpiece to hear the other party. I also have a hearing problem which means that earpiece volume is extremely important.)
I am thinking about buying a KS20 vs Touch. There is no 3G in India. What I am looking for is a very light handset that I can use as a daily phone. Would a KS20 handle a rough daily life?
(Off topic question: Any ideas on what HTC will announce in the first week of May? Something that would match/exceed a KS20 as a Touch replacement?)

got an KS20 in bombay..... im liking it.. but kinda finding bugs with WM6 not the handset.... might jus hvto flush the entire OS and reinstall it or sumthin..... but luvin the handet.... ive customized it to make is easier for usage... got the spbshell application ..... got the phonepad keyboard for easy typing.... and yaaa got screenprotector..... but yaaa also liost my stylus the first week n they dunt give any spare in the box...so basically jus waiting to buy a spare once the spare parts are available in india!..... other than that...luv the phone.. :-D

Thanks,
Any specific bugs? I am a bit worried about availability of spares, with HTC items, spares and accessories are available everywhere.

Does it really has 128MB/256MB or 64M/128M?
The marketing phrase: 128MB internal memory means nothing to me. Actually it scares me, as I would think they are trying to fool me.

I have a KS20. I like it It has a bug: cannot send SMS messages but I don't think it's from the phone. It's either from the SIM card or from the WM. I don't use texting much so it's not a problem to me as I have Skype and a WiFi. I had problems with Skype calls, but there's a solution in the Skype forums. It also has problems with Opera Mobile 9.7 but works fine with Opera Mobile 9.5.
P.S. Sorry for resurrecting this topic, but someone can benefit from it

Ooooh yes, let's revive this topic, because it gives me an opportunity to stress how much I hated that device.
First, the pros:
- very good-looking (IMHO) industrial design
- lightweight
- slim WM6 device.
- 3G capable
- with a case that integrates very neatly.
Now, the cons, which I consider absolute dealbreakers:
- buggy OS. Don't think that just because this is a WM6 phone, it supports all WM6 applications. There's no clear pattern or reason to it, but some apps (including most of my paid-for apps) do not work properly on the KS20.
- GPS/navi apps in particular don't run properly because the KS20 is unable to play voice prompts (like "turn left") from the navi software. This is true for most navigation apps, and the only, silly workaround is playing a "silent" audio file endlessly in the background.
- battery prone to corruption. Most KS20s suffered from a battery bug where, after some use, the battery would always show 99%, irrespective of the actual charge. So your phone would just suddenly run out of power, and you had no way of knowing when. Supply of replacement batteries was a serious worldwide problem last year, too.
- Also, you need to be aware that the KS20 employs the Widcom/Broadcom bluetooth stack. I mention this because it may cause problems with some applications.
LG support negated all these faults, although they had been reported in the forums worldwide. It took some lengthy negotiations with my carrier before I could get a replacement - actually I had to send it in three times, each taking about 5 weeks. See how that can make you mad?
After all, I got a Touch Diamond as a replacement. So I'm back with HTC (where I had been before the LG KS20), and I'm a happy badger now.
Bottom line: Give the KS20 a wide berth. Don't go anywhere near it. Slick device, but alas, what a piece of junk to work with.
N.