Looking for a new phone - General Topics

Hi,
a few months ago I got an ipaq hw6955
it was ok but I thought the screen was way too small for a pda, and miniSD cards aren't very big and then it broke after a month and I got a refund
now I'm looking for another phone but this time I want to shop around more !
I did a bunch of reading and searching on ebay and I'm not really sure what phone to get
I made a list of what features I cared about and which ones I don't
I absolutely want
WM6 , HSDPA (wifi but every phone have that now)
I would really prefer to have integrated gps (don't care much to carry a separate bluetooth gps receiver that's as big as the phone !)
a screen around 3 inches (the ipaq was just a tad too small to confortable use and the 240x240 was useless for movies :\)
I'd really prefer a VGA screen unless it means the phone gets very slow and makes the battery not last (like I heard about the E-TEN glofiish X500+)
I think the toshiba portege g900 would have been perfect but they messed up by using a transmissive screen, I'd prefer a transflective screen , but I think every recent phone has that now anyways.. well except the g900 !
the HTC advantage X7500 might have been good but it's really not pocket sized and WM5 kills it
I don't want a qwerty keyboard that takes away screen estate but a flip would be nice, but not necessary (a separate mini BT keyboard would do)
I heard that the G900 can use usb mass storage devices with it's usb host, that's a feature I really really want , do all phones do this now or is that one the only one ? (I know you need a separate power source but watching movies from a WD Passport 160gb hdd would be great even if it need to carry around an extra 5V battery pack)
a Full SD slot would be great but it seems they are getting rare, the fujitsu loox t830 has one, (I was going to get a t830 but then I saw the E-TEN G700 and changed my mind about front keyboards), micro SD apparently suck, so at least I'd want miniSD with SDHC support ( it'd be great to use those 16gb SD cards as opposed to the 4gb miniSD)
I was wondering maybe I should use a non-phone pda instead ? and just get a phone that has bluetooth and hsdpa support, would it be possible to use a bluetooth capable pda and use it as a headset and do all the dialing and answering with it AND use hsdpa over bluetooth ? , I wouldn't mind carrying both a tiny phone and a pda around
sorry if this post is long but there are so many phones out there , it's getting hard to choose !!
I was thinking the E-TEN Glofiish X800 would be perfect, it seems to have everything (except maybe mass storage device support on it's usb host port) but then I heard HTC phones get a lot more community support than E-TEN phones (custom firmwares in particular !!, maybe linux support ohhh)
thanks for any insight you could give me !!
-shodan

Related

HTC Omni

Does anybody have any updated news on the HTC Omni? Why the delay?
If HTC develops it as enthusiatically as the new Touch Diamond and TytnII, then we are sure to have a winner
Thanks
Calli
calli said:
Does anybody have any updated news on the HTC Omni? Why the delay?
If HTC develops it as enthusiatically as the new Touch Diamond and TytnII, then we are sure to have a winner
Thanks
Calli
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. no news at all
2. did you really mean the TyTN II as an "enthusiatically" engineered device?
I heard it has fallen off the edge of the world, not to be seen anytime soon
I believe HTC has changed his business strategy. they use to make PDA-phones but now they are focusing making WM-PHONES. Devices like Universal or Omni are communicators which mostly targeted for Business user. Obviously the market share (money) is not on those. Furthermore they are still providing Universal or bigger brother Athena and have no competition on those Devices.
Iphone attracted a lot of people not because of it's technology package but the simplicity and Multi media ability. Furthermore Ipnone doesn't rest and improve its technology. Therefore as we can see HTC concentrate since Iphone release to keep up or be in front of apple. So therefore I dont think we will see in any near future the Omni
Bulldog said:
I believe HTC has changed his business strategy. they use to make PDA-phones but now they are focusing making WM-PHONES. Devices like Universal or Omni are communicators which mostly targeted for Business user. Obviously the market share (money) is not on those. Furthermore they are still providing Universal or bigger brother Athena and have no competition on those Devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure they have: the hx4700 with WM6.1 (or the iPAQ 210 if you prefer) with a decent HSDPA-enabled smartphone like the Nokia N95. Much cheaper (particularly if you go the hx4700 route), much better, much easier to carry than the Athena. I'd personally in no way pay for Athena $500 - let alone $1300. It's just a joke with a rididulously bad keyboard. (Yes, the new Athena also sucks.)
Now that I've got a iPAQ 210, I've entirely stopped carrying my Universal with me and switched to the 210 + N95 setup. I'm absolutely happy with the duo.
Now that I've got a iPAQ 210, I've entirely stopped carrying my Universal with me and switched to the 210 + N95 setup. I'm absolutely happy with the duo.[/quote]
You are talking from my heart Menneisyys,
I use to carry also two devices. I Stored a lot business related information on my PDA and the phone was just for communication. During office hours it was no issue with that. However I found after office hours when I was out for a Drink I did mostly forget or don't wan to carry my PDA. That leads me not having my important information when I have needed them.
Therefore I bought my first WM PDA/phone ( XDA II) back 2004 because I could combine 2 devices in to one and XDA II was not larger or heavier then my PDA. I could carry it easily on my belt.So it was a Great change.
I broke my XDA II 2006 which was a great Device, hell I think it was the best device that HTC untill now made.
Then I bought the Universal which was the most advanced available device It was big and heavy so that I almost lost my pants if I carry it on my belt. Phone functionality was not really best , battery live was bad but it had what I needed (1=2). However Now waiting 2 years of a device that combines the good things from XDA II and Universal. Unfortunately no update and I have given up waiting.
As my universal come to age I bought HTC kaiser, well after using it for 1 week I have given it to my wife!! it is to small as a PDA and it is to big as a phone.
It seams all the Devices coming out having the same issue and no one cares for a old guys that need larger screen. Currently Guess what I have repaired my XDA II and using it as my primary again. If the XDA II dies completely I will also change to having again 2 devices. Well may be I am lucky and some one will produce a device like the Nokia E90 in WM version.
I agree. XDA II was great. Pity it does not come with 3G & HSDPA. Radio signal was far better than the Universals. Hopefully somebody will copy the design and form factor, add in all bells & whistles and then we the older guys will again be content.
I cant wait for sony x1 with 3" wvga at 800x480!
While we patiently wait for the ultimate PDA Phone edition, what would my learnerd colleagues suggest as the best Radio for the Universal using Jwrightsmcps Crossbow 2.12.08? I'm currently using Radio 1.18.00 which has very poor signal strength.
Thanks
Menneisyys said:
1. no news at all
2. did you really mean the TyTN II as an "enthusiatically" engineered device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
in response to #2. no kidding, i was more enthusiastic about reverting back to my wizard after i sold my tytn II 2 months after buying it. that thing was a disappointment.
Menneisyys said:
Sure they have: the hx4700 with WM6.1 (or the iPAQ 210 if you prefer) with a decent HSDPA-enabled smartphone like the Nokia N95. Much cheaper (particularly if you go the hx4700 route), much better, much easier to carry than the Athena. I'd personally in no way pay for Athena $500 - let alone $1300. It's just a joke with a rididulously bad keyboard. (Yes, the new Athena also sucks.)
Now that I've got a iPAQ 210, I've entirely stopped carrying my Universal with me and switched to the 210 + N95 setup. I'm absolutely happy with the duo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Athena is not a good phone, but its the best UMPC for many people (myself included) if you consider everything (size, price, battery life, connectivity, tv-out, etc...) and the keyboard isn't that bad, I've enabled the software clicking sound, and its very usable and comfortable for me. I've paid 500$ bucks on mine (slightly used but like-new condition), and its probably the best bang you can get for your buck (at least for my use).
kramerica2 said:
The Athena is not a good phone, but its the best UMPC for many people (myself included) if you consider everything (size, price, battery life, connectivity, tv-out, etc...) and the keyboard isn't that bad, I've enabled the software clicking sound, and its very usable and comfortable for me. I've paid 500$ bucks on mine (slightly used but like-new condition), and its probably the best bang you can get for your buck (at least for my use).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i guess u never heard of sony 4.5" umpc running on Xp/Vista dual boot, what u can do at home, u can do it at umpc. Athena is not a umpc, athena is a 5" brick. haha
netnerd said:
i guess u never heard of sony 4.5" umpc running on Xp/Vista dual boot, what u can do at home, u can do it at umpc. Athena is not a umpc, athena is a 5" brick. haha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess you didn't read everything I wrote. No UMPC that costs anywhere near the price of the Athena and is about the same size, has the features the Athena can offer.
1. Battery life. needless to say, about 6 times more than any UMPC (except Shift on WM mode).
2. Connectivity. 3.5G, WIFI, BT, IR.
3. Input/Output. USB host, S-video, VGA, composite.
Of course its not really a UMPC, since its not a PC, but its better at most tasks that any UMPC out there. Especially if you consider the small size and price.
kramerica2 said:
I guess you didn't read everything I wrote. No UMPC that costs anywhere near the price of the Athena and is about the same size, has the features the Athena can offer.
1. Battery life. needless to say, about 6 times more than any UMPC (except Shift on WM mode).
2. Connectivity. 3.5G, WIFI, BT, IR.
3. Input/Output. USB host, S-video, VGA, composite.
Of course its not really a UMPC, since its not a PC, but its better at most tasks that any UMPC out there. Especially if you consider the small size and price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
end of the day it ends up to been a costly PDA/UMPC. As phone it is obviously to big!!!
The XDAII Revolution
Reviving XDA II campaign
If all the fans of the trusted XDAII get togther I'm sure we will find an enterprising technician that can rebuild/modify the motherboard to give us HSDPA, Wi-Fi, VGA out, extra mem, speed etc.
LETS START THE NEW REVOLUTION! (maybe only then will the manufacturesrs get the message?)
calli said:
Reviving XDA II campaign
If all the fans of the trusted XDAII get togther I'm sure we will find an enterprising technician that can rebuild/modify the motherboard to give us HSDPA, Wi-Fi, VGA out, extra mem, speed etc.
LETS START THE NEW REVOLUTION! (maybe only then will the manufacturesrs get the message?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HTC made master piece and released the HTC P6300 but the spec doesnt include what you wish.What a Joke!!!! FORGET it HTC now is just phone manufacturer and just focusing gaining market share.
kramerica2 said:
The Athena is not a good phone, but its the best UMPC for many people (myself included) if you consider everything (size, price, battery life, connectivity, tv-out, etc...) and the keyboard isn't that bad, I've enabled the software clicking sound, and its very usable and comfortable for me. I've paid 500$ bucks on mine (slightly used but like-new condition), and its probably the best bang you can get for your buck (at least for my use).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course, for $500, it's a VERY good buy. I meant the price/performance ratio at its current price point ($1300).
kramerica2 said:
I guess you didn't read everything I wrote. No UMPC that costs anywhere near the price of the Athena and is about the same size, has the features the Athena can offer.
1. Battery life. needless to say, about 6 times more than any UMPC (except Shift on WM mode).
2. Connectivity. 3.5G, WIFI, BT, IR.
3. Input/Output. USB host, S-video, VGA, composite.
Of course its not really a UMPC, since its not a PC, but its better at most tasks that any UMPC out there. Especially if you consider the small size and price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. battery life means nothing, if it doesnt do much! my Sony 4.5" umpc running on Xp or Vista, can run JAVA APPLETS, real xp/vista programs like itune, mirc, download mp3 from internet and transfer it to ipod/iphone. can Athena running on Windows Mobiles does this? haha
2. sony 4.5" umpc also have wifi, BT. since both umpc and athena is too big to put in pocket, u also be carry a cellphone. if there' is no wifi avail, i just teather 3.5G from pdaphone to umpc.
3. sony 4.5" umpc caddle has 3 USB port, so u can plug in real mouse or keyboard if u dont want to use build-in keyboard or mouse pointer. it also have a monitor output port! and ethernet port too!
sony 4.5" umpc is about the same size as 5" athena! and it costs about the same price as Athena used!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-Vaio-VGN-U...goryZ177QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
netnerd said:
1. battery life means nothing, if it doesnt do much! my Sony 4.5" umpc running on Xp or Vista, can run JAVA APPLETS, real xp/vista programs like itune, mirc, download mp3 from internet and transfer it to ipod/iphone. can Athena running on Windows Mobiles does this? haha
2. sony 4.5" umpc also have wifi, BT. since both umpc and athena is too big to put in pocket, u also be carry a cellphone. if there' is no wifi avail, i just teather 3.5G from pdaphone to umpc.
3. sony 4.5" umpc caddle has 3 USB port, so u can plug in real mouse or keyboard if u dont want to use build-in keyboard or mouse pointer. it also have a monitor output port! and ethernet port too!
sony 4.5" umpc is about the same size as 5" athena! and it costs about the same price as Athena used!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-Vaio-VGN-U...goryZ177QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all, all the tasks you've mentioned CAN be done with the Athena.
Of course, each user should meet his own demands with the device he has. I can speak only for myself, but I need a device that can:
1. Play movies and music.
2. Include a TV-OUT port and VGA/DVI.
3. Be able to push e-mails via exchange server all the time, surf the web, play some simple games.
4. Do all of the above at least for 5-6 hours strait.
5. Have a camera.
6. Include some sort of integrated keyboard.
7. Be able to be charged via USB, Car, Airplane, Outlet.
Now, find me any UMPC that can do all of the above better than the Athena, and is as portable as the Athena.
kramerica2 said:
First of all, all the tasks you've mentioned CAN be done with the Athena.
Now, find me any UMPC that can do all of the above better than the Athena, and is as portable as the Athena.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
really? if u going to get a brick, atleast get something better like a real umpc!
please tell me how can i run JAVA APPLETS from websites (NOT javascripts), and transfer mp3 from Athena to ipod/iphone.
i already told u! sony 4.5" can do it better and it' about the same size as Athena and cost around the same price too! yes, sony 4.5 umpc can play movies too! and i just checked my sony, it has headphone jack, yes u can play music too! haha. and a mic jack too! haha

Considering an X7510 and looking for input...

So my HTC Wizard is getting a little old. And it's poor old CPU isn't standing up to Windows Mobile 6 ROM's very well. And it doesn't support anyhting past EDGE. And I'm thinking it's time for an upgrade. And my sweet BT SouthWing headset sucks on my HTC as soon as I do more than one thing. At the same time, my camera is busted. My girlfriend has a 6 megapixel camera we use for anything important, but I want a decent camera that's always on me.
I think I see a chance to combine some electronics. I'm looking for a beasty WM 6 based PDA. The current PDA I'm most interested in is the HTC Advantage X7510.
http://www.htc.com/www/product.aspx?id=474
GSM w / solid band support
3.1 MP camera w / flash
BT 2.0
624 Mhz CPU AND ATI gfx chip (<3 cell phone emulators)
16 gig internal flash for my tunes
detachable keyboard
FULL QWERTY KEYBOARD = WIN
Surprisingly sexy for a powerful PDA with a keyboard
This looks like the best one I've found overall. I've heard that HTC has been pretty lousy on implementing the ATI GFX chips, but as far as I can tell that's only on the TyTn II's. It's a little more than I want to spend on a phone, but if it gets the camera in there too then it's sold.
I'm pretty much sold on this guy, only holdup is the cost. I really haven't seen anything that can compete with it, although I found a lot of new companies today poking about. Anybody know of any brands I should look at, or have anything negative to say about this guy?
fatheadpi said:
So my HTC Wizard is getting a little old. And it's poor old CPU isn't standing up to Windows Mobile 6 ROM's very well. And it doesn't support anyhting past EDGE. And I'm thinking it's time for an upgrade. And my sweet BT SouthWing headset sucks on my HTC as soon as I do more than one thing. At the same time, my camera is busted. My girlfriend has a 6 megapixel camera we use for anything important, but I want a decent camera that's always on me.
I think I see a chance to combine some electronics. I'm looking for a beasty WM 6 based PDA. The current PDA I'm most interested in is the HTC Advantage X7510.
http://www.htc.com/www/product.aspx?id=474
GSM w / solid band support
3.1 MP camera w / flash
BT 2.0
624 Mhz CPU AND ATI gfx chip (<3 cell phone emulators)
16 gig internal flash for my tunes
detachable keyboard
FULL QWERTY KEYBOARD = WIN
Surprisingly sexy for a powerful PDA with a keyboard
This looks like the best one I've found overall. I've heard that HTC has been pretty lousy on implementing the ATI GFX chips, but as far as I can tell that's only on the TyTn II's. It's a little more than I want to spend on a phone, but if it gets the camera in there too then it's sold.
I'm pretty much sold on this guy, only holdup is the cost. I really haven't seen anything that can compete with it, although I found a lot of new companies today poking about. Anybody know of any brands I should look at, or have anything negative to say about this guy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well if you really want the x7510 then you should buy an x7500 and put ap4 on there. than its like having the best of both worlds plus you get all the buttons that you dont get with the 7510
7510 is a good choice only if you intend to use it notebook style. If you use it tablet style, then 7500 or 7501 are better. 7510 does not have the a few of the hardware buttons that the older models have, and this is extremely limiting for table style users. Many users find it more convenient, more portable, and easier when using it table style.
BTW, 7500 and 7501 are lighter and cheaper too. The only drawback is the microdrive instead of SSD, but not a serious drawback. Capacity itself is not an issue for most of us, I believe. I only use about 1 GB out of the 8GB with all my programs installed there. All my large consuming files are on microSDHC, which can be swapped in and out at will so there is no practical limit on the effective capacity. Microdrive is a lot faster than microSDHC, although it consumes more power.
The answer is also in the new product cathegories from HTC marketing department ( www.htc.com ) :
They have :
TOUCH phones (From TOUCH to DIAMOND)
PDA phones (From P3300 to TyTN II)
Smartphones (From S310 to S730)
Mobile Computers (Advantage>Shift)
The strategy seems clear: WHAT DO YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ? :
Trendy and WOW effect PDA PHONE? (Play device with phone?) TOUCH product Line
A Powerfull Companion in your PHONE? (Biz device with phone?) PDA Phones Product Line
Lightweight but powerfull PHONE? (Phone for yor Digital Lifestyle?) Smartphones product line
Mobile computing (Mobile PC always on with SOME phone capabilities?) Mobile Computers product line
I agree with you we would like to have them ALL in a single device but....
I have PDA, SMartphone and Mobile computer, and I fully agree with this scenario. A clear idea (or a good help) and you will be really happy of the chosen device. Chose the wrong category for your purpose and you will sell it in few weeks (losing money )
HTC is out from a dark age now, time to buy stock quotes IMHO!
I'd go for an X7500 unless you can get a 7510 susidised. I use about 6Gb of my Microdrive and about 3Gb on my card but you can always expand with bigger cards.
Good luck!
[Edit]Just seen http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=391485 - might be of interest?[/Edit]
Interesting comments, really appreciate the feedback. So, a few things.
1. I haven't really found a good comparison or general video yet of any of the advantage models. I'll keep the keyboard difference in mind. As for the keyboard usage, how is it for texting? I've been pretty happy with the keyboard on my Wizard, but I'm open to something new. I just refuse to go back to not having a QWERTY keyboard. I'd buy the Diamond, but HTC doesn't get how awesome QWERTY texting is appearantly.
2. Looking at the Advantage, I don't see any buttons on it that would be especially good for gaming, especially anything like the pad on a Wizard / TyTn II. Am I missing something, or can I expect to have my PocketNesterness hampered by an Advantage?
3. Thanks for the info on the 7500/1 vs 7510. Looking at the specs page, I noticed the 7500 lists two cameras while the 7501 only has one. Is this the case? I'd just be giving up the VGA camera for voice calls, which I've never used anyways, but I guess it could be nice if I get to an area with better than EDGE service. Also, is the X7510's camera much / any better?
4. I've done a good bit of flashing / light bit of cooking with my Wizard. About how much harder is an advantage to reflash?
5. 8 gigs would be a considerable upgrade for me, I've been getting by on a 4 gig MiniSD that my Wizard only picks up about 3.7 gig of. Assuming I used a gig internally for pics, GPS, etc, I'd still have twice the capacity on HD alone vs my card.
Glad to get some input, got ignored at HowardForums.
Hmm... actually, saw some better pics of the Advantage. There is clearly no "D-Pad" like the PDA-style phones get. LAME.
Back to the drawing board. Kaiser's in the lead, AT&T owes me a discount phone since I bought my own hardware to the table. Too bad it doesn't have a flash.
http://www.imate.com/support/specs/SpecSheet_9502.pdf
Ooooooh... Do Want!
fatheadpi said:
Interesting comments, really appreciate the feedback. So, a few things.
1. ... how is it for texting? ...
2. ... can I expect to have my PocketNesterness hampered by an Advantage?
3. ... the 7500 lists two cameras while the 7501 only has one. Is this the case? Also, is the X7510's camera much / any better?...
4. ...About how much harder is an advantage to reflash?...
5. ...8 gigs ...
....got ignored at HowardForums.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We play soccer here, 2-1 is the score, and the winners are ...HERMES-KAISER!
1) ATHENA's kb haven't any backlight, hard to use without a stable surface. Big screen means BIG on screen Kb too, but for texting ATHENA Kb isn't really good in standing situation, in the car, on the bus.... WORST comparing it with the HERMES or KAISER
2) Many games aren't usable in a VGA device. I don't know about emulators but less buttons mean less control! WORST comparing it with the HERMES or KAISER
3) Yes, it is. No, don't.
4) Just the same complexity and risks as Kaiser or Hermes
5) Yes, but are built IN. I prefer to have DATA on SD, to manage with the PC utilities, to share data with friends... but, yes BETTER than HERMES or KAISER
HOFO?
Believe me: for a "texter" and "gamer" ATHENA is a nightmare!
Yeah, that's what I'm seeing so far. I might settle on a Kaiser, looks like those are pretty well hacked, and I can get one for like $100 refurb'd through AT&T. I'm gonna see if I can scrounge up a deal on that I-Mate tho, no flash on the camera has repeatedly pissed me off with my Wizard.
On a different note, how is WM6 on a 400 Mhz processor? I'm using a Wizard OC'd to 216Mhz on a custom WM6 rom, and alot of stuff is SLOOOOW. Granted, even a Kaiser would more than double my phone power, but just curious.
Hey guys, I think it's getting obvious the Athena isn't for me. I'm gonna head over to the Kaiser forum and see what I can see. Thanks for the help.

ETEN Glofiish X800 vs TyTNII?

Hello guys...
After some technical problems with my Kaiser (now in service), and after realizing that I don't really use the hardware keyboard all that much (a major criterion when I chose Kaiser), I was thinking of trading it for the ETEN Glofiish X800. I'm tempted by the 500MHz processor and the brilliant VGA screen, however are there any opinions on how well it fares in other issues? GPS, overall speed etc?
Thanks in advance,
t
if you don't want a keyboard anymore, you should maybe also consider the HTC Touch Diamond...very small and light, nice vga screen, gps, 4GB internal memory, etc.
Hmmm you could be right, I didn't think of that. Its processor is running @ 400MHz instead of 500, though, and a full €100/$160 more than the X800, so I'm not sure how it compares. One big plus is the wealth of custom ROMs lying around - haven't seen anything for the ETEN device...
Thanks for the advice
btw, don't forget to consider the iPhone 3G too...maybe not so interessting if you have a lot of windows mobile specific applications...but for normal use like mail, phone, calendar, etc it can be interessting.
anyway, before buying any new device, I can advice everyone to wait like a month or two, untill the iPhone 3G gets available everywhere. I hope the prices of many other windows mobile devices will drop after the 3G introduction.
the diamond and 3g are very comparable device, still the diamond costs 500euro and the 3g will be something like 300euro (without contract) in Belgium. so i expect htc will have to drop theire prices to concurrent with apple.
Ah no, not interested in iPhones! Not only do I need the Windows functionality indeed, but I have developed a certain anti-anti-establishment feeling against it, I just hate how 'hip' it has become
Still competition is good nonetheless. Now, I wonder, why on earth hasn't the TyTNII come down since its launch, at least in Greece? Still going for €800!
i too still prefer windows mobile because of some applications I couldn't live without...but after playing for a while with an iPhone I was really impressed with its responsiveness and stability. It couldn't nearly do as much as what I can do with my windows mobile device, but the things that the iPhone could do were working very well, very smooth. And that's something I can't say from my pocket pc. But anyway, I already got used to the many crashes and softreset that it now doesn't really bother me anymore
So have I, have used Windows for so long I'm all too used to it The firts major disadvantage of the iPhone would be the GPS functionality - what would I do without my iGo?
So, anyone with an idea about the ETEN vs HTC?
eten FTW! i just wished it had a BIGGER vga screen like the iphone! but the gps sirf III kills that iphone AGPS for sure! plus i hate mac stuff!
just wished our x800 had more internal RAM! 64 is not enuff!
I had an X800 before I got my Touch Cruise and I have to say, the only thing better than the TC is the VGA screen, other than that, it kept developing a Micro SD problem where the locking mechanism would break and the SD card wouldn't lock in place (I had one replacement unit, and an attempted repair, and it seems other people have had the same problem) It is also significantly slower than my TC (when you press a menu option in TomTom, you can see the menu layers change it is that slow!). Couple that with the recessed screen so it's almost impossible to press the x button without using the stylus, and I'm much happier with the touch cruise than the X800. I won't buy another E-Ten device as they seem to have very poor after sales service, and almost non-existent support for European users!

Wish list for a Universal 2

Since I got my first Universal (JasJar) some 2 years back, I have tried several other alternatives, including TyTN 2, HTC Touch Pro, and even Toshiba G910. I have always come back to the Universal. In fact, when I broke my JasJar, I replaced it with Vodafone V1640. I have come to conclude that the Uni is the closest to my ideal PDA/phone for a business user.
But I regret one or two things about the Universal, and I honestly wish we would have a Universal 2 to address these snags. My short wish list for Universal 2 are is follows:
1) Retain the present format - don't change the form factor; it is simply great as it is. Forget those who say it is too heavy or bulky - they don't know what they want. (If weight is your problem, then don't ask for a comfortable keyboard and a large screen as you have in the Uni.)
2) Give it 256MB RAM. This is by far the biggest issue with the current Uni with 64MB RAM. Often when I run something like TextMaker (SoftOffice), the device runs out of memory.
3) Make the stylus holder more secure. Either let it click into place or have a magnetic slot to secure it, like the HTC Touch Pro.
4) Make the SD card slot more secure - perhaps with a cover. As it is, it pops out rather easily.
5) Have a built-in GPS
Any further ideas for Universal 2?
We can fantasize all we want but we aint going to get it! There wont ever be a Uni 2 for sure....atleast i'm pretty convinced about it.
I just broke my uni a few weeks ago and couldnt help but buying another one...(was quite a struggle to find a seller!). I too love the form factor and ergonomics of the uni - simply brilliant.
Anyway, I guess I'll just wait up for a while until there is something like the TyTN 2 where you can tilt the display on the Touch pro and I might just buy one of them! Or the Touch HD Pro - if there will ever be one!
Cheers!
San
Anyway, for the "wishlist" I'd basically want a built in GPS, a better 3D accelerated graphics card, MORE RAM & storage, and an outside smaller display if possible!
Video out would be essential for me, & with that hardware run GFX.
Sadly I dont think there will be a Universal 2, although I wish they would. The line between laptop, PDA and mobile phone has blurred so much, all I really wish is that the mobile industry in general stops limiting the capabilitys of hand held devices (e.g. Iphone) with closed platforms, limiting hardware capabilities and add expansion ports.
Dear rsawoseyin,
You have a Grate Idea about Universal. I also love Universal very much.
If the Universal is made according to the Specs given by you and some other features, like Multitouch Display, Accelerometer, etc., like in iPhone, then it would become Deam Machine!!!!!!!!
So, you request the iMate or HTC to create such type of Universal.
Regards,
Shakeel Ahmed,
Datacom Engineer,
HUAWEI Technologies (Pvt.) Ltd.
I agree with you,
I have had Jasjar and Vodafone V1640. Now I've a Toshiba G900, I'm happy with it and I've started to cook roms for it, then G900 is really important for me.
But I've loved my UNI, perfect size for me, perfect display, perfect keyboard...
To have it today with its features plus a lot ram, storage and GPS, it'll be really a dream. Yes, today we have many devices like Xperia, HD, Touch pro... BUT, apart storage, ram and gps, no one offers all the things the UNI has!
And, if I had to add a thing on a new UNI, I would put the host usb function. I have it on G900 and it can be really usefull!
rsawoseyin said:
Since I got my first Universal (JasJar) some 2 years back, I have tried several other alternatives, including TyTN 2, HTC Touch Pro, and even Toshiba G910. I have always come back to the Universal. In fact, when I broke my JasJar, I replaced it with Vodafone V1640. I have come to conclude that the Uni is the closest to my ideal PDA/phone for a business user.
But I regret one or two things about the Universal, and I honestly wish we would have a Universal 2 to address these snags. My short wish list for Universal 2 are is follows:
1) Retain the present format - don't change the form factor; it is simply great as it is. Forget those who say it is too heavy or bulky - they don't know what they want. (If weight is your problem, then don't ask for a comfortable keyboard and a large screen as you have in the Uni.)
2) Give it 256MB RAM. This is by far the biggest issue with the current Uni with 64MB RAM. Often when I run something like TextMaker (SoftOffice), the device runs out of memory.
3) Make the stylus holder more secure. Either let it click into place or have a magnetic slot to secure it, like the HTC Touch Pro.
4) Make the SD card slot more secure - perhaps with a cover. As it is, it pops out rather easily.
5) Have a built-in GPS
Any further ideas for Universal 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You pretty much stated the main shortfalls of the Uni.
The only thing I can think of that you left out was EDGE compatibility....
I only been a Imate JasJar owner for 6 months however I love the device. I have a Wizard (T-Mobile MDA)...had it for almost 2 years but for work, I exclusively use my Uni. I send/receive A lot of emails at work and the Uni is perfect for that. Plus I like having an unique PDA.....I live in the US so many Americans never seen a Universal so most of my coworkers, friends, or people that happen to see me use the Uni look at it like WHAT IS THAT? lol.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=443421
I love the from factor "Micro laptop" but I have not seen anything for the future.....
davideuck said:
I agree with you,
I have had Jasjar and Vodafone V1640. Now I've a Toshiba G900, I'm happy with it and I've started to cook roms for it, then G900 is really important for me.
But I've loved my UNI, perfect size for me, perfect display, perfect keyboard...
To have it today with its features plus a lot ram, storage and GPS, it'll be really a dream. Yes, today we have many devices like Xperia, HD, Touch pro... BUT, apart storage, ram and gps, no one offers all the things the UNI has!
And, if I had to add a thing on a new UNI, I would put the host usb function. I have it on G900 and it can be really usefull!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to see you're a Uni user too.
Even tho we both have the G900 and love the 800x480, hackibility/cookibility wise the Uni is just so reliable.
It's very hard to make a perfect ROM for G900 due to the GF5500's lack of proper driver while the Uni is just a plain PXA27x device with drivers readily available.
IMO the perfect Uni2 should have the following:
-PXA32x 800Mhz+ (CorePlayer makes great use of the newer SIMD - WMMX2)
-800x480 WVGA 3.8"
-KB
-Slightly less than 20mm thick
-Same folding/twisting style
-aGPS (from MSM6281)
-Tri-band HSDPA 3.5G (from MSM6281)
-256MB+ RAM
-512MB ROM
-SDHC (or even two! )
Or that concept Touch HD Pro, but with PXA32x 800Mhz instead plus MSM6281 for aGPS+HSDPA. Qualcomm's QTv isn't powerful enough for WVGA H.264 playback.
Too bad HTC haven't made a replacement for the Uni. The closest contender is the Blackstone.
My Imate JasJar's camera doesn't work so I just bought a O2 exec in mint condition off ebay for an excellent price. The O2 should last for a another year...when the price of the Blackstone goes down a bit.... $700+ for a new Blackstone is a bit steep right now for me...lol
even tho i never seen it, on paper Touch Pro looks like ideal replacement.
Nevertheless, here's my wish list for Uni 2
GOOD CAMERA. (For ****'s sake HTC, if after all these years u still cant make a good one, LICENSE technology from sharp or sony!!!!)
fast CPU (900Mhz +)
and 2D drawing acceleration chip
GOBS of internal flash memory (storage), 8+ GB
dump SD card slot, in favour of USB 2.0 access to the internal 8.0GB+ flash
lots of RAM memory, ie 512MB+
ipod/touch pro UI
QUAD band
reduce weight/thickness
higher capacity battery
GPS that works with TOMTOM
scratch/shock resistant case
Actually, I think that HTC meant Touch Pro to be Universals successor. While it is better only in some respects, it is the only device with at least comparable keyboard. You may say that display is too small. But should not need to tap display too often when you have a good keaybord.

Is the HTC Fuze the right device for me?

So this year I've decided to spoil myself and buy a new toys, something I haven't done in a longggggg while
Anyways, I'm very seriously thinking of getting Windows Mobile smartphone because it seems to me that the technology is at such a level that they're now actually becoming computers you can carry in your pocket (pocket pc!). I travel a lot and I have to bring a lot of equipement with me so I'm looking to combine several devices into one to save weight and space.
I've been doing my homework in the last 2 weeks and I think I have it narrowed down to 2 devices: the HTC Fuze and the Samsung Omnia. There are other interesting devices on the market unfortunatly I do have a limited budget and these 2 are at the upper limit, hence why the Xperia isn't mentionned.
So far the Fuze seems more interesting because for almost the same price I get multi-touch, a real keyboard and a VGA screen however I'm wondering if it truly fits my needs.
Essentially I want something that:
-will act like a beefed up PDA almost computer like level(hence WinMo)
-be usable when a travel therefore needs quadband GSM and ideally triband 3G. I don't intent to use 3G data just yet because it's too expensive in Canada but I see that criteria as futureproofing such an expensive purchase incase GSM is one day shutdown for voice.
-has a good enough screen that I can use it as a ebook reader (been doing that with my Ipaq RX3115 for about 5 years now)
-handle a bit of multimedia, mainly mp3 but a bit of video wouldn't hurt.
And this brings me to a question: does the Fuze always come with the 3.5mm adapter? I'm in Canada so I'd most likely be being an imported ATT phone
Also, what about the warranty? Am I SOL since it's imported or could I get warranty support straight from HTC?
-act as a GPS WITHOUT a data connection. Reading on this it seem possible to use TomTom with the device in a reasonnable fashion; I don't mind waiting 2-3 minutes for the GPS to lock but 15-20 mins would be more annoying...
Basically as much fonctionnality as possible in one device.
I also understand that there are MANY roms available for this device; considering that I'm not currently a power user (but might eventually become one) can I expect acceptable performance with the stock rom? I don't mind loading up new apps, I've been doing that on my venerable old Ipaq for a while but I'd rather start slow with this.
Also, can I expect reasonnable speed running programs off the SD card? This is one major advantage of the Omnia since it has 16gb onboard storage.
What about Wifi performance? I assume it's going to be on par with my Ipaq, i.e. not as good as my laptop but still usable is the access point isn't too far away.
And finally, how long can I except the battery to last? I won't be making call all day, probably more in the lines of listening to music and sending email via wifi. Probably a bit of ebook reading as well.
Basically the Fuze seems like the idea device except for a few issues I've been reading about here which I'm trying to determine how major they are.
Anyways, comments appreciated
Cheers!
Pat
Anyone?
Pat
Welcome to the forum
I can recommend you to enter here, select the compeonents you want on a device and check the options
http://www.pdadb.net/index.php?m=pdachooser
Good luck,
Pat007 said:
So this year I've decided to spoil myself and buy a new toys, something I haven't done in a longggggg while
Anyways, I'm very seriously thinking of getting Windows Mobile smartphone because it seems to me that the technology is at such a level that they're now actually becoming computers you can carry in your pocket (pocket pc!). I travel a lot and I have to bring a lot of equipement with me so I'm looking to combine several devices into one to save weight and space.
I've been doing my homework in the last 2 weeks and I think I have it narrowed down to 2 devices: the HTC Fuze and the Samsung Omnia. There are other interesting devices on the market unfortunatly I do have a limited budget and these 2 are at the upper limit, hence why the Xperia isn't mentionned.
So far the Fuze seems more interesting because for almost the same price I get multi-touch, a real keyboard and a VGA screen however I'm wondering if it truly fits my needs.
Essentially I want something that:
-will act like a beefed up PDA almost computer like level(hence WinMo)
-be usable when a travel therefore needs quadband GSM and ideally triband 3G. I don't intent to use 3G data just yet because it's too expensive in Canada but I see that criteria as futureproofing such an expensive purchase incase GSM is one day shutdown for voice.
-has a good enough screen that I can use it as a ebook reader (been doing that with my Ipaq RX3115 for about 5 years now)
-handle a bit of multimedia, mainly mp3 but a bit of video wouldn't hurt.
And this brings me to a question: does the Fuze always come with the 3.5mm adapter? I'm in Canada so I'd most likely be being an imported ATT phone
Also, what about the warranty? Am I SOL since it's imported or could I get warranty support straight from HTC?
-act as a GPS WITHOUT a data connection. Reading on this it seem possible to use TomTom with the device in a reasonnable fashion; I don't mind waiting 2-3 minutes for the GPS to lock but 15-20 mins would be more annoying...
Basically as much fonctionnality as possible in one device.
I also understand that there are MANY roms available for this device; considering that I'm not currently a power user (but might eventually become one) can I expect acceptable performance with the stock rom? I don't mind loading up new apps, I've been doing that on my venerable old Ipaq for a while but I'd rather start slow with this.
Also, can I expect reasonnable speed running programs off the SD card? This is one major advantage of the Omnia since it has 16gb onboard storage.
What about Wifi performance? I assume it's going to be on par with my Ipaq, i.e. not as good as my laptop but still usable is the access point isn't too far away.
And finally, how long can I except the battery to last? I won't be making call all day, probably more in the lines of listening to music and sending email via wifi. Probably a bit of ebook reading as well.
Basically the Fuze seems like the idea device except for a few issues I've been reading about here which I'm trying to determine how major they are.
Anyways, comments appreciated
Cheers!
Pat
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the fuze is a great device however the Touch Pro 2 (the successor to the Fuze) should be out in a few months, it is superior to the Fuze in many meaningful ways, my suggestion would be to hold off on your purchase until the Touch Pro 2 comes out in the US (make sure you get the US version) it would suck to buy the fuze (which is a great device) and then 3 months later a superior device come out (at the same price)
aaronsmckee said:
the fuze is a great device however the Touch Pro 2 (the successor to the Fuze) should be out in a few months, it is superior to the Fuze in many meaningful ways, my suggestion would be to hold off on your purchase until the Touch Pro 2 comes out in the US (make sure you get the US version) it would suck to buy the fuze (which is a great device) and then 3 months later a superior device come out (at the same price)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must be missing something because I looked up the Touch Pro on the website suggested earlier and pretty much the only difference I see with the Fuze is a bigger screen and a slightly different GPS chip. Am I missing anything?
Also, I'd like to have triband 3G (which the Fuze has) because I'm in Canada and judging from the Touch Pro launch it's probably going to take a while before there's a NA version of the Touch Pro 2.
One thing that really has me a litlle worried with buying an imported phone is the warranty because the store I'm looking to buying it from is on the other side of the country from me.
Does HTC provide international warranty support?
Thks!
Pat

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