Upgrade to Polaris (O2 Orbit 2)? - Touch Cruise General

I will be able to upgrade my handset in the next couple of weeks and am thinking between the O2 Stellar (Kaiser) and the Orbit 2 (Polaris). I was hoping to get some feedback to those who have the Polaris.
What do you like/dislike about the Polaris?
Have you tried the Kaiser? and if so how would you compare it to the Polaris?
And one basic question, can you use a stylus with the Polaris?
Thanks
Allan

I think kaiser & polaris are more less the same, except kaiser has hardkbd. In my case i choose Polaris(i have Universal w/ hardKB - i used it maybe 20x thru 2.5 years) - but its solely on Your habits.
Why not 2 use stylus? On Polaris

I heard that the Polaris doesnt have a pressure-sensitive screen and so you must use your finger - I don't think this is the case but I was asking to check...
Have you noticed any oddities with the new interface? Is it good to use or does it get in the way at times?
Thanks

Polaris has a transflective (i.e. daylight readable) screen, whereas on the Kaiser you can't see anything is direct sunlight. Important consideration if you use your device for sat nav as well.
And the Polaris comes with 2 stylus -__-
It is a "TouchFlo" screen which means you can use fingers AS WELL AS stylus.
I upgraded to the Polaris from a Hermes (predecessor of the Kaiser), and I am really surprised at how much difference the few millimeters in thickness makes!
In short, I love my Polaris.

Yes, I just checked that out - I dont know if I will use the stylus but it is useful that it comes with it. How do people find using the onscreen keyboard? I used to have a universal so was spoield with the large keyboard...

PCM Keyboard (free) is great, very finger friendly.
Alternatively, the Polaris comes with the two Touch style on-screen keyboards pre-installed.

My wife has just had an Orbit2 by O2 and compared to my Orbit (1) it is stunning. I've tweaked it with HTC homescreen and some other bits to make it a bit more usable. External card port so no more battery out to fit a new card (supplied with 1Gb) .The cube is super fast and super smooth and comes with CoPilot 7 pre loaded. Been trying to persuade her to swap with me but she's not playing.
She wasn't sure about having it as she thought it may be too complex for her needs but after the 1st hour she was a full convert to XDA. She has now taken to making iPhone users embarrassed to admit they bought the wrong hardware...hahaha
In short can't wait to upgrade.......Orbit2 for me.

Sounds great - now I hope my O2 store has them in stock!

co pilot live 7 pre installed on xda orbit 2
anyone else having a problem loading co pilot 7 on their O2 xda Orbit 2 mine hangs on the o2 display screen with a completion bar only with two green bars lit and a prompt saying Integrating updates this hangs forever and i ried to leave it overnight but to no evail

Related

POLARIS Vs KAISER

Similar specs, with few differences with pros and cons, BUT whats your choice and why?
I like kaiser. Elegant, bit bulky but decent. Excellent keyboard and tilt screen just look very sexy in your hand or on the table. I have installed HTC Cube and new HTC Album, so it is working as Touch. Not sure if there is anyhting which I want and exists in polaris but not in TyTn II.
POLARIS or KAISER .....
dr_s said:
Not sure if there is anyhting which I want and exists in polaris but not in TyTn II.
POLARIS or KAISER .....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah...kaiser has everything more than Polaris...even the size...
Am also torn between the two I sold my Kaiser last weekend abroad and wanting to buy a replacement. The long wait for polaris may even send me into the iMate ultimate den
The decision is very easy. If you need a keyboard as your typing the whole day, go for the kaiser. If you need something light and handy get the cruise. The 200g weight of the Kaiser is no joke, you feel it pulling in every pocket. Just try to carry around two 100g bars of chocolate the whole day. 50g less with the Polaris is a tremendous difference. I gave back my Kaiser because of this.
Polaris, because of the sunlight readable screen.
(But subject to seeing the actual device first!)
Dear Santa,
I would like one of each please!!
Polaris all the Life!
size first of all! amazing!
better LCD display!
I like so much the central weel.
all the rest is FUFFA! (for me obviously)
Bye
Kaiser has a keyboard that can also tilt...that is fragile!!! I can't imagine with all the vibration of the car while the tytn2 is attached to the car consolle.
Go for Polaris of course.
Polaris is my choice.....
- best case
- hardest display
- better design
- compact size
Polaris. Better screen than Kaiser, I think, without the weight, bulk and the 'formal' look.
Apart that Kaiser is ugly, big, thick and heavy everything seems to be ok. Not a match for polaris but ofcourse I don’t need or want a keyboard
Each year has his own dilemma:
Wizard / Prophet
TyTn / Trinity
Kaiser / Polaris
What will be the next?
Over the last years I never owned a device with a keyboard and I don't need a keyboard on my 'phone' either.
So my choice was easy, Polaris! I also happen to like the looks more and the fact it's less bulky is also a major pro in my eyes.
On the other hand the Kaiser is a very nice device and I guess if you need to do a lot of typing on the device that one would have a major advantage because of the keyboard.
Just the way you look at it, the lack of keyboard is very important to me in a positive way. For others it's very important in a negative way. (negative as in: not in favour of Polaris).
video problems??
Does anyone know if the polaris has the same lack of drivers that cripples the kaisers video playback?
I'm also stuck between the 2, currently have hermes + love it
I'm a current Artemis user and the wheel is a godsend!! I would definitely go for the Polaris (and pass the Artemis to my wife.. hehe)
Also, I don't need a keyboard and I kinda like the idea of flushed screen.
Most users should be able to decide between the 2 depending on their keyboard requirement..
Anyways, why so some of ya say the Polaris has a better screen? Can elaborate?
Thanks
binners said:
Does anyone know if the polaris has the same lack of drivers that cripples the kaisers video playback?
I'm also stuck between the 2, currently have hermes + love it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure if it is lack of drivers problem but there will be no difference in this issue bettwen Polaris kai Kaiser.
pretty sure i read somewhere that the polaris has different hardware that makes the touchflo stuff work better on it. but im not 100%
MasK said:
Also, I don't need a keyboard and I kinda like the idea of flushed screen.
Most users should be able to decide between the 2 depending on their keyboard requirement..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...and FM Radio.
MasK said:
Anyways, why so some of ya say the Polaris has a better screen? Can elaborate?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Polaris screen will be the same as Touch. Compare the screen between Touch and Kaiser and you will figure out the answer by yourself!
binners said:
pretty sure i read somewhere that the polaris has different hardware that makes the touchflo stuff work better on it. but im not 100%
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The hardware is the same. The software is different (because it is a touch PPC). TouchFlo and Cube will work better because of the different screen, not the hardware inside tha device.
I too have heard the screen is different for the Touch/Cruise. How is it different? Can some ellaborate on the technical details and how they traslate to making the TouchFlo work better?
After using the TouchFlo features on the Kaiser/Tilt, I am not impressed. Quirky to the point that it is not even usable. I find it to be a novelty at best and too prone to swipes being "interpreted" as taps.
So how does the Cruise improve on this?

TyTN II + Touch Cruise I'm Stuck...!!!!

I’m so stuck…..!
I’ve been reading raving reviews on both the HTC TyTN II & Touch Cruise and now confused as to which would be the better of the two for me!
I currently use an o2 Atom Exec and don’t mind it but the fact that I have to pull out the stylus every time I need to SMS or email someone, ****s me to tears.
Will I be doing the same on Touch Cruise? using my stylus rather than the touch capabilities? My biggest concern is the Touch keyboard, I haven’t been able to find a video preview of someone demonstraighting the way you would email or SMS using the Touch keyboard.
I’d really like to hear from anyone that has either the TyTN II or Touch Cruise and why they decided to go with the phone they did.
EDIT: NEVERMIND... I was looking at the Touch DUAL in my comments. Sorry about that!!
EDIT: NEVERMIND... I was looking at the Touch DUAL in my comments. Sorry about that!!
Well, I've played with the Touch, and the TyTN II, and I just bought a Touch Cruise. I was coming from a smartphone (w/keypad), so initially I wanted a Touch Dual. The lack of wifi killed it for me though.
Having a Touch Cruise, I can honestly say you get over not having physical keys/keyboard readily. The form factor on the Touch devices is also very impressive and well sized. Lastly, the flat screen makes a huge difference in usability of the Touch Flow software (so although you can add Touch Flow to the TyTN II, you really don't get the same feel).
Conclusion: If you can get over the lack of wifi and your aren't the type to compose books on your device go for the Dual. If you need wifi, consider upgrading to the Cruise. If you need a dedicated keyboard and don't mind the form factor and largeish size, go for the TyTN II.
Touch Dual
I went after much research for the Kaiser, by far the best.
Then I got a Touch Dual and now I'm turn
You should go around a few shops and play around with the handsets.
My Kaiser is like a brick, the Touch Dual is so smooth and slim.
Excellent advice Sonus.
How true, I also installed the TouchFlo software on my Atom Exec and yes it does the software no justice.
My problem at the moment is that the HTC Touch Cruise doesn’t get released in Australia for another 7 days and then our Telco’s probably want offer any deals for another month or so.
What I’d like is to physically play with a working Touch phone. Would it be fair to say that the HTC Touch has a similar OS to the HTC Touch Cruise? If so, then I can go to a PDA store & have a play with this phone instead to get an idea of the TouchFlo OS and what it would be like to type an email with the “Touch” Keyboard.
Obsydian,
That’s what worries me the most, I’ll buy the TyTN II and then a few weeks later I’ll get to have a play with the Cruise and I’ll kick myself for not waiting.
Tell me, is there any lag when you use the Touch keyboard. If I go and play with a HTC Touch will it give me a perfect example of what the Crusie will fell and work like?
I’m so itching for a new phone, I was very close to just ordering the TyTN II late night…..
Man I’m starting to lose sleep over this LOL……
blimpmedia said:
I’m so stuck…..!
I’d really like to hear from anyone that has either the TyTN II or Touch Cruise and why they decided to go with the phone they did.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have both devices currently. I own one of the pre-release Touch Cruises and I love it. At the same time, I am evaluating a development ROM on a Kaiser for an un-named source. In essence, with a modified ROM, the Touch interface functionality can be nearly the same on both devices with a slight edge going to the Cruise since it has the flush-faced screen made for the GUI.
I have been using the Kaiser (TYTN II) for the past week and I must say, I open the keyboard more times by accident than intentionally. I agree with the earlier comments that you get used to having no keyboard very fast. Cruise has FM Radio, while Kaiser does not. I played FM a little on day 1 of owning the Cruise and not again since. I stopped listening to FM years ago when I went to XM.
The BIG thing to notice is the BULK of the Kaiser, even though it is slimmed down a little from the earlier TYTN and the Wizard which preceeded it, it is a brick compared to the Cruise. In my area the Kaiser is $40-$50 more expensive than the Cruise. My vote for the Cruise is not for the cost, it's for the ability to turn heads and garner interest from others. The QWERTY-PDA's have been around for years now. The Touch GUI is new on the block and many folks like it because it is new and it's not from *pple.
I've written reviews for both devices now and the scale for me tips towards Cruise. By the way, I love the Teksoft keyboard on the Cruise. (search the Athena Forum for more info or google Teksoft)
Raskell, If I go to a local mobile store that stocks a Touch Dual will that give me an idea of what I’m up for with the cruise?
blimpmedia said:
Raskell, If I go to a local mobile store that stocks a Touch Dual will that give me an idea of what I’m up for with the cruise?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I think it is a good idea to feel the Touch Dual or the original Touch for that matter, just to get a handle on the Touch GUI and to feel the sleekness of the device. Depending on where you live and which shop you visit, they may also have a TYTN ot a TYTN II. (If you've seen a Wizard, the TYTN's are upgraded hardware in the same size case, just a bit more style)
In the end, the sleek and solid lines and the less bulky feel of the Touch line should steer you towards the Cruise. It has all of the connectivity and options you should need in this price range. Apart from not having a VGA screen and a microdrive, it is feature for feature on par with the Athena, but that device is in a class of it's own (+size, +weight, +bulk, but storage and features galore)
Happy hunting and let us know how you do with the decision.
I just when to the local Phone store which had a HTC Touch & the TyTN II on display and asked if I could demo the Touch. I don’t understand these companies! They want us to spend over $1000 AU but don’t have a working demo to play with, boy that annoys me.
Now the sales person wouldn’t let me physically handle the Touch but he did installed the battery and turned the phone on for me to see it working. He showed me the onscreen keyboard in a qwerty 1x key per button and it seemed too small to try typing a short email/sms using your thumb. He mentioned that his girlfriend had the Touch and she still used her stylus a lot to type her sms messages.
I’m so confused and my wife is about to divorce me LOL…… unless someone can seriously convince me, I think I might head for the TyTN II. I really like the Touch Cruise but my biggest concern it the typing method.
So any HTC Touch Cruise owners I understand the Touch Cruise onscreen keyboard can be changed to x1 letter per key, what is your honest experience with this?
I’m not sure if this is possible, but am I able to install the onscreen keyboard used on the Touch Cruise on my Atom Exec to get a rough feel for it?
If so, where can I download it from?
I'm not sure why in the world his g/f would use the stylus keyboard as the main input, its much slower than using the included stock thumb keyboards.
The stock keyboard options on the cruise are a t9 keyboard(3keys per button), and a 20 key qwerty keyboard (2keys per button). If you want a full qwerty keyboard for thumb typing, you'll need to download something like pocketcm or zoomboard, or the big keyboard by spb.
Honestly, I can only imagine using a full qwerty keyboard in landscape mode. I ended up using the 12key T9 keyboard and I'm pretty fast on it, it has a really good T9 predictive engine, so I'm faster than some of my friends with full qwerty devices. But if you feel you *need* a qwerty keyboard, then the TytnII would be the way to go (I say need, b/c you may just find you can live w/o it). Good luck on your decision.

any orbit 2 users?

Hi Guys,
I've not been on here for a while. I'm a relatively happy Trinity user, I've flashed the ROM a couple of times to upgrade to WM6 & to turn on GPS initially but apparently I'm eligible for a free upgrade.
So WDYT is the Orbit 2 a good bet? I have this or the 'Stellar / TYTN II' as my options I think.
I'm quite happy not having a keyboard but does anyone know is it the kind of thing you appreciate when you have it?
I've also read about issues with the volume button but not necessarily with the Orbit 2 (reworked O2 version for the UK).
Is there anything I should be wary of. It seems like a decent bit of kit but I have not seen one in the flesh yet.
Thanks for any help.
A
i would prob read this thread which is pretty much about what you are tinking about....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=374046
thanks, yes I've seen that one.
I think the key difference is both are free to me and it would be the reworked orbit2 rather than polaris.
Does anyone know if the orbit2 fixes the vol slider issue with the Polaris?
Thanks,
A
Hi Mushroom,
The Vol slider is not really an issue on the Orbit. Ok it make rattle a lil if you shake it voilent and can be a lil hard to slide as its really smoothe with little raised part in the middle for gripping. To me this isnt an issue as i harldy use it.
Nogs
I would recommend orbit 2. I upgraded from orbit 1.
The Orbit 2 is much, much better. Fast, great touch screen, lots of memory.
O2 rom is good, I like the input screens, e.g expanded keypad. I doubt I would ever use a hard keyboard.
Volume button is no problem on my phone.
Great GPS functionality, I can pick up a signal sitting inside at a desk by a window.
I've upgraded the sd card to 8gb and bought a stereo bluetooth head set.
A2DP STEREO BLUETOOTH HEADSET.
Excellent phone
Orbit II
I owned a Stella for 2 months, the build quality is awful and the size of the phone makes it feel clumsy. The keyboard is actually to small to be of any real use and the symbols almost impossible to get to easily. When the directional pad came loose I had a massive argument with o2 who finally relented and let me exchange it for an Orbit II which apart from a couple of loses of the storage card memory is the best XDA to date and I've owned the entire series!
Get the Orbit II
cheers for the info guys.
I am now a happy Orbit 2 owner. Lovely piece of kit and with O2 it came with an in card holder, SPB GPRS monitor, Copilot the lot. I've since installed all the bits from my previous machine and made it mice and it runs very nicely.
There is still room for improvement, the camera lag is very poor, FM reception not good but there are still great improvements over the Trinity so I am a happy bunny. Web browser seems slow too but I might have had other things open at the same time.
I will just keep watching to see if there are any issues reading memory cards over the next few weeks like there were on Trinity before I go out and buy a new one.
I agree with the comments about the stellar, after seeing one they just don't appear in the same league unless you are a serious keyboard addict but with the input options on the Orbit 2 you wouldn't need the keyboard.
Thanks for the help.
I had the HTC Hermes and moves to the UK Orbit 2 - Best decision.
There are just two problems in my opinion with the Orbit 2; Camera is slow (you need to hold a shot for at least 3 secs AFTER you press the capture button so that it captures the picture). Secondly Video playback is slow though I hear HTC are working on a fix for both.
The pro is that this is one sexy-ass piece of equipment. Looks expensive and people are in awe at its capabilities.
Agree that the volume slider rattle is a non-issue on the orbit 2.
Camera is quite good (for 7 by 5 prints), but not if viewing at full resolution but then I didn't expect anything approaching my SLR's
The thing that really annoys me about the camera is that the button is so hard to press.
Half press (for focus lock) is OK, but you have to apply so much pressure to get the full travel on the button that you often end up with camera shake.
You can modify the settings so that it takes a picture on half press - but then the photo lag ensures you hardly ever get a picture of what you were aiming at!
Orbit 2 Owner
I got the Orbit 2 from Ebay because I HAD to have one and i havent regretted it since. I did have a Tytin II but I just didnt need the keyboard. The orbit is sleek, stylish, light, not bulky. I deleted CoPilot and installed Tom Tom and it works great, fast. The first time I loaded Tom Tom I was inside a building and all of a sudden I had 4 satellites!! Only complaint is the video playback. The volume slider is not an issue and havent noticed anything with it. I do love the touchscreen also. I am waiting on a program that will allow you to change the touch flow cubes to whatever you like instead of getting into the registry. I paid the price getting this unit but am not disappointed at all.
How did you get Tom Tom to work, cus i thought it wasn't compatible with internal GPS ? also what issues are you having with the video playback, is it when watchung videos ? I had a dellaxim x51v before and was hoping this would be a repalcement for it

Considering Orbit 2...a few questions

I currently have a Blue Angel and I'm considering upgrading to an Orbit 2.
How would the performance compare between the 2? They're both 400MHz, but I just wondered how the Qualcomm is compared to the XScale?
Apart from the video driver issue, are there any other problems with it? I'd mainly be usig it for a phone, and running Tomtom.
Thanks!
Seriously... Don't bother!
LOL...it's that bad?
Can you explain why?
You will miss your qwerty. I don't know your Blue Angel, But my TC (i think all PocketPCs) has a delay when somebody calls you. Your phone will ring/vibrate after the one who calls you hears the first ring. So if somebody just gives you a call with one ring (bip) you won't hear it! Is it the same in your case, or mine is special? Maybe somebody else with TC can confirm/infirm this...
Yea, mine sort of have that sort of dealy.
I don't use my QWERTY keyboard anyway so that's not a problem.
the_scotsman said:
LOL...it's that bad?
Can you explain why?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just everything about it...
The build quality is terrible. Feels like a new hobbyist threw it together in 5 mins.
It seriously underperforms compared to my Old SE P990i and older XDA's
The modifications o2 have made to the software are rubbish.
I'm miffed I didn't hold out for the SE X1i
^ In your opinion, yes its not perfect, the screen is less than ideal but the build quality is great I think. Much better than my old SE P series phone which used to creak whenever squeezed etc and the flush screen is better than orbit 1
But I would hold out for the Diamond
I want the built in GPS, and the Diamond prices ae too much for what it is...
Any other decent HTCs with built in GPS?
the_scotsman said:
I currently have a Blue Angel and I'm considering upgrading to an Orbit 2.
How would the performance compare between the 2? They're both 400MHz, but I just wondered how the Qualcomm is compared to the XScale?
Apart from the video driver issue, are there any other problems with it? I'd mainly be usig it for a phone, and running Tomtom.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've just switched from a Hermes/Tytn to the Orbit2. HardSPL'd it and installed the WM6.1 that's been floating about here and installed TomTom.
Losing the keyboard is a bit annoying (on screen is usable, but nowhere near as good) - but I realized I very rarely typed anything and smaller sized massively outweighs it.
GPS works very well - especially as Quick GPS which really does work.
Downsides:
Lost keyboard.
Upsides:
GPS - now just not having to lug around and charge my BT GPS module, but now much faster and lets me do all manner of stuff (geo-tag photos with a reg tweak), GPS trackers allowing me to see where I've been in google maps blah blah.
Much better camera - not so much the 2M -> 3M change - but AUTOFOCUS.
SMALLER - now it's not a small phone, but it's not an f'in brick like the last one.
No real difference noticed between the processors. Latest 6.1 I put on my Hermes made it lovely and snappy - and performs exactly the same on the Polaris. Only reservation I've got with the polaris is the screen res (i.e. same old rubbish). Not entirely convinced Hi-res WM is much better though after playign with colleagues PDAs - I've got an ipod touch and THAT is what i'd want somehow wedged into my phone..
In summary, if you want a phone now, I'd definitely get the XDA. If you can wait maybe see how Diamond and 3G iPhone stack up.
#edit - and build quality on my XDA (at least) is perfect. Nice solid feeling thing, love the slightly rubberized case.
Thanks very much for your opinion...I think I might just go with the Orbit 2 after all...a VGA screen would be nice, but I'm happy enough to have the standard one...and it's a little smaller than my BLue Angel so that's always a benefit.
Seriously this is an outstanding device. Software is software and any issues can 99% of the time be sorted with it and normally are, especially when you browse around these forums. Also bare in mind that all these devices now use windows mobile so I don't understand why someone would fault the Orbit 2 over another windows mobile device because of the software it comes with.....anyway the hardware itself is exceptional, I've posted a mini review if you look through my post history and there's plenty of in-depth reviews out there.
Losing the keyboard is a good thing in my opinion. A keyboard isn't necessary, its just as easy (if not easier) to use the software input (my personal preference is a T9 style pad that learns words and is very quick to use with just one hand like a normal phone) and obviously you save on weight and bulk.
The Orbit 2 looks great, is extremely responsive and comfortable to use and in my opinion is the best windows mobile device availible at this time.
Quick edit! - regarding the SW, the rom that the O2 Orbit 2 comes with is actually fine anyway, i've never encountered any issues with it - it would be nice to have the threaded SMS that 6.1 has but aside from that its fine and works great. Cheers!
SOunds like you're pretty damn happy with it then
So the 200MHz processor isn't an issue? Still responds well? Thing like TOmtom run well?
The Orbit 2 has a 400MHz CPU, it was the original Orbit that had 200 -it also has twice the amount of memory. TomTom was perfectly useable on the original Orbit but it noticeably runs smoother on the Orbit 2 - The Orbit 2 is a lot better at managing multiple tasks at the same time.
I was in two minds before upgrading becasue I had the original Orbit and wasn't sure if I'd get my money's worth. I was going to send it back if I wasn't happy with it. I'm more than happy with it though as you can tell! its a great device. You've always got that 14 day cooling period with O2 anyway so you may as well give it a go for yourself.
doh...you're right...I was thinking of the original Orbit.
No 14 day cooling off for me..I'm in Australia so the only way to get at a decent price is eBay.
I think I've been convinced to get the Orbit 2...just a pity it doesn't have VGA...and the diamond will probably be a fair amount more than the Orbit 2
Actually a the Diamond will be cheaper then the Polaris/Orbit2... But my oppinion is that the VGA is too much on a 2.8" screen...
The Orbit 2 is a damn good toy... after tuning the cache and graphic settings..speed was even better than before..
also gps works great...a lot of stuff in a small little case...
I am also happy with my orbit 2, copilot in mo is better then tomtom i have both installed.
I like golive's interface and extra settings plus the website for tracking is a good feature.
The Software available is none stop from here and other sources, unlike the iphone i had that you could only load decentish software if you hacked it..
a couple of minor gripes, the screen is a little shiny for sunny day use and the camera could be alot better.
apart from that i am very happy with it, let hops the diamond touch flo 3d becomes available then that will make this device look great.
the hsdpa speed is great when in the right areas, 50k download speed from my laptop...
the gps seems acurate enough, fast on a warm start as well.
its performance could be a little better but overall its very good.
I would install opera mini as i have found this much better then ie and opera mobile for day to day use.
as for the missing keyboard, try touchpal or the diamond keyboards, also make sure you adjust the sensivity of the screen do a search on here, i think the keyboard is great been software as you can load loads of different types and type quicker with the stylus on some over a flip out keyboard.
the flip out keyboard types can be a little thicker as well you cannot replace or remap keys like a software keyboard so there are plus's and minus's to both concepts...
if you type alot then get a bluetooth keyboard, or a laptop.....
i don't think you will b unhappy with your purchase...
Actually imho any HTC device when just introduced will very rarely be upto my expectation and initially i am always dissapointed,for the first few days,its just a matter of customizing(a heart felt thanks to this forum for teaching us how too) to our personal choice and then i just can't seem to live without them.When i took the Cruise i returned it the next day,very dissapointed with the handset,nothing it could do(and in the factory state it could'nt domuch)was enough,I thought that my Kaiser was far better,then after going through the Cruise forum went and picked it up again,customized it and now wonder how did I ever think negatively abbout this handset,I just love it the feel of it in my hand and also the perfomance,ended up keeping both the Kaiser and Cruise without regrets.

Which Smartphone?

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.

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