Database Info

Convince me to get a Cruise

Hi folks,
Well i am looking at the Cruise as a replacement for my TyTN II. I understand that under the hood, they are both pretty much the same.
I have realized a few things over the past month or two with my TyTN II;
1) I don't use the hardware keyboard as much as I thought I would (this was #1 reason for getting a TyTn II)
2) the hard keys on the front, the metallic panel is very wiggly
3) the chances of me breaking a TyTN II are more likely because of this tilting screen, loose control plates, etc
4) it's thick.
I have some questions/comments that I would love to have your input on to help me make a decision as I might be able to trade my TyTN II for a cruise.
1) In the Kaiser forum we have quite a few rom cookers and tweakers. I am not seeing to much of that here yet. Has anyone made a solid rom for this device yet?
2) The bottom left hard key looks like it's for GPS. I need a windows start button there instead, is that key re-mappable?
3) it's hard to see the hard keys a long the side. There is camera, power, anything else?
4) the circle directional key pad thing. Does that also function as a directional key pad, i.e. can i press up down left right, etc, and not just run my finger in a circular motion?
There are more questions but I can't remember at the moment.
I appreciate anyone's insight.
Thanks

Not too sure about the ROM cookers
I believe all the hard buttons are re-programmable
The circle directional key does function as a directional D-pad.

briggs81 said:
1) In the Kaiser forum we have quite a few rom cookers and tweakers. I am not seeing to much of that here yet. Has anyone made a solid rom for this device yet?
2) The bottom left hard key looks like it's for GPS. I need a windows start button there instead, is that key re-mappable?
3) it's hard to see the hard keys a long the side. There is camera, power, anything else?
4) the circle directional key pad thing. Does that also function as a directional key pad, i.e. can i press up down left right, etc, and not just run my finger in a circular motion?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To answer your questions
1. Considering that the Polaris was released recently, I think we're doing quite well. The first 2 XDA-DEV ROMs are on the way, and industry like dumping has begun.
2. That button is a programmalbe hard key (like the messaging on the Kaiser). So it can be done (I think... but I thought I'm gonna miss that button after the Hermes, but not really ).
3. There are Camerat, Power, Volume Slider, and Voice recording buttons on the sides.
4. Yes, it works as a 4-way D-pad.

Hmm so far so good guys.
I think I am liking the idea of how flush the screen is with the rest of the device. Right now I am typing using the touch keyboard on my kaiser, btu the kaiser has some grooves along the side where it meets the screen so it feels a little akward when usign to hands to type. I think with a flush screen to device that would be a bit more comfortable.
It's really hard to get myself over a hardware keyboard. I love it because it doesnt take up screen real estate, but I am not writing out word docs very often, usually just OneNote notes in point form.
It also just looks like there is less stuff to physically break on this thing, which I consider a plus.
I am glad to hear there are some xda roms coming, this is very important to me. i don't know what I'd do if I didnt have a solid Kaiser rom from xda members.
There are a couple of good youtube vids using that circular jog wheel, i need to see a few more. I am very concerned about loose parts, which the kaiser has 3 of (the screen, the hard keys on the front, and the jog wheel is a bit loose feeling too!)

On the Polaris only the Volume slider feels a bit flimsy, that's it... but it's massive as hell, it won't come off

briggs81 said:
Hmm so far so good guys.
I think I am liking the idea of how flush the screen is with the rest of the device. Right now I am typing using the touch keyboard on my kaiser, btu the kaiser has some grooves along the side where it meets the screen so it feels a little akward when usign to hands to type. I think with a flush screen to device that would be a bit more comfortable.
It's really hard to get myself over a hardware keyboard. I love it because it doesnt take up screen real estate, but I am not writing out word docs very often, usually just OneNote notes in point form.
It also just looks like there is less stuff to physically break on this thing, which I consider a plus.
I am glad to hear there are some xda roms coming, this is very important to me. i don't know what I'd do if I didnt have a solid Kaiser rom from xda members.
There are a couple of good youtube vids using that circular jog wheel, i need to see a few more. I am very concerned about loose parts, which the kaiser has 3 of (the screen, the hard keys on the front, and the jog wheel is a bit loose feeling too!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i am moving to the Orbit 2 (Touch Cruise) from the Tytn II. my primary reasons are (a) i didn't use the hardware keyboard as much as as thought i'd would and (b) after getting and using the Sprint (HTC) Touch, i like the flush screen and smaller size device. granted the Orbit 2 is taller and slightly thicker than the Touch, it's smaller and weighs less than the Tytn II. i'm finding that i can manage quite well with a keyboard-less device. the one exception is using my Blackjack II when i'm managing multiple projects; i have to compose more detailed email responses and prefer to do so with a static keyboard.

Well it's good to see that I am on the same page as some folks.
My biggest fear with the tytn ii was dropping it while the keyboard was out, that could be disastrous. Broken corpse of a device laying on the city bus floor. Scary.
Another question, the volume slider on the side, do you have to be in windows media player or audio manager for it to function as volume control, or will it change volume of the device no matter what screen you are on?
the tytn II's jog wheel only changes the volume if you have audio manager maximized, as it does more then just function as volume control.
I also own this device and I am pretty sure it would work with the cruise, well it should. I think (hope) it works with the radio as well, any one have it? probably not.. lol

briggs81 said:
Another question, the volume slider on the side, do you have to be in windows media player or audio manager for it to function as volume control, or will it change volume of the device no matter what screen you are on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Until now I have been able to adjust the volume no matter what program is running and how (maximized/minimized). It works while running TomTom, it works while playing brokensword demo, it works without anyprogram running. It even works when the device is locked, don't know if that is really desirable but I think you can configure that behavior.
Have to note that I am a fresh owner so I am still customizing, testing and exploring the polaris...

i just HAVE gone from a Stellar to an Orbit 2 - partially because i can, and i'm a bot of a phone tart, and partially because i wanted a radio.
Leaving the keyboard issue aside, the Orbit 2 is quite simply the king of these sorts of devices - i have variously used:
XDA I, XDA II, IIi, IIs, Mini, Exec, Mitac A701, ETen G500, Eten Glofish (for about 4 seconds, it's awful), iPaq HW6915, Orbit, Stellar, Orbit 2 - ok, i've covered a lot of ground, and a period when this stuff is developing, but the Orbit 2, apart from having a rotten name sits on the top of the pile.
I also wasn't using the keyboard much, and the size and weight of the Stellar was annoying me, because i want something i can put in my pocket - though i loved the iPaq - the O2 (see what i did there?) has so many different on screen keyboard options that you will find something you are comfortable with, it's fast, it's quite nice to look at, and with the improved camera and radio it is exactly what i want - also
it takes Micro SDHC
the media player is loud
now, my reccomendation is based on my criteria, by definition, but if it's any comparison, this is the iPhone killer.

Thanks for all the input so far. I am still just trying to imagine myself with less hard keys. Pretty hard! Now I just need my dealer to give m ea good deal on my tytn II so i can get a cruise if i decide to! Getting closer though..
Anyone have any serious negatives they have found with using it, for yourself?

I may have come across something from keepign me from buying the cruise.
The FM Radio.
Do I HAVE to use the headset that comes with it to use the radio, or can I use my expensive HTC remote device?
It says it comes with a built in tuner, so I assume so, but just wanted to make sure..

briggs81 said:
I may have come across something from keepign me from buying the cruise.
The FM Radio.
Do I HAVE to use the headset that comes with it to use the radio, or can I use my expensive HTC remote device?
It says it comes with a built in tuner, so I assume so, but just wanted to make sure..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah as far as i know you need to have the headset connected, as it works as an antenna as well!

Got my Fuze today (well, technically yesterday)...thoughts!

So, I got my Fuze about 5 in the evening, and after a few hours of playing with it I have some thoughts.
First off, the design and UI are slick as can be. It takes decent pictures (provided you have enough light, as a Cell Phone camera it's still a pathetic shell of what a real camera is, but what can you expect?) and on most operations it's fairly fast.
I dislike the glossy back rather intensely. 3 seconds after it came out of the box it was its own Fingerprint Convention. When will we ever get MATTE black?
I like the functionality of the GPS, but I think the $10 a month fee for it is ridiculous. For the price of this thing there shouldn't be a nickel of charge for it, as not one of my standalone GPS's has any fee at all. I am tempted to not keep the phone off this one fact. Is it possible to get around that with an alternative software package?
I for some reason feel like it should be a bit faster, given that I'm coming off a Wizard with a WM6 ROM, this doesn't feel *that* much faster even though it's nearly triple the CPU speed and what, like 8 times the memory?
I couldn't find a proper screen protector, but that's OK, Wal Mart had a decent pack of customizable ones for like $6, and with a little trimming they fit perfectly.
I like the click wheel roundy-round thing. Hate the lack of a proper headphone port sans the dongle, though to be fair the dongle is pretty cool.
Oh, here's a nugget: not many of the programs auto rotate when you tilt the thing, which makes the tilt bit seem...kinda moot. Is there a way to tweak it?
Once the ROMs start flowing I am sure this will be a far better device. I do like it so far, though I think I've been spoiled by XDA ROM's on my Wizard, because MAN stock software sucks compared to what some of the gods around here pull off
Jason

jasongw said:
So, I got my Fuze about 5 in the evening, and after a few hours of playing with it I have some thoughts.
First off, the design and UI are slick as can be. It takes decent pictures (provided you have enough light, as a Cell Phone camera it's still a pathetic shell of what a real camera is, but what can you expect?) and on most operations it's fairly fast.
I dislike the glossy back rather intensely. 3 seconds after it came out of the box it was its own Fingerprint Convention. When will we ever get MATTE black?
I like the functionality of the GPS, but I think the $10 a month fee for it is ridiculous. For the price of this thing there shouldn't be a nickel of charge for it, as not one of my standalone GPS's has any fee at all. I am tempted to not keep the phone off this one fact. Is it possible to get around that with an alternative software package?
I for some reason feel like it should be a bit faster, given that I'm coming off a Wizard with a WM6 ROM, this doesn't feel *that* much faster even though it's nearly triple the CPU speed and what, like 8 times the memory?
I couldn't find a proper screen protector, but that's OK, Wal Mart had a decent pack of customizable ones for like $6, and with a little trimming they fit perfectly.
I like the click wheel roundy-round thing. Hate the lack of a proper headphone port sans the dongle, though to be fair the dongle is pretty cool.
Oh, here's a nugget: not many of the programs auto rotate when you tilt the thing, which makes the tilt bit seem...kinda moot. Is there a way to tweak it?
Once the ROMs start flowing I am sure this will be a far better device. I do like it so far, though I think I've been spoiled by XDA ROM's on my Wizard, because MAN stock software sucks compared to what some of the gods around here pull off
Jason
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for gps download google maps or live search they are free
use gyrator 2 that will turn the screen in every program
and as for speed just use a cooked rom to get rid of bloatware

You can buy TomTom or Garmin software also and with the there is no fee other than the purchase cost.
for roms there are already loads for the fuze. check out the romz forum.
as for screen protectors you get one with the phone. it is in by the cd's in the box.

stevierg said:
You can buy TomTom or Garmin software also and with the there is no fee other than the purchase cost.
for roms there are already loads for the fuze. check out the romz forum.
as for screen protectors you get one with the phone. it is in by the cd's in the box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks guys. Yeah I found the damn screen protector after buying the others, LOL. That's OK, I think the one I bought and had to trim up is a little nicer anyway so it's all good news.

stevierg said:
You can buy TomTom or Garmin software also and with the there is no fee other than the purchase cost.
for roms there are already loads for the fuze. check out the romz forum.
as for screen protectors you get one with the phone. it is in by the cd's in the box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for mentioning the screen protector
it doesnt say on the box so i didnt bother looking
its actually pretty nice too

I just got mine today. As others mentioned, the GPS is not "locked". You can install other programs. I prefer TomTom, but others go absolutely crazy over IGO or whatever it is...
My thoughts:
Pros
1) For some reason, VPN actually works now. For some reason, I could never get it to work with my Tilt... no matter what ROM I used. I can actually RDP into my work servers now.
2) Amazing screen resolution. RDP is actually usable now!
3) Magnetic stylus holder. When you're using the phone a lot, and don't want to hassle w/putting away the stylus every time, it's quicker just to "stick" it to the side. Also wakes the device up when you remove it. Snazzy.
4) Accelerometer. Though it doesn't seem near as responsive as the one on my fiancee's iPhone, it is still good to have it there. Hopefully its functionality improves with software...
Cons
1) Definitely slow. My Tilt with M2D on it is much faster, though it lacks the hardware specs this has. Can't wait to start flashing....
2) The multi-faceted back is ridiculous. You can't even hit the stylus on the "ok" button without the darn thing rattling back and forth.
3) D-pad buttons suck. One of the first things I tried doing was to go into the Start > Settings > Connections area. It took me FIVE attempts to get there. I'm not sure if something is wrong with the "right" area of my d-pad, but it kept registering a click in the middle and bringing me back to the home screen. It's going to be nice to use the wheel around it once that functionality starts getting built into ROMs
4) No physical camera or "Start" buttons. I can't believe how much I depended on those two with the Tilt.
AT&T Gripes:
- Bloatware
- No more "H" icon. I realize most of the zombies outside of this site don't know what "H" is, but I miss being able to tell if I'm in an HSDPA area or not.
- Bloatware
- No TV out cable included
- No clip/holster, bag, sleeve, nothing...

Flapjack said:
I just got mine today. As others mentioned, the GPS is not "locked". You can install other programs. I prefer TomTom, but others go absolutely crazy over IGO or whatever it is...
My thoughts:
Pros
1) For some reason, VPN actually works now. For some reason, I could never get it to work with my Tilt... no matter what ROM I used. I can actually RDP into my work servers now.
2) Amazing screen resolution. RDP is actually usable now!
3) Magnetic stylus holder. When you're using the phone a lot, and don't want to hassle w/putting away the stylus every time, it's quicker just to "stick" it to the side. Also wakes the device up when you remove it. Snazzy.
4) Accelerometer. Though it doesn't seem near as responsive as the one on my fiancee's iPhone, it is still good to have it there. Hopefully its functionality improves with software...
Cons
1) Definitely slow. My Tilt with M2D on it is much faster, though it lacks the hardware specs this has. Can't wait to start flashing....
2) The multi-faceted back is ridiculous. You can't even hit the stylus on the "ok" button without the darn thing rattling back and forth.
3) D-pad buttons suck. One of the first things I tried doing was to go into the Start > Settings > Connections area. It took me FIVE attempts to get there. I'm not sure if something is wrong with the "right" area of my d-pad, but it kept registering a click in the middle and bringing me back to the home screen. It's going to be nice to use the wheel around it once that functionality starts getting built into ROMs
4) No physical camera or "Start" buttons. I can't believe how much I depended on those two with the Tilt.
AT&T Gripes:
- Bloatware
- No more "H" icon. I realize most of the zombies outside of this site don't know what "H" is, but I miss being able to tell if I'm in an HSDPA area or not.
- Bloatware
- No TV out cable included
- No clip/holster, bag, sleeve, nothing...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're actually supposed to press OUTSIDE of the ring for the "D" pad. Seems to work pretty well when you do.

yeah you want to press outside
but left and right arent very good either way
just flash a rom for speed mine works find with romeos and tf3d is much nicer then t2 so its gota take up more power
definetly agree lack of buttons is no good though

I pretty much agree with everything already said. THe glossy is nice when you're showing it off, but totally not practical - one more way the iPhone has eff'd it for everybody.
When I played with it the store (fresh out of the box, not a display model), I almost didn't buy it because it seemed so slow. The guy behind the counter claimed it was the dummy sim card so we put the sim from my 8525 in it and it snapped up a bit. Then we put a fresh sim card in it and seemed even quicker. Not lightning fast, but not sluggish in any way. I also realized that I had to used it differently. On my 8525 I always used my fingernail on the screen. With the Fuze, my fingernail does nothing. Even the stylus is bit of a waste. I guess I need to adjust the biosensing business...
I also heartily agree that ATT cheaped out on the accessories. A $5 protective sleeve would not have broken the bank. The headset adapter is a joke. I've got slimmer ones off ebay for $1.00 that work great. Bloatware and trial software sucks.
All-in-all, though I'm happy with it and considering the alternatives (although the BB Bold did come with a nice leather case!) I made a great choice. Though, I might have waited for the Xperia if my 8525 wasn't on it last legs...

I forgot another major gripe, and that is that the slider is reversed from the Tilt, which consequently moves the d-pad on the other side of the screen. I was quite used to the layout on the Tilt. This seems to screw me up more than the totally changed keyboard layout, which is unnecessarily "busy", IMHO...
Luckily, this will just take some getting used to. I'm also using the directional arrows on the keyboard more.
hopper13 said:
I think you're actually supposed to press OUTSIDE of the ring for the "D" pad. Seems to work pretty well when you do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I realize that. I'm starting to think this is a glitch. It only seems to happen in this particular situation. Try this:
- Open the Start menu
- Press the d-Pad "up" three times to get to "Settings"
- Press the d-pad "up" once to select the bottom tabs
- Press the d-pad "right" twice to get to "Connections"
It takes me several attempts to get to "Connections" w/o popping myself back to the Home screen. I'm very clearly not hitting the center button.
lbhocky19 said:
yeah you want to press outside
but left and right arent very good either way
just flash a rom for speed mine works find with romeos and tf3d is much nicer then t2 so its gota take up more power
definetly agree lack of buttons is no good though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you are right. I'm having the same problems with the left button as well. Up and down work fine for me, though....

Flapjack said:
I realize that. I'm starting to think this is a glitch. It only seems to happen in this particular situation. Try this:
- Open the Start menu
- Press the d-Pad "up" three times to get to "Settings"
- Press the d-pad "up" once to select the bottom tabs
- Press the d-pad "right" twice to get to "Connections"
It takes me several attempts to get to "Connections" w/o popping myself back to the Home screen. I'm very clearly not hitting the center button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you have a defective unit? I went through those steps without any problem at all. I did it a few times just to make sure.
Also, you don't have an H icon? I get an HSDPA most of the time (including now) and I always see the H icon.

I don't want to be a hater, I've been waiting for the Fuze for months, but if my 8525 had just a little more RAM, I'd stay with that. I'm starting to realize what a great phone that was. You can just feel the difference in quality between the 8525 and the Fuze. You really notice it when you slide open the keyboard, the 8525 'snaps' into place, and the Fuze feels like it's going to slide right off it's tracks! Not only that, you can feel a little slop when it's open.
I miss the extra buttons too, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.
Do we really need 5 rows in the keyboard? I don't remember anybody complaining about the 4 rows anywhere. I'd rather have the 4 rows with larger buttons. I have very fat fingers!
The following could be my particular phone...I'm getting a replacement tomorrow to test:
My reception is much worse. Can barely get 3G in an area where my 8525 had no problem at all.
When my phone rings or requests data, it's creates interference with all my surrounding electronics and even it's own speaker. I get a humming sound when I turn the phone on speaker. 8525 never did that. I thought only nextel/sprint phones did that!
8525 sounds much better (and louder) when I played music through it's speaker.
Obviously, the phone has many good features, and hopefully, some of the issues I'm having is just a 'bad' phone. But, the camera is amazing and touch flo runs smooth and fast. And I don't have to reset the phone every 2 hours like I did the 8525

Flapjack said:
4) Accelerometer. Though it doesn't seem near as responsive as the one on my fiancee's iPhone, it is still good to have it there. Hopefully its functionality improves with software...
- No more "H" icon. I realize most of the zombies outside of this site don't know what "H" is, but I miss being able to tell if I'm in an HSDPA area or not.
- Bloatware
- No TV out cable included
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Accelerometer: You can download the Advanced Configuration Tool (requires Microsoft .Net CF 3.5 - .msi available via Msft, cab available via PPCGeeks here. In that, you can actually change the poll time. I've had ACT installed for a while, but just found this option last night. Reduced poll time to 25 ms and it's faster than my friend's ipod touch! Also, you can download programs such as Gyrator 2 or Gsen or changeScreen (i'm trying this now, seems to work! thread for changeScreen. These programs let you rotate in all programs or customized programs.
As for the H, you can use Advanced configuration tool too to change this (under data connection, enable EDGE and HSDPA icons).
And for the TV out cable, if you bought a fuze, it came with a big box of outputs, etc you plug into the usb of your TP. You can use a 3.5 mm to RCA converter cable. check this thread.
enjoy!

If you upgraded from Hermes or Kaiser, how happy are you?

I have been pretty satisfied with my Hermes (had it just about 2 years now!)
I am wondering for those that also came from that device or from a Kaiser, how do you like the Touch Pro in comparison? I'm eligible for an upgrade but don't know if this is the phone to get or not....i thought it was, but have been reading some less than great threads so i just wanted some comments from people who went through a comparable situation. Thanks!

it was the best move i ever made, only thing is the bat life could be better.

After the tweaks, pretty happy.
Only issue(s) I have remaining are:
Voice Command/Bluetooth...If incoming announcements are on, the phone
sort of rings once, sort of announces, but when you answer, the other party
can hear you, but you cannot hear them, you have to switch the call to the
phone, power off the headset, and power it back on.
GPS slow. GPS is a little quirky at times. Once in a while it fails to lock, but
if you run the HTC test tool for the GPS, it fires right up.
Battery isn't an issue for me, I'm one of those if it is below 2 bars, it goes
on the charger, and, sometimes I use a remote control program because I have
a friend that would rather text than talk on the phone, so it is easier than using the keyboard or stylus to send SMS.
Touchflo3D could use a little tweaking, which has been done, and looks like it is getting better and better.
I don't "play games/videos/MP3s" on my phone, so I can't help you on that
part, but the screen is improved, keyboard is improved, camera is MUCH
faster.
About the only thing I miss is the tilt for the screen.

I would say the main thing to keep in mind is the TouchPro isn't really an upgrade to the Hermes or Kaiser. Its a whole new style of phone that takes some getting used to. The main similarity is of course the keyboard. The biggest change is the lack of hardware buttons. Gone are the softkeys, you now have to touch the screen. Gone is the messaging & IE buttons. The worst part is the messaging button, you now cannot just keep clicking this button to scroll through all your email/sms/mms accounts. There is no longer a dedicated start menu button, you have to touch the screen to launch the start menu. Its been replaced with a "home" button, which to me is useless. As on the old phones I could hit start 2x and go home. Gone is the scroll wheel on the side. Its been replaced with 2 volume buttons, which I never use because I keep my phone on maximum volume. There is no dedicated camera button. There is no dedicated Comm Manager button.
So personally I hate to see the iPhone trend influencing HTC phone designs. I like buttons and need buttons. This phone takes some getting used to. It is a good phone still, but could be so much better with more buttons.

copex said:
it was the best move i ever made, only thing is the bat life could be better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. I think the VGA screen brings a real revolution to mobile devices. It's just superior in so many ways to the old displays that I definitely never ever want a device without VGA again.
The biggest minus for me is the faulty GPS implementation. But I still hope that it's not a hardware issue and that it can an will be fixed by some xda-dev sooner or later.

TriAxisFL said:
So personally I hate to see the iPhone trend influencing HTC phone designs. I like buttons and need buttons. This phone takes some getting used to. It is a good phone still, but could be so much better with more buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's true! The home button is extremely useless and I also miss the extra buttons very much. In the first days/weeks it felt like a step backwards to me because where in the past I just had to push an hardware button I now had to push a software butten in best case or even had to navigate somewhere before I could push some softbutton.
But I got used to it and managed to reconfigure the device so that all important functions are now just one (soft)-click away.

i love the device, but i miss the tilt screen... :
and i wish there were more buttons to assign to my own preferences (yes i know there are tools, but it's not as good as with the 'real' buttons...)
i love that the flat screen - you can touch things in the edges very easy now
all in all - i don't regret the upgrade

DeepThought said:
I agree. I think the VGA screen brings a real revolution to mobile devices. It's just superior in so many ways to the old displays that I definitely never ever want a device without VGA again.
The biggest minus for me is the faulty GPS implementation. But I still hope that it's not a hardware issue and that it can an will be fixed by some xda-dev sooner or later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Da_G is working on such a fix right now. He's using ported GPS drivers from the Blackstone, and it appears to make quite a difference.

NotATreoFan said:
Da_G is working on such a fix right now. He's using ported GPS drivers from the Blackstone, and it appears to make quite a difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great news, thanks for letting me know!
Is there already some thread about his attempts? Or is it currently in the "private beta testing" stage?

I upgraded from the Tilt.
Day1 = I wanted my Tilt back
Missed Tilt Scree
GPS SLOW
Really missed all the bottuns
After a couple of weeks (and of course a cooked ROM) I have to admit I am really happy I upgraded. As others stated the screen resolution is great. Performance seems to be better as well. I still have some gripes ( fingerprint magnet, small keyboard) but I think overall the improvements outweigh the issues. My advise would be to go for it but also make sure you give it time before you judge. If I had to make a return decision in 24 hours I most likely would have returned it for the Tilt. A week or two later and you would have to pry my Fuze out of my cold dead hands!

I want the raphael hardware in a kaiser body.
I think that pretty much sums up my feelings
DeepThought: currently testing out the ported blackstone drivers in my ROM. I'd make cabs but unfortunately windows mobile is paranoid so wont load them They have to be cooked into a ROM for the moment. I'm in the process of uploading the OEM/SYS/ROM from my latest build so chefs can see the changes I made and yoink it if it works.. 40 minutes left on that upload!

I consider it the best phone I've owned if you require a keyboard.
It feels better in the hand than the Kaiser did. I love the flush screen so you can touch edges easily (I missed that after having the Vogue on Sprint). The VGA screen is great.
I don't really miss the hardware buttons. I used a Vogue and it had less buttons than the TP has. On the Kaiser, I didn't really use them anyway. I just use the programs tab in TF3D. I replaced the shortcuts or the PTT button (on the ATT Fuze), so now a short press launches the Comm Manager (to turn on WiFi) and a long press launches the camera.
I haven't really had any GPS issues. It doesn't get a fix indoors usually, where my Kaiser did. It takes a little longer to get a fix outside, and depending on the app I'm using I might have to use the HTC GPS Tool first. I don't have much lag.
I don't really need a hardware keyboard...its nice to have, but I don't do much typing on it and I find myself using the soft keyboard more rather than pulling out the other one. Since the Touch HD (Blackstone) looks thinner, if ATT ever got that phone, I think that might be the ultimate for me since I would rather have a thin device rather than a hardware keyboard.

Not that these things haven't been brought up already but this is my opinion. First off I am happy to have upgraded to the Raphael from the Kaiser. Things that lived up to or exceeded my expectations are the screen, capacitive touch lower region, and TF3D to name a few. The things that need to be worked out are battery life and gps. To a great extent, Lumos and Touchlock Pro have extended my battery life tremendously, but it is still not on par with my Tilt. My major gripe is GPS. I drove around for over an hour with the phone on my lap in clear skies and never locked onto satellites. That is horrible. I am very eager to see what Da_G is cooking up on this front. MY MAJOR GRIPE is fit and finish related. The battery cover for my Fuze is loose and I do not care for the shiny multi-angled design. I am going to buy the regular Touch Pro cover as soon as someone puts up a picture that matches the description. I had the Tilt for over a year and it had excellent design and build. I think they should have carried that over to the Fuze.

DeepThought said:
Great news, thanks for letting me know!
Is there already some thread about his attempts? Or is it currently in the "private beta testing" stage?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thread is actually about fixing MSVC, but he mentions the GPS drivers also.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=445204

I also posted a cab in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=426433&page=17
But it doesnt work due to the same driver signing issues with the MSVC fix..

Loving my Fuze, I upgraded from the Tilt. Only concern is the repeatedly mentioned GPS issue which I'm glad to hear that Da_G is working on.

Seems like most everyone is happier with the TP, even if there are still a few things to be desired...i know i too will miss some of the buttons, but that screen does sound delicious
I would bet that all the kinks will get knocked out entirely by early next year and it'll be running like a whole new phone

AT&T Tilt -> HTC Fuze
Best switch ever!! I love everything about the fuze except that its' enter button is too big and it's del button is a bit small =/ I got used to it though.

After proudly using most of the AT&T/Cingular/AT&T HTC devices (Wallaby->Blue Angel->Wizard->Hermes->Kaiser->Raphael), this has been the most exciting upgrade.
The VGA screen is an amazing change. I miss some of the hardware buttons, but the flat touch screen is helping the TouchFlo interface wean me off of the buttons. I also do not miss the tilting screen as much as I thought I would. I do miss not having the scroll wheel on the side, but I am getting used to touch ring.
Performance on the stock ROM was disappointing. I was planning on running the stock ROM for a while before loading a cooked ROM, but after one day, I could not take it anymore. I am now running NATF's 2.2 ROM, and I could not be happier.
So far, I have inspired three upgrades from the Tilt to the Fuze among co-workers.

from a beetle to a Porshe
Raphael is way better than hermes. dome many changes to registry, antena, touchflo 3d, and performance ugrades, to have it running great.

Dual Flip Windows Phone?

Why aren't there more dual-flip windows phones?
I have a Motorola Mpx, and love it... http://www.mobileburn.com/gallery.jsp?Id=666
Heck, if it weren't for the phone's hardware limitations I'd likely not use my Tilt ever. Fits in the hand better, its got an easier to use keyboard, and its way more comfortable for making calls on.
Now Samsung comes out with the Alias 2, which also looks awesome. BUT, its for Sprint, not GSM carriers, and its not WinMo.
http://samsungmobileusa.com/Alias2.aspx?cid=ppc_mac_goo_Past+Iconic_Alias+2_samsung+Alias+2
There is something about flipping a phone open, and being able to press actual numbers without any on-screen nonsense needed.
I mean, is it really that unpopular a form factor?
Or is there a phone out there I don't know about?

Wow, I'm really the only one here who has an opinion on this?
(aka, it fell off the first page... lol)

not really my taste
too many moving parts which could break
and the keyboard look like a mess but
each to their own

Yeh, I was flipping a phone open with motorola 10 years ago...would never do again! You might be able to find some on pdadb.net

Did either of you click the links? Especially the second one?
Do you believe that clicking function or alt or using some tiny or unusable on-screen keyboard is better than a full keyboard that auto-adjusts to what you need?
I hate not being able to dial without a stylus and/or looking at the damn phone.
Yet I still want/need a WinMo phone (and it seems that dialing and intuitive keypads and WinMo are mutually exclusive)

removal of d-pad from winmo touchscreen phones...why?

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm majorly annoyed by the recent trend of a lot of touchscreen mobile phone manufacturers to do away with the d-pad (seems to especially be a trend in winmo based phones).
By doing this, the said companies are rendering a whole boatload of legacy software useless. Yes, I know there are software solutions to the missing d-pad, but I just don't understand why they should take it away. A good case in point is the Omnia II (yes, I know this isn't and HTC phone, but it perfectly illustrates my point) - they stick a large button slap bang in the middle of the bottom of the phone....and what does it do? Implements task switcher or the more than useless cube interface!!! Why??? Stick a d-pad in it's place...far more useful and functional.
I'd love to know why the manufacturers are doing this. Can anybody shed any light on this trend?

maybe iphone started a trend
and htc didn't think many users used the pad?
personally I'm happy my x1 got it as I use it to turn page when reading ebooks

I agree with you. Why stick a useless button in the device if a d-pad is much more functional. I may skip over the touch pro2 because of this. Hopefully some of their newer phones get one, or else I'll have to keep my 5 year old blueangel.

Rudegar said:
maybe iphone started a trend
and htc didn't think many users used the pad?
personally I'm happy my x1 got it as I use it to turn page when reading ebooks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you're right about the iphone, in which case I think it's a bad move on the part of the winmo phone manufacturers. The iphone has multitouch, allowing it to emulate various hardware controls on screen, but there's no such luxury with winmo phones....the guys in the winmo phone labs need to be leaders not followers...come on Mr winmo, re-instate the d-pad, it's the sensible option!!!