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.
Related
:!: Sorry for the shameless attempt to get you here with a dreamy subject but it's relevant to the topic - honestly. :!:
I'm after a PDAPhone with built in everything. But looks so far like I'm going to have to compromise and get an external GPS receiver, however was just hoping someone might have a little gem that I couldn't find anywhere else in the forums.
I have owned and loved the O2 XDA range ever since my first XDA years ago and have since lugged around an XDAII. I damaged my II recently and have a nice cheque for £550 burning a hole in my pocket courtesy of the insurance company. This means that for the first time ever I don't need to go to a subsidised model. My initial thought was that I'd stump up a few extra quid and get a JamJar :lol: from expansys but now I'm a bit more mature I decided to check out the options first.
So far I've found (Ignoring Naming Variations):
Prices quoted are from expansys - they could be cheaper elsewhere. Pls let me know if you find any (UK Only though)
:arrow: iPAQ hw6515 - Looks a bit crap, small screen and no wi-fi listed but DOES have GPS & 1.3Mp Cam - Anyone know of any Square Aware issues with programs?
:idea: http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=120563
:idea: £439.95
:arrow: i-mate JAM - Small and sexy but no Wi-Fi and no GPS but would stop people asking if I've got a brick taped to my head. + 1.3Mp, COuld afford external GPS with this one.
:idea: http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=I-MATE_JAM
:idea: £359.95
:arrow:Qtek 9090- Has everything But GPS but would leave enough money for a BT GPS - No camera spec but I think it's 0.3Mp like the XDAIIs - Could be upgraded to WM5, My Mate has one and the Thumb Keyboard is easy to use whilst walking - If I use my head not my geekometer this is my favourite.
:idea: http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=QTEK_9090
:idea: £414.95
:arrow: i-mate JASJAR - Dogs balls but still no GPS and not much more than the 9090 + v Expensive & Getting Bigger - 1.3Mp Cam I think. (I have no 3G service anywhere near me so that's not a bonus) I really like the 3.5mm Jack - Overall a severe number of geek points! NO CRADLE Still needs GPS Seperate, not sure how useable while walking the keyboard will be. I really want one.
:idea: http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=119353
:idea: £669.95
:arrow: i-mate K-JAM - WiFi, BT etc, Smaller and lighter than Universal, WM5, 1.3Mp. I like the keyboard. Maybe my new best choice. JUST leaves enough money to think about an external GPS. Thanks JamiJam
:idea: http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=125518
:idea: £504.95
My criteria to consider are as follows, argue with them and persuade me otherwise with reasons if you so wish:
Phone + PDA Essential (Tri Band+)
Camera - Prefer 1+Mp
BT - Must Have
Wi-Fi - Optional but Preferred a lot
3G - Not required
Keyboard - Like to Have (It's awkward using handwriting when travelling)
GPS - Very Nice to Have I Drive a lot and would like to use TT in the future.
OS - Not Bothered, these can be changed
I have 1 Month to decide before I burst and spray money all over the place so I'd really appreciate any comments you might have.
Don't go off on any obscure tangents though please, post them in a new topic and link to it if you wish.
Wizard...
(aka K-Jam, aka Qtek 9100)
Not sure when it will be out but Orange are going to release the Wizard and call it the SPV M600. If you can wait then you'll have it subsidised. :wink:
hmmmmm
Ok, so far the Wizard is my favourite now. I'd completely forgotten about that. What's the keyboard like though? I'm not too fussed about the size (the one on the XDA III is smaller and still useable)? It's more the key action I'm bothered about.
Does it have those rubbish 'rubbery' 'spectrum' style keys? It looks like it does.
I'm still yearning for a Universal cos none of my mates will have one but my head is still saying I don't need it and one of the others will do everything I want.
AFAIK HTC has some kind of arrangement with compaq - HTC will not make a phone with GPS as it competes with a model HTC makes for compaq that does have GPS or something like that (the hw6515 maybe ?)
I have a Blue Angel (O2 XDA IIs) and it does all of this.
http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=I-MATE_III
WM5 now available and working fine on it.
It has a keyboard too, it's those blister things (more like a ZX81 than a spectrum) but it is useable, although the keyboard layout is a bit ****e.
What with the newer models coming out you should be able to pick one up cheapish.
I run mine with a Globalsat Bt-338 Bluetooth GPS and Tomtom 5
oh, and FYI, this PDA holder from halfords holds the BA perfectly and can be mounted to your dash. It obscures no ports.
(The pic is upside down BTW)
http://www.halfords.com/opd_product_details.asp?id=16600&type=0&cat=397
The keyboard on the wizard is excellent, in my humble opinion!
It also snaps in and out in a way that makes you feel it won't break down easily.
Finally, it automatically turns the phone's display into landscape mode, which is very handy.
Wizard or BA
I have to say I'm still impressed with the Wizard. Just made a scale model out of card (how sad is that) and it's tiny!
I like the BA but if the keyboard doesn't let the Wizard down I think it'll be my PDA of choice. The one thing I really didn't like about the Jam was its lack of Wi-Fi and that's solved in the K-Jam.
I assume the screen's readable, I like to think that I'll have good eyesight for a couple of years yet so I don't think the size will be an issue.
iPaq HW6515
I have tried without success to get details of the built-in GPS. The one authoritative source to whom I spoke was scathing about its performance. So whatever you do choose, I do not recommend the iPaq.
On a separate note I saw my first Jasjar close up today. It is lighter than you might think, but heavier than is reasonable for prolonged use as a phone. A bluetooth earpiece was being used that included a display for caller ID. As a data device it is pretty impressive.
I too run a GlobalSat BT-338 GPS, in my case with Mapopolis.
if you are going GPS, make sure it is SIRFstar III chipset (the current latest-and-greatest), especially if you live in a city as they are really good at "urban canyon" reception.
I have seen new BT-338s on ebay for £65 "buy it now" recently
plus another thing to think about...
a seperate BT GPS unit has various advantages:
1) Battery
It won't drain your PPC battery when operating, except the charge needed to communicate via BT.
2) Upgrading
If a new improved GPS unit comes out and you have an onboard GPS unit, you are carrying useless baggage and can't sell the old one.
Also bear in mind there will likely be new features added to GPS units.
one example: digital compass. At the moment, if you stand still and rotate, a GPS unit has no clue which way you are facing until you move. A GPS does already transmit heading AFAIK - it works out which way you are facing by assiming you are looking in the direction of travel. Integration of a digital compass therefore would probably require no changes to the protocol. This does exist ( see http://www.xemics.com/internet/solutions/compass.jsp?productID=108 )
3) Switching.
BT GPS units work on laptopss too you know
4) Safety. I use my GPS for a sport called mountain boarding. Same kinda deal as downhill mountain biking, I trace a route I have done using GPS software. I ride with my XDA in a reinforced case with foam in, but find the GPS reception suffers, so I keep the BT GPS unit in my bag and the XDA in the case.
Seeing as the XDA is MUCH more valuable than the GPS this makes sense.
5) Reception versus viewing position.
Sometimes the position with best reception is not the same as the position you can see the screen of your PPC best.
????
Good point.
Ok, more questions on the K-Jam
Camera: Says 1.3/2 Is this 1.3 with software to 'frig' it to 2?
Keyboard: Is the expansys keyboard silver ( http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=125518 ) or black ( http://www.expansys.com/zoompic.asp?type=item&code=125518 )
Silver ones look plastic whereas black ones look rubbery. Which have you got JamiJam? Is it from Expansys?
Processor: 200Mhz? Is that right? Seems quite a drop. Do you have any problems with media playback? I remember my XDA I used to have a problem playing big avi files.
Ta Very Much
Camera is 1.3MP, and it is ****.
Yes, it's better than the Magician, but it's still pretty bad. I wouldn't buy the Wizard hoping to use the camera for anything useful. In my opinion this is the #1 point on which HTC is lacking. They've worked on everything else, now they need to start putting decent cameras in these devices.
I have the silver keyboard and I bought my Wizard in a store. I believe that if you order from expansys you'll get a silver one.
Processor is 200MHz (different CPU architecture) but it seems to be on par with the Magician in practice, maybe 10% slower. So yes, you should be able to watch full screen movies, once you find a bit-rate/resolution/format that works for you. Not sure which XDA you had, but I would expect similar ballpark performance.
Hope this helps.
Ta
The 'performance lacking' XDA was the original XDA I and I'll take your word for it that performance is ok. I don't use it for anything too hot and my XDA II never had a problem with films.
To be honest, every camera phone I've had from the XDA Range was ****ty quality (Very grainy) but I spend a fair bit of time on site collecting info on wagons and stuff for my job and it's always handy to be able to snap a quick video or pic of something. The only reason I want a higher res is so that when some tit with a Sony Ericson goes on about his 2Mp camera I don't loose too many 'top trumps' points. I never print the pics and my main contract doesn't support GPRS so I don't often send MMS. You'd be surprised how easily you can still get by with just plain old WAP.
Good news on the silver buttons. I prefer them. Has anyone bought one from Expansys who can verify?
Sweetness & Joy
Just thought I'd post my decision for those of you who like seing things through to a conclusion.
After much ponderation and constructing various cardboard models I have decided on the HTC Wizard, purchased from expansys (i-Mate K-Jam). There's a delay on delivery at the moment (3 Days!!!! I can't wait) but once it arrives I'll post back with my oppinions.
I've also heard that my mate is buying the JasJar so I'll be able to make a comparison and post it back.
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:!: Come on Friday! :!:
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D'oh! Just a note not say the expansys delivery has been put back but they've dropped the price too.
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:!: Come on Some-Day! :!:
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Just been looking at some larger photos of the buttons
http://forum.xda-developers.com/files/keyboard-flash.jpg
I take back my spectrum comments, they look pretty good.
Hurrah!
Ok! I've got my Wizard at last. I ended up buying the Qtek 9100 rather than the K-Jam. Looks like I'll miss out on Club i-Mate. :-(
Thought I'd post my views on the phone here just to give closure to anyone reading this thread.
The screen is very sharp. Everything obviously is smaller because the pixels are closer together but the overall effect is a very good screen. The guy in our office with really bad eyesight liked it and he's normally a miserable git when it comes to gadgets.
I take back my comments about the keyboard, it looks fantastic, the action is really great and you can use it to type replies to text messages on the move, which is something I've always struggled with before using the Transcriber. People are also really impressed when the screen rotates thru' to landscape.
I've used it for playing some music and although the speakers built in are tinny as you'd expect, the headphones are really good. I don't know if they'd be the same for the i-Mate but they fit comfortably in my ears and have a very good sound compared to the old XDA & XDA II headphones (Not that that would be hard)!
I miss having a cradle. It was nice to be able to display your phone on your desk while it was charging. Just using a USB cable makes it all feel a bit less sexy as an experience but then you can't have everything I suppose.
The coolest thing I found was the Stylus. It's about 50mm long when it first comes out of the phone. Then you give it a little pull and it extends to... hold on let me get a ruler... 85mm. It's not as comfy to use as the XDA/XDA II styli but since i haven't used it for writing much it doesn't matter. The keyboard is so easy to pull out and use that I've only really used the stylus to point at stuff so that my fingers don't get the screen dirty. The softkeys in WM 2005 also mean that you rarely need to touch the screen.
It's a bit chunkier than I expected but still not big. It's only marginally bigger than my girlfriends Nokia 6230 and compared to an older XDA model it feels like it's tiny!
Voice recognition button on the side works really well so far. I've got about 10 contacts programmed in and it seems to be picking them up ok, even in the car.
Overall, i'm yet to find much of a fault with it. I'll try to get some piccies of bits posted sometime next week.
Feel free to ask any questions.
JASJAR II
When the damn thing releases.....of course
I really wouldnt auction my spare kidney and buy it, and then suffer with a RAM deficit! My xda 2 currently running on wm5, has 128megs ram and 32megs rom....compared to 43megs ram & rom of jasjar........one word.......RIDICULOUS!
i cant believe seeing a 7MB RAM free on a device, and i dont ever want to see it! HTC/ IMATE/ Whoever claim they put in less RAM for extended battery life....bucket of crap! I really dont care for those couple extra hours that i'd probably get, and i dont mind carrying a spare battery or a charger wherever i go....
Its a handicap which is BIG! Besides this, the Jasjar is divinely irresistable, and i cant stop oggling at it :shock:
So, i guess i'll wait for a JJ II to come out with same form factor, and somemore ram which would make the device practical....
HTC do you hear me??????
San
weeel
:shock:
RAM isn't everything. I have been using the device for a day now (Non-stop), often running WMP10, Outlook, PIE etc also playing Tomb Raider. I haven't noticed any diference between this and my XDA II which had I think 64Mb and a 400 odd MHz processor. The odd app is a trifle slow to load up but nothing more major than that.
If the battery life sacrifice is true, then it's not for this little puppy. All this usage (with wi-fi on but not actually using a wi-fi network) and the battery didn't drop below 60% yesterday (Using lightly whilst at work and heavily in the evening. I even synced using bluetooth).
Memory has crept down to 1Mb program mem free at times but I assume windows is just doing its thing because this comes back up after a while and I don't notice any drop in performance.
Re: Hurrah!
eayuwna said:
I miss having a cradle. It was nice to be able to display your phone on your desk while it was charging. Just using a USB cable makes it all feel a bit less sexy as an experience but then you can't have everything I suppose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This site: http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/product/5735.htm claims that this desktop charger/cradle is compatible with the K-Jam so if that's true then it should be OK for your QTek. 8)
OK - due to a change of jobs and the time coming to upgrade anyway, I am looking to get a PDA phone. Previously been a nokia user.
Was looking at the Jamin, but then along came the Hermes.....
New place is all Terminal Server based so not sure if i will be able to sync with Outlook. May still want to use calendar on phone independently.
As far as I can see, the pros and cons are as follows :
Jamin - thinner - more likley to fit in pocket whereas Hermes will be a bit bigger.
Hermes has keyboard however - and jog wheel - useful especially if I use the calendar without syncing and have to enter data. (suppose i could sync with my home pc calendar and enter that way tho.) How much do people really use the keyboard on it? odd friends with them tend to say not much. But not having a keypad still concerns me.
Hermes is faster/newer, but uses micro SD cards and mini USB for headphones. Jamin uses SD and 2.5mm jack. Jamin can be overclocked a bit (seemingly with no great impact on stability) but should make it reasonable.
Both have wifi, both vibrate I assume and both can have MP3 ringtones.
I am currently on orange and their current plans suck quite honestly. Obviously T mobile have web n walk or whatever, but I still remember the days of one to no-one and have concerns - A phone with poor reception is useless to me. (mind you not sure the Jamin is available on other networks?) How much data would I really use anyway whilst out and about.
Hmmmm. Its all a bit too much and most of the shops near me don't have examples I can go in and pick up to see what they are like to even hold.
Any advice or things I have missed would be greatly appreciated.
I currently use M500, unlocked to use with T-Mobile Web'n'Walk.
I upgraded to M600 (again, unlocked it to use with T-Mobile), but it wasn't even capable of scrolling through pdf documents, so I've just got rid of it.
So, if there was a choice between M600 and M3100, I'd go for the M3100 due to the extra processor speed, even though I've never been keen on the extra thickness caused by having the thumb-board.
Another major reason for preferring the M3100 is that the M3100 has 3g and is capable of 3.5g, the best the M600 is capable of is Edge.
If I do get the M3100, I will of course unlock it and use it on T-Mobile web'n'Walk.
Incidentally, I was a loyal Orange customer for nearly 10 years, but I refuse to pay their data charges. I have had no issues with T-Mobile coverage, but then I am in London, so woulldn't really expect any problems.
Regards
Well I love my Jamin which I had for almost 3 month now. (Used regular Motorola for phone and iPaq for PDA before that).
I have a long commute on a bus each day, and it makes it pass quite fast, listening to MP3 and surfing the web at the same time.
For all my daily uses I never had a speed problem, and I never overclocked it. Although I don't use navigational software and Skype.
Yes, the full SD is a plus, but if I had the choice now I would probably choose the Hermes because of the 3G and the faster processor.
Mainly I would have suffered the microSD because the device is newer overall, but I like gadgets.
As for the keyboard, I used my PDAs for over year and a half for various stuff and never felt the need for it. Unless you intend to type word documents or very long emails, the virtual keyboard will do just fine.
Personally I would prefer a phone pad like on ASUS 525 (not out yet, unfortunately).
Well that's just another opinion for you.
Still not decided
Cheers guys, although I am still in a quandry.
I guess the remaining key questions are:
How much of a hassle is the lack of a normal headphone socket on the Hermes?
Given that I have finally concluded that I can live without a keyboard is the jog wheel on the Hermes worth the extra thickness - I have heard it is great for quick and easy use.
How much would I notice the slower speed (not bothered re Skype) - I have heard that people who have not had pda phones before notice the speed the most.
Any experiences advice welcomed again.
Cheers
C
How much would I really use the data part whilst out and about (as wifi at home) - could get a good deal with say vodafone if you exclude the data element. Am still worried about T mobiel coverage - I live in Kent and work would take me round the country once or twice a month - reception then would be useful.
Just seen main tytn thread about possible new Orange data oackage - may answer one of my questions.....
OK - the unlimited GPRS off peak only bundle is not what I was looking for.(Orange- you really don;t have a clue about this data stuff...)
Am still in a quandry, have been watching the tytn threads as well. Cost is also an issue at the mo, and looking at the other threads the device cost may be a bit steep for me.
Seems to be quite a few suspect handsets around with dodgy keys and screens that lose alignment. Byt the time the device comes out on Tmobile and Orange (imminent I know) and then gets out of stock and back in etc it will be months before I got one anyway. I am now thinking it would be better to get a Jamin on Orange and just not really use the data during the day too much. Just sign up for 12 months and look again next year.
Would be able to use existing and cheaper SD cards. 2.5mm jack is good. T mobile reception for the data still worries me as I would be travelling a bit. Hopefully most of the bugs are now ironed out of the
Jamin, and it is thinner.
Any other hints/advice would be appreciated.
Given the driver issues and mixed reviews on the forum(speed, camera, scrolling) I was wondering if we could get a sense of overall satisfaction with the device. Would you buy one again, even if there is never a fix for the driver issues?
I would, but definitely not for this kind of money!!
the device is worth every little penny.
It would help if you guys mention what device you came from. It helps to understand what you have been used to in order to gauge your current opinion. For example, if you came directly from a dog-slow KJAM (not OC'ed) and say the TC is fast, then that's good to know.
By far best pocket pc device. Most complete with great form factor. I have owned the following:
Siemens SX56
Siemens SX66
Audiovox p4400
eten G500
xda atom
imate jasjar
htc tytn
htc p3300
htc p3600
htc kaiser
Knowing the driver issue and HTC's stance about it - I would not. Too much money at stake!
By far best pocket pc device. Most complete with great form factor and best phone module. I have owned the following:
SP : typhoon , tornado , startrek , excalibur , cavalier.
pocketpc : magician , wizard , universal , prophet , hermes , trinity , artemis , cheetah , herald , kaiser , niki , and for last polaris.
and non HTC , eten m600 x500 x800 , hp 6815 , asus p525 , and a few of SE and nokia smartphone.
the best pocketpc phone, I'd buy it again a hundred times!!!
i switched back to a P3600/Trinity.
if i would't consider to play games via nes/snes/gba emulators, i probably wouldn't sell the polaris...
next device will be the eten v900 or samsung i900 (vga+dvb-t VS 5mpx-cam+8gb internal memory) ... difficult decision..
bjrmd said:
Given the driver issues and mixed reviews on the forum(speed, camera, scrolling) I was wondering if we could get a sense of overall satisfaction with the device. Would you buy one again, even if there is never a fix for the driver issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I need another PDA, Yes.
If I need a pocketable video player or play games, I'd buy a PSP.
If I need a good picture quality, I'd buy a digital camera.
That mean's the answer is Yes I am happy and I will buy again if I need to! but never on the same price!
definately would buy it again, it does combine most features one needs in a PDA/Phone
(which dont include.... Camera and Video player) if one needs to watch a video on the go a laptop is still the best bet... who wants to watch mini video?
they should have left the secondary camera out all together (or installed a flash)
some of us work, so the usefullness of watching video in perfect quality is not a high prio.
this gadget:
gets you where you are going (GPS)
has all necessary ability to handle day to day work tasks (Office Mobile)
can make calls (phone)
and has the benefits of all of the 3rd party apps out there for it (anything else you need)
Totally agree with ‘xrrkrrkx’, I’ve had all sorts of PDAs from the Psion and Casio days, through Ipaq onto K-Jam, the T-Mob’s MDA’s...
The Polaris is a useful tool first and a toy second for me so some video lag (which hardly bothers me anyway) is acceptable due to all the other top features + its form factor make this a must for me and I’d pay up again to get one.
Having come over from the Kaiser thread it's incredible to for me to see all the negative comments about the Polaris which basically has the same (if not better) performance as the Kaiser, but without the weight! For me it's the best all round device I've ever used and I think my Kaiser will be up for sale....
Remember that in almost any forum for hardware,
most posters do only write when they are unhappy about something.
Almost no one write any message just because they are happy with there phone.
Try count the negative weight of messages against sold phones.
I came from HTC 4350 to this one, its the best phone I ever owned,
and so I said about 4350 also. But it is !!
Before HTC I used all kinds of Nokia.
I use Push mail from work to the phone, 15 mails each day that I read,
I'll give IT support over the phone to 1500 people, 10-15 each day.
I use blue tooth over my car stereo back and forth to work,
else I'll use my Blue tooth headset 8 hours a day.
Sometimes I even use tomtom when going to another of our departments.
I never switch off the phone completely, but recharge it once every
second day or even sometimes only every third day.
I simply do not understand those who are unhappy with battery lifetime.
But I do never see any video on it, why would I do that?
Well, this is no doubt the best phone I ever had. I'll buy it again.
Having come from the Dopod U1000 (Athena) to the Cruise is a positive, mainly due to they size. The fact that the Cruise can do everything that the Athena could do is impressive, considering it is less than half the size and weight and is more useful as a primary phone. I still miss the VGA display and often carry the Athena with me on travel to use as an internet tablet and yes, as an A/V player. The 5" VGA is so much easier on my tires eyes and not having to scroll so much on web pages makes it a no brainer. On the other hand, I bought one of the very first U1000's out at double the price of the Cruise. Both have their place but the Cruise gets my daily use. You can see other devices in my Signature line, not including numerous PDA's prior to the Cell phone era.
I used a MIO A201, which doesn't have a phone, radio or WIFI.
I am impressed with the TC (Polaris).
One of the issues I have is the speed of the MicroSD memory card (8GB class 4) which is slower than my SD memory card (2GB 150x) on my MIO A201 which slows down Tomtom, but this is a memory card issue and not a TC issue.
Great device
I switched from regular phones to the Charmer and was already very happy with it, now it was time to improve my "lifestyle" and get a all in one unit. It was hard to decide if I shall get a Kaiser or a Polaris. Finally the small size and less weight made my decision for the Polaris.
After nearly 2 weeks I just can say it is a great unit, it works without problems (beside the usual WM bugs), I can't complain about battery life as at home I have a pretty weak reception (but better than the Charmer) - I live in a "ray safe" appartement..... As I use it really a lot and always have to play around with it (especially in boring meetings), I have to charge it every day or second day during week, at weekend where I use it less I don't have to charge it.
The speech and connection quality of the radio improved, the GPS has a good reception and works fine.
Some complain about the price: it maybe high but try to get a Nokia N95 cheaper without operator contract, it has more or less the same price as the polaris.
So in summary: a high price unit but worth it!
Sure I would
Before :
SPV C500, SPV C600, Wizard, Trinity, TyTN, Artemis, Kaiser, and now Polaris.
I don't regret it. My top 3 is :
1- Polaris/Kaiser (it rocks !)
2- Artemis, it rocked as well.
I would absolutely buy TC again.
Although I understand the complaint that many people have with the video driver issue, for me, it does not distract too much from the device, as I do not use it as a primary video device.
The times that I do watch videos or clips etc.., I find the video good enough for my needs (but not excellent). I think that if one is buying a device ONLY as a phone and multimedia device, it is really quite difficult to presently beat the iPhone.
Over the years I have used PPC/WM devices, I find the TC excellent as a pda ( I cannot say 100% excellent because of the afforementioned video driver issue).
The phone portion is also really good - the best voice clarity and signal that I have had.
Previously:
PDAS: Compaq iPaq 3650
HP iPaq 5450
phones: various samsung and motorolas
PDA/Phones: Samsung SCH-i730 (which was really good in its day for PPC2003SE, but really sucked with WM5)
That's just my 2cents for what its worth.
T
Well, I have had my TC now for about a week and I absolutely love it. It is everything I expected it to be and I think I was needlessly worrying about performance. Of course, the TC will be that much better with the proper graphics drivers, but the way it is now has surpassed my expectations. It is actually the first WM phone in a long time that I think is "fun" to use.
Check out my review here: http://mobilitytoday.com/articles/htc_touchcruise_impressions.html
Hey guys, what are some good alternatives to the HTC TyTn II. I had the ATT TILT for a month and a half and have found that I barely ever use the keyboard. So my next phone will not need a keyboard but definitely need touchscreen and GPS. Anything cheap or reasonable price? I see the Touch Cruise but I don't like the styling too much and it's pretty expensive. I am looking to spend around $400.
you can get an htc touch (not cruise or dual) on ebay for very reasonable....excellent phone
Neither of those has GPS, though. Among the current batch of HTC devices with GPS, if you don't like the Cruise looks, the best one is the TyTn II. The Touch is great, but it has no GPS, no 3G and only 200 Mhz (and that's making sure you get the second version as the first one had only 64 Mb RAM).
HTC will be announcing new devices on May 6th. I think your best bet is wait and see
I most likely will not have enough money at all for the new HTC phones that are going to be announced on May 6th. Current limit is $400 =(. That actually is a very large sum of money for me to spend on a phone in my opinion. But yeah, GPS is a must have for me as well as touch screen for the GPS programs. I really don't need 3G at all, not even EDGE or GPRS lol. I do need wi-fi though.
d810 is your champ then! i used the trinity and it's excellent!
Yeah I was looking at the trinity as well. But the only thing that made me look for something else is because of the 64MB ram. I had the TyTn for a while and it was sluggish compared to the TyTn II and I am assuming that part of it was due to the ram. The TyTn II allowed me to have many more program open and not have to constantly worry about closing programs.
Hmm. Wifi+GPS+128 Mb rules out most current HTC hardware. I think only the TyTn II and the Cruise fit your needs. Add the $400 limitation and you're out of options.
Why don't you keep the TyTn II anyway? even if you don't use the keyboard (which I love) all in all it's a good device. So I suppose you want something thinner, don't you? Have you considered (gasp) another brand? For example Asus has some interesting GPS phones, although I think the ones with 128 Mb have a keyboard too, and I have no idea about prices.
Yeah I have checked other devices and the Eten devices catch my eye but the main problem is 64MB ram that most their devices have. Some of theirs have VGA screens and I am assuming with a VGA screen you would want more ram because the applications for VGA typically take up more space.
hi everyone,
I'm after a smartphone... i think. I have a budget of £100, but may be willing to go a little over. Obviously for this price, it would more than likely be a used unit (which i'm not fussed about).
I'm looking for a phone that can act like a pda, taking appointments and such, one that i can check my emails, surf the net and chat on msn with. It will also need to be able to connect to Wi-Fi and bluetooth. I would prefer one that could read SD or SDHC cards so i could listen to my music and watch movies (if this is possible?). I would also prefer one with a keyboard as i do write a lot of documents.
GPS is not essential, but would be a nice feature to have, as would a camera.
I have no idea about cpu speeds or memory on these things... so as long as it's able to handle the web browsing and watching movies or listening to music then it should be fine.
Models i've been looking at are the o2 xda II, xda 2i and the xda mini s. The mini S ticks a lot of the boxes, but if anyone has any better recommendations or any help at all, then it would be much appreciated as i have no idea what im looking at with these gadgets.
Hmmm, considering your budget, the HTC HERMES (TYTN not TYTN II) is still a pretty good acceptable PDA phone with QWERTY keyboard and sells for around £100 on eBay UK. I assume you do not really care about GPS capabilities?
A Universal would be also good option, and believe me you won´t find anithing better than Uni for 100 pounds
I have seen some stupidly cheap HTC Diamonds on ebay recently. Sub £150, and to be fair its worth the extra £50.
But at sub 100, I'd say Hermes if you want a keyboard, Elfiin (Original touch with double ram and rom) if you dont, or if you dont mind the bigger size and stuff, then a uni.
I might even sell you my athena for a bit more than a hundred if you want it. I have wanted rid of it for ages, but cant ever get round to putting it on ebay... (sorry for the shameless plug)
Rory