Microsoft surface experience? - Microsoft Surface

Microsoft surface experience? - Microsoft Surface

Hello guys. For those who have used the Microsoft surface, can you share your experience? I am just curious about its speed, performance, and how user friendly it is
Sent from my GT-N7005 using xda premium

I love mine. I find the interface refreshing and unique, the people app lets me do way more with social media than I have been able to do in the past. Typing on the touch cover is still a bit of a challenge but they are saying it takes a few days to get it done properly. Speed wise, there are no issues. Mine is snappy and responsive. Battery life is amazing. I can use it all day 6am until 7pm and still only be down to around 30-40% battery remaining. There is a lack of apps but nothing that I can't wait out. I expected the ecosystem will take a bit to get going and I'm willing to wait. I sold my ipad with retina and honestly don't miss it at all.

I really love mine the more I use it. I'm typing this on the touchcover and although I make a lot of mistakes I seem to be getting better at it. That said, I do have some issues but nothing that major (yet!). Battery life seems to be much less than the ipad, people report 8-10 hours, I only get like 4-7. The apps are a disappointment, but I plan to use this device productively soo all I really need is dropbox. The device seems to slow down when editing 2 page documents in word. I tried to make a brochure on here and dragging pictures around was a nightmare. I did type a paper onhere and while it took longer then on a regular keyboard it wasn't that bad.
IE 10 for metro is complete trash. Can't even load XDA so I find myself always forced to use the desktop version. If you buy one, I suggest the model higher than 32gb as we really only get lke 14 gb because of the os taking up so much room.
The touchcover gets very dirty it seems. I'm not suire if I can clean it without ruining it. I sneeze on it before and it has a nasty stain =/.
The device itself is very prone to scratches, I tend to try to plug the thing into charge while its dark and that damn connector is such a pita that I always scratch the bezel.
I love the keyboard gestures (which I know can be used on any computer). The UI is very fast, there's a crap ton of gestures to learn. Yet, there are some gripes. Closing an app takes a crazy amount of time. You have to drag all theway from the top of the screen to the bottom, unnecessary.
Overall, I love it and I plan on keeping it. I still have my ipad and my nexus 7 but this really helps me get stuff done. The fact I can plug in almost any usb device and hve it work is amazing. You can even charge cellphones and stuff with the USB. I would recommend getting the surface IF you realize you can't run anything that's not in the store. No browser addons, no exe fils, nothing. Sometime that makes me wish I got the pro, but this device is really enough. Get past the quirkiness of metro + desktop and it's a beast.
Sorry for the typos. This was typed on the touch cover while lying down in bed.
*EDIT* The messenger app sucks realy badly too. You add someone as a friend (which can't be done in the app you have to go to a website) then you can't ever send them a message cause it says "Name unavailable" but they can send you messages. Its a one way form of communication.
*Edit2* Another clunky part. There are no jpg thumbail previews in the desktop. And when you want to open an image it has to open a program in metro

brandonjuraimi said:
Hello guys. For those who have used the Microsoft surface, can you share your experience? I am just curious about its speed, performance, and how user friendly it is
Sent from my GT-N7005 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love the surface responsiveness and the new UI. But still there is still miles to go to get this perfect.
1. After being ON for more than 3 days, clicking on Email opened up weather, can't reach the email by clicking on any of the tiles. Same with IE. I had to reboot.
2. The auto rotate stopped working suddenly. I had to reboot to get it working again.
3. The email Client is awful. Need a better email app. It can't even match 10% of other email client's functionality. (No multi select, too much delay when navigating emails in the list, no option to Archive vs Delete, Moving to folders isn't as easy,
4. There is no Cisco VPN client. If your work requires non standard Cisco VPN connectivity, stay away.
5. Enterprise Distribution of apps isn't clear yet. We shouldn't have to have enterprise apps published to Microsoft Store every time.
6. Silverlight doesn't run on RT? Kidding me?
7. Playing HD video isn't going to be easy. Not even one app which could play MKV files.
8. The copy paste of text inside surface isn't as easy as in iPad. Sometimes it takes too much time to get the needed text selected on IE.
9. Needs tweaking to run Flash on all websites (its a hack. Why?)
10, Pointing the cursor to an exact place in a text area isn't as easy as in iPad with the magnifying glass.
By the way, WHERE IS THE REPORT A PROBLEM button in RT ?
Though I have so many complaints, I still love my Surface. I don't use my iPad anymore. Many times, I had tried to touch my monitor while using my laptop. MS is spoiling me

mchimney said:
I really love mine the more I use it. I'm typing this on the touchcover and although I make a lot of mistakes I seem to be getting better at it. That said, I do have some issues but nothing that major (yet!). Battery life seems to be much less than the ipad, people report 8-10 hours, I only get like 4-7. The apps are a disappointment, but I plan to use this device productively soo all I really need is dropbox. The device seems to slow down when editing 2 page documents in word. I tried to make a brochure on here and dragging pictures around was a nightmare. I did type a paper onhere and while it took longer then on a regular keyboard it wasn't that bad.
IE 10 for metro is complete trash. Can't even load XDA so I find myself always forced to use the desktop version. If you buy one, I suggest the model higher than 32gb as we really only get lke 14 gb because of the os taking up so much room.
The touchcover gets very dirty it seems. I'm not suire if I can clean it without ruining it. I sneeze on it before and it has a nasty stain =/.
The device itself is very prone to scratches, I tend to try to plug the thing into charge while its dark and that damn connector is such a pita that I always scratch the bezel.
I love the keyboard gestures (which I know can be used on any computer). The UI is very fast, there's a crap ton of gestures to learn. Yet, there are some gripes. Closing an app takes a crazy amount of time. You have to drag all theway from the top of the screen to the bottom, unnecessary.
Overall, I love it and I plan on keeping it. I still have my ipad and my nexus 7 but this really helps me get stuff done. The fact I can plug in almost any usb device and hve it work is amazing. You can even charge cellphones and stuff with the USB. I would recommend getting the surface IF you realize you can't run anything that's not in the store. No browser addons, no exe fils, nothing. Sometime that makes me wish I got the pro, but this device is really enough. Get past the quirkiness of metro + desktop and it's a beast.
Sorry for the typos. This was typed on the touch cover while lying down in bed.
*EDIT* The messenger app sucks realy badly too. You add someone as a friend (which can't be done in the app you have to go to a website) then you can't ever send them a message cause it says "Name unavailable" but they can send you messages. Its a one way form of communication.
*Edit2* Another clunky part. There are no jpg thumbail previews in the desktop. And when you want to open an image it has to open a program in metro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In response to some of your issues. I love metro ui based IE and find it loads XDA without issue. A good tip is to enable adblocking filters using the tips in this forum (find the topic called tips). It loads XDA fine now for me.
Closing an app by dragging top to bottom takes a lot of time? It's a half second gesture man. Be realistic. Alot of your complaints are issues that are not issues at all. It's a different UI, give it a break.
---------- Post added at 05:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:03 PM ----------
tcsekhar said:
I love the surface responsiveness and the new UI. But still there is still miles to go to get this perfect.
1. After being ON for more than 3 days, clicking on Email opened up weather, can't reach the email by clicking on any of the tiles. Same with IE. I had to reboot.
2. The auto rotate stopped working suddenly. I had to reboot to get it working again.
3. The email Client is awful. Need a better email app. It can't even match 10% of other email client's functionality. (No multi select, too much delay when navigating emails in the list, no option to Archive vs Delete, Moving to folders isn't as easy,
4. There is no Cisco VPN client. If your work requires non standard Cisco VPN connectivity, stay away.
5. Enterprise Distribution of apps isn't clear yet. We shouldn't have to have enterprise apps published to Microsoft Store every time.
6. Silverlight doesn't run on RT? Kidding me?
7. Playing HD video isn't going to be easy. Not even one app which could play MKV files.
8. The copy paste of text inside surface isn't as easy as in iPad. Sometimes it takes too much time to get the needed text selected on IE.
9. Needs tweaking to run Flash on all websites (its a hack. Why?)
10, Pointing the cursor to an exact place in a text area isn't as easy as in iPad with the magnifying glass.
By the way, WHERE IS THE REPORT A PROBLEM button in RT ?
Though I have so many complaints, I still love my Surface. I don't use my iPad anymore. Many times, I had tried to touch my monitor while using my laptop. MS is spoiling me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MKV does not equal HD, so try playing an MP4 or something in HD before making comments like this. So what if it doesn't play MKV format, there are plenty it does play.

cmscritic said:
I love mine. I find the interface refreshing and unique, the people app lets me do way more with social media than I have been able to do in the past. Typing on the touch cover is still a bit of a challenge but they are saying it takes a few days to get it done properly. Speed wise, there are no issues. Mine is snappy and responsive. Battery life is amazing. I can use it all day 6am until 7pm and still only be down to around 30-40% battery remaining. There is a lack of apps but nothing that I can't wait out. I expected the ecosystem will take a bit to get going and I'm willing to wait. I sold my ipad with retina and honestly don't miss it at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow your experience with the Microsoft surface sure is awesome. It sounds awesome and I can't wait to check it out. Not sure if it is available in my country though...
Sent from my GT-N7005 using xda premium

tcsekhar said:
I love the surface responsiveness and the new UI. But still there is still miles to go to get this perfect.
1. After being ON for more than 3 days, clicking on Email opened up weather, can't reach the email by clicking on any of the tiles. Same with IE. I had to reboot.
2. The auto rotate stopped working suddenly. I had to reboot to get it working again.
3. The email Client is awful. Need a better email app. It can't even match 10% of other email client's functionality. (No multi select, too much delay when navigating emails in the list, no option to Archive vs Delete, Moving to folders isn't as easy,
4. There is no Cisco VPN client. If your work requires non standard Cisco VPN connectivity, stay away.
5. Enterprise Distribution of apps isn't clear yet. We shouldn't have to have enterprise apps published to Microsoft Store every time.
6. Silverlight doesn't run on RT? Kidding me?
7. Playing HD video isn't going to be easy. Not even one app which could play MKV files.
8. The copy paste of text inside surface isn't as easy as in iPad. Sometimes it takes too much time to get the needed text selected on IE.
9. Needs tweaking to run Flash on all websites (its a hack. Why?)
10, Pointing the cursor to an exact place in a text area isn't as easy as in iPad with the magnifying glass.
By the way, WHERE IS THE REPORT A PROBLEM button in RT ?
Though I have so many complaints, I still love my Surface. I don't use my iPad anymore. Many times, I had tried to touch my monitor while using my laptop. MS is spoiling me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds really troublesome and watching movies and videos is a pain.
Sent from my GT-N7005 using xda premium

cmscritic said:
In response to some of your issues. I love metro ui based IE and find it loads XDA without issue. A good tip is to enable adblocking filters using the tips in this forum (find the topic called tips). It loads XDA fine now for me.
Closing an app by dragging top to bottom takes a lot of time? It's a half second gesture man. Be realistic. Alot of your complaints are issues that are not issues at all. It's a different UI, give it a break.
---------- Post added at 05:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:03 PM ----------
MKV does not equal HD, so try playing an MP4 or something in HD before making comments like this. So what if it doesn't play MKV format, there are plenty it does play.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree MKV does not equal HD. But the best compression today seems to be MKV files, and I have a ton of those. I don't want to convert all of them again into MP4 or any other format at this point. When all other OS supports playing it, why not MS - especially when they are late in the game, and know what the expectations are?

only 4-7 hours? maybe faulty device? everybody has like 8-10.. 4-7 aint too good

mr_dan said:
only 4-7 hours? maybe faulty device? everybody has like 8-10.. 4-7 aint too good
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine with continuous use from morning 7AM till 9PM still have 30% juice. I just use for browse & search - no play or video.

tcsekhar said:
Mine with continuous use from morning 7AM till 9PM still have 30% juice. I just use for browse & search - no play or video.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Mine is about the same.
---------- Post added at 08:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:33 PM ----------
tcsekhar said:
I agree MKV does not equal HD. But the best compression today seems to be MKV files, and I have a ton of those. I don't want to convert all of them again into MP4 or any other format at this point. When all other OS supports playing it, why not MS - especially when they are late in the game, and know what the expectations are?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know what you mean, I'd love to have it too (especially for the space savings) but I think we need to give MS some time to get the apps rolling. It's a new ecosystem and I've no doubt it'll get rolling soon. Would LOVE to see VLC on it.. that would rock.

I understand the os is new but I love the potential. I love this device regardless of my complaints. I do miss Google though.
In regards to my battery, I think something must be wrong, I'm using quite a lot of battery even just idling

mchimney said:
I understand the os is new but I love the potential. I love this device regardless of my complaints. I do miss Google though.
In regards to my battery, I think something must be wrong, I'm using quite a lot of battery even just idling
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd take it in and have it looked at. I can usually go the whole day without issue.

mchimney said:
I understand the os is new but I love the potential. I love this device regardless of my complaints. I do miss Google though.
In regards to my battery, I think something must be wrong, I'm using quite a lot of battery even just idling
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably your wifi, email or any idling applications could have cause the huge drainage of battery
Sent from my GT-N7005 using xda premium

brandonjuraimi said:
Probably your wifi, email or any idling applications could have cause the huge drainage of battery
Sent from my GT-N7005 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know Bluettoth also kills battery on phones and on the surface it is on by default. We need one of those battery monitoring apps, especially since the Start screen doesn't report battery details - I did find the "Windows Mobility Center" in the backend/desktop, and created a link on the start screen - it provides batter percentage among other shortcuts - pretty cool.
what I do love about the Surface is all the little things that can be tweaked on the descktop - By far more customizable than any other tablet out there.

tcsekhar said:
I agree MKV does not equal HD. But the best compression today seems to be MKV files, and I have a ton of those. I don't want to convert all of them again into MP4 or any other format at this point. When all other OS supports playing it, why not MS - especially when they are late in the game, and know what the expectations are?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MKV is just a container, like avi or ogg. So actual compression is x264 or as some call it mp4. There is also MP4 container which contains also x264 compressed videos, so moving files from mkv to MP4 is possible without reencoding, but just repacking.
But I agree, it is not for everyone and I'm sure mkv support will come soon through some third party app like vlc or mplayer.
This device is very new to the market and the os as well.

encho said:
MKV is just a container, like avi or ogg. So actual compression is x264 or as some call it mp4. There is also MP4 container which contains also x264 compressed videos, so moving files from mkv to MP4 is possible without reencoding, but just repacking.
But I agree, it is not for everyone and I'm sure mkv support will come soon through some third party app like vlc or mplayer.
This device is very new to the market and the os as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MKV is definitely the container of choice for HD in this day and age so any current system needs to be able to handle it if they want to sell units My whole HTPC movie library is in MKV. Having to convert to mp4 is not very practical as it requires time and steps (I use Handbrake for my Ipod touch). The latest Androids can play alomost anything thrown at them. I am sure someone will release a video player that will handle it if the surface is truly to be considered a media device. The question is will MS let it get certified in the store (Still unclear on the process and what's allowed - I would love to see a Opera or Firefox borwser too and I thought MS got sued years back for limiting options of browsers on the desktop OS). The question is how open MS will be to allow competing apps, especially if they want to sell hardware.

guitar1969 said:
MKV is definitely the container of choice for HD in this day and age so any current system needs to be able to handle it if they want to sell units My whole HTPC movie library is in MKV. Having to convert to mp4 is not very practical as it requires time and steps (I use Handbrake for my Ipod touch). The latest Androids can play alomost anything thrown at them. I am sure someone will release a video player that will handle it if the surface is truly to be considered a media device. The question is will MS let it get certified in the store (Still unclear on the process and what's allowed - I would love to see a Opera or Firefox borwser too and I thought MS got sued years back for limiting options of browsers on the desktop OS). The question is how open MS will be to allow competing apps, especially if they want to sell hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Back in my Linux days I had a script which unpacks MKV like it would zip file and repacks into MP4. The whole process takes 1 minute. But as you said MKV support needs to come to RT and MS is aware of the fact that sale of their Surface tablets depends on third party apps.
So I don't think they'll have an issue with VLC or Opera or anything else. More apps equals more profit.

tcsekhar said:
3. The email Client is awful. Need a better email app. It can't even match 10% of other email client's functionality. (No multi select, too much delay when navigating emails in the list, no option to Archive vs Delete, Moving to folders isn't as easy,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree its not very good, I hope they release an RT version of Outlook.
But you CAN multiselect, kind of swipe an email to the right a bit and a tick pops up in the corner, and then do the same for other.
At the moment, Hotmail/Outlook.com is better than the RT mail app...

Related

Verizon tp2 suggestions

Hi. I should be getting a new verizon touch pro 2 and was wondering what I might be able to expect from it and if you guys could give me some new owner suggestions tips etc.
Thanks alot.
Joe

Be prepared to do a lot of reading if you really want to change things.
I have hosed up the phone several times and had to do hard resets because I installed so much crap that did not work.
Just make sure you search PPC forums and here and makes sure if you try something read up on it first.

What do you mean change things? I don't think I will change anything. At least not right away. Not sure if I'll even like the htc touch pro 2.

buggs1a said:
What do you mean change things? I don't think I will change anything. At least not right away. Not sure if I'll even like the htc touch pro 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he means is that if you want to reg hack or add any .cab files found here or on ppc geeks do your research first. Even though there are tp2s out there they all differ between cdma and gsm as well as carrier customizations. These differences can screw up your device causing u to loose original functionality or possible bricking your device.

A couple of things to do when you first get your phone:
Do a hard reset when you first turn it on. It will get rid of any errors or bugs you might or might not have. It will not hurt to do it regardless.
Next go to main page of XDA developers website and read the article about disabling push internet. It will free up some memory for you. It works great.
Also, search the XDA forum for the resproxy registry hack or edit or what ever you want to call it. It will also free up and stalblize your memory. you will need total commander to do it, so you will want to search and download then install the program before hand.
Those are the first three things that I would recommend as it made a big difference for me as far as performance is concerned

Thanks alot guys.
I should get it tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to it. I don't think I'll be getting much sleep tonight.
How would I do a hard reset and what is that? Would I do that right after I open it and before doing anything else or right after I activate it?
Yeah. I read something that mentioned push Internet. Kinda sounded like rss. I don't think I would use push Internet.
Will it be possibleto landscape without sliding out the keyboard? Or could someone add this or is it something htc has to do?
How will I upgrade to winmo 6.5 when it's released?
I know I need to learn and read but not sure what and where. I do have the xda wiki bookmarked but couldn't tell what I should look at first.
I don't care about fm radio but will it be possible to have am radio? I would listen to my local baseball team games. I don't listen to the radio now as there's no music I like. So that's why I'm curious about am. Internet radio streaming is of course different story. Is shoutcast available?
I've seen here people talk about gps. What is possible to use that's free? I can't afford vz navigator per month.
I wonder if there are any phone body protectors and screen protectors available at the local verizon store.
If I did change anything will it void my warranty? How does that work? I did add the extended warranty insurance.
Thanks alot.

If you are starting fresh you may want to consider doing this right after you get the phone before doing anything.
This should cover most anything you would need to do including the resproxy and other tweaks.
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=84404
Download the Verizon CAB and install it and it takes care of most everything you need done.
To hard reset you just go to SETTINGS>MEMORY TAB> and choose Factory Default. It basically resets the phone to settings of when you first got it.
The Radio as of right now either does not exist on the Verizon phone or is locked out.
The only way to void your warranty is to flash a new ROM, which you can't do yet anyway. But any tweaks you make wont effect warranty.
Streaming internet radio is available and included with the phone, you just need the web address.
Other services like orb from winamp is also handy where you can stream your music collection from home if your PC is on to your phone.
Most anything you can think of you should be able to find, with some searching.
And yes when WM6.5 is released you will have to wait for Verizon to officially release the update.
So even though you will see WM6.5 released next month don't expect Verizon to have the update ready right away it maybe a while.

Well I got my verizon touch pro 2. It's not bad. I hate the browser though. Scrolling sucks and moving around on a zoomed page is terrible when you swipe your finger to go up down etc. The page just keeps going. It's near impossible to touch links to go there. I have to many times just for it to register that I touched a link. Or I have to use the keyboard arrows. It really sucks. You can download files though and this rocks!! I didn't know you could. I got an mp4 and couple other files. Pretty cool.
The ui is ok. I'm surprised how smooth the ui is compared to iPod touch I have which is exactly the same as iPhone minus the phone. So htc did ok here.
I ran the cab installer for disabling push Internet but can't tell anything is different.
So my question now is this.
When winmo 6.5 is released how long might it take verizon to offically release it? Can't I just do the update from Microsoft? I want it as it's supposed to be way more touch friendly.
Why does it violate the warranty if you install a rom? Do any of the toc etc mention this?
Is there a way to do a backup of the phone incase anything goes wrong with a rom or something?
There's a couple things I don't like about that thing you mentioned that would take care of a lot of stuff. The guy disables something I don't want disabled. I forget what it is right now.
Is shoutcast available?
How does the sbp shell thingy work? Like is it just a file you install to change the theme or something? Can you easily install and uninstall without any issues? Same question for the iPhone look GUI.
Will marketplace be available as a widget type of thing or do we know how you go about using it when it's available?
I'm curious also where a good place is to download free themes and apps for the phone?
Is it possible to have free voice gps somehow? There's google maps of course but don't know it. Never used it more then looking at it on my Storm.
This touch pro 2 is supposed to be 3.6" screen but it's not as wide as my storm or iPod touch. How is that possible? I don't understand if it's supposed to be bigger why is it smaller? There should be only 1 way to measure size. This sucks.
how do I make the screen brighter? It doesn't seem as bright as other devices like my iPod touch.
Can I file share with my LAN?
What is remote desktop like? How does the built in one work? Is there something better?
Sorry for bombarding you all with so many questions.

Answers that I have are in BOLD within your quote...
buggs1a said:
Well I got my verizon touch pro 2. It's not bad. I hate the browser though. Scrolling sucks and moving around on a zoomed page is terrible when you swipe your finger to go up down etc. The page just keeps going. It's near impossible to touch links to go there. I have to many times just for it to register that I touched a link. Or I have to use the keyboard arrows. It really sucks. You can download files though and this rocks!! I didn't know you could. I got an mp4 and couple other files. Pretty cool.
Opera browser takes a little getting used to. Double tap to zoom in, and then you can click links pretty easy. I've been using WinMo phones now since the ATT 8525 (Hermes) and HATED the Opera browser the first time I tried it in a custom ROM. Since then, I've come to prefer it over PIE...just seems more user friendly once you do get used to how it operates - plus, it actually shows websites as desktop sites instead of as mobile sites.
The ui is ok. I'm surprised how smooth the ui is compared to iPod touch I have which is exactly the same as iPhone minus the phone. So htc did ok here.
I ran the cab installer for disabling push Internet but can't tell anything is different. If you don't have any pages set up to push on the web tab, I don't think you'll notice a difference. I could be wrong though.
So my question now is this.
When winmo 6.5 is released how long might it take verizon to offically release it? Can't I just do the update from Microsoft? I want it as it's supposed to be way more touch friendly. The phone is locked through what is called HardSPL to only accept "official" ROMs that are are correctly signed or whatever. MS won't actually issue a ROM for WinMo 6.5 - they'll issue the software to the individual manufacturers like HTC, Samsung, etc. At that time, the manufacturers then have to customize that OS into a ROM that works for the specific device (each device hardware requires specific stuff to function - which is why you can't put a FUZE ROM on a TP2, or a GSM rom on a CDMA phone, etc). Then, the manufacturer has to work with each phone carrier to put in the specific items the carrier wants included or excluded. So you won't ever see an "update" from MS, but only one issued by HTC possibly that won't be compatable with your specific phone until they release one that is authorized by Verizon.
Why does it violate the warranty if you install a rom? Do any of the toc etc mention this? The custom ROM is not officially authorized by your carrier, and requires you to modify the phone software and bootloader to install it. It also may or may not enable components of the phone that are not officially supported by the manufacturer or carrier. Will simply installing the ROM void your warranty - not necessarily. There are ways flash back to the original ROM before sending in for a warranty claim (assuming the phone is not 100% dead/destroyed), but if you make a warranty claim and it is determined that you had a custom ROM installed, they won't stand behind it because you modified the phone from the way they sent it to you.
Is there a way to do a backup of the phone incase anything goes wrong with a rom or something? There are backup programs out there - but you cannot do a "full restore" after changing ROMS because it may overwrite files that are newer or different and mess things up. I personally don't use any backup programs specificially. I keep all my media files on the MicroSD card, keep my emails synced through IMAP (personal account) and Exchange (work account) as well as all my tasks/calendar/contacts in Exchange. I don't have many SMS/MMS messages, so losing them when I reflash is not an issue for me. And I've gotten really good at restoring my settings and programs (which I keep saved on the SD card as well).
There's a couple things I don't like about that thing you mentioned that would take care of a lot of stuff. The guy disables something I don't want disabled. I forget what it is right now.
Is shoutcast available?
How does the sbp shell thingy work? Like is it just a file you install to change the theme or something? Can you easily install and uninstall without any issues? Same question for the iPhone look GUI. AFAIK, the different GUI overlays are simply a matter of "install and reset". I used to use SPB shell on my 8525 and Tilt, but it seemed to be a resource hog (version 2). Since the TF3D GUI on my Fuze and now TP2, I've been happy to simply use it.
Will marketplace be available as a widget type of thing or do we know how you go about using it when it's available?
I'm curious also where a good place is to download free themes and apps for the phone? You've already joined...search here and you'll find links to more places to find goodies for your phone than you'll ever be able to stay on top of.
Is it possible to have free voice gps somehow? There's google maps of course but don't know it. Never used it more then looking at it on my Storm. Don't know about free ones out there. I use Garmin Mobile XT myself - it's not voice command enabled (unfortunately) but does to audible directions and works pretty well. There are others out there too - TomTom, iGo, etc.
This touch pro 2 is supposed to be 3.6" screen but it's not as wide as my storm or iPod touch. How is that possible? I don't understand if it's supposed to be bigger why is it smaller? There should be only 1 way to measure size. This sucks. There is only one way to measure screen size - diagonal from corner to corner. That said, the TP2 is setup in a more HD style wide-screen format than many other devices. So the measured dimension may be bigger than other phones/devices, but the width may be narrower (when looking in Portrait view) because the screen is taller the other way.
how do I make the screen brighter? It doesn't seem as bright as other devices like my iPod touch. Start/Settings/All Settings --> System tab --> Power --> Backlight tab --> uncheck "Auto Adjust" and then you can manually play with the brightness
Can I file share with my LAN? Yes, but not with the stock file explorer I think. I personally use Resco Explorer, but have had a few issues with the network drive mapping locking up this device. Total Commander (free) has the functionality in it as well.
What is remote desktop like? How does the built in one work? Is there something better? I use the built-in RDC just fine. It actually shows a useable desktop image (albeit very tiny). No idea if there are other clients out there...the built-in one has always worked for me.
Sorry for bombarding you all with so many questions. No problem - hopefully I was able to answer a few questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I'm impressed...
dezoris, Humble1 and the others...
It doesn't mean a thing coming from me but....
I would like to thank you for not being assholes.
You both took time out to answer his numerous questions without a snide remark or rude comment.
Thats refreshing!
Thank you!
MBK

Well thanks so so much. Truly! I dunno what to say except thanks sooooooo much! I'm kinda speechless.
I have to save those responses locally to turn to incase I need to.
I do like the phone. That's for sure.
In Opera I did zoom right on top of links and tapped the links and it took multiple tries to get it to work I'd say if I had to guess and I am, 7-9 times out of 10. That's terrible. Could it be opera, the screen itself or winmo 6.1 or that I have not run the screen calibration thing? I hope the next browser version works way better and more touch friendly the I am experiencing so far. Oh yeah. It's currently like dial up speed compared to my iPod touch and I'm even using wifi on the phone. But yes, I have read that Opera is very slow. It works at least . Hopefully things will improove in this area in maybe the next version or another browser.
What is it like to install another theme or whatever it is called? The iPhone GUI one and that SPB thing? Are they easy to get rid of? I think I'd like to try them, but am wondering the what if something goes wrong question.
Hmm. I'm not sure where to start now. I should look through this sites wiki, but don't know what parts or where to start. Also I'd like to install some neat apps to see what this phone could do, but not sure where to start.
Thank you so very much! thank you for being patient in answering my questions.
Update. Remote deskto doesn't work. I try to connect via wifi to my vista and remote desktop on the phone imediatly after clicking connect says , the connection was ended because of a network error. Please try connecting to the remote computer again.
Also windows update won't connect either. Same type of message.
Remote desktop works from my other pc and laptop too.
Any ideas?
Ok. Now my phone won't get a connection to the net via wifi and I changed nothing on phone or router. Reboot router and shut off phone doesn't help. I'm on my iPod touch right now just fine. I don't get it.
Thanks a lot guys.

A few small things.
#1 Don't install a bunch of garbage.
#2 The version of Opera on it sucks. The Beta on their site kicks the crap out of it.
#3 Try Skyfire. I don't like the idea of using a proxy browser, but lordy if it isn't useful.
#4 Be patient. I hated both of my previous HTCs until they started releasing ROMs for it.
#5 If you are having troubles with remote desktop, then get VLC. I hate remote desktop because it locks the display and inputs of the host. I use my TP2 as a remote control for my media center. I'd like to find a smarter VLC client though. =(
Enjoy the phone. The WorldCard app is cool as hell.

Remote Desktop
buggs1a said:
Well thanks so so much. Truly! I dunno what to say except thanks sooooooo much! I'm kinda speechless.
I have to save those responses locally to turn to incase I need to.
I do like the phone. That's for sure.
In Opera I did zoom right on top of links and tapped the links and it took multiple tries to get it to work I'd say if I had to guess and I am, 7-9 times out of 10. That's terrible. Could it be opera, the screen itself or winmo 6.1 or that I have not run the screen calibration thing? I hope the next browser version works way better and more touch friendly the I am experiencing so far. Oh yeah. It's currently like dial up speed compared to my iPod touch and I'm even using wifi on the phone. But yes, I have read that Opera is very slow. It works at least . Hopefully things will improove in this area in maybe the next version or another browser.
What is it like to install another theme or whatever it is called? The iPhone GUI one and that SPB thing? Are they easy to get rid of? I think I'd like to try them, but am wondering the what if something goes wrong question.
Hmm. I'm not sure where to start now. I should look through this sites wiki, but don't know what parts or where to start. Also I'd like to install some neat apps to see what this phone could do, but not sure where to start.
Thank you so very much! thank you for being patient in answering my questions.
Update. Remote deskto doesn't work. I try to connect via wifi to my vista and remote desktop on the phone imediatly after clicking connect says , the connection was ended because of a network error. Please try connecting to the remote computer again.
Also windows update won't connect either. Same type of message.
Remote desktop works from my other pc and laptop too.
Any ideas?
Ok. Now my phone won't get a connection to the net via wifi and I changed nothing on phone or router. Reboot router and shut off phone doesn't help. I'm on my iPod touch right now just fine. I don't get it.
Thanks a lot guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try this: http://www.rdmplus.com/
I was using it on my Storm and they allowed me to change to the Windows Mobile version when I finally unloaded that POS. Its a bit pricey but it works well even on a EVDO connection. Works great over wifi. One of the few bright spots in my Blackberry endeavor.

buggs1a said:
Well thanks so so much. Truly! I dunno what to say except thanks sooooooo much! I'm kinda speechless.
I have to save those responses locally to turn to incase I need to.
I do like the phone. That's for sure.
In Opera I did zoom right on top of links and tapped the links and it took multiple tries to get it to work I'd say if I had to guess and I am, 7-9 times out of 10. That's terrible. Could it be opera, the screen itself or winmo 6.1 or that I have not run the screen calibration thing? I hope the next browser version works way better and more touch friendly the I am experiencing so far. Oh yeah. It's currently like dial up speed compared to my iPod touch and I'm even using wifi on the phone. But yes, I have read that Opera is very slow. It works at least . Hopefully things will improove in this area in maybe the next version or another browser.
What is it like to install another theme or whatever it is called? The iPhone GUI one and that SPB thing? Are they easy to get rid of? I think I'd like to try them, but am wondering the what if something goes wrong question.
Hmm. I'm not sure where to start now. I should look through this sites wiki, but don't know what parts or where to start. Also I'd like to install some neat apps to see what this phone could do, but not sure where to start.
Thank you so very much! thank you for being patient in answering my questions.
Update. Remote deskto doesn't work. I try to connect via wifi to my vista and remote desktop on the phone imediatly after clicking connect says , the connection was ended because of a network error. Please try connecting to the remote computer again.
Also windows update won't connect either. Same type of message.
Remote desktop works from my other pc and laptop too.
Any ideas?
Ok. Now my phone won't get a connection to the net via wifi and I changed nothing on phone or router. Reboot router and shut off phone doesn't help. I'm on my iPod touch right now just fine. I don't get it.
Thanks a lot guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Opera is as slower browser no matter how you shake it. You could try the 9.7.1b version and see if it is any better for you.
I have an iPod Touch 2nd gen and was playing around last night with the TP2 and the iPod. I found that the TP2 was just as responsive as the iPod in almost every task aside from web browsing.
The link clicking in Opera bothers me too. The zoom slider has delay.
I just think it is the application. Good thing is newer versions are coming, and Firefox and IE mobile will have newer versions soon.
You could try Skyfire browser as well. In the end you have options.
A few things:
* Make sure you have a memory card
* Install all your apps to it
* Install the Stop Push Internet.cab
* Install the disable resource proxy .cab
Opera is built into the ROM. So basically it is always running, the stop push internet just stops it from running until you launch it among other things.
Resource proxy is something HTC uses to quick cache things into memory so its always ready to open. Its supposed to make launching last used apps quicker. Everyone finds it not to speed up anything and it just eats up RAM.
After you do those both restart the phone.
As far as your RDP issue with Vista and Win7 you have to make sure you allow connections from all clients and make sure the you add the user account you want to connect with to the remote users under the same tab.
Check your firewall settings in vista and make sure RDP is allowed.
Also try connecting by IP instead of PC name, often more reliable, bypasses the router for name resolution.
Skins and Themes, I make my own wallpapers.
I also don't install anything theme related until I see a thread or a bunch of people with the same phone doing something.
I did the HTC Black upper banner, one file and selectable in the home menu.
I did the standard HTC flip clock because it was verizon tested and made my own wallpaper based on something someone else did. I think mine is better.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Any theme stuff I want to be reversible or selectable without a registry change or 3rd party app that's just me.
As far as apps you have to decide what you want to do on your phone.
If you dont know and just want to start installing things just be prepared to hard reset it if you hose it up with some app that does not play nice.
These are the apps I run. (Everyone has different needs)
S2US Slide to unlock - I turn off every feature of it expect the one to lock when screen goes black. I found the phone was constantly dialing out in my pocket so I had to do it.
Smart Gear Emulator - To play old Nintendo and Genesis games. I tried the demo and at least for Genesis games it sucks. I will probably uninstall.
WVGA Fix - Allows you to change the screen resolution down to 480x480 or 640x480. My old Genesis emulator wont work at 800x480 so I have to switch it to 640x480 before I launch it.
Pico Drive - Genesis Emulator plays most genesis games perfect
XDAShutdown - Just an app that you launch that allows you multiple options, to shutdown or restart. It also has skins to make it look how you want.
GarminXT - I bought it as a NAV application. Works really well on Verizon. And you can copy it to other cards. Maybe be legal but works.
Advanced Config 3.3 - I dont trust it have no need for most of the options in it.
Weather City Editor 2.1 - Did not work, tried it 20 different ways adds more accuweather cities to your weather tab.
Nitrogen - Audio player does not work very well for me, but is good for directly opening audio files from opera
Bing - Live Search
.Net Framework 3.5 - Required for many app installs
Facebook App
Netflix App
MS Font Pack
Microsoft MyPhone - Handy for backing up all your files, SMS and more.
Palringo - Chat client does everything, pretty resource intensive
Midomi Audio Identifier - Play a song or hum a song into the micand it finds the name of the artist and song.
Skype
Flash Hack for Opera - Sucks don't bother, any webpage with flash usually freezes the browser.

Remote Desktop w Vista/7
If you have problems connecting to your vista or 7 machine using the built in RDC program on the phone, you need to change the security level on your computer to:
"Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop (less secure)"
WinMo 6 doesn't have the new network level authentication bits. Maybe it'll appear in 6.5.....

Hi. I'm sorry I haven't posted for awhile. I been kinda lazy about posting a foow up. Plus 2 days ago Wednesday I had a tooth extracted on lower left side. So I haven't done much except try to rest, take my tylonol #3 codene and Pennicillan I been taking for a week to fight the infection from my tooth. Not a brushing issue but the tooth first was like cracked on the bottom around the root and then I was eating pizze a few weeks ago a d heard a high pitched pop/crack sound when I took a bite. That hurt like heck. I could not eat or touch it anymore. Went to my dentist and he saw immediatly the top of the tooth had cracked right down the middle. So it looked like a + kinda how it was cracked. So they took it out 2 days ago. I have to ice my left cheek for 30 minutes on, off then on again after every meal and I have to eat soft room temp foods. Plus take my meds. I also try not to talk much and when I move, specially up and down I go slow. My dentist said the healing now will take at least 6 weeks. He will take out the stitches next tuesday or Wednesday. Well that's what's going on with me now.
I have played with the phone a little each day. I have not made a phone call yet. I installed the no push Internet thing and don't notice any difference. Maybe a tiny bit less ram is used now. But I never used much anyway. I installed a few days ago the trial for the SPB 3 shell. It's not bad but I wish every button and window was uniform. Because with touchflo and the spb shell when you file browse or do messaging or certain settings screens you get tiny buttons that are like black and white. Like looking at the memory screen. It's nothing like spb and touch flo. This is annoying that the ui is not uniform the same all over. The spb shell and touchflo are responsive. Yes it does seem with only the web browser is it crummy. I did install yesterday opera 9.7 beta and looked at the local help docs. It was ok but scrolling still sucks major.
If you read what I posted you'll see my remote desktop works on computers just not the phone and that means it's set up already. I think I also already said I typed in the ip of the pc. I did everything right but no matter what remote desktop gives that error immediatly after clicking to connect. So I have no clue. I need to get it working though. Pay remote desktop apps I can't afford.
Why would you install apps only to the sd card? I haven't even put in my unopened 8gb card yet but I will.
The local verizon store said that verizon won't get the htc touch pro 2 in store for a long time. He said that's how htc is. Huh?
How can you make onscreen keyboard same as apples in safari on iPhone/iPod touch? It really sucks. No auto correct and the stupid keys aren't spread enough. Plus the stupid black and white text selection thing that pops up. Landscape really sucks for the keyboard since the keys are way too small a d way to close together. Portrait is much better and easier. The hardware keyboard I thought I liked. That is till I actually tried it. The keys are not spread enough. Way to close and I always have typos and there's no auto correct or auto punctuation or anything even remotely close to the iPod touch. Also there's a delay when typing and the sound sometimes. I like the sound and the vibration feedback when typing.
I wish messaging had add to contact in each message you read. And when you do try to add to contact it doesn't put in any info for you which is really stupid. You have to type in everything. It should auto the name and email address.

while XDA has huge amounts of programs on it, you may end up searching forever. A decent website for programs, themes etc. is http://www.freewarepocketpc.net/ just make sure they are capable with the screen resolution (wvga) and some things may not work on the TP2. Also most of the phone forums on xda have some sort of thread that says must have programs or something along those lines. Read a few of those.
btw, WAZE is a community based gps program that has voice directions and is free. its kinda neat, you should give it a look.

Good stuff up there, gang. Some even was helpful to me, after a year with a Crapberry.
I think I am going to like it here.

RaggedOne said:
Good stuff up there, gang. Some even was helpful to me, after a year with a Crapberry.
I think I am going to like it here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ditto, except I've been on a 'berry for the past 4 years...

Thanks guys.
Should it take over 9 hrs for a full charge from 0 to 100% battery charge?

Could I be happy if I switched from Android?

So let me preface by saying Ive gone from iPhone to Android and have been watching WP since launch and plan on it being my next OS after I can get a hold of an off contract Verizon phone relatively cheaply or when my upgrade is up. I love how fluid it seems with its native apps and I want to get away from my buggy and laggy/stuttering Droid X (Which is the same for everyone I know with one).
But there's some things that you really don't take into account when you don't actually use the device everyday, so I figured Id ask here and see how WP stacks up.
What I am looking for info on:
-I use Android's file system to store non-market/root APK's to reinstall apps after wiping/updating the phone and such. I would like to unlock my WP for things like screenshot utilities; how does that whole scene work in a quick summary? I know about Chevron, but how are these apps distributed, updated etc.?
-How are non-native apps with scrolling smoothness these days in Mango? I cant stand the lag and stuttering in Android.
-Can you download from IE to the file system with homebrew? How about natively?
-How does Skydrive work for installers/loading installers, PDF's and other non-Office files? Can you browse it like a filesystem, as I currently use it as a Network Drive on my PC anyways.
-Does the universal volume setup become an issue? I use my phone as my PMP with headphones all the time, then I need it to be on vibrate for class and in general, also alarms randomly, and occasionally I play games with the media on. Will I be missing alarms or leaving the ringer on in class if I don't pay close attention or is it mainly just when going headphones to media? I dont quite understand how it works specifically.
-Quick ways to toggle WiFi and screen brightness with homebrew?
-Back up options for app settings and things if a wipe happens?
-Do you find yourself ever getting annoyed with the animations or the app list for less used apps that still get accessed once in a while?
-How bad is board reader for browsing forums or the free reddit apps? They dont have great ratings.
-Am I going to be panning a lot in IE without text reflow? I usually browse/do everything in portrait and dont like landscape much FYI.
Anything you really miss about Android or iOS?

I only know of TouchXplorer for HTC for file management but im sure there are others for the other brands. Not sure how you would go about storing files for re installation. Dont think anyone has figured out how to invoke the xap installer from files on the phone. Most of these apps are found here on XDA
Most apps are pretty smooth. Depends on the dev. Id say they are all smoother than android though.
Dont think you can download to the file system from IE
You can access Skydrive from the office hub. You can open media files and pdfs etc. Once again not sure about install files.
I havent had a problem with the volume. I use my phone for media and games. I just put it on vibrate when i need to which is easy to do on the lock screen.
Cant toggle from the homescreen yet, there are apps that are shortcuts to the setting though
There is a homebrew backup program here on XDA somewhere
I dont get annoyed by the animations. They make for a nice experience
The XDA app is a version of board express i believe and its not too bad. I Haven't tried any of the Reddit apps
There is a bit of panning. I find its just easier to find a good zoom level that you can read it on
Hope i helped

Mike415 said:
What I am looking for info on:
-I use Android's file system to store non-market/root APK's to reinstall apps after wiping/updating the phone and such. I would like to unlock my WP for things like screenshot utilities; how does that whole scene work in a quick summary? I know about Chevron, but how are these apps distributed, updated etc.?
I've never used TouchXplorer, so I don't even know if it is compatible with Mango, but if it is it would be the only file explorer option I know of. WP is not designed as an open system, so file explorers are not officially supported.
-How are non-native apps with scrolling smoothness these days in Mango? I cant stand the lag and stuttering in Android.
I have around 175 third party apps installed on my phone, and at least half of them exhibit enough lag/stutter that it is noticeable, and some are quite annoying, even some of the major apps (such as Accuweather.com and USA Today). Generally, it seems that if an app is fetching data from the internet while it is also rendering to the display, you will probably notice some lag/stutter. I've never owned an Android, but from the videos I've seen on YouTube and also from what I've observed watching my son use his Samsung Captivate, the lag (at least in third party apps) is comparable.
-Can you download from IE to the file system with homebrew? How about natively?
All apps are sandboxed on WP, so downloading to "the filesystem" is not supported.
-How does Skydrive work for installers/loading installers, PDF's and other non-Office files? Can you browse it like a filesystem, as I currently use it as a Network Drive on my PC anyways.
Again, I don't know about homebrew, but generally speaking SkyDrive only supports photos and Office documents from your phone.
-Does the universal volume setup become an issue? I use my phone as my PMP with headphones all the time, then I need it to be on vibrate for class and in general, also alarms randomly, and occasionally I play games with the media on. Will I be missing alarms or leaving the ringer on in class if I don't pay close attention or is it mainly just when going headphones to media? I dont quite understand how it works specifically.
This one is a bit tricky. As far as missing alarms due to turning the ringer on or off, that is probably not likely. Turning vibrate-only mode on or off is remarkably simple on WP. Just wake up the phone, press either volume control, and then tap the ringer icon to toggle it on or off.
However, that is the good news. The bad news is that the universal volume means that having the volume high enough to be able to hear the phone ring from your pocket also means that any app, game or media will also blast out of the phone at annoyingly loud levels. And conversely, if you turn the volume down far enough to play a game or listen to music at a comfortable level, but forget to turn it back up when you are done, you will miss calls, guaranteed. It has happened to me more times than I care to count.
-Quick ways to toggle WiFi and screen brightness with homebrew?
Quick setting toggles are not supported. You can, however, get a reasonably adequate shortcuts to the four main toggles (WiFI, 3G, Airplane mode, and Bluetooth) on your start screen. The unfortunate annoyance is that, depending on how you lay out your start screen, you may have a few button presses/scroll swipes necessary to complete the toggle of a setting). As for brightness, there is no toggle support for that.
-Back up options for app settings and things if a wipe happens?
There is no support for backup of app settings, game saves or SMS messages, period. None at all. You can (using a homebrew app) perform a complete device backup, but it cannot be transferred to another device.
-Do you find yourself ever getting annoyed with the animations or the app list for less used apps that still get accessed once in a while?
Do the animations annoy me? Yes. Contrary to the apparently popular opinion here, I find much of the animation on the start screen to be gimmicky (the people hub, game hub, and "me" hub icons especially so). And many third party apps flip their icons for no reason at all, just for the sake of flipping it. For example Flixster flips the tile between a static photo of a currently-playing movie on one side (with the program icon in the corner), and the program icon filling the tile on the other side. It serves no purpose.
With that said, SOME of the app tiles are VERY useful, such as most weather apps, which usually flip between current conditions and forecast conditions. Being a weather junky, I love that feature.
Regarding the app list, it is more than just an annoyance, it is a major frustration for me, every single day. With no app grouping capabilities at all (I wouldn't care HOW it was implemented, I just want SOMETHING implemented), finding apps in a long list can be a real chore. I don't like it at all. If you only ever plan to have 20 or 30 apps, it might be OK. But if you need more than that, the number of taps and flicks and swipes needed to find and launch an app can be time-consuming.
-How bad is board reader for browsing forums or the free reddit apps? They dont have great ratings.
I've only used the trial version of Board Express, and didn't like it at all. Most of the reports from people here are that it is painfully bad to use.
-Am I going to be panning a lot in IE without text reflow? I usually browse/do everything in portrait and dont like landscape much FYI.
That depends entirely on the layout of the web sites you visit. On some sites, the tap-to-zoom works very well, and makes the text fill the screen (without reflow, of course) at a nominally readable size. But on other sites, it just doesn't help at all, and I end up panning quite a bit.
Anything you really miss about Android or iOS?
I've never owned either, so I can't say. However, unless things change I will most likely be moving to an iPhone within a couple of months. WP has a LOT going for it, but unfortunately (for me) it still has too many gaps in its features, and some of them are too annoying to just live with them and wait patiently on Microsoft.
I hope the features that I need do get added in future updates, because I'd be happy to switch back. But after reading the snarky attitude of many of the fans here, I can't help but wonder if that same attitude isn't prevalent at Microsoft, which would kind of imply that those features won't be coming any time soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My answers are in blue.

To be honest, from your questions, I would say you would be better off staying with android, don't get me wrong, i love wp7 and it does everthing i need it to do, but you may find some of the stuff you want is not available and get frustrated.

I just switched and am very happy! After two years on android, wp7 feels so smooth and coherent

IMHO, go to a store or carrier centre and request a WP7 and play with it, as from what I believe, everyone has their own preferences.

My advise would be to stay away if you're a tweaker, which is sounds like you are.

pillsburydoughman said:
My advise would be to stay away if you're a tweaker, which is sounds like you are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was though, but sometimes you get sick of constantly flashing roms, chaning things around, and want something that just works.
I'm happy that now it seems as if I have much more time since I'm not constantly fiddling with my phone 24/7.
I guess that is dependent on the person themselves though

What I am looking for info on:
-I use Android's file system to store non-market/root APK's to reinstall apps after wiping/updating the phone and such. I would like to unlock my WP for things like screenshot utilities; how does that whole scene work in a quick summary? I know about Chevron, but how are these apps distributed, updated etc.?
*No, you will be stuck at your pc for deploying XAPs. However Dotcomp says there is a way to deploy XAPs from IE.
MS security is a complete joke, you can just download the XAPs from MS.
-How are non-native apps with scrolling smoothness these days in Mango? I cant stand the lag and stuttering in Android.
* Well get used to it, its the exact same on WP7. However there aren't many apps with long scroll list, most take advantage of Metro.
-Can you download from IE to the file system with homebrew? How about natively?
*NO, and no
-How does Skydrive work for installers/loading installers, PDF's and other non-Office files? Can you browse it like a filesystem, as I currently use it as a Network Drive on my PC anyways.
*Skydrive was a afterthought on this OS, my opinion. Works great for Office documents, OneNote, and pics. That's it.
-Does the universal volume setup become an issue? I use my phone as my PMP with headphones all the time, then I need it to be on vibrate for class and in general, also alarms randomly, and occasionally I play games with the media on. Will I be missing alarms or leaving the ringer on in class if I don't pay close attention or is it mainly just when going headphones to media? I dont quite understand how it works specifically.
* Depends on you. I'm used to multiple volume settings, so its a pain to me.
-Quick ways to toggle WiFi and screen brightness with homebrew?
* If you can call a wifi icon on homesreen quick, then yes, other than that NO.
-Back up options for app settings and things if a wipe happens?
*If on the go, NO. If at your PC, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=19341502#post19341502
-Do you find yourself ever getting annoyed with the animations or the app list for less used apps that still get accessed once in a while?
* Actually the animations are what make this phone. They're pretty quick and elegant. I like the live tiles, but they ruin the glance and go concept, because I have to wait on it to flip.
The app list is horrid.
-How bad is board reader for browsing forums or the free reddit apps? They dont have great ratings.
*Board Express made by Tapatalk, is nothing like Tapatalk on Android or IOS. It is like a sick joke. The browser is faster on WP.
-Am I going to be panning a lot in IE without text reflow? I usually browse/do everything in portrait and dont like landscape much FYI.
* Double tap usually makes the text readable, but if the site has text and pictures you want to see, you're SOL.
Also if you like to read comments, or deal with a HTML5 website, you will find yourself having to load the full website a lot. I can't even get the smartphone version of mobile sites, IE9 doesn't render some correctly.
Anything you really miss about Android or iOS?
YES! GOOGLE APPS! GAMES!
Youtube on Android is the greatest, Lazytube comes close but you have to pay for it.
Im used to sitting on my couch and flinging websites and videos from my phone to the TV(google tv), impossible on WP7.
Custom SMS, ringtones, and email notifications. You can do custom ringtones but its a hassle.
I can say I like the Email on WP7, however its not instant like on IOS or Android.
Oh, there is no auto update option. If there is a app that needs updating you have to open the market and tell it to update.
---
All of that being sad, you could still be Happy using WP7. It just totally depends on what you use your phone for.
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my lady took over the vibrant, lol.
-------------
Another thing, some people say they get tired of flashing custom roms on Android. The exact same OPTION is avaliable on WP7. You don't HAVE to flash either.

there are no custom roms for my phone...
I was continually trying to get my phone smoother, and smoother on android.
I just don't feel the need to with this. Once again, just my own two cents. I never said that it would be the same for everyone

Thanks for the replies so far. It helped me get a better feeling for WP and it seems like I should really just wait for all the new OS updates like Ice Cream and iOS 5.x+/iPhone 5 before diving into WP. I am a slight tweaker of Android, but I don't actually want to do that very much anymore. I just want a phone that works and suits my needs. Android suits my needs, but doesn't really work great and it annoys me.
WP seems like it would be okay for me. Im not an app whore anymore since Ive been a smartphone user for several years now and I pretty much just like to be able to get the news, read some forums, text a lot, use yelp to find places to eat, and occasionally pass some time on leisure games. Android is pretty weak as far as finding decent games IMO and I think WP could actually be better in that regard (iPhone is the only one I would consider good for leisure games, but if Ive gotten by on Android this long I think WP could be okay, especially since I still would have an iPhone and Droid for those games). Right now, using Launcher 7 on Android I only use 2.5 screens of tiles so Im not going to have too much of an issue with the app list I think (Homebrew folders support will do me fine in that regard as I can toss all the leisure games in there also).
What I am still unclear on is viewing PDFs that are hosted on websites because its a situation that I run into frequently enough that I need it to be able to view PDFs from sites or Skydrive (Either one). Can I navigate with IE to a site with a link to a hosted PDF and view it or not?
Can I leave my phone on vibrate (no ring) and still play headphones without turning the ring back on in doing so? This would be a huge issue if not because I can't be having my phone go off in class all the time. I rarely take my phone off vibrate, so I want to make sure I can leave silent/vibrate on and still play Zune without turning the ringer back on.
Does vibrate mean that alarms only vibrate and dont sound? ie. do I need to take my phone off silent ringer/vibrate all night if I want to hear an alarm in the morning?
--
I like how well Microsoft has seemingly written WP and I think eventually it will be great after Win8 and WP8. Maybe I just need to hold off for those phones and not waste money getting an off contract phone. If Win8+WP8+XBOX+Live services doesnt bring very tight integration and some nice new features, I think I'll lose all the faith Ive put into Microsoft the past 15 years.

Mike415 said:
Can I leave my phone on vibrate (no ring) and still play headphones without turning the ring back on in doing so? This would be a huge issue if not because I can't be having my phone go off in class all the time. I rarely take my phone off vibrate, so I want to make sure I can leave silent/vibrate on and still play Zune without turning the ringer back on.
Does vibrate mean that alarms only vibrate and dont sound? ie. do I need to take my phone off silent ringer/vibrate all night if I want to hear an alarm in the morning?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With Mango both of these issues are addressed. You can put your ringer on vibrate and still listen to music, and even adjust the volume without affecting the "vibrate only" setting. However, when you turn the ringer back on, it will be on at the current volume setting, not what it was before.
Also, you can have the ringer on vibrate and still hear alarms. In fact, alarms are now treated as "special" by the OS, and they ignore both the volume and ringer (vibrate) settings. They start low, and get progressively louder until dismissed.
Mike415 said:
I like how well Microsoft has seemingly written WP and I think eventually it will be great after Win8 and WP8. Maybe I just need to hold off for those phones and not waste money getting an off contract phone. If Win8+WP8+XBOX+Live services doesnt bring very tight integration and some nice new features, I think I'll lose all the faith Ive put into Microsoft the past 15 years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WP will eventually be fantastic, and the ecosystem will mature. But I have to be honest and say that for me it isn't there yet, and it is unclear how long it will take to get there. If your only option right now is to go off contract to get a WP device, I would have to suggest that you wait at least until Apollo is released (which, by all credible accounts will be Q4 of next year).
My reason for saying this is because each time Microsoft does fix a problem, they do an admirable job. But they need to (IMO) be more aggressive with their release schedule. Following the "one small release mid year and one major release annually" model isn't enough. There should be smaller patch releases to address issues, rather than making people suffer with them for 6+ months.

Mike415 said:
Thanks for the replies so far. It helped me get a better feeling for WP and it seems like I should really just wait for all the new OS updates like Ice Cream and iOS 5.x+/iPhone 5 before diving into WP. I am a slight tweaker of Android, but I don't actually want to do that very much anymore. I just want a phone that works and suits my needs. Android suits my needs, but doesn't really work great and it annoys me.
WP seems like it would be okay for me. Im not an app whore anymore since Ive been a smartphone user for several years now and I pretty much just like to be able to get the news, read some forums, text a lot, use yelp to find places to eat, and occasionally pass some time on leisure games. Android is pretty weak as far as finding decent games IMO and I think WP could actually be better in that regard (iPhone is the only one I would consider good for leisure games, but if Ive gotten by on Android this long I think WP could be okay, especially since I still would have an iPhone and Droid for those games). Right now, using Launcher 7 on Android I only use 2.5 screens of tiles so Im not going to have too much of an issue with the app list I think (Homebrew folders support will do me fine in that regard as I can toss all the leisure games in there also).
What I am still unclear on is viewing PDFs that are hosted on websites because its a situation that I run into frequently enough that I need it to be able to view PDFs from sites or Skydrive (Either one). Can I navigate with IE to a site with a link to a hosted PDF and view it or not?
Can I leave my phone on vibrate (no ring) and still play headphones without turning the ring back on in doing so? This would be a huge issue if not because I can't be having my phone go off in class all the time. I rarely take my phone off vibrate, so I want to make sure I can leave silent/vibrate on and still play Zune without turning the ringer back on.
Does vibrate mean that alarms only vibrate and dont sound? ie. do I need to take my phone off silent ringer/vibrate all night if I want to hear an alarm in the morning?
--
I like how well Microsoft has seemingly written WP and I think eventually it will be great after Win8 and WP8. Maybe I just need to hold off for those phones and not waste money getting an off contract phone. If Win8+WP8+XBOX+Live services doesnt bring very tight integration and some nice new features, I think I'll lose all the faith Ive put into Microsoft the past 15 years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Mike,
Like you I mapped Skydrive as a network drive and simply drag/drop my pdf files there. PDFs are natively supported on wp7 once you download the official adobe pdf app.
The PDFs will show up on skydrive in the Office Hub. Infact if you use the Documents folder as the "root" of all your files and simple create folders within there, they will all show up in the office hub's skydrive folder. As you see I have a "PDF" folder with all my pdfs. You download them when you select it and it is saved to adobe's app storage locally on the phone.
Skydrive on the phone will also stream audio and video files! Sometimes my friends would share a video or some music with me and I'd be able to access it natively!
You can view any pdf or office document (provided it is in later version format i thnk office 2007 up) hosted on websites. It will download and open in adobe/office.
Also OneNote is absoulely terrific in the Office hub for syncing notes to the PC/web and phone. I use it extensively to manage my classes!
Hope this helped.

Mike415 said:
What I am still unclear on is viewing PDFs that are hosted on websites because its a situation that I run into frequently enough that I need it to be able to view PDFs from sites or Skydrive (Either one). Can I navigate with IE to a site with a link to a hosted PDF and view it or not?
Can I leave my phone on vibrate (no ring) and still play headphones without turning the ring back on in doing so? This would be a huge issue if not because I can't be having my phone go off in class all the time. I rarely take my phone off vibrate, so I want to make sure I can leave silent/vibrate on and still play Zune without turning the ringer back on.
Does vibrate mean that alarms only vibrate and dont sound? ie. do I need to take my phone off silent ringer/vibrate all night if I want to hear an alarm in the morning?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PDF's are just working fine. Just install Adobe's PDF app and IE will automatically hook them and forward them to the app. Same on SkyDrive, you can even zip those PDF's as WP is able to look into zips.
As for the sound it should work the way you described. Volume control is for everything on the device but the button for vibration is only for the ringer. So if you mute your device via volume rocker then everything will be muted. If you only press the vibrate button then only the ringer will be silenced.

Awesome, guys. Great replies. The volume issues and PDF issues seem like they would be fine for situations like mine. Loved the screenshots!
Really I dont see too many issues not to switch over eventually, as the replies here have quelled my main doubts. As more apps come and current apps are optimized theres very little reason to not switch for most people. Its just that damn app list!
Good thing there's homebrew folders now though!

Mike415 said:
Awesome, guys. Great replies. The volume issues and PDF issues seem like they would be fine for situations like mine. Loved the screenshots!
Really I dont see too many issues not to switch over eventually, as the replies here have quelled my main doubts. As more apps come and current apps are optimized theres very little reason to not switch for most people. Its just that damn app list!
Good thing there's homebrew folders now though!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thankfully the games go into your xbox live folder though...
also you can tap a letter to quickly bring up all letters where you can quickscroll from letter to letter to find apps you have.

scoobysnacks said:
thankfully the games go into your xbox live folder though...
also you can tap a letter to quickly bring up all letters where you can quickscroll from letter to letter to find apps you have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and search too. I actually prefer the app list to iOS pages of icons. The applist I know exactly where to find it alphabectically using the jumplist. Need twitter? Tap a letter jump to T and its in that group. iOS its a "which page is it?' scenario.
The homebrew folders is also pretty nice. I use it for all my "News" apps and "Social" app but it doesnt have live tiles so it defeats the wp7 purpose of glance and go

scoobysnacks said:
thankfully the games go into your xbox live folder though...
also you can tap a letter to quickly bring up all letters where you can quickscroll from letter to letter to find apps you have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sayonical said:
and search too. I actually prefer the app list to iOS pages of icons. The applist I know exactly where to find it alphabectically using the jumplist. Need twitter? Tap a letter jump to T and its in that group. iOS its a "which page is it?' scenario.
The homebrew folders is also pretty nice. I use it for all my "News" apps and "Social" app but it doesnt have live tiles so it defeats the wp7 purpose of glance and go
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was just planning on throwing all my leisure games (non-XBOX LIVE) in folders. Does the XBOX Live hub hold non-Live games too? I wouldn't really need folders if all my games were in the XBOX hub, but I was thinking that it was only for Live games.

Mike415 said:
I was just planning on throwing all my leisure games (non-XBOX LIVE) in folders. Does the XBOX Live hub hold non-Live games too? I wouldn't really need folders if all my games were in the XBOX hub, but I was thinking that it was only for Live games.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the live hub holds all games!
It's a good thing too, I have a ton of games

scoobysnacks said:
the live hub holds all games!
It's a good thing too, I have a ton of games
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only drawback of the xbox live hub is that is missing the jump list. I'd really love to see it in there too.
On topic:
I'd really recommend you go into a mobile shop and try different devices. I for one came from Window Mobile 6.1 over 6.5 and Android (2.1 and 2.2) all the way to Windows Phone. First I was missing several things I know from my former mobile OSes. But once I got used to the limitations (which were a lot more before NoDo and Mango), I've never ever looked back. I'm a proud WP7 user. But it really depends on what you use your device for.

GTA III works flaswlessy on Tablet

All you have to do is purchase on phone and sideload it, it will let you download data directly from tablet, at 1mb per second, it took about 7 mins for the whole process, 400mb download and data install. Go buy now, best 5 bucks ever spent.
Ps. I bought using my evo 3d, which also runs the game perfectly.
Edit: before you start asking, how to sideload it:
Dropbox, gmail, titanium backup, blue-tooth, etc. It also verifys market, so make sure you buy it.

excellent news, I did download the app, but got error parsing package message. Also says incompatible with my p6200, lets hope for the best for us 3g guys.

chrisrotolo said:
excellent news, I did download the app, but got error parsing package message. Also says incompatible with my p6200, lets hope for the best for us 3g guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try downloading with phone, then sideload it. It should work since it works for dell streak, even though it is android 2.3, it is a 7 inch tablet. It worked on my SGT7+ wifi, it should work on Tmobile. Just make sure you purchase it.

Downloaded but seeing quite a bit of lagg. Replacing user data files with GSII files now hoping that they will fix it

Which version do you have? Wifi or 3g? Also did you just sideload apk, and download data from tab, or copy both. Mine has no lag whatsoever with the data download directly to tab. I also have no lag with the data downloaded from my evo 3d. They both work perfectly. I also recommend using the analog steering and driving controls.

I sideloaded the .apk and let it download, had lag, so I replaced the data files with ones for the GSII from a site I found. No lagg now, just had to reset the controls as it aligned them for the S2's resolution. I don't have another Android device so I had to go the less legal route to get the APK, but I have bought the game on the iPad so I don't feel bad about it. Thumbs down to Rockstar for not having the compatibility in order

Cptnodegard said:
I sideloaded the .apk and let it download, had lag, so I replaced the data files with ones for the GSII from a site I found. No lagg now, just had to reset the controls as it aligned them for the S2's resolution. I don't have another Android device so I had to go the less legal route to get the APK, but I have bought the game on the iPad so I don't feel bad about it. Thumbs down to Rockstar for not having the compatibility in order
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Come one bro, dont include those details, as it can get you booted.
Also what type of lag were you referring to?

FPS issues in the entire game, basically. Driving around was very laggy and basically unplayable
The game is great and works better on 7 inches than the 10 inch iPad imho... just hope rockstar gets a grip and fixes compatibility settings. As a new Android user I can't even begin to express how utterly idiotic this issue with erroneous compatibility blocks is

Cptnodegard said:
FPS issues in the entire game, basically. Driving around was very laggy and basically unplayable
The game is great and works better on 7 inches than the 10 inch iPad imho... just hope rockstar gets a grip and fixes compatibility settings. As a new Android user I can't even begin to express how utterly idiotic this issue with erroneous compatibility blocks is
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh ok, mine still seems very responsive, Ill try other data file from other phones i have. Ill post results later. Yup, thats the problem with android fragmentation, but either way any android phone beats an iphone.

No...it doesn't. Believing that is just pure bias as there is no, and probably never will be, an OS that beats the other on everything. That's why I have one of each.

Youre still very new to this community, give it some time, to the infite modifications and freedom android gives you.

Customizing something all the way to Mars is nice, but still doesn't make up for lack of apps. I've been using the iPad in ways that physically aren't possible on Android because of the lack of certain apps and types of apps

give me an example and Ill try to tell which apps are available. I have over 400 apps installed. I go thru the apple catalog and I only see nonsense apps, or social apps, how many of those do you need. But its true there are more apps, but almost all are already in android. Maybe not the market but getjar, amazon market, appbrain and more.

Ok, here's a challenge for you, and if you do manage to find an app, you will be my hero:
One of my most used apps on the iPad is a certain type of note taking app. I say a certain type rather than a specific app as there are quite literally dozens of these available on iOS now. This type of app will let me import documents - minimum requirement is PDF, but more types is better - and write on top of them. So far Android has alternative. Then you get to the most important feature, magnification mode. The way this works in all of said dozen apps is that you have a window at the bottom of the screen that shows a small portion of the screen magnified. This allows you to write big letters and have it be shrunk down. These boxes are resizable and can be set for various zoom levels. They also have auto-advance, meaning that when you get to the end of the box it automatically moves it so you just write from the beginning again. This way you can write sentence upon sentence just as you would on paper, and just as accurately, even with a normal capacitive stylus. Other features that are often in these apps include the ability to insert images, machine text, web clips, audio recordings etc. You will also need to have the ability to export PDF. There are apps on android that can annotate PDF, but not at that level. All semester I've been using the iPad and nothing but the iPad both in lectures and outside, scanning paper documents using Scanner Pro and an external camera, annotating them (this is why just text editing is useless - I need to be able to have 100% control over size, placement, angle etc of the text on a page, underline and make arrows and drawings all over the place, not just write some text down) and storing them for reading. Just had an exam with 900 pages worth of curriculum and notes, all read on the iPad, and created on the iPad to begin with in the case of notes.
That kind of app in particular is crucial, and it has to be able to do exactly what I mention here, no "almost" with missing the magnification mode etc. They even provided all the lecturers with iPads this fall, and they've been using the same types of apps connected to projectors via VGA (try finding a VGA adapter for the galaxy tab, btw ).
This is just the ultimate example though, as it's not only the type of app I've used the most, but it's an app that is 100% productivity. No widgets, games or anything like that - it's a productivity issue, and an issue for Android's usability in settings outside of people who like to watch videos and play with ADWlauncher (which also includes me in my spare time, hence why I have an Android tablet).
Other examples off the top of my head: Splashtop's secondary product, xDisplay. It doesnt exist on Android (yet), and it's an example of an app where I don't care if there are "similar products" - it's the system I'm invested in and missing apps from major services like that is an issue. I could also bring up apps that have some sort of equivalent, but far from anything that works as good. Goodreader on the iPad -> ezPDF on Android, much less powerful app. Scanner Pro -> CamScanner, same thing, and they even broke 7.0 plus compatibility in the last update. There's no direct access app for the educational system my school uses, Classfronter, which isn't really an issue due to browser access but still an issue as it's slower. No good alternative to Reeder either, not that I've found anyways.
Education in itself is an interesting field. There are so many apps that make the iPad a powerful tool for both teachers and students on iOS. How about the ability to annotate documents wirelessly using Syncpad, an app that streams the image on screen to any HTML5 browser that's connected to the internet (not just local wifi)? Used that one a lot. Replaynote, letting you do notes and commentary and have it automatically turned into a video that you can send off to help people. Dictionary apps; when you study ENglish like I do, "a dictionary" isn't enough. You need as many as possible. That's iOS, not android.
Enough productivity. Fun apps. BBE's app has brought a music enhancement technology, that so far has only been licensed to Cowon for portable use, to iOS. There's no comparison to EQs in apps like Poweramp. Flipboard, awesome RSS reader that I use instead of Reeder when I want to relax, not read feeds for work. Tried Pulse, not the same, or even close. Neither is Currents. Zinio is luckily on both OSes though there are several magazines that are only available through Newsstand. Connecting the iPad to a synthesizer via USB and playing around with it on an amateur level is always fun.
Enough examples.
I love my 7.0 Plus. I love how personal the homescreen is after tweaking it, Google Talk on it is awesome, it's the device I reach for to check email in the morning, I love using a Wiimote for games, i use it as a mouse and keyboard for my PC in bed, remote control utorrent, browse the web, as a flashlight at night (LOVE that), video support makes me weep tears of joy, read books that aren't scanned A4 documents (and hence possible to reformat for 7 inches) etc. It's a great device, which is why I have it. However it isn't perfect. There's plenty of room for both OSes in my life, for the exact reason that neither is perfect.

Repligo reader for first, lets you write on top of pdf files (shapes, text,highlight, selections,w/e), I use it in class alot, but also lean to quick office since I just use camera to copy what i dont feel like typing.

Currents instead of pulse, much better. Also with repligo everything should be capable to be done, what ios app are you refering to which can do all that.

splashtop is on android also.

I think I answered what you needed, to long to read over again, while trying to study for nueuro final.

How did you get the GTA apk to your Tab? I tried AppInstaller, but I get an "access denied" error when I try to export it?
*edit* Nevermind. I was able to get the apk using Root Explorer. Can't wait to fire it up!

theundeadelvis said:
How did you get the GTA apk to your Tab? I tried AppInstaller, but I get an "access denied" error when I try to export it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you need root, and you can use root explorer to copy, to sd card. Make sure you click on r/w to be able to write and copy.

[Q] Anybody replace their desk/laptop with a Xoom?

Hey all,
I'm looking into the possibility of using my Xoom as my daily computer and making a current PC more of a home theater setup in the living room. I don't do anything heavy on the computer (besides occasionally gaming but no big deal) it's all mostly web browsing, IMing, Facebook, etc, so I don't see too much of a reason why I couldn't do this.
My question is this: Have any of you done it? Made the switch from the PC (or mac) being your primary computer to the Xoom? If so, thoughts? Anything to pay attention to? If I do go through with this, I will end up getting a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, I'm sure... but I'd rather not waste 100 bucks on something I end up not using often.

i use my laptop just to root my xoom =)

Anything I should pay attention to, or an accessory that will make a huge difference or anything? Besides the bluetooth keyboard/mouse, obviously.

thank you for the reply, but I already have a xoom... just trying to decide if it is feasible to use as an everyday computer.

Advise Only
This thread and the linked thread reminds me of the discussions an older man like myself would have with so called computer sales persons. If I'd listened to all their talk about specs and hardware I'd owned a missile launcher capable of high end mathematical computations !
What I'm saying is my advise is to list your requirements and expectations first. Look at the specs and hardware and decide what you'll need.
I am a retired engineer and I spend most of my time on my Xoom. A properly installed version of ICS, personally like EOS, I have NO problems surfing, emailing, playing some games and yes I even break out a spreadsheet once in a while.
Yes there are netbooks and laptops that can offer more...just be sure to aim those missiles correctly!!

TheRandom1 said:
thank you for the reply, but I already have a xoom... just trying to decide if it is feasible to use as an everyday computer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, there was no need for AngryBulleteyeTruth to be so negative. I makes me wonder why he is even lurking the xoom forum if it is no use to him. Anyway.
I use my xoom more than I use my laptop and desktop. It Is wonderful for Im/text, typing documents to later be altered on a laptop/desktop, some games and media. I use my xoom everyday. The battery life is also great. Yes the document editing isn't on par with desktop suites but is an android tablet, not a laptop. The simplicity comes with its drawbacks but the portability, battery and ease of use is unmatched.
Also if you really need to run desktop quality apps you can just use an app like pocketcloud or splashtop hd to vnc into your laptop/desktop and do what you must. The internal 32gb + a 16gb micro sD card is more than enough room for me. You also have cloud storage available. There is even a app called pocketcloud explorer that will allow you to download and upload files remotely from your machines, with the addition of their companion software. AngryBulleteyeTruth just lacks creativity and the will to find a solution. Don't let his negativity drag you down. Also take a look at when he joined. Feb 2012 means he is fairly new to the community and possibly butt hurt by his unrealistic dream of his xoom transforming into a tiny robot and being his sidekick didn't work out as planned.
I love my xoom! With Team EOS nightlys + undervolting + some simple but useful apps to automate certain task at certain locations = WIN for me. I have a 4g xoom so I can pop my sim card from my HTC thunderbolt in there and use all of that unlimited data. Or tether via Bluetooth if I am on the go.
My uses also include: gps, scanning/PDFing documents on the fly, video chat, voip, portable netflix/media play w/ my micro hdmi cable, getting my fix on reddit, sexytime material and more. People are working hard and doing great things with this device. There will also be more to come. The device is an awesome tool but but you can't expect Apple like commercials that spoon feed what you can use it for.
Tips: checkout androidpolice.com and droid-life.com for explanations, news, reviews, tips and tweaks. Lifehacker also has some good android stuff from time to time. I use justreader to subscribe to the rss feeds.
Search YouTube for useful tablet apps.
Check out the Themes and Apps forum sections for other popular android tablets on XDA. I use tapatalk to subscribe to the Samsung galaxy tab 10.1, Asus prime, Asus transformer and nook color Themes and Apps sections.
Finally share your discoveries and leave constructive comments on XDA. This keeps the community going, makes you feel involved and spread the knowledge to others in your situation.
May you and your xoom find happiness.

AngryBulleteyeTruth said:
Did you write it on a xoom or on a netbook?
Just imagine my 50+ tabs on opera working on any xoom browser, and making my 5+ pages documents on it
...not ignoring the embeded video browsing other than you tube
runhopskipjump - I'm not ashamed of being disappointed. That's the point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wrote on a xoom with swiftkeys while eating some carrot cake if you must know. I currently have 23 tabs open in opera from looking at reddit links that I would get back to later. And a couple more in chrome because I am downloading some music from beemp3 and prefer that the native download manager handles it. Yes I have typed 5+ pages with and without a Bluetooth keyboard on Docs to Go. My grammar isn't that shyty that I would require a stronger office suite to highlight the crap out of my paragraphs. You can always embed media at a later point or vnc into a desktop to complete the task as desired.
I hated netbooks. But that is not the point. The OP asked if it was viable to use the Xoom as his main device, not his only device. Yet you saw it fit to run your mouth, blabbering about your opinion, disappointment and flawed understanding of what the device is meant to achieve. I hope this exchange between us will be our last because I am not hear to convince you. You have made it clear that you aren't ashamed by your crys for attention using BOLD red font, linking to your own poorly placed Microsoft Dic-Riding thoughts on another thread and your clear inability to find a solution.
On Ice Cream Sandwich, this machine is a powerhouse. If you can't hang, Get Out. Good day sir/madam.

I feel dirty... like I am standing in the middle of a p***in match.
For what it is worth, I ordered a keyboard today and turned off my monitor to my computer to test this. I installed an rdc app on the xoom, and have done everything on it since I got home. So far, so good. I have a desktop at work I can work with if needed, however, I really do only use my computer for email, web browsing chatting, Facebook and other similar very light duty things. I honestly don't care if i can keep 30 tabs open...because I dont do it anyways. Same for documents. With a keyboard, it should be pretty easy, but I am not in school and do not type long essays, so it doesn't matter. If I have something super long to post, I have other options.
And yes... I typed this post on the xoom. It is on its dock in front of me, and I am using the hunt and peck method of typing on the on screen keyboard.

TheRandom1 said:
I feel dirty... like I am standing in the middle of a p***in match.
For what it is worth, I ordered a keyboard today and turned off my monitor to my computer to test this. I installed an rdc app on the xoom, and have done everything on it since I got home. So far, so good. I have a desktop at work I can work with if needed, however, I really do only use my computer for email, web browsing chatting, Facebook and other similar very light duty things. I honestly don't care if i can keep 30 tabs open...because I dont do it anyways. Same for documents. With a keyboard, it should be pretty easy, but I am not in school and do not type long essays, so it doesn't matter. If I have something super long to post, I have other options.
And yes... I typed this post on the xoom. It is on its dock in front of me, and I am using the hunt and peck method of typing on the on screen keyboard.
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Click to collapse
Avert your eyes my child from the darkness and bickering that may arise on these public forums. Lol.
May I suggest that you invest some coin in Swiftkeys Tablet X, Thumb Keyboard and Swype to have a more pleasant on screen experience. You won't regret it.
Also I use Keyboard Manager (only like $1) to automatically change keyboard when you switch from landscape to portrait and back. Swiftkeys Tablet X has a pretty good prediction/auto-correct function but I don't like the way it is displayed in portrait mode. Thumb Keyboard has a better layout (i use it in portrait mode) but the prediction/auto-correct isn't even close to Swiftkeys Tablet X. And Swype is free so why not try it. My experience with the stock keyboard is a dreadful one. All three are worth getting and are a wonderful investment.
Cheers.

I use my Xoom probably 90% of the time when I'm at home. Occasionally I will sit down and use my desktop for other stuff - BUT I already had a desktop at the time I bought my Xoom. If something must to happen to my desktop, I seriously doubt I would replace it. There is an app out there for practically everything now with a little time spent setting the Xoom up like I wanted it, it has almost replaced my desktop (and at some point it will probably replace it). I work in IT on a daily basis and I'm a power user and I'm very impressed with Android and what it can do.

OK then... time to ignore the obvious troll.
Anybody else have an opinion on this?

What Troll?

Looks like I owe you some thanks Andy!

That's what were here for.
Every device forum has them. We just need to keep an eye on them.

sold my netbook and kindle and ipod when i got the Xoom!

Well, I got the keyboard in today and it is awesome... when it works. For some reason keys keep randomly not working, specifically the r, l, g' z and backspace keys. Anybody else ever have this issue?

TheRandom1 said:
Well, I got the keyboard in today and it is awesome... when it works. For some reason keys keep randomly not working, specifically the r, l, g' z and backspace keys. Anybody else ever have this issue?
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Click to collapse
What ROM are you running? I had this issue in the stock honeycomb ROM with an apple keyboard. I no longer have such issues on team EOS ICS nightlys.
Tip: swiftkeys Tablet X work great with an external keyboard. I say this because when an external keyboard is present, swiftkeys Tablet X only displays the predictions and auto corrections. Hitting the space bar selects the highlighted word. Is is very convenient and not something people speak of.

I haven't rooted yet, still on stock honeycomb

TheRandom1 said:
I haven't rooted yet, still on stock honeycomb
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Click to collapse
Take some time to root it. Trust me, it is worth it. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Backing up apps, settings and game saves with titanium backup is so awesome. Android police has a wonderful set of articles about rooting, why you should do it and essential apps for rooted devices. Droid-life and lifehacker have some articles and pieces on the topic as well. Team EOS ICS nightlys are also one of the most up to date roms I have ever encountered. Rooting is even easier with tools like xoot and cornea, which will take you through the steps with a couple of clicks. I personally haven't tried those methods since I was rooted before they came out but others have been successful with them.

I will probably do that today just to see if the keyboard works better, it's so incredibly frustrating to only be able to type half a word! Hm... maybe I should root my Revo...again...

40 Minutes with the LTE One X (With Pics)

Just wrote about my time with the LTE One X today at AT&T. Posted it in another forum but wanted to share the link. Also included photos I snapped at the store.

I just spent 20 minutes with the One X at my local AT&T store. My second round. Some observations.
The screen just blows away the iPhone 4/4S. It's honestly absurd how sharp it is. Whites are significantly white and everything just looks incredible. (Pictures, video, text, backgrounds, etc.)
Wi-fi was enabled however the sales rep told me they were having an issue with the cellular connection (I didn't ask what exactly). The rep was nice enough to download Chrome Beta for me to mess with.
Chrome Beta over wi-fi was faster than Safari on my iP4. I was able to handle the unit somewhat easily with one hand. I have smallish hands but was able to reach the address bar with my thumb in portrait without too much discomfort. I think the light weight of the device and curved backing help a great deal with respect to using it with one hand.
There were seven levels with respect to increasing and decreasing the volume. I believe the iPhone has 16 levels.
The unit I was handed appeared to have full power. Because ICS does not have a battery percentage indicator by default, I was unable to notice how much battery I lost in my 20 minutes on wi-fi. When I returned the device it did not appear as if the battery icon changed much, or at all.
I do have one serious gripe, and it has to do with Chrome. In order to access your bookmarks, you need to tap 'Menu' and then 'Bookmarks'. On Safari I simply tap the dedicated bookmarks icon. So it's an additional step, and while it may not seem like a big deal, it most certainly is. At least for me it is. That extra tap is a pain in the arse. I spend a lot of time browsing on Safari with my iPhone and I can't get used to that additional step. I can't believe Chrome doesn't have a dedicated bookmark icon like Safari.
The stock browser also has no bookmarks icon. You need to tap 'Menu' then 'Bookmarks' just like Chrome. Puzzling.
Also the Chrome browser does not have a '.com' button on the keyboard. The stock browser on the One X (and Safari of course) do.
Out of curiosity, does anyone know of any Android browser that does have a bookmark icon? Dolphin perhaps? Opera? Perhaps Chrome will adopt this feature down the road.
Anyways, that serious gripe aside, I didn't walk away making a decision. I was banking on using Chrome if I jump ship, but this bookmarks issue really bothers me. I think I'm still going to wait till after WWDC to make a decision.

Lol. That sounds like a small insignificant problem to base your decision upon, don't you think?
Chrome's cloud syncing of the bookmarks with your desktop Chrome browser is better than anything else out there.
Accessing my desktop open tabs through the mobile chrome beta tops anything any other browser has ever done. Period.

We have a think called 'widgets'... there's a bookmark one that allows you to go straight to your bookmarked pages (without the browser even open in the first place)...
so that's a step less than the iphone technically. lol

VJKotts said:
Lol. That sounds like a small insignificant problem to base your decision upon, don't you think?
Chrome's cloud syncing of the bookmarks with your desktop Chrome browser is better than anything else out there.
Accessing my desktop open tabs through the mobile chrome beta tops anything any other browser has ever done. Period.
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Click to collapse
Not at all. It's an unnecessary extra step.
I'm not saying that alone would stop me from getting the One X. But I could not transition to Chrome or any Android browser that requires that extra step.

JSLEnterprises said:
We have a think called 'widgets'... there's a bookmark one that allows you to go straight to your bookmarked pages (without the browser even open in the first place)...
so that's a step less than the iphone technically. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How exactly would that work though? And could I use it with Chrome and not the stock browser?

You can try Dolphin browser's latest version (it may still be in beta), which you swipe in from the left side and you can access the bookmark directly. No clicks!

blairh said:
How exactly would that work though? And could I use it with Chrome and not the stock browser?
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Click to collapse
Yes, the bookmarks widget asks you on your first use what browser you want to use, if you have more than one installed.

blairh said:
How exactly would that work though? And could I use it with Chrome and not the stock browser?
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Click to collapse
isn't the stock browser chrome? anyways, you have the option when you download a new browser, or you can default your favorite one and it will automatically open when you go to any webpage.
as far as how widgets work, you have many options. from a simple text or tile that takes you two that page, to fully updated previews that simply go full screen. folders, menus, scrollables, man, it's limitless...that's android.

Well it appears there is a solution to my gripe. (Widget or another browser.) Even with that said I still think Chrome should have a dedicated icon for your bookmarks like Safari does. Makes more sense then having to tap 'Menu'.

Well if you use chrome on your pc and have a home page set up to where you have pinned tabs "basically bookmarks", then you can log into the chrome browser and it will basically have a home page identical to the pc.
Edit: Dont quote me on that I cant quite remember if you have to do any extra steps because I uninstalled chrome because Im waiting on the HOX, simply tired of the captivate.

UMGixxer said:
Well if you use chrome on your pc and have a home page set up to where you have pinned tabs "basically bookmarks", then you can log into the chrome browser and it will basically have a home page identical to the pc.
Edit: Dont quote me on that I cant quite remember if you have to do any extra steps because I uninstalled chrome because Im waiting on the HOX, simply tired of the captivate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does your Chrome have a little box next to the address bar? Isn't that essentially the same as the tabs? When I click on it and I have multiple pages open, it brings me to a view of all open tabs so I can choose the one I want...seems like tabs to me.

I am a little confused. Was this a review on the One X or on Chrome Beta?

^^^^ LOLOLOL +10000000
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA

Plus chrome is beta who knows it might have bookmark tab later
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

amswak said:
I am a little confused. Was this a review on the One X or on Chrome Beta?
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...it was an expected review by an iOS user.
---------- Post added at 08:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:28 PM ----------
DJsCrIBbLe said:
Plus chrome is beta who knows it might have bookmark tab later
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...whole point of it having the 'beta' moniker still attatched to it.

The beauty of android is option. I agree with the lack of bookmark taking an extra step, so I use Quick ICS browser, it is based off of ICS default browser, downloaded from market. A simple swipe from either edge of phone brings up an awesome array of quick options. Take a look at the play store.. By far the best option out in my opinion.. You will fall in love with it I am sure. Also note this can be used in the default ICS browser, enabled under options.. Hope this helps.

Thanks for all the replies. This being Android, there are several options. Also Chrome is still in Beta. Maybe they'll bring a bookmarks button down the road. (Or not.)

[email protected] said:
The beauty of android is option. I agree with the lack of bookmark taking an extra step, so I use Quick ICS browser, it is based off of ICS default browser, downloaded from market. A simple swipe from either edge of phone brings up an awesome array of quick options. Take a look at the play store.. By far the best option out in my opinion.. You will fall in love with it I am sure. Also note this can be used in the default ICS browser, enabled under options.. Hope this helps.
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Click to collapse
The sheer genious of Apple is their understanding that the majority of the population don't WANT options. I don't have data back this, but I would bet anything that the vast majority of Android owners are also Windows PC or Linux OS users. This is because we are the types who WANT options. I want the freedom to change my CPU or graphics card on a whim, and I want the option to change the code in my phone. Most people don't. This is why there will always be Apple products vs something else.
I didn't completely get this until I bought my parents iPhones. It was the only smartphone my parents could figure out and they fell in love with it immediately. When I asked why, my mom replied "because I dont feel like I can screw it up by changing something." They liked something that they felt was set in stone and didnt have too many options.
This fundamental difference in personality type is also why 90% of iPhone vs Android (or Mac vs PC) arguments are ridiculous - it is often a matter of taste, not a matter of fact.

amswak said:
The sheer genious of Apple is their understanding that the majority of the population don't WANT options.
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Click to collapse
You're totally right, there are a lot of people out there that like being put into an environment where no matter what they do it will never be "wrong". They don't want to be scared to use their phone.
I love the choices android gives though. The funny part is that I'm a mac user, I just use my macbook as a hub, so I never tinker around with it (I like the box, lol) but when it comes to phones I love playing around with them.
And I'm sure chrome still has some tweaks left to do, like others have said, it's still in beta.

Database Info

welcome