Database Users

Questions about the XDA2 from a novice

I'm about to buy one of these, but I've had trouble finding info about it. Everywhere just has the same basic list, so here's my questions:
1. Does it come with it's own cable/cradle, or other means of connectivity?
2. Does it come with a memory card? How big? And how much internal memory?
3. I am currently using a SonyEricsson P800, and the MP3 player is one of my favourite features. Can I play MP3s just as easily on this? And is it straight forward enough transferring them to the device?
4. Does it have MMS? If so, how functional is it? The P800's was excelent, allowing multiple pages, variable time per page, sound, multiple pictures, etc etc. But before that I had a Nokia 7650 which was limited to one picture with text, and no sound.
5. Flight mode?
6. Does bluetooth allow transfer of files to and from Symbian devices like the P800 and the Nokia 7650, 6600, etc?
7. Are any JAVA applications supported, or just the native Pocket PC format?
8. Anything else cool you wanna tell me?
9. Where can I find the full spec for this device? On here or another site?
Thanks in advance. I hope at least some of my questions can be answered

My answers..
1. Cradle, Ir and BT is included.
2. Mine comes with a dummy card, but try looking around for special offers. If i were you, I get a 256mb card. Why? When you do backing up, you are sure to use the Storage card memory to put it in. A 128MB SDcard is just not enough.
Internal RAM Size is 128Mbs, considered big for todays PDA standards.
3. MP3s? Simple to do it. But Infact, I dun download MP3s now to the XDAII cause the size is big. What i do is compress it to WMA (half the size) and still get good quality music. Just use your Desktop Windows Media Player to do it and even download it to the PDA from there.
4. MMS? Yes...but i'm not using MMS so can't really comment.
5. Flight mode? Yes. Just click on the Signal icon and select flight mode.
6. I really dunno. I use BT only for the Headset functions.
7. Depends on the ROM type. Mine does support Javas after downloading a software. But why Java? Pocket PC application and games are much more better...trust me.
8. Cool?..Yes, but wait for the XDAIII or even the new HP63XX?
Think that way.
If you still insist on the XDAII, I can say the screen, speed, memory and design is superb. The phone reception is comparable to any Nokia set.
9. You can try http://www.my-xda.com/ or look around in googles
I'm sure other members will help out.

Cheers Just remembered another one:
10. Does it come with a hand strap?

Nope, but it comes with a waist strap.
I think the XDA II is one of the fastest in it's class. 400mhz and the screen quality is great in comparison with other Pocket PC Phone. I was able to watch my 2 hour length movie just like I would with my iPaq.
It has fast bus, everything is much faster than my previous pocket pc. The great thing about this is that, which I just found out, if the OS crash, you can still use the phone function. Someone here said it's like 2 device, phone and pda.

Greetings fellow Nottinghamian!
Ex P800 and P900 user here, some points.
1. No, it doesn't come with a lanyard (hand strap) and I can't see anywhere to attach one. Looking back this would have been a good idea as I worry about the metal finish of the XDA2 slipping through my hands
2. It's slightly bigger than a P900, but the funtionality makes up for it. 400Mhz of raw power in your hand. Emulators, Games, flawless MP3/video playback and of course on the wonderful big screen.
3. The Px00 was a phone first, and a PDA second. The XDA2 is a PDA first, phone second. The phone side of the XDA2 is pretty good, especially when combined with a BT headset, but may lack features that you're used to, like T9 input.
4. SD memory is far cheaper and more available than Memory Stick DUO. Be sure to buy a fast SD card though, some people have reported problems with Sandisk cards. My cheapo Viking Interworks one from eBuyer works a treat!
5. Get a sync and charge cable or a second charger - the features on the XDA2 take their toll on the battery, but if you charge it nightly you'll be fine. I keep my cradle and charger at work and my sync & charge cable at home.
6. The camera on the XDA2 is still a VGA (640x480) camera like the Px00 but the CCD is far better and produces much nicer pictures. The camera also does a good job of taking video. There's no limit to video lengths either, unlike the stock P800.
7. There are several features in the pipeline for the XDA2. Windows Mobile 2003SE is a possible upgrade, featuring things like landscape mode and Blackberry support. Also, you can add a WiFi card to the XDA2 to access wireless hotspots (try the Broadway Cinema on Broad Street!).
I think that's it for now, but I'll post again if I remember anything.

Eeeeeehhhh!
What a coincidence. 2 P800-come-XDA2 users in the same city :lol:
Bit of an arse about the hand strap thing. I use mine ALL the time on my P800. You can't be too careful. Are you sure there's nowhere to attach one? Not even under the battery cover?

Ex-P800 user.
I used my P800 for 13 months before upgrading to an XDA2. Within hours of getting my XDA I felt like I'd just thrown my money away ever getting a P800 in the first place.
The XDA is FAR superior. The video and music capabilities as excellent.
As for T9 dialling, I have purchased PhonePlus II. It is superb and makes up for the only real weak part of the XDA 2 which was the phone functionality.
I also dropped my P800 a lot, 'cos I never used the shoulder strap. I haven't dropped my XDA2 yet but I'm sure the leather case will provide excellent protection. (Mine's insured anyway so I'll get a new one if I break it.)
Hope this helps...

Sounds good
I'm still going to look into attaching a wrist strap though. Coulda kept the one off my faulty digital camera, since the dumb ***** at argos never checked the box contents before she refunded me. I coulda kept the camera an' all :lol:

Have a look at the xda2 skin case here http://www.pdamods.com/proddetail.asp?prod=XDA2SCCS
I know it doesnt show it in the photos, but I think it has a tab for a wrist strap

Just ordered my XDA2!!!
I'll let you know how I get on

Calling all XDa IIi owners...OPINIONS PLEASE

I had my XDA II stolen at gatwick airport last week (sniff sniff) and am now looking to replace it.
From the complete range of HTC PDA's the XDA IIi seems to be tickling my fancy the most but I haven't really come across a single comprehensive review.
So are people who have purchased it happy?
Whilst I am aware that there are problems with the camera I can live with it as long as it is not worse than the XDA II .
So what say you O Ye owners of the IIi?
Cheers!

I got mine last week and I'm honestly torn...
The camera is CR*P, completely so! But as I never used the one on the XDA2 for more than the odd picture message and photo record I'm not particularly bothered - though it's a cheek for O2 to pronounce it as a major step forward when in many ways it's a regressive one.
My major headache is the IR and Bluetooth...IR seems even worse now than on the XDA2 - unless I'm missing something - and the BT stack currently on my phone means I cannot use the O2 BT clip headset (made by iTech) due to this (in my opinion) stupid handsfree obsession. Surely it would be a good idea to have a headset AND a handsfree option that WORKS. I understand on some headsets it works a treat, but given I've got one being sold by O2 on their website I would normally assume it would work.
That said, the 2i is a great phone in itself and if I weren't already spoilt having had the XDA and XDA2 before it, I would be in absolute amazment.
They've finally managed to get the o2activeui thing in a state which isn't too bad and I may even consider keeping it - though it's harder to remove than in the past.
If you have to upgrade which it sounds as though you do given your circumstances, I'd choose the 2i over the 2s...at least the 2i is a better phone spec wise though without the keyboard (gimmick if you ask me).
Hope this helps (helped me to have the rant, anyway).
Cheers
Anthony

Thanks for the feedback Anthony. One thing that's slightly irritating me is a few places i've visited on the net state how previews often have some of the specs wrong on the O2 site it states that the IIi has 128MB SDRam and 128MB Flash......is this accurate?
Have you tried out the Wifi and if so what d'you reckon?
Does the faster processor make a noticeable difference? e.g on my XDA II I was running loads of today plug ins as well as several applications by default I'd do a soft re-set at least once a day
As for the IIs even though when I compare the II and the IIs side by side it doen't appear that much bigger it still has a bulky-ish look about it and I just don't find it appealing enough to contemplate a purchase.
Your feedback on the above would be appreciated
Cheers

This is on the box...
96MB ROM
128MB SDRAM
I have tried out the Wi-Fi and it seems OK to me, certainly it's a welcome feature. However I don't have a Wi-Fi card that I can compare experiences on...all I know is I didn't have one before and now I have a wi-fi connection. That can't be bad.
I don't have enough stuff loaded onto the phone to make a judgment on the processor. With the 2 I had lots of things running such as WeatherPanel and KitaraGenesis - also at one point Pocket Plus. From what I've seen so far the 2i does feel a bit faster...there's also a Turbo feature which does seem to further increase performance.
The 2i is exactly the same size I think, perhaps a smidge heavier. Having said that, if you compare most mobiles these days, the XDA series is no longer heavier than the majority. Besides, if you've got a PDA phone you're not expecting it to be light as a feather.
As I said previously, now you've got no option I would definitely go to the 2i...
Cheers
A

As to theWiFii hadaXDA2 witha SandiskWiFi Card, then changed to the XDA2s, then after 4 replacements i now have a XDA2i, ifind the XDA2i range and speed of reconnecting to WiFi very very good, the XDA2s worked as well asthe XDA2 + SD WiFi Card.
I like the 2ivery much, only problem is i gave away all my XDA2 bits when i got the 2s, so now i have lots of bits for a phone i dont have and a 2i with no spair bits, got i wish i haddent got rid of my old XDA2 bits
i still soft rest a few times aday, but i am used to donigthis now and dont have a problem doing it, The Bluetooth for headsets (jabbra 250) works as well on the 2i as it did on the old XDA2, where as the 2s was total crap
John

4 replacements???!!! care to elaborate?
Applecom, how do you find the camera?
Has the bluetooth improved at all? With my XDA II I also has a Jabra BT250 whilst I found it excellent at close range as soon as the device was in (or out) the metal proporta case and in my pocket I got alot of static...also can you now hear the different ringtones in your bluetooth headset or is it still the same generic one?
Finally, if I get the phone from O2 with their minimum line rental fee it works out to about 407 quid in total....anyone know of any cheaper places?
Thanks for the feedback once again guys.

After hearing about the new XDA2s i purchased a sim free PDA2k, but the microphone on it was crap and the bluetooth (headset) range was like 6 inches after that it sounded terrible.
So as soon as we could get a UK XDA2s we did ( we are a small phone shop) i got it sim free, This was just as crap as the PDA2k, Sothen i did a upgrade to a XDA2s with o2 Select, and of corse this was crap as well
(by crap i mean the mic was terrible people had problems hearing me, and the bluetooth headset only worked if you held the phone next to it, as a PDA it was sort of alright)
so after speaking to o2 about its problems and the fact the keybopard soon comes loose, it was changed probley every 2-3 weeks, never any better for phopne calls but of corse a new one the keyboard is still tight (for a while)
anyway after the 6th phone (4th o2 replacement) i changed it to a XDA2i
The camera in the XDA2i just gives a bigger crap picture, but at leat i can make phone calls on this one and people can hear me, and i dont have to drive down the road with my bluetooth ear piece in and have to hold the phone to the ear piece to use it
John

dear oh dear.....thats the strongest case i've EVER heard for NOT buying a phone... :shock:
Not to get on your nelly but can you now hear the different ringtones in your bluetooth headset or is it still the same generic one?
Cheers
Leroy

bump

my jabra 250 just makes the ring sound, just like on the old XDA2, no personalised ring tones, despite using IA Caller 1.2

Thank you all for the info
Does the movie function work better?
I know the camera makes a bigger "crap" photo but how is the video? On my XDAII, with all the today plug in's, the thing records crap even at the best settings. With a fresh ROM and nothing installed, I can get a decent video if I set the refresh rate and set it to daylight, (even for night shots), but after I install some programs, no settings can keep it from being choppy and slow or keep the sound in sync with the video.
Believe it or not, the video function, as bad as it is, actually saved my ass from going to jail.. If the XDA2i has better video performance, and it sounds like the BT is better, I want one... Is there any place besides eBay and O2?
Could someone tell us what version of the BT stack it is?
Any body try it with two serial ports yet? (One for a GPS and one for a Printer or POS device (like from Merchantanywhere.com).
Thank you for your time.

the bt stack on my xda2i is 1.0.0.3900

Mine is also 1.0.3900 and I can't use o2's bt clip headset with it....refuses to play ball yet others work fine.
Grrrrr
Need an update to sort this out.

By clip do you mean the earpiece, with a foot of wire then a clip on bluetooth reciever? If you do O2 sent one of them out to me but as i use a jabra 250 i never tried the clip thing.
Would you like me to try it with my XDA2i (also version 3900)
John

Have you made a decision on a purchase yet?
I have both an XDAII and an XDAIIi and would be willing to give some comparitive information regarding them. Or try to answer any specific questions you have about them.
On another note, what alternatives do we have here with regard to a Windows Mobile device?

Me = Universal to Wizard convert

I am so amazingly happy since I made the switch from Universal to Wizard.
The Universal, whilst clearly higher spec, more powerful, more impressive screen etc - was an unusable bit of kit. I battled and battled and battled - I wanted this 'superior' equipment to serve me well. I upgraded and tested various ROMs, tried every minor registry tweak and software trick known to man. Despite everyone in the Universal forum saying it *was* possible to get a solid, fast, reliable setup - I battled hard but never got close. It was still impossible to do the important little things like make or receive calls reliably, perhaps with one hand.
The Wizard is a proper phone - you can hold it between your ear and shoulder whilst stirring pasta with one hand and sipping vodka in the other.
The Wizard has proper buttons, ones that get used. The Universal had a multitude of useless buttons on the side that got pressed by accident thereby hanging Windows so that when you wanted to actually do something you may as well reset. The Universal had stereo speakers for God's sake. STEREO SPEAKERS? Does anyone else see the stupidity of such a thing? The whole point of stereo is that one channel feeds sound to one ear and the other channel to the other ear. What's more, the Wizard's handsfree speaker is clearer and brighter than the Universal's stereo speakers.
On the Wizard, I can make phone calls with one hand. I can pick up calls straight away, with one hand - I press the button and I'm talking immediately. With the Universal, not so. It's a long process involving three steps, invariably failing in most cases resulting in my having to call the other person back. Useless.
Sure, the Universal has a 520MHz processor. And when it's all optimised you really can feel the speed. But frankly that processor power is wasted on the most basic and major functions: the screen flip when answering a call. With the Wizard, sometimes screen flip lags, but thankfully I don't need to wait for the screen to flip just to answer the call!
That little Wizard collapsing stylus is a gem.
Here's what I use my Wizard for. I'm sure we are all used to this amount of functionality from one device - I've had most of it for years. But finally I have something close to the perfect all-in-one, and I'm happy!
Phone
Text messages
Voice command and phone in the car
Alarm clock (using the app Chronos) - how brilliant
Notebook
Calendar
Email on the move
Satellite navigation - tells me to slow down for speed cameras and talks to me when I get lost in London!
Portable music player (gigabyte mini SD card for MP3s)
Camera
Checking the news with RSS reader
Checking the next few days' weather in London from Today screen
I've even experimented with streaming video from my desktop over wireless. Works a treat, can watch a whole episode of The OC.
Yes, I can get rid of my old sat nav unit, my old pda, my old phone, my ipod, my alarm clock. It's everything in one tiny but beautifully usable package. (Actually, not entirely true, see below.)
There is ONE thing I am disappointed with. I had really hoped to eliminate the need for buying myself a new ipod. I am happy with a gigabyte of music - it seems fine to copy music as and when I need it. However I connected up my lovely Shure sound isolating headphones and the quality of the sound wasn't what I had hoped for. So sad about this - good sound would have completed the perfect package. There's just too much noise on the output, and the sound is horribly mid-range distorted. Gutted.
Anyway, I had to get this all out of my system - overall I am a very happy Universal to Wizard convert.
Thanks for listening
Mat

I can confirm all that. I ditched my Universal a week ago and bought a Wizard: Its LIGHTYEARS better in ease of use., speed, etc.
DO NOT BY UNIVERSAL. IT SUCKS BADLY !!!

completely agree. if i wanted a proper tiny computer i would buy a toshiba libretto. not the flawed, heavy and unstable universal.

Sounds right - the thing to remeber is that threse units are no laptops.... they are PDAs with phones ( not phones with PDAs if you see what I mean ).
Having swapped form a Jornada 540 I probably wont see the difrence your talking about but as a I can access most of the major features - Sat Nav / Phone / PIM I'm happy - its a portable viewer and ideal for when I am not in my own car.
Re the Ipod - doubt you'll beat that in this case - thats an Audio device - this is one that can do audio if you see what I mean.
Glad you like the change.
Terran

I'm finding this a very interesting topic.
I've just switched from aHP iPaq hx4705 to a Universal and so far I have been very pleased. however the choice between the Universal and the Wizard was a difficult one for me as I wanted a connected PocketPC / Windows Mobile device as opposed to a phone with a PPC in it.
My iPaq has clearly paid for itself in 15 months and time was right for an upgrade to WM5 and full connectivity. However my decision between these two devices was clouded I had a small chance to play with the Wizard in Dixon's one day when there was no Universal to play with.
And I liked it. Small, responsive, good lucks, surprising good keyboard (I wasn't sure what to expect to be honest) - all in all very good.
However I need to run a couple of power apps - PI and Planmaker - and I wasn't sure how it would cope.
I then had a try on a Universal in a O2 shop and I liked that. Everything looked good especially the screen (smaller than my iPaq but possibly even better quality) and the general speed.
So I got to the point to go for one of these. Initial cost wasn't a big deal as I was getting it on a contract with only about £50 difference between the two. And at this price £50 isn't enough to worry about.
I've currently got a Universal and am typing this out on it now. I'm loving it but that doesn't mean that the Wizard wouldn't also suit me as well. I have another 11 days before I lose the chance to take this back and swap it and I would really like to know from those of you using the Wizard how it copes with things like Planmaker due to the processor and the smaller screen size.
What a difficult choice though?! Two great devices to choose between.

I have an xda exec and xda mini s or wizard (two separate contracts). Both brill bits of kit. I use the exec for planmaker and textmaker and the xda mini just as a bit of fun. I like gadgets. You can't fault either device. I use both equally but for different purposes. I also used to have ipaq's for years but i wanted thephone functionality. The exec makes a wonderful mini laptop and the wizard a super ppc. If you shop around you can get bothdevices on contracts which added together give you a great deal in minutes+texts etc. yet give you the devices at a bargain price.
best wishes
Patricia

I agree. There really are some amazing devices out there at the moment and I am really pleased to be using one of them.
At the moment I can't see me getting rid of the Universal for a Wizard but that is because I have a clear idea of what I am after in this device. The Universal I know already after a few days is meeting my full needs.
Maybe if things go well I can buy a Wizard sometime late in 2006 when I guess they will drop in price! Just don't tell the wife!

dnt regret my purchase of a wizard. hope it stands the test of time and I'm using it for a long time. I think the trick to enjoying it is to remember in reality its your phone, everything else is a bonus.

i like to have 2 or 3 devices on the go and find if u shop around u can get really good deals recooping losses later by selling the devices on.the wizard is being offered for a small price on contract and like all similar devices will hold its value so why wait.i enjoy using the exec and wizardand find both equal as regards performance and functionality.planmaker, textmaker and tom tom work great on the exec whereas i use the wizard more for the phone side.
my other half uses tom tom but finds everything else a waste of time.i always have to explain that when we broke down in france this year in the motorhome my devices came to the rescue. tom tom for navigation and the predecessor to the xda mini a magician a great way to communicate to the rescue service and to find the nearest garage for repairs etc.
best wishes
patricia

Wizard v Universal
The wizard really is a great piece of kit but the BIG disadvantage for me is the missing 3G radio.
We have been crying out for this type of pocket pc ever since 3G was launched and I must say the breach has been filled admirably.
Obviously size is important and having owned both (and still do) I would agree that that the universal platform is not the most stable and the last thing you want to do is take a call on the Universal whilst in public
I have managed to incorporate all the settings taken from a symbian platform handset ie Nokia 6680 and managed to use the device successfully even browsing with the '3' homepage. The security of the '3' was the most difficult to crack and I can now download the various downloads offered by the cheapest network.
I also have subscribed to the £45 package which gives you 512mb of bundled data which allows me to visit other sites now the 'garden wall' has been demolished once and for all. This really is where the universal comes into its own.
One thing I will agree with is the size prevents use as a normal handset so I use a bluetooth headset with the appopriate hacks from the wi-ki developers page.
I cant help thinking that the Universal would be a far slimmer device if they hadn't incorporated the keyboard which I find absolutely useless due to my prolonged use of the graffiti facility(far quicker to write anyway).
I look forward to a new alternative to the Universal which may do away with the keypad once and for all. This should make the device a more suitable size instead of the similarities with the old handhelds ie HP 720 and the like which I'm sure many of us remember.
I think this is crucial given that devices like the Sony Ericsson P990i are just about to be launched with 3g capability and many people will see this as a more pocketable phone/pda. Not in the same league I agree as a windows mobile 5 device but still blessed with a good email client and now of course wi-fi.
Just my personal experience but I felt necessary to post in order to even things up a little bit.

Re: Wizard v Universal
jonboy8841 said:
The wizard really is a great piece of kit but the BIG disadvantage for me is the missing 3G radio.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2 things... is it '3' that no longer have a walleed garden ? Im just curious...
Re 3G ( and I know this is Off topic ) - is it me or is there no actual use for 3G for joe public ? Yes I can understand business use and to a certian point show off to your mates video calling but until its on all networks and all phones ( inc fixed ) in all contries its best feature wont be used... again another reason to go for the Wizard rather than Universal.
Terran
PS Before any one says 'but you can watch TV' DVB-H will kick that in to touch soon

3G makes a BIG difference if you actually go websurfing... (which is actually the only reason I find it interesting, I really don't care about video calling, actually I really hope it wont become standard for a long time)
I don't have a universal, but I'm guessing the bigger screen (and more importantly resolution), along with the 3G, makes it perfectly suitable to websurfing.

Universal is a great gadget, but it is not a usable phone. The way I see it it can be used as a small notebook, provided you don't expect too much. VGA and UMTS are great for browsing and mail. Also connected with BT mouse it can be used for Word or Excel (TextMaker and PlanMaker) and even Project. The issue is only that lack of USB Host and no Video out mean it can't be used as full laptop. So it comes down to personal preference and at least for Phone and PDA I'm going with Wizard for small notebook we'll see...

Finraziel said:
3G makes a BIG difference if you actually go websurfing... (which is actually the only reason I find it interesting, I really don't care about video calling, actually I really hope it wont become standard for a long time)
I don't have a universal, but I'm guessing the bigger screen (and more importantly resolution), along with the 3G, makes it perfectly suitable to websurfing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wizzard supports EDGE, it is more than enough to do web-sirfing..

It's really interesting to see how different members use their devices-I didn't realise when i first purchased the exec that i needed a different sim card and tariff to use 3g. I think 3g is also more expensive and as other members have commented limited by network coverage and most people still having basic handsets. None of my contacts use 3g-in fact they find my interest in these amazing gadgets bemusing, eccentric...This doesn't bother me but thankgoodness there are othersout there who share my interest.

I really didn't think that the difference between 3g and a good gprs was much. i played with both in the o2 shop and couldn't think of a reason to buy the universal, although it does have a few advantages.
FYI I have a vodaphone 3g motorola 770 as my main phone (cost £90 payg) and I successfully linked the wizard to it via bluetooth and surfed at 3g speed. So I have the option if needed.

One other advantage to 3G is that in a few months you will be able to dial into video servers that will have news, television, etc going over the circuit switched network, so you'll have much more reliable and responsive service, if you're willing to use your video minutes on it.

With the new ROM, i'm glad i didn't give up my universal. It is now worlds faster WITHOUT any tweaking, and even more with tweaking.
I also had the Universal or WIzard dilema and only one factor mattered to me : SCREEN REAL ESTATE!
Guess who won

Me = Wizard ---> Universal
Agree Jorgee.
The universal with the latest O2 rom is working super. With the next rom update, with radio version 1.09 and push email it will be even better.
I had a wizard for a few months and had to get rid of it.
Firstly note that I do not use either as a phone. i have a small cell phone for voice calls. I use these devices as my pocket pc with data only tariffs (a key advantage of o2 above all the other providers).
In this context the Wizard is really not a player:
1. Terribly slow cpu and os
2. Screen too small
3. No VGA.
4. Too slow to run skype well
5. Too thick (universal is thinner) - difficult to fit in backpack with papers.
6. Horrible stylus
7. Minisd card. All my deivces use SD. Its another std too far.
8. Non-std headphone socket
9. No 3g. GPRS web browsing is a joke.
Sry guys, but as a PDA there is no contest!

How good (or bad) is the Trinity

OK I see that some of you already got the device. My wife wants to replace her Nokia N80 for the white version. Now I previously had an Orange SPV M3100 (HTC Hermes) & had no end of problems with that sold it & now happily using an Asus P525. So how about the the Trinity.
-Is it stable?
-Does A2DP & AVCRP work properly as in having proper stereo output?
-Does the A2DP reconnect automatically to WMP after receiving a call (the -Hermes never did, had to restart everything).
-How's wifi reception (the Hermes was crap). She uses wifi a lot as we have 250mins free BTOpenzone minutes a month.
-I looked at the HTC website but it seems they do not supply firmware upgrade support for their devices. So where can you get them officially?
Fill me in guys. Thanks

Is it stable?
I don't feel it's very stable when coming to the phone part. If I've used the device for a while, I often have to hard-reboot it for the phone part to work again(it just stands "calling", and nothing happends)
-How's wifi reception (the Hermes was crap). She uses wifi a lot as we have 250mins free BTOpenzone minutes a month.
The WiFI reception on my phone is very good. I've actually managed to connect to hot-spots which my laptop didn't manage to connect... *me like*
-I looked at the HTC website but it seems they do not supply firmware upgrade support for their devices. So where can you get them officially?
In Norway you get the official firmware updates/rom from the local distributor.(Dangaard and Brightpoint)

What about other features, like those related to the cameras?
How is visiophony with the front camera?
How is the picture quality of the back camera? Most of the reviews are made with good light conditions. What about the pictures in low light condition?
Movies? Are they correct?
Battery life with that 400 MHz processor compared to Prophet?
Could anyone post pictures/movies made with Trinity?

The wifes P3600 arrived this morning. Been playing with it all for a while & here's my 1st impressions.
Good
Looks nice & shiny
Small size
Excellent loud clear external speaker
Nice & responsive
Phone reception & general operation is fine
3G works well
Bad
Shiny surface = fingerprint magnet
MS bluetooth stack, better than before but still lacking
A2DP implementation. Not real stereo, only mono out from each channel
Also when disconnectd from WMP it doesn't auto reconnect.
In summary if you used previous HTC devices before then you'll be familiar with this one. When used as a pda & phone it does most things as expected, the menus & general operation are same as before.
But its going back, one of the main reasons being the crap A2DP. Wifey uses music player a lot on her 1 hour daily commute & the fact that sound quality is rubbish (low volume & no stereo) & no option to connect a wired headphones as theres no headphone jack. The same problem as the Hermes in that once disconnected from WMP it doesn't auto reconnect. Have to go into Bluetooth manger to re establish the connection.
Also comparing it to my Asus P525 other than the smaller size, 3G, louder external speaker & looks a bit nicer, in all other depts the Asus is as good & some areas much much better.

Well, my opinion is that the camera sucks... Was on a party this weekend _with_ good lighting, all the picutures came out blurry *argh* (could be it was too much light tough?...)
The videotelephony-part on the other hands is quite good(for videotelephone, NOT for taking still-pictures).
And I also don't like the 2-7 sec. delay when you try to call someone... *argh*

neofix said:
Well, my opinion is that the camera sucks... Was on a party this weekend _with_ good lighting, all the picutures came out blurry *argh* (could be it was too much light tough?...)
The videotelephony-part on the other hands is quite good(for videotelephone, NOT for taking still-pictures).
And I also don't like the 2-7 sec. delay when you try to call someone... *argh*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2 to 7 second delay? It sounds like a ROM upgrade will probably be coming to fix these issues...same story different cover.

zen123 said:
A2DP implementation. Not real stereo, only mono out from each channel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This sounds new to me. I am using a SonyEricsson stereo BT thingy with my Qtek S200 (with A2DP hack) and as far as I can hear the output is stereo not mono from each channel.

I love mine compared to my Exec! Quicker and sleeker.
And got my 4GB miniSD this morning and it works fine

anonimo said:
This sounds new to me. I am using a SonyEricsson stereo BT thingy with my Qtek S200 (with A2DP hack) and as far as I can hear the output is stereo not mono from each channel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, proper stereo could be possible with a registry hack but how many end users are to know that? Only the hardcore users frequent forums such as this & get to learn a lot about their devices. Assuming it can be done then why didn't HTC enable it in the first place? Mention a registry hack to the vast majority of users out there & I'm pretty sure you'll be met with a lot of blank expressions & ??????
With the aesthetic design of the trinity I think HTC are trying to market it to more mainstream audience, thats why my wife likes the look of it, but in all honesty how many of these new users will know how to exploit the device to the full. My wife never visits these forums & even her 8 month old Nokia N80 is still out of the box stock.

zen123 said:
Yes, proper stereo could be possible with a registry hack but how many end users are to know that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought the registry hack was only to enable A2DP on those devices where the manufacturer had disabled it and the end result of a hacked S200 would be the same of a standard TyTn or a standard P3600... Are you sure the P3600 output is not stereo?

anonimo said:
I thought the registry hack was only to enable A2DP on those devices where the manufacturer had disabled it and the end result of a hacked S200 would be the same of a standard TyTn or a standard P3600... Are you sure the P3600 output is not stereo?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure its not stereo, either that or the stereo separation is really poor because it sounded like mon to me. In saying that though when I paired my iTech R35 stereo bluetooth clip with it there was the option to tick headset mode & stereo mode but its too late now I've sent it back today.

The only dislike on my new P3600 is the position of penon the bottom! . I've used many pda, and the pen was on top! But for the rest I love it!!!!

zen123 said:
Pretty sure its not stereo, either that or the stereo separation is really poor because it sounded like mon to me. In saying that though when I paired my iTech R35 stereo bluetooth clip with it there was the option to tick headset mode & stereo mode but its too late now I've sent it back today.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right the stereo bluetooth output is not stereo. This is ridiculous. I hope this can be fixed with some registry hacking otherwise HTC has really screwed this device big time.

One more thing, the smooth black coating is comming of from the bottom where the stylus is placed.... That's s REAL bad thing, since this will eventually tear up more and more of the coating... And I've only had it for two weeks

default A2DP registry settings for Trinity is:
UseJointStereo = 1
please change to:
UseJointStereo = 0
that will fix the "mono sound" issue.

Question
So far what i read, the software for this phone 3600 is not fully stable,
Camera still delay..
Some bugs
additional question following,
Delay of standard programs opening?
How about the sounds quality (loudness and clearness) is it very good?
which one is really better if compare 3600 and 3300(GPS enabled), which should i buy... -_-"
Thank you in advance..

fantastic device
Got my Trinity since yesterday. I had several phones and pda before (Dell Axim x51v was the last one) but the Trinity is the best until now. small enough, fast enough... if I only could get MMS to work for vodafone germany...

saminegm said:
Got my Trinity since yesterday. I had several phones and pda before (Dell Axim x51v was the last one) but the Trinity is the best until now. small enough, fast enough... if I only could get MMS to work for vodafone germany...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try these (manual entry and cab for Vodafone):
https://shop.dangaard.de/files/Qtek/Qtek.htm
Tytn and Trinity 3G/UMTS should be the same

So far...the trinity is my new favorite thing..very stable (have had to soft reset twice to get the Wifi signal running after a sync while wifi was on) and lots of fun. Phone is great and signal with one bar or less is still usable - where my old motorola was no good with a weak signal...and i can now make and take calls from my office - where previously there was no chance with the motorola. This device does everything I bought it for -combine my PDA and phone into one device...

where to buy
DaveUK said:
I love mine compared to my Exec! Quicker and sleeker.
And got my 4GB miniSD this morning and it works fine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you please said where did you buy the miniSD? Thanks

Hermes or Nokia N95

I'm currently using a T-Mobile MDA Vario (HTC Wizard), and as my contract is up for renewal soon, I am wondering what phone to get next.
Originally I had my mind set on the Vario 2 (Hermes), but I'm getting second thoughts since I read about the new Nokia N95. It seems to pack a lot of features, most impressively integrated gps and a lot of maps. First impressions seem to indicate that it runs very smoothly (not always the case with windows mobile) and gps works well. It's also got wifi and fast internet browsing. On the other hand, not sure if symbian is any good (to sync with pc etc), and if I'll be able to install applications on it like a pocket pc (although I don't install much). More importantly, I'd have to live without a full keyboard and touch screen (but the device is therefore thinner).
Can anyone give me some advice on how good/bad your experience with the Hermes has been (or even with the N95 if you've used it or heard anything about it).
Thanks.

kkhalil76 said:
I'm currently using a T-Mobile MDA Vario (HTC Wizard), and as my contract is up for renewal soon, I am wondering what phone to get next.
Originally I had my mind set on the Vario 2 (Hermes), but I'm getting second thoughts since I read about the new Nokia N95. It seems to pack a lot of features, most impressively integrated gps and a lot of maps. First impressions seem to indicate that it runs very smoothly (not always the case with windows mobile) and gps works well. It's also got wifi and fast internet browsing. On the other hand, not sure if symbian is any good (to sync with pc etc), and if I'll be able to install applications on it like a pocket pc (although I don't install much). More importantly, I'd have to live without a full keyboard and touch screen (but the device is therefore thinner).
Can anyone give me some advice on how good/bad your experience with the Hermes has been (or even with the N95 if you've used it or heard anything about it).
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It all comes down to the touchscreen... if you can live without it then go for the N95, if not then the Hermes is the way to go... but you must also know that the N95 isnt Tri-band UMTS, so if you were to goto another country with uses a different band for UMTS then you wont have access for it... Where as the Hermes supports 850, 1900 & 2100mhz WCDMA Bands

Thanks. I also read that the N95's build quality isn't so great, and that talk time is only a little over 2 hours (vs. a little over 4 for the hermes)!

kkhalil76 said:
Thanks. I also read that the N95's build quality isn't so great, and that talk time is only a little over 2 hours (vs. a little over 4 for the hermes)!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well there you go... you just answered your own question... mind you the build quality on the hermes isnt that much better.... they are all plastic...

Build quality is not related to just the materials of the housing but also how well everything fits together. Look at the SE P990i: very nice looking phone but squeaks and cracks when you're holding it.

Dunno about the N95, but my previous phone was a Nokia 6260 (S60 2.x).
I personally found the Symbian system more stable and more feature-advanced than the Windows Mobile OS. Some examples: choosing the account via which emails are sent is not possible in Outlook Mobile, synchronizing with Nokia PC Suite is robuster (and supports for instance SMS typing on PC), native support for Java midlets (Opera Mini!), ...
I personally went for the Hermes because of the keyboard: a GPS is easily added with bluetooth, but a keyboard that works handheld is not easily added; and also because I needed Windows Mobile for one application I wanted (PocketFMS).
But it is difficult finding a balance between what you need, want and like.
Jörg

Well I think my mind's made up, can't go back to a tiny keypad after having used a full keyboard for so long, so I guess it's the hermes after all. Also the battery life is a big issue for me, I thought the hermes wasn't great, but the Nokia is awful...

As far as the battery is concerned: I manage to have the Hermes running for about 4-5 days (not frequently making calls, but frequently connecting via gprs/umts) or 2-3 days (when playing back .wma through BT headset).
Jörg

walshieau said:
It all comes down to the touchscreen... if you can live without it then go for the N95, if not then the Hermes is the way to go... but you must also know that the N95 isnt Tri-band UMTS, so if you were to goto another country with uses a different band for UMTS then you wont have access for it... Where as the Hermes supports 850, 1900 & 2100mhz WCDMA Bands
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How often does one go to other country and really use a different UMTS band or UMTS at all?
And what goes for the build quality, I can honestly say that N95 is better after owning a hermes for about 6 months now.
But the hermes beats it with the touch screen and keyboard, and has better software support in its own special way, N95 has better phoning software because the main idea is to use it as a phone and the OS is tailored that way. Hermes in other hand is a phone pda hybrid.
And personally as a software developer i can honestly say that symbian os is more crap that you guys could imagine ;D
And embedded linux seems to keep pushing it's way quite hard. Many companies I know, started to look into that matter.. (won't list any names here).
[EDIT]
The battery seems to be quite good for Hermes considering the fact that it's a PDA like phone at has alot of features.
And the more I use Hermes, the more conviced I get with it, it just is a damn good device
And you guys should try Route66 Navigate 7 for Pocket PC. It's the damn best GPS software I ever used
Doesn't lag at all (this is what really impressed me), is VERY accurate even in this little town I live in, very good POI information (TMC to) etc.
I tested alot of GPS software and this is just the best atm.
I have a bluetooth GPS, it's very small and has a neck collar
[/EDIT]

My Jasjam with Direct Push on all day (50 e-mails sent and received) and checking the news for 20 minutes, a game of chess for 15 minutes, using it as a sat nav for 30 minutes and 1 hour on the phone it still has 60% battery left at the end of the day. I would recommend the Hermes over the N95 any day.

What about the simple fact that one has a keyboard and the other one does not? Are you expecting to do any typing?

agovinoveritas said:
What about the simple fact that one has a keyboard and the other one does not? Are you expecting to do any typing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its not that simple... look at the 3G bands for example... for me anyway im in australia where there is 850Mhz and 2100Mhz 3G Bands... where the N95 only supports 2100Mhz....

N95 for sure. The touch-screen of the hermes sucks anyways, and yes, this is coming for a Hermes owner.

xpimperx said:
N95 for sure. The touch-screen of the hermes sucks anyways, and yes, this is coming for a Hermes owner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd rather have a sucky touchscreen than no touchscreen. FWIW, I think the screen on the Hermes is just fine.
Having to enter all my emails with the dpad or number pad is just nothing something I'd ever consider anno 2007.

I was a previous Nokia man through and through until the N80. The battery life and bugs made it unusuable, so I sold it and bought a Hermes. I've never looked back!
With the improved Radio 1.40 I now get around 3-4 days standby. You'll be lucky to get 3-4 HOURS from an N80 or N95 (reviews seem to suggest they still haven't learnt their lesson from poor battery life with the N95 either)
I won't touch Nokia again until they sort out the appalling battery life of their new phones. What's the point of putting all these neat features in a phone if you have to leave it almost permanently plugged into the mains?

N95 vs Hermes
Well, I've got both the Hermes and the N95... I'm probably going to end up selling one or the other... but I have the same choice to make - which one to keep, and I have to say, it's a hard choice.
The main factors for me are:
Battery life - everyone is talking about this, but the Nokia N95 battery life is abysmal. You really need to take your charger with you anywhere you go with it. Hermes battery life is not great, but at least you can use it for half to one day without it running out of battery! Also, the Hermes charges off USB, so when you use it as a computer modem, it charges at the same time!
Software & touchscreen - undoubtedly way better on the Hermes - push email, messenger, internet explorer, Cleartype, it all just works - N95 is flaky in places and the interface / software is just not up to the hardware. You have to pay extra for word, excel, push email, messenger, etc (well if you want any half-reasonable solution) and they don't work as well as WM5/6 even when you do pay! Also, the community support and the **ahem** hacked software is WAY WAY better for Windows Mobile.
Hardware - Nokia is way better for this - N95 has a beautiful camera, built in GPS, is smaller, lighter and prettier than the Hermes and has a 3.5mm jack socket built in (no adapter). But - no keyboard, no touchscreen and NO ROLL-WHEEL! This gets really annoying on the N95 for reading/replying to emails when you've used the Hermes.
So: The question really is - what will you use the device for? Phone? N95. Emails? Then definitely Hermes. Camera? N95. MSN Messenger? Hermes. Portable GPS? N95 (Hermes is better for car GPS when paired with a decent SiRF Star III GPS unit.) All of the above? AARRGH! Too difficult to decide. Neither is perfect - A smaller, thinner Hermes, with a 5MP camera, built in GPS, 640x480 resolution, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a nice-looking flat touchscreen that is flush with the casing WOULD be perfect... but we're going to have to wait for a while before that happens...