Lets be FAIR , is HD really 'bestphoneever' or its just about 3.8" display? - Touch HD General

hi everyone,
I'm a Die Hard fan of Blackstone/Touch HD , and im waiting for it for a long time !
but after reading about it, watching movies, following discussions, I feel its nothing but a HUGE and tempting display .
we're all WM users and we didnt experienced any large-display phones with such size, and thats why we're trying to believe this is BEST !
since theres no TV-OUT capability , hard one handed usage , no D-PAD ( C'mon , its not iphone that fingers could do anything with any pressure ) and weird camera lens box!
is it really we wanted or its just another "I WANT TO BELIEVE?"

I do see where you're coming from... To me, I'll be honest, it's the Diamond in a REALLY nice case. One that's familiar to a long-term Elf user. The touchy-feely case, no desire to use the D-Pad... But when all's said and done: It's a huge display and has a 5MP camera. It's the best ever HTC, but it will be easy to top...
Now I feel bad... Thanks...

Hi,
Interesting point of view. ... and I agree most of it.
To be honest, the only thing I am interested in Touch HD is the huge 3.8" screen.
I like browsing the internet using Opera Mini (and Opera 9 of course) and I have no problem with my current HTC Kaiser.
However, I always envy with phone that has big screen, 3.5" like my friend's iPhone.
So, thats my sole reason to think about buying Touch HD.
However, I am holding back because there are couple of things that I need to convince myself:
1. TouchFlo 3D cannot show multiple appointments/tasks in its today screen.
This is rubish, I cannot understand why HTC does not implement this like the old HTC Home. And I have not found better solution for this.
Of course I can turn off TF3D (can I?) and use HTC Home or SpB Mobile Shell.
But ................ why???
2. No DPAD, can I live with it? Probably ...
But I have a dream to have a GAME DEVICE and PDA all in one.
I cannot do that with HTC Kaiser because of the graphics driver and bad performance. Really, I hate it.
3.8" is very nice for a game device. However, without DPAD, the game will be limited.
If I look the current Touch HD design, a DPAD is still possible in the center of those 4 buttons!
I know, I can buy Nintendo DS or PSP, but hey! I dont like carrying a lot of devices
5 MP camera is nothing ... the quality is still doubtful.
No TV-OUT like Raphael? Grrr!!!
Well, this is my personal opinion.
I dont know, probably I will buy it anyway ... or wait until I can hold and see it in real live ... and judge if the 3.8" screen is enough to convince myself to buy.

upcomming phones have almost same display size ( like ASUS Galaxy 7 ) and solved problems ...
but i want it from HTC .

I think it's yet another half-a***d swipe at the iPhone, without any real thought put into it. WM fans want to believe this is "the one" that's going to give them everything they (perhaps secretly) really like about the iPhone, while still wearing the Windows Mobile badge. In reality, it's just another WM phone with a bigger screen, and actually a few disadvantages over some other models (like that lack of a D-pad). In spite of the screen I really doubt the multimedia will be as slick as the iPhone, and for gaming it's a dead duck - unlike the iPhone where the appstore is brimming full of immersive games built around the iPhone's acceleromotor and multi-touch screen, the Touch HD only has the WM back catalogue to choose from, 99% of which will be written to run on non-accelerometor equipped phones with D-pads.
Meanwhile, underneath the Touchflo you still have an interface designed for a stylus, however big the display.

gogol said:
....1. TouchFlo 3D cannot show multiple appointments/tasks in its today screen.....
This is rubish, I cannot understand why HTC does not implement this like the old HTC Home. And I have not found better solution for this.
Of course I can turn off TF3D (can I?) and use HTC Home or SpB Mobile Shell.
But ................ why???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Get your act together HTC

I still cannot decide which model to choose - X1 or HD - and now I am thinking more and more of getting an X1. I simply understand that the only thing about HD that I am going to really love and cream-my-pants because of is the 3.8" screen.
I think that HD is a perfect device for non-WM-addicts, for people who will use just TF3D-interface and Opera at most, without installing any tweaks/programs/registry-hacks/emulators/debuggers/consoles/younameit. Cause when you want to install one of them, you're in trouble - no hardware keys, no D-pad... Achtung!
One more thing I thought about.. Every phone has a kind of a "secret combination of keys", e g "turn-on-the-phone-holding-two-buttons-pressed-and-enter-diagnostics-mode". I wonder if the sensor buttons would do that?

If I am going to express my opinion I will rather say I am going for the large screen size to be honest, Window mobile did not change since, its still WM 6.1 and not much difference on software, yes is the look of the phone that impress me and the size of the screen, because I personally enjoy watching movies on move.

How can HTC put such a cheap, crappy-looking clock onto such a "high-end" device?
The analogue clock from the TF2D (as per the Touch 3G) just looks so much better.
I also agree with the comments about the Appointments - this is a very important point for me, and if not easily resolvable will make me look eleswhere.
So do I remove the TF3D and use Spb instead? If I were to do that, would I then lose the scrollability of the unit - is the finger-scrolling part of TF3D or part of WM6.1?
From a non techie user point-of-view, the more I am finding out about this, the less excited I am about it. Having just read through the manual, I realise it doesn't do any more than any other WM 6.1 pda, except for the bigger screen. And even the quality of films on that seems to be in question!
Maybe I should stop reading sites such as this - lol.

Look we all love the design factor, large screen, hi res etc. That makes it the best win mo phone. Don't let these posts turn you off. You fell in love with the phone for a reason. As for the minor problems (2 appointments etc), well... where there's a will there's a way... xda-developers. Just give them time to work their magic.
Anyway there is always Second Today to see appointents http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=O2MYv5ooIp0

Nothing...........
I just Ordered mine from pdashop.nl 1 minute ago... And i don't need any negation right now. for 629 Euro. ....It better impress
Nothing is gonna take that joy from me..

You can fall in love with a phone for the wrong reasons! I really do think expectations are too high for this device, and people are right to question and rethink this now, before they've paid their money... IMO it's a flawed design, WinMo needs some kind of d-pad, it's not finger friendly enough even on this size screen to get by without it. If losing the hardware controls is a necessity of that larger screen, then they need to replace the UI completely, and use some other OS.

...
Are you guys serious?
Let's see the complaints that make this device "just another WM phone."
1. TV-OUT Capability
Why do I need this? WHEN will I need this? If I am at home, I will use my laptop to connect my HDTV via HDMI. Using a phone at home for it's TV-Out capability is well, useless. If you can afford this device, and are tech-savvy enough to know about it, then odds are you have an HDMI capable computer and TV.
The ONLY scenario where I could see this feature be useful is if I wanted to output video on a random TV, maybe at a bar:
"Hey bartender, hook up my HTC TOUCH HD to the TV please."
LOL
Come on!
2. Hard one handed usage? This coming from people who love QWERTY keyboards. I find this hilarious. What's so hard about it? Move your thumb around and you're good to go.
3. OMG! Weird camera lens box!! WTF is weird about it? Now, if you want to tell me no flash, alright I can agree with that. But to nag about the camera lens box? I think it looks good. I mean, I honestly don't care what it looks like as long as it's not pink with rainbows.
What are some other complaints?
No directional pad. Well, you have a 3.8in TOUCH screen and you want a d-pad? Is this a joke? If you want a d-pad, don't buy a TOUCH screen.
No games. Who plays games on their phone? Seriously. If you want to play games, go and buy a PSP or DS.
Home screen only shows a couple of appointments. This is a SLIGHT issue, but something tells me it will be fixed in no time by the heads roaming these forums.
-------------------------------------------------------
Now, let's compare these issues with the iPhone, since there were about 101 insinuations that we are desperate WM fan boys.
No TV-out:
iPhone doesn't have TV out either. OOOOOOOO.
Weird camera lens box:
iPhone has a useless 2megapixel camera without recording or focus features.
One handed usage:
Anyone notice that you have to slide SIDEWAYS just to unlock the iPhone? Explain to me how you are going to do that with ONE hand. At least HTC had the foresight to allow you to use the phone primarily with your thumb with up and down gestures.
The HTC Touch HD is NOT like any other WM phone or ANY phone for that matter. It's sensitivity is far superior, beautiful screen, FAST, and can do anything you can throw at it besides useless things such as outputting video at a bar.
Oh, and please don't get me started on the lack of iPhone features. How about the ability to CUT and PASTE? Want to talk to me about the iPhone marketplace? There are programmers all over the net with custom programs for WM that allows us to do basically ANYTHING, even emulate the iPhone.
Give me a break. This is a GREAT device and as far as I can tell, the only thing missing is flash.
And if you want to really be douche about it, most phones nowadays have a phone, video/music player, and a camera! So I guess we should all just get ourselves a Nokia 7610 and cluck.

So, could I use Second Today to run something like the Spb Today screen (because I am used to and love its flexible Appointments display), or am I mixing up technologies?
And just how safe /easy is it for a non-techie to install Second Today, and to change the button functions (and does this require a registry change, because now I'm starting to talk a new language?)

And, whilst I'm in a writing mood, the other issues raised were video playback quality, and suspected lag in GPS navigation.
Can anyone confirm the current situation with these. Is the playback quality acceptable without dropped frames, and has it been absolutely confirmed by a real test that there is no GPS lag?

Boinng said:
I think it's yet another half-a***d swipe at the iPhone, without any real thought put into it. WM fans want to believe this is "the one" that's going to give them everything they (perhaps secretly) really like about the iPhone, while still wearing the Windows Mobile badge. In reality, it's just another WM phone with a bigger screen, and actually a few disadvantages over some other models (like that lack of a D-pad). In spite of the screen I really doubt the multimedia will be as slick as the iPhone, and for gaming it's a dead duck - unlike the iPhone where the appstore is brimming full of immersive games built around the iPhone's acceleromotor and multi-touch screen, the Touch HD only has the WM back catalogue to choose from, 99% of which will be written to run on non-accelerometor equipped phones with D-pads.
Meanwhile, underneath the Touchflo you still have an interface designed for a stylus, however big the display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha opinions from Apple Fan Boys dont count. All opinions on gaming (based on nothing), no dpad (which i love), Poor multimedia (not from the videos ive seen), App store stinks because hacked apps for iphone way better and FREE,
I owned an Iphone for a month and couldnt get rid of it fast enough because WM offers so much more functionality for business and "hackability"

dont get wrong ! iphone is NO WAY competitor, its just a fancy phone! not more not less !
im going to buy this beast, but i really want to know is this really a big deal ?
i dont think so !
but we all know the form factor and the screen size is undeniable ! thats why im going for HD .

nu_D said:
...
1. TV-OUT Capability
Why do I need this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you are on holiday? At the hotel, in a country where you dont understand local language ... you end up with CNN
So, TV-Out is nice to have! Hook it up to the hotel TV and play movie from your PDA.
Why some users complained about this TV-Out? Because the "previous" device has that, HTC Raphael. Why dont they include it in the next iteration?
Of course, probably there are some other reasons, like PRICE etc. But I see this TV-Out as a valid point.
nu_D said:
2. Hard one handed usage? This coming from people who love QWERTY keyboards. I find this hilarious. What's so hard about it? Move your thumb around and you're good to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not always like that. The OS (WinMo 6.1) is not specifically designed for touch screen only.
People like me, prefer to use DPAD to move around the UI, much faster, efficient and less-thumb-hurt
You may disagree, but thats you!
nu_D said:
No games. Who plays games on their phone? Seriously. If you want to play games, go and buy a PSP or DS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Woohoo ... Gaming is also part of the mobile world.
If you dont play game in your PDA, then (again) it's your choice.
You should not dictate that, because the mobile gaming market is THERE.
nu_D said:
Want to talk to me about the iPhone marketplace? There are programmers all over the net with custom programs for WM that allows us to do basically ANYTHING, even emulate the iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Righty ... Please dont compare iPhone apps with WinMo apps
nu_D said:
Give me a break. This is a GREAT device and as far as I can tell, the only thing missing is flash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is a great device. But how great is this? Depends ...

manuelcalavera said:
dont get wrong ! iphone is NO WAY competitor, its just a fancy phone! not more not less !
im going to buy this beast, but i really want to know is this really a big deal ?
i dont think so !
but we all know the form factor and the screen size is undeniable ! thats why im going for HD .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and my apologies for not answer the question lol. Is it a big deal, nah, not when you look at all the other technology worldwide as a whole. Its nice but there is really no "phone" that is a big deal in my humble opinion.

nu_D said:
...
Now, let's compare these issues with the iPhone, since there were about 101 insinuations that we are desperate WM fan boys.
No TV-out:
iPhone doesn't have TV out either. OOOOOOOO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually yes, it does. Bad start.
Weird camera lens box:
iPhone has a useless 2megapixel camera without recording or focus features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely. For the record, I have no idea why anyone's complaining about the "weird camera lens box" on the HD. It's just a lens.
The iPhone's camera is just a camera, and makes no pretence to be anything more - if you want a better camera, buy one (or a different phone).
One handed usage:
Anyone notice that you have to slide SIDEWAYS just to unlock the iPhone? Explain to me how you are going to do that with ONE hand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Easily and quickly about a million times a day. Seriously, you're just demonstrating you've never been near one, and are desperately trying to think up things which might be wrong with it, on the strength of a few screenshots you've seen. The "slide to unlock/answer" is an excellent feature that's completely natural to use one handed - it works so well that even HTC have tried to imitate it with a similar "slide to answer" feature on the, ahem, Touch HD.
At least HTC had the foresight to allow you to use the phone primarily with your thumb with up and down gestures.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean TouchFlo scrolling? The first feature that HTC copied from the iPhone, last year? Ah yes, such foresight!
The HTC Touch HD is NOT like any other WM phone or ANY phone for that matter. It's sensitivity is far superior, beautiful screen, FAST, and can do anything you can throw at it besides useless things such as outputting video at a bar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wake up and smell yesterday's coffee. It's like like every other WM phone, runs the same software as every other WM phone, it even has the same processor and internal spec as most other current WM phones. The screen is new, as is the inconvenient lack of d-pad - everything else is the same old same old.
Oh, and please don't get me started on the lack of iPhone features. How about the ability to CUT and PASTE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, yeah, it doesn't do that. You knew about that? I thought it was a secret?
Want to talk to me about the iPhone marketplace?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really, but I'll tell about the Appstore - bloody brilliant. Thousands of quality apps, many of them free, all the paid ones generally much, much cheaper than their WinMo equivalents, and all there to be browsed and downloaded right on the device, updates alerted and downloaded in the same way.. yep, it's a fantastic system. Is that what you wanted to know?
There are programmers all over the net with custom programs for WM that allows us to do basically ANYTHING, even emulate the iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now why would you want to emulate a rubbish old iPhone?
For the record, I used a Tytn II for the past year, I've never owned a Mac, and I've never been a "fanboy" of any damn thing, but if you think the iPhone's a soft target for a bit of WinMo frustration, you're mistaken.

Related

Touch HD overcomes WM6.1 drawbacks?

After reluctantly succumbing to the temptation of the iPhone I bought one and used it for 1 week before reverting to my Diamond!
Conclusions - the iPhone is a good communications device. The Diamond is a good communication device AND a mobile Personal Computer. It is so much more versatile, flexible and you can be more productive without relying on your desktop/laptop PC.
The iPhone interface is lovely, fast, robust-feeling and crisp and clear. It has been designed to be like that. HTC have put touch functionality on top of WinMo which was not designed for it so it has a few drawbacks.
I shall no doubt upgrade to the Touch HD as I now accept the HTC failings because the platform is so much better than iPhone.
My question is...how is the HTC Touch HD going to address these?
Any thoughts, considered opinions, or leaked info welcome!!
cheers all
cojones said:
After reluctantly succumbing to the temptation of the iPhone I bought one and used it for 1 week before reverting to my Diamond!
Conclusions - the iPhone is a good communications device. The Diamond is a good communication device AND a mobile Personal Computer. It is so much more versatile, flexible and you can be more productive without relying on your desktop/laptop PC.
The iPhone interface is lovely, fast, robust-feeling and crisp and clear. It has been designed to be like that. HTC have put touch functionality on top of WinMo which was not designed for it so it has a few drawbacks.
I shall no doubt upgrade to the Touch HD as I now accept the HTC failings because the platform is so much better than iPhone.
My question is...how is the HTC Touch HD going to address these?
Any thoughts, considered opinions, or leaked info welcome!!
cheers all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so what kind of drawbacks are you talking about?
cause basicallly, the touch hd has got the same interface and OS as the Diamond. Only the screen in bigger. So you will see more at the same time (more appointments on the home screen for example)
Raziel1 said:
so what kind of drawbacks are you talking about?
cause basicly, the touch hd has got the same interface and os as the Diamon. only the screen ins bigger so you will see more at the same time (more appointments on the home screen for example)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree.. Its a Diamond with a larger screen and 5MP camera. Hopefully it doesn't inherit any of the same GPS lag problems as its kin.
Hi, yes i'm aware it is just Diamond but bigger, i'm wondering if HTC has updated the usability aspects of the hardware, like the screen and the interfaces like the keyboard?
A constant problem for me with the Diamond is the hit-and-miss accuracy of the direction pad. Sometimes pressing right gets actioned as backspace and closes things down. It is also fiddly to position to cursor exactly between required letters in text boxes.
I'm wondering, especially as there is no directional pad on the HD, what measures HTC has implemented to enable this precise kind of interaction.
Just install something like Winterface and the interface will be so much like an iPhone it won't be funny.
The biggest difference that you will find after coming from using an iPhone is the screen. The reason the iPhone screen is so good to use is it is a capacitive screen which means it does not require any pressure to select icons etc. It senses changes in electrical properties brought on by touching it with bare skin. The screen in Windows Mobile devices is resistive which requires pressure by touch or a stylus for accuracy.
Having said that the sensitivity of the screens can be changed and from what I have seen from various hands on videos of the Touch HD the screen looks very sensitive to touch so I am hoping this will very usable.
chrissyboy6969 said:
The biggest difference that you will find after coming from using an iPhone is the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I am a WinMo person through and through, for about 5 years now, I only had an iPhone for 1 week! I understand the differences with screen technology, do you think HTC will have improved the sensitivity by default?
One of the best features in HD is the new screen.It doesnt use the same technology as Iphone but is very similar in sensitivity,although Iphone screen is still the best in touch screens(flash memory and touch screen are the only things better then latest WM devices...in my opinion of course).
cojones said:
The iPhone interface is lovely, fast, ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is just a general comment stemmed from yours, not directed at you:
iphone is fast because it doesn't multitask, other than the core apps that came with iphone. apps are "paused" and states are saved when you go into a different application, nothing can run in the background.
microsoft needs to fire their entire marketing team for not attacking this weakness of the iphone and trumpet this as a pro for Windows Mobile. Actually come to think about it, their marketing team should be fired for unable to come up with advertisements that stick in viewers minds (comparing to apple's ads)
the gps is onchip on the qualcomm so apart from antenna
and software they would all performe pretty much the same
buggybug0 said:
This is just a general comment stemmed from yours, not directed at you:
iphone is fast because it doesn't multitask, other than the core apps that came with iphone. apps are "paused" and states are saved when you go into a different application, nothing can run in the background.
microsoft needs to fire their entire marketing team for not attacking this weakness of the iphone and trumpet this as a pro for Windows Mobile. Actually come to think about it, their marketing team should be fired for unable to come up with advertisements that stick in viewers minds (comparing to apple's ads)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree!
Yes, that was a frustrating thing with the iPhone for the little time i used it, when tracking my cycle rides it needed to be on (screen off) with the app in the foreground. No chance of continuing to track when a phone call comes in or you need to check something else, e.g google maps, internet, etc.
Other iPhone frustrations, no copy & paste, no windows explorer type app, no document editors, no turn by turn gps (yet).
Hoping i can get rid of the iPhone sharpish to help me banish the horrible memories ;-)
I am an iPhone 3G user now, before that I have always used Windows Mobile, the iPhone makes everything that it can do easy to do. Problem is what it can do compared to Windows Mobile is limited. I miss so many things that I used to have, tethering, copy paste to name just two but most importantly the iPhone is becoming too mainstream for me, I like to be different, I like to have a phone that others don't have and show them things they can't do, I guess that is just the geek in me. For that reason I am buying a Touch HD as soon as it comes out, with a little work I can get it to perform just how I want it too.
Rudegar said:
the gps is onchip on the qualcomm so apart from antenna
and software they would all performe pretty much the same
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With Quallcom there is generally one problem...
Their speed is to low... And then people blame in on Win Mobile
chrissyboy6969 said:
with a little work I can get it to perform just how I want it too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly! You've hit the nail on the head, that is the huge advantage WinMo has over iPhone, you can make it just what you want it. iPhone - you get it...and that's it (except for the wallpaper on the unlock screen ;-)
The only issue with WinMo is it's stone age interface designed for stylus. All shells like Manila and SPB are nice but after a couple of taps you reach the good old WinMo GUI and you have to pull the stylus and bring the magnifying glass.
I want a 6.1 device where WinMo is just a platform, and the GUI is entirely replaced with a touch friendly shell.
But the Touch HD will not do that. It will have the same Frankenstein GUI as all recent WinMo devices, so I will keep my Kaiser until WM7 comes along. (or until android supports desktop sync and turn-by-turn)
Same goes here
chrissyboy6969 said:
I am an iPhone 3G user now, before that I have always used Windows Mobile, the iPhone makes everything that it can do easy to do. Problem is what it can do compared to Windows Mobile is limited. I miss so many things that I used to have, tethering, copy paste to name just two but most importantly the iPhone is becoming too mainstream for me, I like to be different, I like to have a phone that others don't have and show them things they can't do, I guess that is just the geek in me. For that reason I am buying a Touch HD as soon as it comes out, with a little work I can get it to perform just how I want it too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was a previous Window mobile user too, but switch to iPhone, but for only less than two weeks or so I sold my iphone, iPhone are luck of so many things compare to Window Mobile features. The iPhone is not so bad. but I rather stick with WMobile, which is easy and simple to use..
(or until android supports desktop sync and turn-by-turn)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't think that'll be very long to wait at all, given the open-source nature of the software
I've used iPhone but have settled for the HD. I like the screen of the iPhone although I prefer the screen on the HD.
HTC Touch HD gives me the real feel of pressing a button where in the iPhone you just touch it and you get instant reaction which sometimes isn't what you want.
When I type, I like to keep my fingers on the screen while thinking of the next line (what ever) and when I am ready I can continue to press as normal to type which is superb!
I've used iPhone but have settled for the HD. I like the screen of the iPhone although I prefer the screen on the HD.
HTC Touch HD gives me the real feel of pressing a button where in the iPhone you just touch it and you get instant reaction which sometimes isn't what you want.
When I type, I like to keep my fingers on the screen while thinking of the next line (what ever) and when I am ready I can continue to press as normal to type which is superb!
Holy double posting thread necromancing batman!
You do realize that no one posted in this thread for... 3 months?

New UK HD Owner Views (from an iPhone owner :-) LONG MESSAGE

I have had my 3G iphone for about 6-7 months now, and have in that time tried several new phones, namely Nokia E71, Diamond (horrible), X1 (lasted less than 1 day!) and I also own a Trinity.
Anyway, the HD arrived via www.devicewire.co.uk in the UK (doh) on Thursday last week, and I powered it up right away. It was £522 delivered.
I think in the UK, people are better off ordering online, since you have the 7 day DSR (Distance Sellings Regs) to fall back on in the event of dislike, dead pixels etc.
With the HD, I am surprised how much I like it..........put it this way, it came Thursday, and Friday it was a case of "yes, this is good, but nothing much better than the iPhone, so I can not justify the cost, so back it goes".....read on for what happened next
I even have the return code from devicewire (very good aftersales, even when you are returning stuff!!)
I can not say the HD screen blew me away, since the screen on the iPhone is a truly, truly lovely screen anyway, and I had been using this everyday for the aforemention 6-7 months.....but, for anyone who has not been using an iPhone, the screen is gonna make you do a double take. It is clear, big, bright and the fonts look amazing.
First thing I did was switch off the ambient sensor (yes, it does have one!), and put brightness up to full, I love contrast as my eyesight is not so good these days.
Now, this is why the iPhone has been so good for me, (although I guess most of you lot here will be younger with perfect vision), I find it has good large fonts, and great contrast.
Compare this to the default text size on the Diamond, or indeed the latest Sony X1, its tiny, and yes, I do know you can altertext size, but on a small screen, it just means you get less on a sreen and have to be scrolling all the time.
The HD is just perfect for me, nice big fonts, so smooth, and perfectly usable with either a finger, (even with a glove on, something that is not possible on iPhone), or a stylus, which as it turns the HD on, is handy to have.
So, the screen is as good as the iPhone, with better resolution, and as I just read in the Slashgear review, the actual touching of the two screens is very close indeed. Even coming from several hours use of the iPhone eveyday, I do feel that I will get on with the HD screen very nicely.
But hang on, I am not keeping this am I, I already have the return code and devicewire are expecting it back......well, I doubt it now.......I had put it all away very carefully on Friday, but it sat there looking at me, and I kept reading about it on here........it was all too much, got up this morning and thought "lets take it to work, Sunday is quiet usually, I can have a play".
Well, the breakthrough for me was to turn off Touchflo and install PocketPlus, a great piece of software I have used on many devices. Oh, that and TomTom 6 running in landscape on the trip to work
As for GPS lag, it is only about 10 miles to my workplace, but there is little or no lag present in TomTom 6.
TomTom is a big deal for me, I find nothing touches it, and it is a great disapointment that there is still no TomTom (or anything else!) for the iPhone, when you recall the stories that TomTom already had it running back at the 3G launch, it must be Apple who are blocking its release.....
I think Touchflo is just too "black" for me, not sure if it will run with a brighter skin or not, but I like the way PocketPlus makes a device look, much brighter.
Now, a lot has been written about WM 6.1 being hard to use without D-Pad? The only issue (apart from games which I confess is of zero concern to me) is for selecting little drop down (roll out) menus, and that is sorted with AEBPlus http://ae.inc.ru/aebplus.php which allows you to assign the volume up and down keys to act as Arrow Up and Arrow Down, and this sorts it and works well.
I can confirm the UK HD comes with the little soft case (its quite nice actually), but a word of warning, do NOT assume all iPhone cases will work, my one, and nice Marware slip case is too tight, and the HD is a smidgen wider that the iPhone. Anyway, I like the softcase. It was also nice to get the 8gb Micro SD card. I have not installed the screen protector yet, can never really get on with those anyway.
Keyboard use on the iPhone is pretty good, and I was very doubtful that HTC could get anywhere near it, but they have basically cracked it IMV. The buttons are the same size as iPhone and easy to use. I am making less mistakes in a few hours than I do after 6 months on iPhone.
Web browsing is not in my opinion as good as the iPhone, well, let me qualify that. If you just use fingers, the iPhone wins, but if you use fingers and the stylus, I think the HD then just shades it.
One very welcome side effect of returning to WM is the multitasking, this is one massive issue for us geeks on the iPhone, combined with the lack of cut n paste, it really shows the two devices quite far apart in usability.
Email is very good on the iPhone, and if you only have the one account (gmail for example) it takes some beating for simplicity. However, the HD also does a great job, and with a little wireless keyboard (impossible on iPhone), I think it will make a good laptop replacement)
RSS is OK on the iPhone, but much easier on the HD, with the built in RSS Hub program, which downloads all feeds, including video feeds. I like to watch Cali Lewis on Geekbrief www.geekbrief.tv everyday, and you have to jailbreak the iPhone to be able to do that (yes, I do know its coming in 2.2 software, but with a limit of 10mb over cellular, which renders it useless for video podcasts, and anyway, its a pain in the arse to upgrade iPhone and then have to jailbreak each time.
We are good at making our decisions fit the case, so the iPhone user is always going to say "oh, I don't really miss cut n paste", when in fact, you quickly forget how often it is useful.
I think for me, it comes down to this, the HTC Touch HD can do everything the iPhone can do and lots more, but the the iPhone can not do several things the HD can do. Does that make sense?
I hope this view (not a review IMHO), helps some of you, and just like the chap in the other thread, please feel free to ask any specific questions about useabilty, although please don't ask me to run x test on y video, using xx program while standing in a bucket of water, as I probably can not be bothered
A couple of program I will miss if I sell the iPhone are TV Plus, a great APP which gives a 7 day EPG and more inportantly, links to Sky Plus (UK only) and lets you setup recordings.
I will also greatly miss Remote, an Apple APP which controls iTunes on my main desktop PC, although I should be getting up off my butt to change charge anyway.
So, who wants to buy an iPhone ;-)
Kev
So font size was your only problem with the Xperia? I'm trying to decide between the Xperia (had it for about 5 days now) and the HD.
BTW, my other phone is an iPhone 2G and I do like the screen.
Whoops, forgot that bit.
No, I got the X1 in the UK at Vodafone (if anyone is interested they are £500 are are not locked to Voda.....well, my one was not anyway)
The fonts were always gonna be too small for me, but I hated the keyboard, the keys barely protrude over the case, very little feedback.
But the killer and reason for return within a few hours for refund was a horribly wobbly screen, but I accept this could have been my one.
Also, given that you would have to use on screen keypad to dial people, it was too fiddly, too small. That 3" screen is very narrow you know.
Sorry.
Kev
I bet there's a program on WinMo that let's you control not only your iTunes but your whole PC. On my current 4 years old Nokia, there's System Freak, that lets you do that...
Thanks for that post KevWright.
Like VeloAudio, I'm deciding between the Touch HD and X1. I still have some niggling concerns about the Touch HD but I am assuming the X1 has the same 'problems' or 'complications' so am leaning towards the former.
Your post bolsters the case.
Great post!
Can you delve a little bit deeper into the screen responsiveness please? Just a few more sentences on how it compares to the iPhone's would be great.
Also, this is probably unbelievably subjective, but which phone do you find sexier? For instance, you are on the bus and you take out your iPhone and you take out your HD, which feels sexier?
Thanks.
kevwright said:
A couple of program I will miss if I sell the iPhone are TV Plus, a great APP which gives a 7 day EPG and more inportantly, links to Sky Plus (UK only) and lets you setup recordings.
So, who wants to buy an iPhone ;-)
Kev
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might be interested in a SlingBox, which allows you to stream and your own Sat/IPTV etc. over the web to your laptop or your WM device. It comes with software to control the IR on your video sources. I stream Bluewin IPTV and Sky to the SlingMobile software on my Trinity and intend to do the same with the HD tomorrow when it arrives. I hope it runs on the HD. I will report back later on that.
Matterhorn said:
You might be interested in a SlingBox, which allows you to stream and your own Sat/IPTV etc. over the web to your laptop or your WM device. It comes with software to control the IR on your video sources. I stream Bluewin IPTV and Sky to the SlingMobile software on my Trinity and intend to do the same with the HD tomorrow when it arrives. I hope it runs on the HD. I will report back later on that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I've read elsewhere, the Touch HD doesn't have an IR port, so you won't be able to use the IR functionality of Slingbox unless you mean the "box" itself attached to a TV?
kevwright said:
Oh, that and TomTom 6 running in landscape on the trip to work
As for GPS lag, it is only about 10 miles to my workplace, but there is little or no lag present in TomTom 6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What version did you install, and will it work in full WVGA or are their black bars on the screen?
Thanks in advance
nu_D said:
Great post!
Can you delve a little bit deeper into the screen responsiveness please? Just a few more sentences on how it compares to the iPhone's would be great.
Also, this is probably unbelievably subjective, but which phone do you find sexier? For instance, you are on the bus and you take out your iPhone and you take out your HD, which feels sexier?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, it is hard to say that much more, I have them both here and am playing now. Not sure if you know the iPhone, but on 2.1 software (jailbroken), when you press the button for say SMS, there is about a 2 sec delay while it loads up, now on the HD, its about the same, but on the HD if you leave messaging running in the background (which I suspect you can do with these better memory equipped models?) it is instant, with the iPhone you always get the delay cos nothing (well except the music player) is allowed to stay in background.
OK, using book reading software, I would say they are almost equal.........maybe the iPhone is fractionally better, or it could be I am more used to it.
As to your second point, I can't help mate, for one, I only have a vague idea of what a "bus" is, and the day I find either the iPhone or the HD "sexy", that is the day I go back to my Nokia 6310 )
OK, I think they look so similar mate, there is nothing in it.
Kev
kevwright said:
But the killer and reason for return within a few hours for refund was a horribly wobbly screen, but I accept this could have been my one.
Kev
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you saying they are all wobbly or it is just yours. You going to replace it I guess?
luckyuser said:
What version did you install, and will it work in full WVGA or are their black bars on the screen?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I can not find a version number I am afraid.
It looks great in portrait, but bloody fantastic in widescreen, I have it on a manual rotate screen, and there are NO bars in any view.
Kev
exe said:
Are you saying they are all wobbly or it is just yours. You going to replace it I guess?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would have no idea beyond my one mate. It was that bad that I could never live with it.
I have replaced it....with the HD )
I will not be getting another X1, fonts were too small, and after this screen, there is no going back.
Kev
Matterhorn said:
You might be interested in a SlingBox, which allows you to stream and your own Sat/IPTV etc. over the web to your laptop or your WM device. It comes with software to control the IR on your video sources. I stream Bluewin IPTV and Sky to the SlingMobile software on my Trinity and intend to do the same with the HD tomorrow when it arrives. I hope it runs on the HD. I will report back later on that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I do have Slingbox, and have even register Slingplayer, but I just have never had good perfomance on it to be honest. I am not realy fussed about watching TV on my HD, just this little app was great to tell my Sky box to record something, mainly cos it enabled you to do it even without turning the TV and Sky box on.
I am hoping there is something for WinMo
Kev
nokia e71 vs. htc touch diamond
hi kevwright,
after a bad experience with an htc diamond (very poor battery and many ROM updates), I've decided to go for nokia e71. Now I'm considering an htc touch hd, but I'm very curios about it's battery life. how the touch hd compare to the e71 in terms of battery life and general?
in call recording
Hi alll - I have posted a separate thread on this issue, but alas, I thought i would also ask it here from those that already have an HD.
in call recording feature - anyone tried it out? some are reporting that it doesn't work...even though HTC calls it out in their specs online.
can anyone kindly shed some real world experience w/this feature on teh HD?
Thanks in advance.
Someone tell this guy how paragraphs work...
Great post.. I allready bought Touch HD, and I have the same view as you!
Cheers!
Thanks for the insight, kev. Great post.
dragosel80 said:
hi kevwright,
after a bad experience with an htc diamond (very poor battery and many ROM updates), I've decided to go for nokia e71. Now I'm considering an htc touch hd, but I'm very curios about it's battery life. how the touch hd compare to the e71 in terms of battery life and general?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life looks like it will be quite good, but not as good as an E71 (screen is tiny!).
Had it only a day really, so I will update this in a few days.
Kev

HD is over-rated ?

OK at the risk of starting a flame war I want to ask for some objective feedback on the HD. I tried the HD in a shop today for about 20 minutes and I was quite disappointed. (I have a HTC tytn so I used my experience over the last 18 months with that as a reference.). My brief conclusions
(a) The screen is big with a lot of detail as everyone says but its not as bright as the iPhone, G1 or blackberry Storm. Also the blacks are a bit murky so the constrast is not as good as the iPhone, G1 or the Storm.
(b) The interface felt very "laggy" with lots of freezing. (I've subsequently found a thread here on XDA-Developers where there are many compaints of freezes for several seconds - the unit I tried in the shop belonged to the Sales guy and had been up and running in less than 1 day with nothing extra installed on it - I ended up showing the sales guy how to do some things ! ) Certainly TF3D was no way as "slick" as the iPhone or the G1. When trying to browse the web the HD I perfered the G1 when if on the HD I could see more !
(c) One of my requirements is basic operations should be possible with one hand. The lack of hardware buttons and a D-pad / trackball or scroller seems to make that difficult? For example, it was difficult to take a decent close up picture of someone as you have to press the screen which moves the HD and so causes a loss of focus. On the third attempt I gave up trying to take a decent picture.
(d) For such a big screen TF3D makes inefficient use of the screen. I was particularly disappointed with the music player. I got the impression that rather than focus on functionality HTC really wanted to make things look good.
Overall I was dissappointed. I really want to get rid of my Wm5 based Tytn but it looks like I might have to look at something else
Please convince me otherwise !
Can those of you who've had real experience (I.e. for than a couple of days - where you are in the honeymoon period) provide some feedback on the HD?
not going to convince you to change. i suggest you stick with the Tytn and you'll save yourself a lot of second guessing and heart ache. based on a-d above, the HD is not for you.
I played with the iPhone for 20 minutes and hated it... But when I tried the HD for about 20 minutes I loved it.
What the hek every now and then someone comes and start his own comparison of HD to Iphone!!!!
IPHONE for many of us is Cr***ap ...
You have already started the thread by painting such as prefect picture of iPhone. If your requirements are better met by that, just go get yourself an iPhone. Everyone person's requirements are different. For me, iPhone does not meet my need and HD does. If you want to know why, go to this thread and read every post there by myself.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=443900
No point in flaming him (I have an Hermes as well and have a lot of questions about HD vs Touch Pro for instance)
It is really interesting to read people's opinion, may it be positive or negative to help many potential users chose with all cards in hand
Stick with your TyTn .... and wait for the next year 2009 devices.
For sure HD broughr fresh blood to the WinMo device, but thats not enough.
I am pretty sure, 2009 will be very interesting for mobile device (WinMo 6.5, Tegra?)
I have N95 for 15 Months and i thought i would never change phone again till iPhone 3G came out so i decided to upgrade.
At the same time my brother just bought Touch Diamond and I have to admit that I really hate the Diamond since the first few mins of playing with it. Laggy.. Sloppy.. Jerky.. Slowly.. Whatever u called it, Diamond has it all.
But now my brother decide to get a Touch HD, hoping that it will lift up our feeling some way some how, and he is right.
He got a phone last week and i have to say.. "It is in a different league with the iPhone"
Now i have to order another one for myself. Hope it will arrive soon ^^
Sorry but you are not right
By the way - the iPhone is indeed better because of the better OS
But also the HF Screen has not such a good contrast and has moires from different view angles ...
when you work for some days with the HD the iPhone screen shows pixels.
The HD screnn with th perfect resolution is much smoother
The HTC Touchflow SW is after a long time on devices quite fast ans very good ( not as good as iPhone OS ) - the only lag is that many functions are missing and HTC does not offer updates regularly to older devices.
annoying & ridiculous...
sorry ... BUT it really IS annoying to read so many threads where people are just complaining that the HD 'doesnt meet this and that and...' - whats the use in it ?! Everyone needs different things in a device, you wouldn't want my kind of shoes or trousers or car or whatever!!
So I don't give a s*** what anybody else has to say about the HD - I tested it for MYSELF, I found it to be excellent for me, I bought it two weeks ago, I do lots of flatrate-HSDPA'ing, business use 12 hours/day, permanent exchange sncy'ing, blablabla...my HD truely rocks. Simply said: theres nothing *I* miss - if you do, buy something you like.
First of all. Thanks for the feedback so far. I'm sorry that some of you seem to be overly defensive. What I am trying to get to the bottom of is that my short experience of the HD is at odds with the many many reviews of the HD on the web.
There are endless comparsions with the iPhone but I don't recall any mentioning the screen being not as bright or that the HD has a very "laggy" interface. The point is that the reviews hold up the iphone as the benchmark and generally give the impression that the HD is close in terms of touch sensitivity and better in terms of screen. I was therefore surprised when i got my hands on a unit to not get that impression in those areas. I am aware of the fact that the Iphone can't multi-task, has no FM radio, has locked down applications, video recording problems, poor support for MS office attachments etc etc. So I'm not that interested in it - its too restricted for me!
So what I'm trying to understand is why my, albeit, short experience is different.
So the questions remains guys.
Can you load a theme or change a setting to change the way the screen looks ?
(EagleSteve - I'm just reading that 49 page thread you refered to and I note the äuthor of the thread states - "I think Touchflo is just too "black" for me, not sure if it will run with a brighter skin or not, but I like the way PocketPlus makes a device look, much brighter" - So that suggests a possible fix to my concern of the screen being not as bright as I expected)
Is the lack of hardware buttons actually a problem or does the large touch screen make it a non issue in practice?
Do you have laggy behaviour ? Is there some App or setting which everyone loads to get rid of the "laggy" behaviour? For the me the real show-stopper is probably the laggy behaviour - I need to know how much of a problem it is in practice.
Thanks for the feedback
I don't know... my unit isn't laggy at all, tflo is flying, the only issue I have is about video playback. But this is going to be solved with the next CorePlayer release, I hope.
owen.cullum said:
[...]
Do you have laggy behaviour ? Is there some App or setting which everyone loads to get rid of the "laggy" behaviour? For the me the real show-stopper is probably the laggy behaviour - I need to know how much of a problem it is in practice.
Thanks for the feedback
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The laggy behaviour obviously depends on what ROM you have.
I for myself do not experience lags on my device.
EDIT: As for the themes. Giznetic has already made some. Check out this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=451731
I dont get it.
Is the lack of hardware buttons actually a problem or does the large touch screen make it a non issue in practice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
U seems to like the iPhone so much but y u worry about this issue? It seems like u trying to point out that Touch HD lack of D-Pad and button so its useless.
What about iPhone? 1 lonely button is that enuff for u?
sigh..
Hi Owen,
Well I'm not a HD user, I actually have a raphael. but my experience with this device was similar to yours when I first got it. In my experience my device was very laggy to start with. I ended up downloading a ROM and the speed is beautiful, I'm sure the HD will have the same and when this device is around as long as the raphael you will have some amazing ROMs if you already don't. Although it does frustrate me that our performance issues have to be solve by personal developers (who by the way do a marvellous job). So if you are happy flashing a ROM you will certainly get to a point you are happy with in regards to performance. it may however take you some time to do so
In regards to the button aspect, which was going to be my primary focus, the raphael has a few more buttons and a scroll wheel device. Having the extra buttons is frustrating, I have only had minimal (if any) use for them and only feel like they take up room on the device. If you are happy to not have a keyboard I wouldn't be too concerned on the lack of buttons.
Cheers
TT
kids phone
there is nothing called iphone sorry buy its the kids phone, who said better os? if so why great apple went for exchnage ???gps but no application wow, 3g but u cant create 2 way video call so there is no compaison if u want to make u kids happy go for kids phone
owen.cullum said:
Please convince me otherwise !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No thanks
I bought the HD because I was sure it was the right device to answer my needs. One month after I'm still convinced it was a good choice.
But I'm even more convinced that there's just no interest in trying to convince other users that my phone is the one they need.
A consequence is the following: I'm not interested in being convinced that the HD was not good enough for me
The Touch HD has a very bright screen. Did you alter the settings, to turn off automatic backlight?
I don't find my HD laggy at all especially with the tweak that optimises the cache. Even out of the box I didn't find the HD laggy. Afterall it's only a phone and not your desktop PC...
Screen looks nice enough in my opinion. I can't convince you that it isn't over rated as after having one for a few weeks I feel it is nothing special.
For the people that say there is no point complaining, this is true if you don't own one I suppose. Although if a person did buy one because of the hype and it doesn't live up to it then I think they have every right to say why they feel they don't like it. I spent 500 quid on mine and I should be able to criticise things about it I don't like at that point.
If a person is happy with his device that's great but others that don't share that feeling are entitled to their views too.
Like I said, each has his own need and preference, so I can only summarise for you who iphone is not worthy of comparison to hd from my viewpoint only.
1. I like the hd screen and not iphone screen: because HD screen has the right level of sensitivity and supports stylus. Stylus is a critical requirements not only it is more user friendly to me, but also because it supports hand writing. Screen brightness of HD is completely adequate under bright sunlight.
2. I need availability of tomtom or similar software. Iphone does not have an acceptable navigation software.
3 I need desktop class word, spreadsheet, and presentation editing software, which iphone doesn't have.
4.I need better software keyboard than that iphone offer and winmo platform offers that.
5.I cannot live with iphone's battery design because I'd been stuck without battery. I do not want the bulk of a mobile charger.
6. the breath and depth of software in iphone is still not there yet.
7. I prefer HD's bigger screen.
8. I like having more buttons in HD rather than just one in iphone.
9. I like being able to customise. You don't like black? No problem. Use something like spb mobile shell, or change the skin and background of tf3d.
10.I like to have lots of choices when come to firmware or ROM. You don't have that with iphone. The ability to improve is very limited.
11.I like FM radio, I like cut and paste, I like all the little things which HD can do and iphone can't.
I like the build quality of iphone. I like it's browser. I like it's smoothness in displaying web pages more than Opera mobile. I like its multimedia capability.
I almost got an iphone.
For me, iphone is a very sexy women, and the temptation to marry her is great. But if I want someone who can manage the household, bring up the kids well, wise with finance, and kind to people, HD is the plain Jane whom can deliver.

X1 goes in the draw tomorrow...

time for an iPhone 3G S tomorrow! yay...
X1 was the biggest dissapointment ever for me! this phone was so over hyped and then when it finally came out the panels interface was just this biggest flop ever! still is...i mean seriously?!?!? where are they all?
anyway...enough of all this windows mobile ****...even 6.5 is a let down...
i guess thats why i'm also buying a MacBook Pro next week too!
frozenwaffles said:
time for an iPhone 3G S tomorrow! yay...
X1 was the biggest dissapointment ever for me! this phone was so over hyped and then when it finally came out the panels interface was just this biggest flop ever! still is...i mean seriously?!?!? where are they all?
anyway...enough of all this windows mobile ****...even 6.5 is a let down...
i guess thats why i'm also buying a MacBook Pro next week too!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AM in the same boat, first time got fed up with xperia problems so much , that i bought a iphone 3gs, although am still using both,,, i cant tell you ,,how much easier things are in 3gs with all the apps around.
vj
Well .. I'm quite disappointed too .. but iPhone just wont cut it for me. For example I require playback of non-converted videos in common formats (avi,mpg,flv). No smartphone can do that well at the moment.
I'm at the moment I'm staying with Xperia and hoping that Palm wont block 3rd part media player development ..
But sure, iPhone, especially the new one, looks great, and everything it can do it does better. Way better.
iPhone is for macfags.
frozenwaffles said:
time for an iPhone 3G S tomorrow! yay...
X1 was the biggest dissapointment ever for me! this phone was so over hyped and then when it finally came out the panels interface was just this biggest flop ever! still is...i mean seriously?!?!? where are they all?
anyway...enough of all this windows mobile ****...even 6.5 is a let down...
i guess thats why i'm also buying a MacBook Pro next week too!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The panels interface was indeed the most useless thing ever. That's why I uninstalled it. Although you have had some problems with the X1, you'll encounter new ones with the new iPhone. Add to that, you'll be paying a bucketload of money for that new device. Why would you buy a MacBook? Windows mobile =/ Windows.
vijayvasa said:
AM in the same boat, first time got fed up with xperia problems so much , that i bought a iphone 3gs, although am still using both,,, i cant tell you ,,how much easier things are in 3gs with all the apps around.
vj
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting that you're still using both. Apparently the iPhone lacks something that the X1 doesn't.
Dr.Sid said:
Well .. I'm quite disappointed too .. but iPhone just wont cut it for me. For example I require playback of non-converted videos in common formats (avi,mpg,flv). No smartphone can do that well at the moment.
I'm at the moment I'm staying with Xperia and hoping that Palm wont block 3rd part media player development ..
But sure, iPhone, especially the new one, looks great, and everything it can do it does better. Way better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And another great example of how every device has it's problems. There is simply not one device that has it all.
ratchetnclank said:
iPhone is for macfags.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is degenerating, not a proper way to approach posts like the above.
--
All in all, personally I prefer the X1 (or any WVGA HTC WM phone) over the iPhone because it's customizable. I like being able to tinker around with it. I also prefer Microsoft's approach (although, I'm aware, they're just as imperfect as any other company) to operating systems.
Then again the iPhone does have much better graphical support, smoother UI etc.
If only Apple and Microsoft would merge
iPhone is for tech illiterate sheep that want to look trendy in front of their equally degenerated friends. Flashy, useless, unproductive toy with features that phones had in 1999............
let us know how you like your iphone.
i was looking and playing with one the other day. it was ok but i like the customization that you can do on the windows mobile. i like the big screen but i didnt like the touch (capacitance?). i like to use my fingernails a bit and it doesnt work on the iphone screen.
The major problem with the iPhone for me is the lack of a hardware keyboard. I can handle a normal phone keypad, prefer a qwerty keyboard but cannot type on a touchscreen. I don't care what some people say, for me, a touchscreen keyboard is not good enough.
c_legaspi said:
let us know how you like your iphone.
i was looking and playing with one the other day. it was ok but i like the customization that you can do on the windows mobile. i like the big screen but i didnt like the touch (capacitance?). i like to use my fingernails a bit and it doesnt work on the iphone screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its not just the xperia its self that puts it down - its the lack of a Microsoft Marketplace yet and Windows mobile 6.5 - xperia would be a lot better if Windows Mobile Market place was available and if the scrolling on it was iphone smooth other than that i like my xperia
WelshBluebird said:
The major problem with the iPhone for me is the lack of a hardware keyboard. I can handle a normal phone keypad, prefer a qwerty keyboard but cannot type on a touchscreen. I don't care what some people say, for me, a touchscreen keyboard is not good enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same - i used ipod touch for typing for ages but after i used xperia keyboard i never want to use a touchscreen keyboard again!
orelsi said:
iPhone is for tech illiterate sheep that want to look trendy in front of their equally degenerated friends. Flashy, useless, unproductive toy with features that phones had in 1999............
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have You ever had an iphone in Your hand? obviously You are talking nonsense. these days You can do almost every thing on ipod that it's doable on winmo. okay... it is not so customizable, but it's interface is simple and just works. works like a charm. I am keeping xperia only untill september and after that I'll get iphone 3gs or something else, maybe n97 or omnia hd. dunno... it pisses me off that for instance I cannot view videos recorded with my wifes n95 8gb without reencoding. that is just f... silly this days.
why iphone 3gs? well... I went to o2 store yesterday to have a look and I am simply amazed. speed. SPEEED..... it is just that feeling of smootheness of whatever You do on those non wm devices.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QMx6aLGWVU I know, it's not perfect, but try to record something similiar with x1.
please, feel free to give me some reasons why it is worthy to stick with windows mobile except rom flashing and customization of visuals... multitasking is nice, true, but how often You just cannot live without it?? well I can...
frozenwaffles said:
X1 was the biggest dissapointment ever for me! this phone was so over hyped
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah dude! The iPhone of course isn't over hyped at all
You'll regret that soon
bronx said:
why iphone 3gs? well... I went to o2 store yesterday to have a look and I am simply amazed. speed. SPEEED..... it is just that feeling of smootheness of whatever You do on those non wm devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly what i want in xperia and the smoothness is the main reason i am drawn to the iphone - if the xperia is just as powerfull as the iphone 3G (if not more) why cant it be as smooth is it to do with the resistive touchscreen????
bronx said:
have You ever had an iphone in Your hand? obviously You are talking nonsense. these days You can do almost every thing on ipod that it's doable on winmo. okay... it is not so customizable, but it's interface is simple and just works. works like a charm. I am keeping xperia only untill september and after that I'll get iphone 3gs or something else, maybe n97 or omnia hd. dunno... it pisses me off that for instance I cannot view videos recorded with my wifes n95 8gb without reencoding. that is just f... silly this days.
why iphone 3gs? well... I went to o2 store yesterday to have a look and I am simply amazed. speed. SPEEED..... it is just that feeling of smootheness of whatever You do on those non wm devices.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QMx6aLGWVU I know, it's not perfect, but try to record something similiar with x1.
please, feel free to give me some reasons why it is worthy to stick with windows mobile except rom flashing and customization of visuals... multitasking is nice, true, but how often You just cannot live without it?? well I can...
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u say that u cant view videos recorded with an n95 8gb on ur x1 without re-encoding it(i can btw), but how do u intend to do it using an iPhone?
if You are saying that You can view those videos recorded @ 640 x 480 highest quality on n95 8gb smoothly without massive stuttering, then You are lying. period. I never said that I want an iphone to watch my wifes videos, the other thing is that I never said that I hate xperia. as a matter of fact I still like it a lot, but I am bit tired with this all customize & tweak me for weeks stuff just to realise it is still slow.
bronx said:
if You are saying that You can view those videos recorded @ 640 x 480 highest quality on n95 8gb smoothly without massive stuttering, then You are lying. period. I never said that I want an iphone to watch my wifes videos, the other thing is that I never said that I hate xperia. as a matter of fact I still like it a lot, but I am bit tired with this all customize & tweak me for weeks stuff just to realise it is still slow.
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I guess when you get something like an iPhone it works fine out of the box you dont need to tweak it to get it right which is which is what i dont get from windows mobile devices - why are they not already tweaked to offer the best performance?
simple example - why, oh why those simple tweaks like increasing of glyph and filesystem cache are not factory set for performance??
couldnt agree more with u on the disappointment part, sony ericsson produced one hell of a **** expensive phone.. sometimes im even using my old 1st gen iphone :s
Xperia broken.
Last Saturday my X1 broke. I was at a party and decided to jump over a car gate at an old summerhouse. Thing is, it wasn't steadied at all or fastened in the ground, so it swung with my body, resulting in me landing hard on it and it gave my Xperia a good blow. Now half the screen is dead and the slider part is crooked, and I don't have insurance on it so it'll cost me about 100 - 200 dollars to get it fixed.
That is why I'm getting an iPhone 3GS when it comes to Sweden. I like the seamless Mac experience that just works (and is really great looking) and, actually, the fact that I'm not gonna want to flash it every other day.
Don't get me wrong here, I'm quite the avid customizer of all things techy, and I love playing around with settings and tweaks just to feel like I'm improving my device. Now really. I understand why the people here at XDA like their devices - it's because of the new roms. BUT. It's simply retarded for the company making the phone not to include those optimisations OOTB. I understand that a lot of things is set slower by default to gain battery and ensure a safe phone, but let's face it. An iPhone provides a better experience for ALL customers, not only the ones who know how to tweak their device.
I'd suggest by simple human psychology patterns that people like tweaking their phones because it brings them a satisfactory sense of being special - knowing something not all the owners of a particular thing knows. Though, think about it. It would be kind of nice to be free of the constant urge to flash your phone, all you flashoholics? I sure know that I feel that way. Sort of like being free from a time consuming freedom or wanting a schedule when you have nothing but free time.
That's just my two cents, I won't miss my Xperia much. I'm rather glad it broke (although it was a blow to my economics, but hey).
felixkry said:
Last Saturday my X1 broke. I was at a party and decided to jump over a car gate at an old summerhouse. Thing is, it wasn't steadied at all or fastened in the ground, so it swung with my body, resulting in me landing hard on it and it gave my Xperia a good blow. Now half the screen is dead and the slider part is crooked, and I don't have insurance on it so it'll cost me about 100 - 200 dollars to get it fixed.
That is why I'm getting an iPhone 3GS when it comes to Sweden. I like the seamless Mac experience that just works (and is really great looking) and, actually, the fact that I'm not gonna want to flash it every other day.
Don't get me wrong here, I'm quite the avid customizer of all things techy, and I love playing around with settings and tweaks just to feel like I'm improving my device. Now really. I understand why the people here at XDA like their devices - it's because of the new roms. BUT. It's simply retarded for the company making the phone not to include those optimisations OOTB. I understand that a lot of things is set slower by default to gain battery and ensure a safe phone, but let's face it. An iPhone provides a better experience for ALL customers, not only the ones who know how to tweak their device.
I'd suggest by simple human psychology patterns that people like tweaking their phones because it brings them a satisfactory sense of being special - knowing something not all the owners of a particular thing knows. Though, think about it. It would be kind of nice to be free of the constant urge to flash your phone, all you flashoholics? I sure know that I feel that way. Sort of like being free from a time consuming freedom or wanting a schedule when you have nothing but free time.
That's just my two cents, I won't miss my Xperia much. I'm rather glad it broke (although it was a blow to my economics, but hey).
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Yea i started flashing my phone but then one day i realised that the stock ones are just as good really and more stable but your right about the tweaking and such it makes you feel like your phone is faster - Maybe when you start using your iphone you will start to miss and acknowledge the little things that make the xperia really good but we will see
comeradealexi said:
Yea i started flashing my phone but then one day i realised that the stock ones are just as good really and more stable but your right about the tweaking and such it makes you feel like your phone is faster - Maybe when you start using your iphone you will start to miss and acknowledge the little things that make the xperia really good but we will see
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I had smabergs's Touch X so I'll miss the nice sms interface, and of course the keyboard! Other than that, I'll make it through my switch fine

Xperia gripes. Help

I've had my xperia for about 3 days now, using it non-stop at home, on the go, etc.
I'm having a lot of mixed feelings: i like it, and disappointed in it at the same time.
Please enlighten me in each of the following.. help me learn to love the phone instead of regret it.
1) My biggest gripe: The form factor, the thickness, the small touchscreen embedded WITHIN borders as opposed to a front flat. Admit it.. it feels like a brick.
2) Lack of panels.. Lack of applications (look at apple's app store)
3) The responsiveness.. the overall phone is dodgy, menus take seconds to load, camera and its settings are slow, buttons and inputs are not instantaneous... I've an ipod touch for about more then half a year now, those who've experienced with Apple products know what I mean by 'immediate response' (and in NO WAY am i supporting apple, I am just doing this comparison to illustrate the difference of response)
All these gripes i would have set aside if the price tag was about $100 - $200 dollars CHEAPER. When I'm paying so much, I expect something decent :|
Now for my praises:
1) Biggest plus; It has windows live mail, and windows live messenger, something the iPhone will never have.
2) Panels CONCEPT.
3) The beautiful colors (xperia wall)
4) Keypad, lots of control/input: trackpad, d-pad, touchscreen & stylus
If you've read all that, In no way am i critcizing the xperia as a whole. It's my user-preference I speak with and individual opinion. I, for one, am bothered by all the gripes I have mentioned. I've searched for smartphones for a long time now and none has even PEAKED my interest besides the xperia and the iPhone. The problem is that the iPhone is out of the question because I can't get it. So my question is... What should I do? As in should i stay with the xperia, what can I do with the xperia to make me satisfied with it, etc.
Hey,
dude u need to flash a new ROM. Xperia 'out of the box' looks nice but doesn't work as well as it looks. once you've flashed a ROM it works nicer than it looks.
Im using agent_47 ROM...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=512050
admittedly there are a few bugs every now n then but its nothing that eventually won't be fixed.
Dude there are loooaaddss of panels available. just search the forums. there are also loaaadss of apps available...you just have to find them. tomtom7, facebook, skype, super mario just to give some examples.
So in summary, find a ROM that you like and flash it
Adam
Thanks but it doesn't compensate for the fact that the phone is bulky with a screen embedded within borders. Even though the iPhone may be bigger in volume, at least it has a large screen (thats NOT in border) to make up for its size.
My issue is.. i feel no matter what I change about the software and interface, it'd still feel bricky in my hands, when getting a call; trying to touch the tiny buttons on the embedded screen with my thumbs -___-
What other third party panels could possibly benefit me? Aren't most of them just home screens, mobile shell, etc.
Panels I'd like to see include paralelling the apple app store; at least have the defaults like the facebook panel: twitter, youtube, notes, pocketoffice panel, dictionary, games, etc. Funny how advertisements show panels with different colours but none are remotely worthy to be put. I only have about 7 panels, and i even tolerated putting the fish and clock one.
arikado as adam18488 has said you need a new windows mobile rom.
Most of your Points are related to the Software of the Windows Mobile Computer Operating System.
The WinMo ROM that is shiped with X1 has heavy lags with video rendering.
You are not the only one who is disopointed with the OS on X1.
Iphone works out of the box -Apps store has loads and is v easy ...but you can't customise!
Xperia WILL dissapoint out of the box ...you need to make it yours -customise, tweak etc
If you are new at all this ....the last thing you should do is Flash a custom ROM imho
You need to read LOADS and start small with the tweaks
I was underwhelmed when I first got mine ...a couple of weeks of reading and trialling were quite frustrating (without this forum it would have been impossible)
About a month in I got it all set up the way I liked it ...8 months on I still LOVE it and have continued to make small tweaks (including upgrading the stock ROM twice -now on the current R3A & video works flawlessly BTW)
Take a look at threads like "post your today screen" and the like to see how wide the options are
The WIKI is a must, as are most of the Stickies
arikado said:
Thanks but it doesn't compensate for the fact that the phone is bulky with a screen embedded within borders. Even though the iPhone may be bigger in volume, at least it has a large screen (thats NOT in border) to make up for its size.
My issue is.. i feel no matter what I change about the software and interface, it'd still feel bricky in my hands, when getting a call; trying to touch the tiny buttons on the embedded screen with my thumbs -___-
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arikado,
Did you not at least feel the phone in person before buying it? You can't really whine now that you've bought the phone. It was your responsibility as a customer to ensure that everything about the phone met your expectations before you handed over the cash.
Should've done your homework first. If the phone feels like a brick to you, then even the Touch Pro 2 or even the N97 will feel like a brick because those are -huge- phones.
If you don't want a recessed screen, I strongly suggest the TouchHD, that's about it or wait for the next Xperia, or go with the HTC Hero, or HTC Magic.
Cheers.
Yes - we can't help you now with hardware issues. If you don't like the hardware you should not have bought it. Anyway:
If you are a fan of finger UI's then read about Mobile Shell 3.0. It allows you to do almost everything with your finger. There is also a cab available that imrpoves the responsibility :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=485037&highlight=softtouch
Here you go: X1 SoftTouch.
Well..there are panels, but you are right - not as much as I would have liked!
And there are apps, but not as much because 800x480 screensize is rather new
to phones. Give them some time.
The "borders" around the screen you are taking about is a negative thing on that phone. But like already mentioned: swop with a Touch HD. It is more likely "your" kind of phone!
arikado said:
1) My biggest gripe: The form factor, the thickness, the small touchscreen embedded WITHIN borders as opposed to a front flat. Admit it.. it feels like a brick.
2) Lack of panels.. Lack of applications (look at apple's app store)
3) The responsiveness.. the overall phone is dodgy, menus take seconds to load, camera and its settings are slow, buttons and inputs are not instantaneous... I've an ipod touch for about more then half a year now, those who've experienced with Apple products know what I mean by 'immediate response' (and in NO WAY am i supporting apple, I am just doing this comparison to illustrate the difference of response)
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Click to collapse
Orelsi reporting in .
1 - I don't mind the thikness, because you get a full keyboard. You can't beat that. The recessed screen is one of my major gripes as well, but it has one (only one lol) good thing going for it - when you drop it, the screen will not get damaged. I admit that it is a brick.
2 - Not true. There are some panels floating around. There are THOUSANDS of apps and games for WinMo and most of them are NOT like these:
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/fortune/0907/gallery.dumbest_iphone_apps.fortune/index.html Just read and search .
3- Everything that you listed can be fixed by custom ROMs or tweaks of the system. My only advice is to read the "sticky" topics and then browse the forum for whatever you want.
My X1 has the regular firmware and is lightning fast thanks to massive tweaking and installing of useful apps.
If you can't find anything using the search function, feel free to ask the helpful people in this forum .
If you want a phone that works fine "out of the box" : got an Iphone but you will never be able to customize it
If you want a bigger screen: Got a Touch HD but no hardware keyboard, screen less responsive (my opinion), not really faster
If you want to keep your Xperia: learn about tweaking and flashing rom
My 2 centimes:
- Yes the firmware is painfully slow. This is really the major limitation of this phone out of the box.
- I have not yet flashed a custom ROM (on R2A) but am very hopeful that this improves the snappiness
- Buy SPB Mobile Shell 3.01. Outstanding software and well worth the price.
- After a couple weeks/months, I think most Xperiites ditch panels because they are slow and a fairly silly idea. Why press three times to run an application when you have the option to press only once?
- The hardware on this phone is superb and I think you will only come to appreciate it more and more. Bricks may not look the best, but they last a helluva long time.
Is it just me or am I the only one getting a bit bored of the iPhone fanboys repeating the "My iPhone/My mate's iPhone/My fashionista's iPhone is great, the X1 is crap, why?" question?
If you don't like it's size and shape, why buy one?
In regards to apps, typing "Windows Mobile Apps" into Google gets approx 292,000,000 results. Yes, a lot of these will be repeated/links to each other, but there are at least a few sites off the top of my head that can provide hundreds of *legally free* apps, let alone several that can provide lots of paid-for ones. "Oh but the Apple Store is one place" yes, we all get all of our purchases from the same shop. Unless you're a Tesco/Walmart fanboy also?
I must admit, it is a bit of a pain getting fluff and dirt out of the corners of the screen, but a lot less of a pain than smashing the screen like several of my iPhone loving mates have, especially on a thin-bodied device which depends on the screen to work...
rp-x1 said:
Is it just me or am I the only one getting a bit bored of the iPhone fanboys repeating the "My iPhone/My mate's iPhone/My fashionista's iPhone is great, the X1 is crap, why?" question?
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I didn't see anyone here say that. Post in the wrong thread, maybe?
rp-x1 said:
Is it just me or am I the only one getting a bit bored of the iPhone fanboys repeating the "My iPhone/My mate's iPhone/My fashionista's iPhone is great, the X1 is crap, why?" question?
If you don't like it's size and shape, why buy one?
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Count me in for the bored crowd. What's with the apple fanboys flooding a WinMo forum?
xperiance said:
I didn't see anyone here say that. Post in the wrong thread, maybe?
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Nope.
HERE is a possible fix for the screen being pushed into the phone - basicially what i noticed was that when i put a screen protector on it obvoiusly raised the screen so i was thinking - maybe if you put two screen protectors on ! it would be at optimum height! just a thought - i might try it
rp-x1 said:
Is it just me or am I the only one getting a bit bored of the iPhone fanboys repeating the "My iPhone/My mate's iPhone/My fashionista's iPhone is great, the X1 is crap, why?" question?
If you don't like it's size and shape, why buy one?
In regards to apps, typing "Windows Mobile Apps" into Google gets approx 292,000,000 results. Yes, a lot of these will be repeated/links to each other, but there are at least a few sites off the top of my head that can provide hundreds of *legally free* apps, let alone several that can provide lots of paid-for ones. "Oh but the Apple Store is one place" yes, we all get all of our purchases from the same shop. Unless you're a Tesco/Walmart fanboy also?
I must admit, it is a bit of a pain getting fluff and dirt out of the corners of the screen, but a lot less of a pain than smashing the screen like several of my iPhone loving mates have, especially on a thin-bodied device which depends on the screen to work...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iPhone is a good phone in its own ways
Xperia is a good phone in its own ways
both have their ups and down and you need to consider which you think best suits you because neither are perfect
I'm just looking at it from a neutral point of view but i'm glad i chose xperia
comeradealexi said:
iPhone is a good phone in its own ways
Xperia is a good phone in its own ways
both have their ups and down and you need to consider which you think best suits you because neither are perfect
I'm just looking at it from a neutral point of view but i'm glad i chose xperia
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Agreed, everything is down to personal preference, but the iPhone losers cannot stop claiming that their device is THE BEST!!! It obviously isn't and any objective man comparing it to a normal phone can see that. It is a glorified mp4 player and barely qualifies as a feature phone.
The attitude of being uneducated and tech illiterate, but still claiming that your device is the Jesus phone, is what annoys me.
Especially when people start posting about it at a WINMO forum. WTF seriously? Use it, enjoy it, but don't try to make it something it clearly is not. That is why the apple fanboys irritate me.
End of rant lolz .
orelsi said:
any objective man... It is a glorified mp4 player and barely qualifies as a feature phone.
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No one ever accused you of being "objective".
1) My biggest gripe: The form factor, the thickness, the small touchscreen embedded WITHIN borders as opposed to a front flat. Admit it.. it feels like a brick.
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Wrong, it feels like a luxury device. Even if the OS was a basic symbian it would still feel grand. Admit it...it feels like it's the ****.
The form factor is perfect. The thickness is actually pretty thin. The touch screen is not satisfactory.
2) Lack of panels.. Lack of applications (look at apple's app store)
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Why are you complaining on something that is still being developed? You are one bull****ing fanboy.
Palm Pre > Lack of apps
Android > Lack of tethering @ apps
Apple > Applications are mostly games you turd, and apps are only foreground apps so what is the freaking point?
Look how manys apps that I have for my X1:
3) The responsiveness.. the overall phone is dodgy, menus take seconds to load, camera and its settings are slow, buttons and inputs are not instantaneous... I've an ipod touch for about more then half a year now, those who've experienced with Apple products know what I mean by 'immediate response' (and in NO WAY am i supporting apple, I am just doing this comparison to illustrate the difference of response)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know what you mean, actually. I have to agree on this. Played with my brother's ipod touch.
All these gripes i would have set aside if the price tag was about $100 - $200 dollars CHEAPER. When I'm paying so much, I expect something decent :|
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the X1 is worth 900 bucks, but I think it is unfair that the X1i version is a lot cheaper. ****ing bull****. Europeans are lucky!
1) Biggest plus; It has windows live mail, and windows live messenger, something the iPhone will never have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are you gonna think if iPhone has it in the future?
2) Panels CONCEPT.
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It's not a concept you fool.
3) The beautiful colors (xperia wall)
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WTF is an Xperia wall... nobody on this forum ever made a reference to an Xperia wall. The colors are okay, the resolution is better. Think people think.
4) Keypad, lots of control/input: trackpad, d-pad, touchscreen & stylus
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Click to collapse
So my question is... What should I do? As in should i stay with the xperia, what can I do with the xperia to make me satisfied with it, etc.
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Click to collapse
If you aren't for being organized then get the iPhone...that's all I have to say
Even using apple's software is very inorganized and there is no way for me to mother****ing installed 3rd party schedule applications / alarm applications / automatic profile applications ...so iPhone is just a toy with a lot of games and foreground-only apps.
Xperia keeps me so organized... why? SPB Diary baby. Anyway, just get the Apple because I don't think you're the kind of guy who needs simple features only.
Just listen to me and get the iPhone 3GS and you will be happy.
My most used app is SPB Mobile Shell 3... and AE Button... try them out and it will boost your productivity...
i really loved the batt life of Xperia.. (coming from O2 Atom Life)
xperiance said:
No one ever accused you of being "objective".
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Click to collapse
Did I lie in my statement?

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