Is this phone good enough for my dad? - HTC Excalibur

Hey all,
Just as topic states do owners of this phone think this device is good enough for 45-50 year old IT Professional? My dad doesn't like to tinker, he just wants the device to work. Primary use is phone with light messaging and possibility of push email either with Exchange or Blackberry connect.
I am having hard deciding between this device and Samsung Blackjack.
Thanks for help!

yes
But ONLY if you are in an EDGE area. GPRS is too slow compared with UMTS EDGE works perfectly for e-mail and sync use.
Excalibur Keyboard is much better than samsung and E is gerally faster in day by day use (Both are AKU3.0 devices)
Some good applicationd are branded with samsung, like a wonderful business card OCR (Get a picture of the business card to have all infos stored in contacts)

I would say the S620 is an excellent device for primary use as an email, PDA, texting machine and secondary use as a phone. Since mine seems to be broken I haven't had a chance to try it as a sole phone and email device although I think it will be fine for this.
Personally, I have been using a K-Jam as my data device, PDA, GPS etc and Moto V3i as my main phone. For occasional email use you may want to look at www.movamail.com set up on a phone handset like the V3i - I haven't used it much but it looks fine for keeping up with incoming email although obviously you wouldn't want to do much outbound email on a phone keypad.
Now, if I could just get my S620 working....

Except for that damn touch strip, I'm very happy with mine. If it's T-Mobile, they have a 30 day return policy, so you're safe in that case. If not, I'd check the return policy, if there isn't one -- skip it. Sounds like he's particular about his devices, and he'll gravitate to his preference on his own -- wait until he does and get him a leather case for it

I went for Samsung Blackjack as that is better for phone functionality

sergiopi said:
yes
But ONLY if you are in an EDGE area. GPRS is too slow compared with UMTS EDGE works perfectly for e-mail and sync use.
Excalibur Keyboard is much better than samsung and E is gerally faster in day by day use (Both are AKU3.0 devices)
Some good applicationd are branded with samsung, like a wonderful business card OCR (Get a picture of the business card to have all infos stored in contacts)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If he just wants to be able to IM and get e-mail he doesn't have to get EDGE. I use simple GPRS on t-mobile in the US with no problem. Even browsing the web doesn't take to long. On top of that both devices have Wi-Fi when you really need the speed.
But EDGE never hurts, just don't think you need to make the extra $ addon to your plan for those things.

here's my advice
Now I am HTC loving windows mobile fanboy, but your dad sounds like mine, just get him a blackberry, it does basic emailing and nothing he can screw up. save calls for you from him. That bieng said the dash is by far and away the easiest and most stable windows mobile device i have owned(tornado,wizard,dash,wallaby) have not tried tytn, but I would get hime that, he will love the keyboard and there is a ton of touch buttons on side, along with the stylus, which can help.

justinstafford said:
Now I am HTC loving windows mobile fanboy, but your dad sounds like mine, just get him a blackberry, it does basic emailing and nothing he can screw up. save calls for you from him. That bieng said the dash is by far and away the easiest and most stable windows mobile device i have owned(tornado,wizard,dash,wallaby) have not tried tytn, but I would get hime that, he will love the keyboard and there is a ton of touch buttons on side, along with the stylus, which can help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking more of a Palm Treo maybe even a Windows Treo. Palm however is a bit more simplistic

I personally did not like the Blackjack's keyboard. I think the Excalibur is a great choice for Tmob. But I would suggest the 8525 if on Cingular. It guys would love the UMTS. I constantly get 1 MB and above transfer in my area.

I have the Dash (on Cingular), the iMate K-Jam, and have used the Blackjack.
If you want the PPC OS, the 8525 (TyTN) is the way to go.
If you want the Smartphone OS, I'd have to say the Dash is the way to go. The blackjack supports UMTS, but that's all that it has going for it. The Dash has WiFi, better keyboard, and much better community support. If he's not constantly browsing the web, the UMTS is worthless.
-Mc

Related

My 6 month impressions/review - long

I am very unhappy with the latest (1.40) ROM update and this has finally pushed me to this post. I thought I would provide some general thoughts/comments after about 6 months of use. I keep hoping and praying that each ROM release will actually fix some of the devices more serious issues but it never seems to happen. Certain things actually get worse through the updates.
Overall the level of integration and the sheer amount of things our device accomplishes is staggering. However, the reliability and robustness is terrible, about as good as an "alpha" release, but certainly not a production device. You may argue that I should be happy with what I have and I guess I am because I keep carrying my PDA2K. I love not having to carry so many devices but almost always feel like I have the worst of each. My "relationship" with my device is absolutely love/hate.
As background I use my device as a phone, camera, video camera, mp3 player, movie watching, internet, e-mail, gps/navigation, games, Metro subway maps, weather, pdf reading and of course all the std. windows goodies like Excel, Calendar, Contacts, etc. However, the device performs most all of these functions poorly. As a small bit of background I am not a programmer nor hardcore techie but do consider myself a power user and am comfortable with registry editing, ROM upgrading and most features/functions of all of the standard software. I do also install a fair amount of 3rd party applications. I do not see how you can get by without doing this. I use the device for work as a sales professional and also for personal use.
The phone is much less robust and reliable than almost all cell phones I have previously owned, just buggy in general, often not functioning despite a good signal and often will not connect nor hang up properly. The camera is plain terrible, nowhere even close to a decent 1MP camera, good only for a small caller ID photo taken in perfect lighting conditions. Networking in general is almost unusable: Bluetooth during navigation always disconnects when a call comes in, WiFi will almost never start with out a soft reset, and sometimes the same with GPRS. General system stability/robustness: terrible! With a device such as this it should not be possible to have spontaneous hard resets where you loose ALL data. I have them fairly often (without Sprite, I would truly throw my device away). I have also had spontaneous loss of SD card data. MS Voice Command is fantastic, except the first use of every day always requires the name to be repeated twice. The built in e-mail software is really poor, the invisible items that show up in various mail folders which require a complete cleaning out of all mailboxes to fix is beyond annoying. The long 20 second or so delay when opening the Calendar to show days with appointments really causes me delays at the most inopportune times. I suppose I could go on and on but I will wrap up this summary/gripe session
Again, the level of raw capability, variety of useful programs and integration is truly amazing. The speed when operating well is fine. However I am often nearly crippled by hard resets, poor phone, WiFi, GPRS and Bluetooth, usability and robustness and the need for soft resets. I guess this is the price one pays for being on the cutting edge, but again I can not help but feel this device is nowhere close to the reliability and performance any reasonable user would expect. From spending a lot of time on this board and other similar ones I expect to hear some quite similar echoes of my thoughts.
I do eagerly look forward to some similar comments (or different), fixes, general experiences or suggestions from the community.
Well put, some of the issues I have, some not.
Lets have a look at the hardware.
Well the case is metal which is great as it can take some punishment however the Keyboard, well.....
My Keyboard has a life of its own, I have the device in my hand and talk on the phone and it drops down. I pull the device out of my pocket and it comes out first screen then keyboard. I never use the keyboard as me fingers are to big so given a choice I would not have it.
If you hold the screen in one hand and the back plate in the other you can turrn the whole thing a good 3mm as its so loose. You can even lift the screen up away form the Keyboard at the bottom of the device and stick a piece of carboard into as a form of a break to stop it dropping.
Sound of calls is bad, tiny and to low.
Yup its a love/hate relationship and I love to hate the thing.
I too look forwared to a device that has camera which is useful (I still carry around a small 5 meg sony).
The only thing I feel that is realy good about owning a BA is this board, if I had not come here I would still have a german CE and be reseting the bugger every day.
love it
Probably, I am cheap and easily pleased.
I bought my IIs almost the same time with yours. I too have updated my ROM to 1.40 (stockROM 1.4Asia). Only the barest software I need are installed to maintain stability: KBattery, psShutXp, AgileMobile, Skype, VCard, Pcoket TV, GSPlayer, and Avantgo. For games, I only installed Smartfall, Chess, and BF Mines - not much of a gamer. IIs is too expensive for me to destroy its button playing games.
I love it very much except for some performance hiccups like restarting by itself. However, this only happens when I am using skype or agilemobile for sometime. Hard Reset rarely happens. in six months, I only remember it to happen to me once and I could not remember what I did then.
I love it because I could check my email whereever I am either thru WIFI or GPRS. In fact, I use to check my email thru XDAIIs rather than waiting for my PC to start in the morning before leaving the house. With so many "leaking" free WIFI around, no phone should be without.
I f---kng HATE the keyboard. A week after I bought mine it was already broken. Yes, it will open on its own. It was repaired though free of charge by Brightpoint Philippines. Now, I barely open it because constructionwise, it is so flimsy and I know will easily be broken again. Now, I know why they remove the keyboard in the IIi.
Will buy it again. YES, It is so neat and convenient that I could do emailing, IM and chat on the go. Of course, it is a great electronic photo album to show my family pictures to friends with MP3 background playing.
Before this phone, I was using NOKIA 9210 Communicator. It was a great phone during its time. WHAT I WOULD REALLY WANT NOW IS A NOKIA COMMUNICATOR 9500 RUNNING WM Ver.5. DREAMING....
So you guys say that the keyboard is a piece of s**t?
I'm asking because I'm going to buy BA or Nokias 9500. And if the keyboard sucks a** i'm not gonna buy BA, because I need the keyboard because I do lot of work in MSN and in IRC. So the phone must be capable to these specific applications. I know that Nokia 9500 is...
When I was still using my old trusty Nokia 9210, I sent literally hundreds of text messages per day. I love its built in keyboard. It was a breeze typing text in that old phone. I could even schedule sending text messages - what a neat feature.
The tiny keyboard of IIs is hard to use. Even painful to the fingers after long use. Now I sent few text messages because it is very hard to do so with the tiny keyboard (II's rehabilatated me, I am NOT text addict anymore). The tiny soft keyboard using the stylus is just as difficult to use.
If you will do lots of typing, I recommend you buy one of those external keyboards. Although, personally, I hate carrying extras like that. I dont want to look like Inspector Gadget carrrying with me that external keyboard. My Bluetooth suffered same fate. I dont carry it anymore. Too troublesome carrying two gadgets.
I use my IIs mainly as a communicating device (which should be) so the killer applications for me are:
Agile Mobile for IM like ICQ, MSN, AOL and yes YAHOO.
Skype for VOIP (yes, it works for me just dont expect quality calls. It's free who am I to complain)
AgileMobile will run on both Nokia 9500 and IIs BUT the SKYPE will not.
That is the deal breaker for me why I decided to go for the XDA path. Every one and then, I still do glancing look at that Nokia 9500 though.
If you will go for the XDA path and cannot wait anymore, get the IIi. The keyboard really sucks. Hard to use and easy to get loose.
If you go for Nokia path, please lend it to me sometime (hehehehe)
xcalibur said:
The tiny keyboard of IIs is hard to use. Even painful to the fingers after long use. Now I sent few text messages because it is very hard to do so with the tiny keyboard (II's rehabilatated me, I am NOT text addict anymore). The tiny soft keyboard using the stylus is just as difficult to use.
If you will do lots of typing, I recommend you buy one of those external keyboards. Although, personally, I hate carrying extras like that. I dont want to look like Inspector Gadget carrrying with me that external keyboard. My Bluetooth suffered same fate. I dont carry it anymore. Too troublesome carrying two gadgets.
I use my IIs mainly as a communicating device (which should be) so the killer applications for me are:
Agile Mobile for IM like ICQ, MSN, AOL and yes YAHOO.
Skype for VOIP (yes, it works for me just dont expect quality calls. It's free who am I to complain)
AgileMobile will run on both Nokia 9500 and IIs BUT the SKYPE will not.
That is the deal breaker for me why I decided to go for the XDA path. Every one and then, I still do glancing look at that Nokia 9500 though.
If you will go for the XDA path and cannot wait anymore, get the IIi. The keyboard really sucks. Hard to use and easy to get loose.
If you go for Nokia path, please lend it to me sometime (hehehehe)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that's the thing...those are the programs I would also use plus I need an IRC client (Nokia has s2putty which is great), so this is going to be a real hard decision.
It seems in a operating system level, Windows/qtek9090 kicks Symbian80/Nokia9500 ass, because Nokia has a pretty slow processor and Symbian80 is a little bit greedy, but so is windows.
Nokias online time should be better than Qteks so that's important fact (going to use Wlan a lot). Nokia also has much better keyboard if I have read reviews right.
But...Qtek/WM2k3 has a lot more apps if I'm right and it's hardware is better than Nokias.
But the bigges issues are still on the fact that how does the device handle Instant Messaging and IRC environments. In IRC i'm in a few VERY active channels so would like to know how well does the BA handle IRC messaging, viewing etc....
Is the keyboard slider going to loose very easily? I have read that in some models it's big issue? Or is this only problem with branded phones(i mean like T-mo etc)? Qtek 9090 is the only one which they sell here in Finland.
xcalibur, yeah sure i'll borrow you the 9500, if you come to visit Finland someday =)
The above fact is the only thing keeping me away from ordering BA...
I don't want to keep on ranting against IIs.
Yes, the keyboard will easily get loose. We have here two units and it is the same. I talked to the Brightpoint service people, they say almost all IIs they repaired is about the loose keyboard.
And yaiks, I noticed now that my IIs keyboard is misaligned by a millimeter or two. I cant stop looking at it now. I hate it.
Consider also after sales service of XDA there in Finland. These things do break down. I am sure Nokia will have superb service there in Finland as they have already excellent service here in Philippines. In fairness, Brightpoint too has good service here though their location is not so good.
My keyboard experience
I have had no problems with my keyboard. I like it, use it and it has not developed any problem with the keys themselves nor the sliding mechanism. Perhaps you guys talking all about Nokia vs HTC could move that topic to a separate thread?
Keyboard's great! However, other than for impressing your friends this phone is horribly unreliable. Also, windows is not as polished as Symbian. You will find yourself installing so many 3rd party apps (which make an already unstable handset even less stable) just to perform basic phone functions.
In my opinion, XDA IIs is truely an ingenius device. However, Ias much as I hate to agree with most of you, I share the same sentiments of hating/loving it.
I really dislike the part whereby I receive/dial a call and no sound comes out of it. Also when my IIs hang the moment I exit from Bejeweled 2. I dont use a bluetooth headset, so the bluetooth bit doesnt affect me so much. I also detest the so very prominent gap between my keyboard and screen.
However, on the other hand, my IIs had helped me in so much many other ways, so much so its advantages exceeds its disadvantages. Despite the small keyboard, it had been extremely useful, and having compared with the onscreen keyboard and Transcriber, I personally found that it is so much faster and efficient to key text with the keyboard. Despite haing mid-sized fingers, with good practice, keying in text can be so much of a breeze. I especially liked its soft touch and blue iluminous glow.
Also, the calander feature of Microsoft CE is great. With appropriate 3rd party software, and its extremely ease/stability to sync with Outlook, my contacts and appointments are always at my fingertips. Tho the ringer is quite soft, I have no problems with it as I have always been using traditional ringing ringtones, which are much louder than fanciful mp3 music. Besides, I can see that O2 is doing its fair share by providing support thru O2 connect as well as the after sales service. O2 plus beta had been a great software. I had used it to replace phone alarm and pocket plus. I especially liked it phone profile feature and the part whereby my IIs vibrate upon receipt of call response. I no longer have to hold my device against my ears waiting for the other party to pick up the call.
Another comment is that the screen is clear and even using 10% backlight, I can view the screen to great details, even under sunlight conditions. The extra 4 hardware buttons for today, messaging, IE and OK had been great and it had aid me in single-handed operations with my device.
Overall, all I can say is, its been a great device. You choose to hate / like it. Cheers. Just my two cents worth...
I also came to the XDA series from the Nokia Communicators and have always been looking for a communicator with MS OS.
Can't wait for the Universal
a wonderful use of keyboard! + comments abt XDA IIs overall
hi all,
i have a very very good argument in favour of the keyboard on XDA iis and a big -ve for the absence of it in XDA IIi:
i live in india where the roads at times tend to be a bit bumpy. on such roads keying in with a stylus becomes frustrating! (those who have tried it will know). it is on these roads that u appreciate the inbuilt key board the max.
2ndly, by the grace of GOD, till date i have had NO SOUND issues with my XDA IIs.... so no probs about that..
with 1.40 update i have seen that wifi wont connect usually without a soft reset but thats not very bugging! also there is some camera application brightness control bug and thats also ignorable.
But overall i think that XDA IIs is overall a very good buy... better than XDA IIi and Mini.... NOKIA is ****ty in front of this and looks more of a brick!
i suggest you all not to load any 3rd party apps for password lock and dialler except smart dialling included in mini rom. and must haves are pocket plus, pocket informant,pocket music, skype, phonealarm, alarmtoday and 1-calc. dont forget norton anti-virus and sprite backup as the very very very imp. 1st loads.
All the best to XDA lovers... LONG LIVE XDA IIs... Doom to Nokia!
At one point I used to carry an iPAQ 3870, a mobile phone and a collapsible keyboard. With my suit on, some people thought I was a bodyguard due to my swollen breast pockets. I also also had a Navigator 3000 GPS sleeve and the WiFi CF card.
The iPAQ made me love the Pocket PC. However carrying two or more devices was cumbersome.
I then discovered the Blackberry. Look mum, no wires. Over the air synchronization using the GPRS network was great. The keyboard is also excellent. No GPS and a lack of good application was a minus. Furthermore any interesting application would be pricey.
… but I still missed the Pocket PC.
Then came the Blackberry Connect embedded in the Blue Angel. That is the best of both worlds. My dream was to have a Pocket PC with push email and WiFi with an embedded keyboard.
The cherry on the cake came with Skype. I use desktop Skype a lot and I love it. As I am an international self-employed consultant, my cellphone bills amount to at least £300.00 ($550.00) a month. Skype on the BA will save me money but I need to find a good noise cancellation headset. So what if the sound quality is not that good, my customers would expect that from a roaming mobile phone anyway.
As for the camera, at its current resolution it is a gimmick. I would rather have a lighter BA with no camera. My 5.1 Mega Pixel camera will have to stay.
I agree with everyone that says the keyboard has a bad build. The MDA III and the XDA IIs I have seen at the T-Mobile and O2 shops had the keyboard sliding out on its own as soon as I picked up the device. I had already arrived to the conclusion that the keyboard will break down even before reading this thread.
I know that I will miss the stability of the Blackberry software but the advantages I get from the BA far outweigh the disadvantages.
I don’t thing anyone of us on this board will ever find a device that is perfect in every aspect. This is technology.
I will be moving from the Blackberry to the BA XDA IIs this weekend and I am sure that most if not all on this board will encourage me.
i agree with you
hey,
i agree with you fully... no technology can be perfect... but still XDA IIs is the best bet!
just a doubt: how did u manage to get a BA with blackberry connect? any software for that available for asian users too?
Re: i agree with you
studdocs said:
just a doubt: how did u manage to get a BA with blackberry connect? any software for that available for asian users too?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The T-Mobile MDA III supports Blackberry Connects. The XDA IIs should support it soon. I will be using the XDA IIs but I am hopping to use the MDA III software.
hoping 4 the best!
i am just hoping that XDA IIs supports it soon!
the earlier the better!
You have two choices...
1. Purchase an old used XDAII and upgrade it to WM5.0. Very stable and flawless communications and Bluetooth.
2. Wait for the new WM5.0 devices this summer.
(my 2 cents)
I fully agree with the love/ hate, as per others - I to have experianced neumerous resets, lock ups no sound etc. after two weeks I returned it to the shop and swapped my XDAIIs for another one (it was clearly faulty) - loaded it up with exactly the same applications as the previous one and since then I have only experianced the no sound issue twice in the last month, my unit runs on the "stock" O2 firmware loaded in using Corporate mode. I love the flexibility of the device and my ipaq-4700 is now rarley used as the XDA does everything I need of it with the addition of the phone functionality - great idea and concept, but I still feel it is nowhere near the level of maturity that it should be - Mike
Hi guys,
could you guys tell me where can I download for the latest firmware for my O2 XDA IIs that are going around currently? and is it true that updating firmware will results data losts ? thank you
A hard reset will allways result in data loss, but if you back it all up onto the SD card you should be able to return the unit to the same condition - note I say "should" its probably wise to re-install the lot from scratch to gain the true performance, as yet I have not tried the 1.140 ROM but I am tempted - you don't state whice service provider you are with - try their web site for a download to see if you are upto date - my philosopy is that the service provider should provide a functional device, in pratice the HTC unit is a bit hit and miss - but if you load up anything other than official firmware then taking it back and complaining is out of the window - I am on my second handset from O2 and this apears to work OK - at least it does for the demands I make of it, this includes running bespoke "home" created software scripted using Labview and it performs quite well - mike

HELP! Dash or MDA? Pocket Office on Dash? (for editing capabilities) Hack or Download

I've talked to everyone when considering choosing between the MDA and the newer Dash?
Is it possible to get a free version of Pocket Office to put on the Dash so I can have the editing option for Microsoft Documents?
MDA or Dash? Which is more versitile, faster, and good for work & networking on the fly?
Does the MDA have WiFi like the Dash? for free wifi connections.
After too many T-Mobile reps, HTC reps, and other users...I'm exhausted with beating around the bush form the simple, and exact answers I'm looking for. You advice and expertise would truly be appreciated. Help! Thanks.
Ryan
Choose the Dash
I have both. While I have only had teh Dash about a week, I have had no problems with it - no resets or freezes. With my MDA, I was constantly resetting it. The Dash doe stake some getting used to and you will have to buy a spreadsheet program, but I would choose it over the MDA in a flash. The Dash appears to be faster than the MDA as well. The only compliants that I have regarding the Dash is that there is no version of Voice Command for it nor is there a good RN caclulator.
there is no pocket office for smartphone os
more specifically there is no equivalent of pocket word at this time
JwY said:
there is no pocket office for smartphone os
more specifically there is no equivalent of pocket word at this time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This saddens me. Pocket office was very handy. Hopefully something will come about soon.
Really what I look for in comparison is speed, Wi-Fi, BlueTooth. etc. features. Both have the same features, but the difference is the advancement in the individual features. MDA has WiFi 802.11b where the Dash has 802.11b/g meaning the fastest you'll be able to transmit data over WiFi on the MDA is 22mbts The MDA supports BlueTooth version 1.2 and the Dash is BT 2.0. The MDA has a faster processor running at 400Mhz where the Dash runs at 200Mhz.
The applications that come pre-installed on the devices vary. Search the web for Open Source office like applications out there I'm sure you can find something for the Dash. I haven't tried it yet but with my Wi-Fi connection I have a google spreadsheet online application, kinda like an online office of Excel.
Thank you for the feedback.
I have been leaning towards the MDA, but didn't want to take a step back in technology advantage, given that I'll have this phone for a while and I'll want to get the most from the device. OR Should I go with DASH in hope of getting an app to edit documents? Is there anytihng coming out soon, or where should i go to find out where to get it? Can I use either device with google's new word and excel editting, without being connected to a free wifi?
Are both devices able to use Skype?
The MDA glitches and complaints do worry me about dependability. Do you believe the MDA is stable, and is the HTC Hermes able to be used with T-Mobile?
The phone I have (Nokia 3660) just died (only shows Nokia when booting up, in a continuous loop). Therefore i have just lost 600 numbers which weren't sync to the new laptop i had ot buy because my old one was stolen 2 months ago. If you have any advice on retreaving these numbers let me know.
Also, do you recommend getting the MDA from T-Mobile for $250 or from eBay? or other cell phone sites you recommend for purchases?
Ryan
sp4rky said:
This saddens me. Pocket office was very handy. Hopefully something will come about soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same here. someone should at least make a third party app for it instead of only viewers.
the dash makes a better phone and the mda makes a better pda. that's the biggest difference to me.
RazrV3 said:
Really what I look for in comparison is speed, Wi-Fi, BlueTooth. etc. features. Both have the same features, but the difference is the advancement in the individual features. MDA has WiFi 802.11b where the Dash has 802.11b/g meaning the fastest you'll be able to transmit data over WiFi on the MDA is 22mbts The MDA supports BlueTooth version 1.2 and the Dash is BT 2.0. The MDA has a faster processor running at 400Mhz where the Dash runs at 200Mhz.
The applications that come pre-installed on the devices vary. Search the web for Open Source office like applications out there I'm sure you can find something for the Dash. I haven't tried it yet but with my Wi-Fi connection I have a google spreadsheet online application, kinda like an online office of Excel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The MDA uses the same processor as the Dash, TI omap 850 200mhz
I had or tested almost ANY HTC device sold in Europe since HTC was a startup company.
EXCALIBUR is the best device I ever seen! Obviously new devices are better than older, but still I believe on BLUE ANGEL concept, (good device at that time, revolutionary)
You feel it in your hand soft, good design, reliable since the first release, stable bluetooth 2.0, last WM5 release, lot of fix and improvement.
Good display, form factor, keyboard and battery life (in a normal day, even using bluetooth, have always with you an USB cable, just in case...)
I don't need glasses to read at, due to resolution and backlight (don't laught too much, experience and close eyesight are reversed functions) one hand usage in 90% of conditions.
The microSD is well stored INSIDE the battery case, avoiding dust and accidental un-insertion.
Problems? screen protector NEEDED, no case in the package (I am using an IPOD sock), poor (compared to pocket PC) software avaliability, Smartphone notes is a MUST have (to insert small notes or align with PC notes) for a device with keyboard!
TORNADO POWER CONTROL is a battery saver, little overclok for a 200 MHz processor (228) and good downclock to save battery (116)
I installed a freeware program from vieka.com called Wordpad 2.9, works great. PTAB covers Excel....
I love my Dash. It's fast and easy to use. I love the one handed operation once I enabled the full jogger.
*BUT*
When I travel, I take my K-Jam and I don't need my laptop. I can do everything with it. I can't say the same about the Dash since it doesn't have mobile office.
On my last vacation, I didn't take my laptop because I didn't plan on working. When I got there, I found out I had to write 2 proposals within 24 hours. Quite simply, I would have been screwed without my K-Jam.
BUT
For an everyday device at work, I now prefer my Dash as I edit word and excel files between 0 and 1 times a year normally.
Dash rocks (and is hella-fast too). Once HTC releases a newer FW for it, I can get the T-Mobile crap off of it.
-Mc
link to download office
Hi i need a link to download ms office for WM5. please help
Hi,
there's no download for Office for WM5, it is part of the PPC-ROMs (Office Mobile). For WM5 Smartphones you can use Clearvue Suite from Westtek (only viewer).
Greetings Newchurch
dash is view docs only...AFAIK
I have had an mda for about six months and liked it, HTC and this communuity so much I bought a dash for my wife instead of an SDA, I like the dash it is a smartfone, and should be called that, it is leaps and bounds above the older smartphone os' but Its a far cry from WM5 and MS is trying to trick less wary buyers into thinking that the 2 very different operating systems are the same, and they are not...
I haven't seen any way to edit office stuff on the dash, but I have yet to get as involved in it as I am my wiz, so I may be wrong.
If you wanna replace your laptop with somthing smaller the MDA is the way to go.
If you want "just a phone" with tons of flexability go for the dash.
they are both great devices, but very different despite a similar GUI.
bhang
The OS's are teh same on both phones. Its just a different interface. Anyone who tells you otherwise is misinformed. If they were different OS's then why are there instructions at HoFo on running PPC apps on smartphone?
I have both devices, and like them both. I like the small size and form factor of the Gash, but the larger Screen and the PPC UI make it easier for me to get around, but I'm gettingused to teh dash too. The MDA is more customizeable (more options for home screen, as well as a lot of ROM's here to try.) But teh dash seems more stable to me (prolly due to all teh fiddling I've done on teh MDA tho)
Also Documents to go has announced they are making a SP version. That will let you edit Office apps when it comes out. There might be a demo or somethgn now, I don't remember.
@bittermormon, you're right, a preview is now available for the smartphone
http://www.dataviz.com/products/documentstogo/winmobile/index.html

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.

Well, it's been fun.
It was renewal day this weekend, here in the UK as many of you will know all our handsets are subsidised by the network operators. Therefore every so often we have the chance to "upgrade" our handsets, it is a merry dance. Once "out of contract", we can change operators, switch price plans, and get a new handset for "free" or a combination of any of these. It can all be rather confusing, but the long and the short of it is that I can get a shiny new piece of kit, so it's great.
Anyway, I've had the vario II on t-mobile in the UK for one year and now it's been chopped so I thought I'd leave my thoughts. It was good. Obviously I flashed it with jasjamming and more recently schaps plus several others. I reckon I flashed it probably 50 times, reinstalled settings and apps, a compulsive tinkerer I suppose!
Pros...
Full keyboard
High Speed Data on t-mobile was good and genuinely useful
TomTom 6 (with ext. gps receiver purchased on ebay for 30 quid)
Useable web browser (just)
Customisable with firmware flashing!
Amazing forum here full of helpful people
Cons...
BATTERY LIFE (it's appalling, there is no getting away from it)
Heavy as a hod of bricks
Form factor (too big)
------
So what did I go for...
Nokia 6120 Classic.
wtf nokia 6120?!
Nothing like going back to the dark ages
you should have held out for a couple of months and got one of these
http://www.htc.com/product/03-product_htctouch_dual.htm
I myself have bought a new N95 8GB as my second phone.
Bingobob,
Good luck to you. You made the choice you want and that's all that matters. Never quite sure why people think that what they would buy/get is what everyone else should buy/get!
What did you do with the t-mobile device then? Sell it or is it up for sale?
WB
that's the thing, not sure. Flash it with something I suppose and/or use it as a TomTom or ebay it. not sure.
Well if you fancy offloading it and its not too expensive, PM me. I am assuming its in good condition? Also assuming that its unlocked, etc, and you have all the bits for it?
Cheers
WB
It;s also for me the end..
I bought a Nokia N95.
Ciao, Good Bye
Each to their own. Personally I have to stay with touch screen phones... from here it will be the Kaiser or some variant down the line...
Same here, I love touch screens.
Although I'm very happy with my hermes I'm waiting for the the touch cruise.
Well, I'm waiting for a 3G iPhone, no more WM6 device I think.
Same here, when there's a good offer for the iphone I'll ditch the HTC. But as for 3G, that's only a vague rumor, I wouldn't count on it.
I could never go back to a non-Windows phone.
Especially for a Nokia or an iPhone.
I've played with various Nokias over the years and I think that they are the worst mobiles out of any I've ever touched.
As for the iPhone, over-hyped, over-priced, and under-developed.
I'm HTC's ***** now.
kilrah said:
Same here, when there's a good offer for the iphone I'll ditch the HTC. But as for 3G, that's only a vague rumor, I wouldn't count on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They have to make one with 3G or it will not sell in Europe. Also needs mms.
i switched to IPHONE. and i am very stisfied.
i watched this forum for quite a while, but however you will patch the hermes, it will never come even near to the iphone. everybody tries to construct iphone-like UIs. so why not take the original one?
peter
I've moved from my TyTN to an iPhone. I can't see myself going back to the TyTN anytime soon either.
iPhone ist great for design (friggin awesome btw ) and "OS" only (included internet browsing) it's really neat and user friendly.
Otherwise all the rest is total crap, most of the time technology wise
No 3G (TyTN has 3G+) a heresy for a phone that want's to be "multimedia"
Camera 2megapixel (same as TyTN, crap for both )
Bad autonomy (i'm connected on 3G with BBC on all the time for straight 34h without any problems)
No email downloading possible or push mail
So if apple re-considers and brings out a phone that has all those abilities yeah I would gladly change. Moreover, BBC or something equivalent is for me top priority
what do you think about the new htc touch cruise...?
The Iphone is personally not for me. I want to customize the phone when I want to.
Also no 3G is really a deal braker for me.
As to the UI I admit MS has something to learn from Apple but other then that no thank you.
sdemon said:
The Iphone is personally not for me. I want to customize the phone when I want to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the cool thing, you actually can. What interests me and has drawn me to WM was the ability to fiddle with it, do a bunch of hacks and tweaks etc. However, while the thing is very flexible and powerful it's "unusable". 3 seconds to exit from sleep, up to 5-10 after opening the keyboard to let it rotate screen and become responsive again, ...
Once you've tried internet browsing on the iPhone / iPod touch you just realise that WM's IE even with addons is pretty much the worst thing you could think of, only to be used in last resort, while I can be nearly as effective on the iphone than on my PC...
Guys are developing apps for the iphone at the same rate than here on WM6, and having a full Unix-based OS allows for even a LOT more possibilities than a mobile Windows version...
The lack of 3G is indeed a pain. But then, when I use it on my HTC it's by using it as a modem for the laptop, as there's no way to actually make use of it on the device itself...
If there was an official news saying that the European one would have 3G I'd wait. But I'm not dreaming and know there is VERY little chance. We'll know soon, as France will have them in a few days. But for now, the imported ones are selling like hot cakes, suppliers are getting out of stock all the time and prices go up as they have difficulties sourcing them. So I don't think not having 3G will bother anyone. Especially with the sky-high prices for mobile internet around Europe.

For users in japan (and others...)

I bought my TP2 from the web (I was usuing previously an Hermes (X01HT)
Been using it for 3 weeks. It works perfectly. Calls quality is excellent, data transmission fast, no particular issue with Softbank network, I am pretty happy about it
What I dont like, and nothig to do with Japan (Dont get me wrong, I am a big HTC fan and I love my phone):
1. Poor built quality. The phone looks great.. out of the box. After 2 weeks in my pocket the Chrome finish starts to crack and let appear some black paint. I am treating my phone well, really not trying to break it, this is under normal use. Honestly very very far from an iPhone built quality (Again I am not an apple fanboy). It's not a "big" problem but for a phone that costs that much it's not really acceptable (I have an Hermes who took way longer to crack...)
Other issue is the Tilt mecchanism a bit soft and sometimes not deploying the screen exactly inline with the keyboard (Some other posts detail this better than me)
2. TF3D is nice... rather fast... BUT too many important menues are lacking compared to WM6.1 menus (for instance it took em a while to find out that what was preventing me from allowing to synchronize some of my activesync folders was the lack of option in TF3D. Similarly the handling of contacts screen misses too many options). Maybe there is a way to have all WM6.1 menus appear under TF3D, in which case I am a taker if you have some trick (registry trick maybe ?)
3. Some GPS issues, but I hope I'll be able to fix this (Or maybe just my model has an issue)
4. Some slowness in the handling of contacts / SMS (granted I have many so it may come from that but my Hermes (with a modified ROM) was way faster)
All in all very happy with the phone, beautiful screen, excellent touch feeling, lots of great functions... Just the external built quality will probably attract the jokes from my friends with iPhones
Alcibiade, thank you SO much for starting this thread! I'm in the same boat I guess you were 2 months ago. I'm an x01ht user (actually, i remember seeing your name in the forums). but i think my x01ht's better days are behind it and i'm very ready to move on to my next pda phone. i'm staying with softbank, but refuse to buy anymore of their handicapped phones. so i'm considering buying the Touch Pro 2 (online).
i'm a bit confused though as to if there is a particular model I need to get. the whole GSM versus CDMA thing really confuses me. can you let me know where you bought your touch pro 2 from and which network band. i assume CDMA since japan is WCDMA, right?
again, thanks for any help/info you can give.
shunsai said:
Alcibiade, thank you SO much for starting this thread! I'm in the same boat I guess you were 2 months ago. I'm an x01ht user (actually, i remember seeing your name in the forums). but i think my x01ht's better days are behind it and i'm very ready to move on to my next pda phone. i'm staying with softbank, but refuse to buy anymore of their handicapped phones. so i'm considering buying the Touch Pro 2 (online).
i'm a bit confused though as to if there is a particular model I need to get. the whole GSM versus CDMA thing really confuses me. can you let me know where you bought your touch pro 2 from and which network band. i assume CDMA since japan is WCDMA, right?
again, thanks for any help/info you can give.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was not sure either and asked the shop (Expansys in HK)
I bught the European model an it works perfectly: 3G is the same in Europe and in Japan (Whereas US carriers use different frequencies). So it will (and does) work perfectly. 2G wont, but it didnt either on your X01HT
If you buy it you wont regret it, I really love mine (But the Hermes was an excellent phone... Just needed a bigger screen...)
thanks for the informative reply. i'm leaning heavily towards ordering mine within the next 24 hours. $700 is a lot of money. out of curiosity, how much did japanese customs duty charge you for the import of the phone?
Alcibiade, still waiting on you to come back online friend! Guess I need to bump this thread up! I'm looking for some of your expertise and experiences using this phone in Japan. I'm curious as to which ROM you had installed in yours (any chance you can put it in your sig?).
i have another thread going where i'm trying to get other people's experiences with japanese input ability. for some reason, i just can't get Japanese input on my phone. I can see kanji and kana fine in texts, webpages, emails, etc. but i can't enter any myself. when you installed the raphael/diamond Japanese IME, and Softbank MMS on your phone, were you able to write Japanese?

Should I upgrade to Dash 3G?

I've had my Dash 1 for about a year now and happy with it. I upgraded it to the 6.1 rom.
I'm not sure if I should upgrade to the new Dash 3G. I use my phone mostly for IRC, texting, and corp email. I try to web browse with IE/Skyfire but most of the time, the phone will run out of memory due to the heavy email client that I need to use (Good Messaging).
I do not see any thing that the Dash 3G will offer me that I don't already have. Stable web browsing would be nice though. GPS a plus since I tend to rely on Google Maps.
Is the Dash 3G the must have upgrade for us Dash 1 users? Since I bought my Dash 1 at full price, I still qualify for the 2 year contract for $169 at T-Mobile (I hate contracts!).
I was considering posting this in the Maple forum, but it would probably get more views here.
D3G has alot more RAM and a higher clock speed, plus the keyboard looks easier to type on. If your happy with your Dash you can just hang on to it until the price goes down on the D3G in a few months. With higher end phones being offered on AT&T for cheaper w/contract, I can see them lowering the price sooner than expected.
From what Ive seen it definantly is an upgrade for Dash users, and cooked ROMs are already in the works. I cant wait to get my hands on one, especially since im in a T-mo 3g area.
I am a currently on T-Mobile and was just about to switch to AT&T, mainly because I couldn't use 3g with my Tilt. I really wanted 3g speeds since you can do 'internet sharing' in windows mobile, then tether it to my laptop via bluetooth. This would open a whole new world for me...I've only had my tilt a few months now...and I'm itching bad for 3g.
I'm not sure on t-mobile's stance on tethering, although when I was on the phone with one of their escalation techs for 'non t-mobile phones' in the past, they were pretty cool with giving me info on tethering, and even refering me to xda-developers. I'm sure their default Dash 3g will probably be missing the applications for that option though.
I'm still trying to decide if I should get the new MyTouch vs. Dash 3g...I've read about google blocking an app that allowed Andriod tethering, does anyone know if its still available/possible?
I have had my 3G for about a week. It is a great phone. I miss my Excalibur, it has been the best phone I have ever owned and the support and ROM's here are absolutely awesome.
Do you have 3G service where you live, work, and/or travel often?
Are you running applications that exceed current memory?
Are there applications that you do not run because of speed and/or memory limitations?
I will say that I absolutely hated to shelf the Excalibur but I do enjoy the speed of the device and the data network. Tethering is the same as the previous model. The battery life is great, and the trackball took getting used to but has become indespensable. The first couple days I really debated keeping it, but am glad I did....at least for now.
i think if you're in a 3g area and can hold back on getting better cooked roms and want to deal with a blackberry wannabe retard trackball then you should go for it. i ordered one just off the principle that the silver piece on my dash started peeling off and i needed something that wasnt fallling apart but.. i love the dash. although the buttons on the 3g are amazing. no joggr though... who says you can't swap your sim every once in a while. i hear you have to get a different data plan for the 3g service though.. not sure yet but i'm sure someone does
I'm looking on Ebay at the Dash 3G and I'm not seeing any that's unlocked. Does anyone know if anyone has unlocked a Dash 3G yet? I need to use in on AT&T.
I really can't see any benefits to going to the Dash 3g.
- No 3G service in my area
- Same screen, same resolution as Dash 1
GPS would be nice, but I'm planning on getting the next iPod Touch which is rumored to have it. Can't use iPhone because I need corp email.
The Dash 3G would give me better web browsing and probably longer battery life. For $169 with no contract I would probably pick one up. I hate signing the 2 year contract in case I want to switch phones. The Dash 3G might really show it's age in 2 years.
But I am a fan of the Dash. I cannot stand stylus/touch screen on the other Windows Mobile phones.
and I just read Telenav is $9.99/month. I will not be getting GPS on the Dash 3G then.
audiofx said:
and I just read Telenav is $9.99/month. I will not be getting GPS on the Dash 3G then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats why I use Google Maps and amAze, its free!
3G Tether
My friendly T-Mobile rep told me that T-Mo will not support tethering any 3G phone because they don't want to sacrifice the bandwidth.
My solution (until last week) was to use my G1 and swap my sim to my Tilt when I needed to tether. That stopped last week when my G1 suddenly started to refuse any data connection with a notice that I needed to change to a G1 compatible data plan.
More discussion with the T-Mo folks has gotten them to offer to replace my G1 with any other phone, and I think I may go to the D3G and then keep my Tilt charged for tethering until there is a D3G rom that will support it.
Thoughts?
AKMark said:
My friendly T-Mobile rep told me that T-Mo will not support tethering any 3G phone because they don't want to sacrifice the bandwidth.
My solution (until last week) was to use my G1 and swap my sim to my Tilt when I needed to tether. That stopped last week when my G1 suddenly started to refuse any data connection with a notice that I needed to change to a G1 compatible data plan.
More discussion with the T-Mo folks has gotten them to offer to replace my G1 with any other phone, and I think I may go to the D3G and then keep my Tilt charged for tethering until there is a D3G rom that will support it.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tether my 3g dash often (like now) without issue. They may be trying to stop those that are not paying for the 3g plan from utilizing a 3g phone/data by putting the sim in a 3g device. Just a guess, but I have not had an issue.
I had the Snap for a day. Then returned it. Mainly because the Menu keys were bad quality (getting stuck, etc... see my detailed thread in the Maple forum).
Other issue was the keyboard layout. Yes, the keys are huge but they are too crammed and you can't feel the gaps between them and it's harder to touch type. I also prefer the grid alignment of the Excalibur.
Trackball was useful although web browsing still seemed sluggish.
Battery life seemed nice (limited experience), GPS is definitely welcome.
Overall, I expected to be blown away by the speed improvement (faster CPU) but wasn't. Yes, it's better but not THAT much.
Had a brief love affair with a sweet Samsung C6625 but left it on the shelf (because I love this forum!).
I will probably upgrade some day, but this keyboard bug has to be fixed first (I'm not the only one)
Greg
I went to the T-Mobile store and played with one. It was definately nice but not game-changing. Like I said, I already have Win 6.1 on the Excalibur.
I would grab it for $169 straight up without the contract. But not with a 2 year contract.
I had a hands-on today, awsome phone, I love the keyboard. Cant wait to have one.
I upgraded from the old Dash to the new Dash 3G. I can say that I am not disappointed at all.
Bigger keyboard, longer battery life, faster cpu, definitely worth it.
I use my phone to keep in touch with my customers via email as I am always on the go(this is where the bigger keys help). I listen to Sirius with the SiriusWM5 app all day(benefit of the bigger battery). Also, doing both on my old Dash seemed to be laggy, switching between email and my media player, causing audio to skip, or having to wait a few seconds just to see who sent me an email. New model I can do this with no lag, skips, or delays(this is where the faster processor in the new 3G has helped out).
HTC DASH 3G hardware review
I HOPE THIS REVIEW IS HELPFUL TO PEOPLE. I TRIED TO BE AS OBJECTIVE AND THOROUGH AS POSSIBLE. -Justin Chandler
Before agreeing to a contract and upping to the Dash 3G, I decided to buy one outright to test its functionality. I would be "upgrading" from the old dash (been using it since 06 and crappy WM5) with the XDA-Developers.com WM6.1 ROM.
Hardware review:
The new dash's design is attractive, both visually and functionally. It is all black with a very sleek and professional look. It definitely looks nicer than the old one visually. The buttons take a little time to get used to because they do seem flatter, but the larger size of them helps a lot. People with larger fingers will appreciate this, I'm sure. Also, they are very well lit and much easier to see in the dark than the old Dash1's buttons.
Though it may not actually be flatter than Dash1, it feels flatter for some reason and gives the perception of being more technologically advanced when you hold it. The rubber back on the Dash in general was well-received by many including myself, although the new rubber on the Dash3G seems a little too smooth and has a tendency to slip around in your hand more than Dash1, especially when doing single-handed typing.
The new dash [probably related to the added height], it seems a little off balance in my hands. I'm 5'8" so those with larger hands may not experience this as much.
I liked the old rubber backing because I could put the phone in a little dash box below the radio in my car and it would grip happily and never move. The new one slips and slides around like a dog on a newly-waxed floor.
What can you say about the screen? It's the same screen as the old dash in most ways, though it does seem brighter with richer colors. Again there's not much to say, but it is nicer for sure.
The control area of the dash, has been changed a lot, with different button positioning and the inclusion of a trackball. I admit I have hit the home and back keys on accident many times, trying to make selections, though you could train your hands out of that I'm sure. Many of you are likely pleased to see a trackball included, though don't be to quick here. It is nice having a mouse pointer in web pages, though no amount of tweaking with the settings was able to overcome the fact that it scrolls too many pixels at a time, often making it difficult to select a link [while browsing]. The solution is to scroll up or down the web page a little then go back down to the link so you can click on it. Also, diagonal scrolling just isn't really there. You will get the impression that the trackball only operates in 4 directions with any reliability. Perhaps someone will come up with a tweaking utility that can help overcome this. Clicking with the trackball is also a bit of a task, as the pressure spring below it is a bit too stiff so without fingernails, you may find yourself scrolling off of the point you want to click on before the click actually happens. The power button has been relocated to coincide with the red hangup key now, which is mildly convenient in some ways, but I always used the old power button [on Dash1] for a single press to bring up the menu allowing you to hit various settings, or change the profile in a pinch. I miss this menu but may find it hidden somewhere, as I've only been using the new Dash for about a week. (I HAVE looked, but can't find it, yet).
In addition to the camera and messaging buttons on the bottom right, they have a shortcut key. The email button is nice, but the sliding panel interface already made it very easy to get to messaging for me, so I never used it. The shortcut key is also very nice, though the selection list for what you can assign to it was left lacking. They should allow you to link it to any program, instead of the static list.
The updated camera is much improved. It takes reasonably high resolution photos and video, despite some phones offering even higher resolution than 2.0 megapixels. Those taking high resolution for the purpose of printing out will be using their REAL cameras, anyway. I'm definitely disappointed that they didn't add a flash to the camera, but that's likely due to a lack of real estate, because this phone is in general pretty compact and thin. Adjusting the brightness setting didn't seem to help much, either. Bring your real camera when you have a function, or you'll be disappointed with the images -- but for those impromptu snaps, it gets the job done - and well.
I found that The processor is faster, and helps things along quite a bit. I used OMAP clock at 240MHz on my old dash, and this one easily surpasses it in typical operational speed. Also, when viewing video clips, they are much smoother and skip less, though it still doesn't play streamed video clips nearly as smoothly as the much older iPhone. Expect mildly choppy video streams from Youtube or the like. I did allow full download before playing, so it was not related to connection speed. Opening PDF images and Office documents is definitely much improved and it takes less time to open and scroll through them. I'd say a win here for speed - but they still need to either optimize media content abilities or beef up the processor even more. I have to say I was definitely disappointed, as I was really looking forward to watching smoother streaming content online.
The sound quality is definitely improved, especially when using speaker phone. I still think it's weird that there is a downward-firing speaker but that's just a quirky thing I suppose. Volume was not only more clear, but louder as well. I had to turn my old Dash1 to the highest to hear clearly, and on the Dash3G I set it at about 80% volume level in most cases. They made larger openings in the case for the speakers which may be cosmetic but I believe they are also functional.
The battery cover is a single snap-on unit now, instead of the old slide-off design. While it does give a nice impression of being more refined, those that regularly swap batteries/memory cards or have to remove/replace due to Windows Mobile lock-ups will get annoyed and it will surely wear out much faster because it uses little tabs to snap into place.
GPS functionality is added to the new Dash3G! Awesome, I've been longing for this for quite some time, often jealous of my friends' iPhones and G1s that included this ability. I have a portable GPS, but I don't always drive my own car, especially in Boston, where the commuter bus and train are so convenient. Kudos to HTC for adding this ability to our beloved Dash!
Volume control also gets a thumbs up, as they have gotten rid of that crappy touch-sensitive "jogger" strip from the old phone and replaced it with buttons on the left side. First, moving it to the left side was a good idea because for the majority of people, it places the buttons conveniently for right-handed use of the fingertips. Second, those random changes of your volume while in a call with a single touch of your ear lobe is eliminated.
I am a bit upset, and you may be, too. The new DASH 3G does NOT include a belt clip. Instead, you get a simple leather pouch that is more appropriate for women with purses. This is a business phone, and the huge majority of users are undoubtedly going to be professional men, due to it's more masculine design and also it's business-oriented functionality.
Overall, I'd say it's a win in the hardware category for the new Dash 3G.
(to be continued below)
HTC DASH 3G software review
(continued from above)
Software review:
HORRIBLE! As stated, on the old Dash1, I have been using the XDA-Developers ROM image for quite some time, and LOVE all the features and functionality available. There are a lot of gripes [and a few good things] with the T-Mobile ROM but overall it's a FAIL!
NO IMAGE EDITING! (WTF!?) That's right! You can't crop, resize, or rotate your images any more, a function that has been available since 2006 and WM5!! A 2nd level T-Mobile support rep was even baffled on this one, as we spent more than 30 minutes poking and prodding around to find where it could be done. I used to have a nice cropped image of my sexy girlfriend on the home screen. Now I just have her face. That means that 1. You can't edit a photo before sending to someone and 2. Taking a picture and then applying as your wallpaper requires a PC with Activesync so you can a) copy the image to the PC, b) edit it to 320x240 size, etc c) copy back to phone, and then d) set your wallpaper. RIDICULOUS!
NO MORE ICS (Internet Connection Sharing/tethering to PC) They have chosen not to include the ability to tether your phone to a PC, so you can't take advantage of the 3G data rate and browse on your laptop, with datacable, bluetooth or whatever. This is a big deal for me, as I am often on the road and make regular use of ICS to get things done on my laptop.
Telenav requires a monthly fee of $10 just to use GPS, hell no! This is a big disappointment. Call me cheap, but I don't feel I should have to pay monthly just to use GPS navigation, especially considering the GPS service is free (don't count your taxes). It's just a program that interprets the maps and calculates a route. Charging a small fee to register the program is reasonable, but a monthly recurring charge? That's preposterous. They did have the decency to include Google Maps, however, which redeems this issue thankfully. It works pretty well and despite my pissy attitude towards the Telenav nonsense, I'm happy to say that you can now use GPS on your dash!
They now group text and multimedia messaging together. This can be a blessing and a curse. It's nice because you don't have to manage multiple locations when cleaning up your sent/inbox/deleted items. It's troublesome because if you want to clean out your regular text messages guess what? You will end up deleting all the media messages at the same time, which at least in my case, I keep the media messages and just clean out my text messages regularly.
No inclusion of an Internet-based backup. I thought it was awesome that Verizon included the ability to backup and restore your contact list to the Internet, and also view that list through your online account. T-Mobile still doesn't include this ability, which is pretty sad in my opinion. You can use Microsoft's free MyPhone application to do this, but only if you're not connected to an Exchange server. I am using MyPhone, but can't backup my contact list online because I'm connected to an Exchange server. They should allow you to at least backup your SIM contacts, because many [including myself] use the phone for business and personal.
T-Mobile added an application that allows you to manage your account straight from the start menu. I found this be be very cool, and many will definitely enjoy it's usefulness, especially those that aren't on an unlimited plan and have to keep an eye on their usage and charges.
The problems with the T-Mobile release of WM6.1 are sufficient that I will be returning the Dash3G and sticking with my old one. The lack of [and simply removed] functionality is definitely not worth the extra speed. I really need the extra speed boost, especially for the many attachments I get as an IT Manager, but I can't get over all the shortcomings. I will keep the phone until this coming weekend, which will be just inside of my 14 day painless return period (you can return within 30 days, but they make you jump through legal hoops and become an ass hole to do it).
Finally, I would like to add that it is my firm wishes that XDA-Developers can come up with a Dash3G version of the wonderful Dash1 ROM image they made famous, and with which made undoubtedly thousands completely addicted to the Dash (not to mention saving them tons of money because of all the great features and applications included). PLEASE, if it's not trouble to convert the old ROM to be used with the new hardware DO IT! You'll have my complete gratitude.
I hope this is useful to some. Thanks from Justin Chandler.
chemao said:
NO IMAGE EDITING! (WTF!?) That's right! You can't crop, resize, or rotate your images any more, a function that has been available since 2006 and WM5!! A 2nd level T-Mobile support rep was even baffled on this one, as we spent more than 30 minutes poking and prodding around to find where it could be done. I used to have a nice cropped image of my sexy girlfriend on the home screen. Now I just have her face. That means that 1. You can't edit a photo before sending to someone and 2. Taking a picture and then applying as your wallpaper requires a PC with Activesync so you can a) copy the image to the PC, b) edit it to 320x240 size, etc c) copy back to phone, and then d) set your wallpaper. RIDICULOUS!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, you CAN edit on the Dash 3G--but it's really not obvious and I don't recall seeing this in the manual. Use the Sliding Panels Media home screen layout, then go to the My Pictures panel and press the trackball. You get the old Pictures and Videos app, which allows editing!
I think there is already a D3g ROM out here on xda in the maple forum.
phatmanxxl said:
I think there is already a D3g ROM out here on xda in the maple forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ookba has released a HTC Maple rom, and it's stable working almost as well as his current dash rom. but other than that there isn't too too much stuff over on the forums yet. Ive been meaning to go check things out but once I got my dash 3g its sat in the fricking box waiting till the time is right..

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