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I cannot stop my self for writing this...
I 'm the happy owner of a BA (XDA IIs) after:
smashing 2 IPAQs 2210 in less than a month
losing my Lumix FX7 digital camera (same month)
and go swiming with my cell phone on me...
I'm a heavy user of GPS while biking so you can guess the heavy duty and stress i put in my electronics... (150kms/h on a handle bar mount for example)
Looking for trips and stuff to get more form my BA I have been able to compile a series of apparent failures or deficiencys and I looked like a great idea to post them here in a list form...
so the list starts...
The weakness
*Some users report that the screen starts whistling after 1 month or so of use
*Bluethoot under performing (actually I never been able to use the headset)
*Wifi Under powered (some blame the antenna location for both BT and WIFI)
*When on the bike craddle camera and record buttons constantly pressed by craddle grip (creating eternal lag)
*Power button apparently dies easily
*No data extension, so no possibility to use CF backpack
*Aparently unstable device in overall (some users report daily resets)
*Over billing of GPRS due to crappy implementation
*Stylus fall off the handheld (already lost 1 and dropped the 2nd several times)
*lack of support from the manufacturer (almost al updates are cooked ROMS (kiss the cook))
*Lack of accesories
*hard to find accesories due to the millions of names under the same machine is commercialized
*2.5 mm headphone jack
*sub performant IR port (also on the side not in front)
*Short Battery life
But you're still a happy owner?
I like my device overall.
The high-pitched sound eminating from my screen is annoying me, though.
However, in my mind, I truly do consider this device a beta device.
It's just not "tight" and "solid".
I am referring to the antenna. The loose stylus. The daily resets. The lack of support. The bluetooth problems everyone complains about.
To me, it sounds like this device is a work in progress.
Whistling screen aside, though, I do still like it more than other PPCs I've owned.
They are almost ALL beta devices!
Beta devices ???
Well I must agree with Mike about the Beta thing...
I am actually regretting having bought that µGPS from Holux a year ago... It is when all started for me lol
Anyway never paid 800 euros to be a beta tester before... :roll:
And yes I am happy with my BA
The only issue I've suffered from is teh sporatic "No Sound" issue when i make a call or receive one. Guess I've been lucky.
Before upgrading to rom 1.4 i pretty much had to hard reset daily, since upgrade (1 week ago) have only hard reset once, and only then as I was required to after installing a program!
The only issue I've suffered from is teh sporatic "No Sound" issue when i make a call or receive one. Guess I've been lucky.
Before upgrading to rom 1.4 i pretty much had to hard reset daily, since upgrade (1 week ago) have only hard reset once, and only then as I was required to after installing a program!
Pretty unhappy with my device also
Here is my review after 6+ months. No problems on the build quality, mostly stability/software issues. This device is soooo beta....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=23880&highlight=
I original bought the BA as a cheap way to get gps.
I rarely use it for gps but couldn’t live with out it during day today use.
However im very unhappy with the build quality within a couple of days the casing started to get scratched. It feels really cheap and im hating the ugly nav button. The idea of selling it in a years time will be a no go as by then it will be beaten up.
I haven’t taken it back to o2 as im sure they will say its normal wear and tear and not due to shoddy hardware.
I might loose the item soon :wink: and hopefully the nice insurance peeps will replace it with a 2i
Guys!!!
Looks like O2 has made differrent hardware alongwith the Asia ROM.I too use it on bike heavily....may not be at the speeds as mentioned above ,but 100 kms a day...about 1-2 hrs of GPRS, NO GPS, 3 Hrs of talk tme...with environmental condtions, most of them dusty, varying temperatures and other harsh conditions.But...here XDA 2s working fine....no such above complaints..
I like Blue Angle and I must admit thatn the hardware is excellent and is more stable than all of the HTC devices so far... :lol:
Mine comes from asia originally....
I bought mine in Malaysia (extremelly expensive compared to what you find in Ebay this days)
I paid the equivalent to 850 euros for it !
only to discover that is the same device that goes 2nd hand in ebay for 300 !!!!! (The names thing !!!! ) how can you guess that a qteck 9090 is an XDA IIs, which also is a Blue Angel, which also is a PDA2K bla bla ....
Atop whistling screen, constant crashes, loose styolus and the no sound in call problem, my XDA2s has scratched the kyyboard through normal use. It must be too tight or something.
Definately a beta. I'm surprised this passed EC quality control.
Im from the Philippines and I got my IIs a few weeks ago, Im a N9210 user for 4 years and I was thinking of getting a 9500, but the deciding factor was the stylus which the 9500 lacks since I was looking for a wifi Phone and the stylus was important for my use. so I opted for a IIs. THe main problem with my IIs now is the stability, as what many complain about!!!! the "no sound" problem is a real pain, but I still have hope for the IIs thanks to this site!!!
BTW i still have the old ROM version, Im afraid of upgrading coz I might have more problems than benefits.
Upgrade upgrade
2 path...\
Most of the probs go away when u use the beast in corporate mode with latest rom upgrade....
Hello guys,
I have long heard of whistling screens but never really understood what its really about - until last night. I heard it! It is sooo damn annoying. If I send my BA to i-mate Dubai, do they replace it for free? What are the costs? Please, if anyone can answer ASAP because I have under 1 month of warranty.
Thanks a lot.
c'mon, boys, help this mate... :roll:
z_rudy said:
Hello guys,
I have long heard of whistling screens but never really understood what its really about - until last night. I heard it! It is sooo damn annoying. If I send my BA to i-mate Dubai, do they replace it for free? What are the costs? Please, if anyone can answer ASAP because I have under 1 month of warranty.
Thanks a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never experience this "whistling sound" at all.. Im happy with my BA. 'no sound" problem? I just upgraded to the latest Radio and CE rom.. I tried also the WM 5.0, butI decided to go back to SE..
no probs at all
I have had my 2s for a whole year now. I have never really experienced any problems with it. (Except for the scratches and lost stylus pens though). I've yet to experience software problems and the so-called whistling screen. I, too, have tried upgrading to wm5 but I did not like the changes. I'm running on '03 SE with my own cooked extrom. :lol:
I like my 2s overall.
I think I'll live with it
Thanks anyway...
So if it's sooo bad what's good Pocket PC phone then, tell me, so I can decide...which to buy, I need a quad band, and one that is 100% perfect.
Hi
My PDA2K is falling apart (I have dropped it a couple of times which has not helped.
I need to replace it and I am wondering with what.
I could simply go for another PDA2K but really never want to buy from i-mate ever again so am looking at [email protected]'s XDAIIs and IIi or the T-Mobile MDAIII.
Which is the best or would you steer totally clear of this phone because of all its problems?
Robin
I've got an O2 XDA2s & a work colleague has the T-Mobile MDAIII. Persoanlly I'd use either agin depsite their known issues. I like having an all-in-one device & am happy to compromise to get it
I would definitely buy another XDA IIs, if mine died. The grey colour of the O2 device simply oozes more class than the silver handsets.
Quality has been good (except for the hard reset issue when removing the battery - which is easily solved by keeping the power cord in when changing the sim card). I would be tempted to hang on for the universal though....... NICE!
i simply cannot afford to buy a brand new one if mine died, id have to wait til i can upgrade again, but if i could, then i would buy another as i have already got my bro to get one of these, and also he is a driving instructor, so its useful for his appointments and stuff.
if i was close to my upgrade date tho, i would just wait and get the next xda
joey.
Personally, no. I've realised I don't need the organisation or programs of a PDA. I bought it for Skype, but that doesn't work. The build quailty is not amazing.
I'll be going back to standard Sony Ericssons next contract period.
Chris
I'm very disappointed with all PDA's.
As a long time user AND enthusiast, I'm completely dissatisfied with everyone available. Moving to the BA from a HP, I expected better innovation from the leading producer of WM based PDA's, especially after seeing what HP was producing with the 6500's. Now I just realized that HTC is producing the 6500 for HP...!?!
Why wont someone produce a quality device with a hires (vga) screen, good memory (128 RAM, not to mention the availability of multi GB micro drives), reliable phone (GSM), fast data (GPRS/EDGE), un-crippled Bluetooth (audio/voice), and a small form factor (Treo). It has to be possible. I paid $850 for the BA (unlocked), and it's ridiculously unstable, and can't do what my $50 cell phone can do.
Bitter, Bitter, Bitter...
I hear you man. Sometimes I wonder if I should have got a different Pocket PC so Skype would actually work.
All of them are crippled/broken/manufactured badly in some way. The BA has its fair share of problems, but the important thing is that they're no more than any other PDA (apart from maybe the keyboard).
Chris
Some guy at work has te iPaq hybrid pda/phone. Quite swanky. I recently have this descision on my plate. Keep my new XDA2s or swap for the slower, but better made and more stable SE P910.
I'm waiting for Nokia N91.
I will surely buy another Blue Angel. Wish they could makde the keyboard more stronger and add WM 2005 in it .
I am pretty happy with the stuff .
NO!
his hardware its really crap...
Robster said:
Hi
My PDA2K is falling apart (I have dropped it a couple of times which has not helped.
I need to replace it and I am wondering with what.
I could simply go for another PDA2K but really never want to buy from i-mate ever again so am looking at [email protected]'s XDAIIs and IIi or the T-Mobile MDAIII.
Which is the best or would you steer totally clear of this phone because of all its problems?
Robin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is your phone covered by your house insurance.....was it you that dropped it? I would be suspicious and claim for a new one if you get my drift!
I would definetaly buy another one! It has had it's issues, but they all do to one extent or another. I use mine for my work all the time, and it has been the best unit that I have owned to date.
Later.......
i will never buy xda lls.
i hope i can change my xda lls to xda lli now.
but i have no money
Absolutely NOT. Sick of the instability, the poor support, the resetting 3 times a day and everything else that goes with it.
Never again!
I like the idea of an all in-one-device but...
1) phone is unstable
2) bluetooth is unstable
3) pda is unstable requiring resets
4) no UMTS
5) no "good" camera (0.3 MP ? come on! 5MP cam phones are out already)
6) no EDGE support
7) low memory
8) don't use keyboard as often as I thought
it is an OK device, but could use a lot of improvement.
I live the universal and I would give it a try if it were quadband
Until 3 days ago I would have said no. My 02 XDA2s was horribly unstable in all the ways described above.
I then had to try and find a replacement all-in-one. All I found that does everything this does that I need is the XDA2i (which from reading the forum sounds just as bad) and the Nokia N91 (out this Christmas at the earliest - I needed a handset NOW!)
I will take the keyboard of the XDA2s over the camera of the 2i anyday (all XDA cameras are limited by the crappy lenses anyway, no matter hoe good resolution they make them). The keyboard's really useful when doing things like entering passwords with greater accuracy or chatting on MSN.
I then flashed my ROM and radio to the latest availible and I have not had to reset yet in over 24 hours!
I was resetting my other XDA2s with 02 ROM 5 times a day!
Flash your ROM!! It makes this thing work to an acceptable level! Media Player 10 is great too, although the buttons are disabled which makes toggling the screen difficult. Album art and media centre synching make it worth it
Nope, I would not buy another BA. Next time I want to upgrade to get the HTC Wizard. Smaller phone with built in wi-fi and WM5.
With the BA:
I have never used the slide out keyboard
I am fed up with wi-fi choosing whether or not it wants to turn on
I am fed up getting the driver low memory message on BT
I am fed up with the phone locking up up so I can't call out and others can't call me without doing a soft reset or turn on/off BT every time.
Some of you are missing the point here! Let's compare to units that are already available, not things that have not arrived yet! With the right rom combination,this is an acceptable unit! Edge is new and very limited right now,and was not available when these came out.Stability issues can be resolved by cooking your own rom! Using reasons like that,as well as "I don't use this,or that feature", is not really the point,is it!
Just my 6 cents worth..... Later....... 8)
ill still buy ba or the upcoming one
this is the best i've ever had...i started from xda1 then xda2 now xda2s...that's why i love this site...and thanks t'all the people Here...lm working at night, n use my wifi w/o problems...use my verichat for chatting or agile, surf net...play my old school super nintendo (thousand selection)...use resco to ftp my website n upload/dowload mp3's ,files etc....listen my new remix mp3's w 2gigs while im in the gym ...ayt....
With the current selection of phones/pdas in the market today, I would still buy the same IIs I have....thats considering I can still aford one
I have a Hermes 100 and wondered if the tytnII was worth the upgrade or go for something else. What do you guys think? I'm with Orange. Cheers
tcSPVm3100 said:
I have a Hermes 100 and wondered if the tytnII was worth the upgrade or go for something else. What do you guys think? I'm with Orange. Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right now just go for an up to date ROM........get your moneys worth from your Hermes dude its still just as good as the Kaiser (aka Tytn II) apart from having 128MB memory instead of 256MB.
Personally im waiting for a really big upgrade rather than paying another large ammount for such an incremental upgrade.
Each to their own...I'm with Orange too and have never paid to upgrade, so I went from the M3100 to the TyTn II/Kaiser/P4550 (or whatever Orange are calling it this week ). The M3100 has now been eBay-ed and I'm getting involved with flashing and tweaking the Kaiser The best thing for me is the built-in GPS - I've got a Tomtom Bluetooth GPS unit which I was always forgetting to charge, so although the phone was mounted in the car holder/charger, I quite often ran out of juice on the GPS at the most inopportune moments
If you can get an upgrade for nowt, I'd say go for it - as MrVanx says, there's no real major differences between the two devices, so you have to weigh up the pros and cons for your particular case.....
Just another point of view; ultimately, the decision is yours my friend
Mark.
Some friendly advice to anyone thinking of getting this machine. DON'T! I have spent a month of misery with it and I keep going back trying to get it to work, but finally i haver put it back in the box.
This device really dissappointed me. on the face of it specwise, it should be the best device out there, but the ROM just is not stable and some apps (notably Igo8, or googlemaps locate me) simply do not function at all. Its like they built the hardware but never completed the software. it ships only with WM6, has no 'eye candy' like HTC devices (and look at the black dialler! its like something from a test ROM that they forgot to remove!!), or Samsung devices and doesnt support greater than 2GB SD cards (and I have tried EVERY SDHC driver out there, none are stable). even Outlook isnt stable. After i sync'd (approx 5000 contacts), it can take up to TWENTY MINUTES for the device to stabilize and function properly. Until then, it just hangs (terrible if you want to change the battery). At first i thought it was the SDHC driver, or the HTC home or other apps I had installed to make the device useable, but after hard resetting and just syncing outlook, it turns out that large outlook syncs ARE a problem (and not one I have ever had with another device). I wasted DAYS trying to get this device to function properly and finally gave up (preferring to stick with my Samsung i780 which is the most stable WM6 device I have ever used).
Add into the mix that imate are totally unresponsive to requests for SDHC drivers, or fixed ROMs and this is a total white elephant of a machine, that by the way I just can't seem to find a buyer for online!!!
I guess everyone's experience is different. I have had this device for around a month also and it's easily the best, most stable windows mobile device I've ever had, and I've had quite a few. I have my ROM almost full with apps and it is completely stable, including TomTom 6, which works fine. I'm not sure why people instantly blame the device rather than considering their own software and configuration first but anyway...just wanted to say my experience, and that of many others is quite different.
The SDHC thing is true, and annoying. Only a max of 2GB for now, but there is a ROM update coming to fix this. Let's not forget it's only been out just over a month or so! Patience. Other than that mine has been great.
i think you are the lucky one. i have seen elsewhere on the web many complaints about the device. maybe its the hardware? Q: do you have a lot of outlook contacts?
I have the same and never really had a problem with it.
software installed
SPB Mobile shell
Spb Time
SPB weather
Nyx Contacts
Nyx password
Iguidance
Google maps
WIMP
Vito SMS-Chat
Maybe you got a lemon? Try to exchange it.
ekerbuddyeker said:
i think you are the lucky one. i have seen elsewhere on the web many complaints about the device. maybe its the hardware? Q: do you have a lot of outlook contacts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think there isn't a device available where you won't find people with issues. Look at the Tytn II - opinion ranges from those that want to marry one through to those that that consider it the greatest crime perpetrated on 21st Century humanity! Definitely, there are people that have complained about the 8502, as there is for every device out there, but there is a whole bunch of people also that love it. I'm not dismissing your problems, but it's a bit extreme to tell everyone never to buy one based on your bad experience, as though it was an objectively established fact that this phone is a dud. Apart from the SDHC issue, which I'll admit is ridiculous (but is being fixed in the next ROM update), many people are using it and loving it. It is packed with features, has a great form factor and has been more stable than any device I've ever used before. Overall, I love it! But again, only my experience. Doesn't mean everyone should go out and buy one either!
I have quite a few Outlook contacts but admittedly not 5000! Maybe 1000 or so I guess...so certainly that could be a point of difference.
I'm in two minds about the 8502. I too thought it was great until I installed a few programs and it all turned to s*&t. 3 hard resets & a trip back for repair and it still regularly crashes - at least twice a day. I even left the device with only two bits of software, Lotus Traveler & tMan (task manager) & it still is giving me a headache.
One of the things is it seems to go nuts when the battery is low, gives errors that all the apps are unsigned ?? Really disappointed ATM.
I'll hang out for the 6.1 ROM which by all the talk in the traps should be out in the next 4-6 weeks. Otherwise it is a ripper of a device, WIFI, GPS, front qwerty, just what I wanted.
My 8502 is great
I have had my 8502 for about 8 weeks and it is by far the best unit I have ever owned.
This is at least my 8th PDA and I migrated from a JasJam and in every aspect the 8502 is far superior even with WM 6.0.
I use it quite heavily with lots of software installed and certainly have not had the issues that some of you are talking about.
All I am waiting for is WM 6.1 and some Rom cookers and the 8502 will be even better.
Add one more happy 8502 user.
I have been using it since April 2, and my Kaiser sits sad in my drawer (sorry HTC, please make such a form factor VGA device - with a real keyboard - and I'll be back)
MY 6150 is working like charm for 4 months now.
Isn't it very close to the 8502 in regards to hardware and software?
Got my i-mate 8502 6 weeks ago.
I must say it is most stable pda phone I have ever owned. Never hang or fail me yet.
i-mate 8502: Anybody sells display or phone? /alguién vende pantalla o teléfono?
Good afternoon, folks
I was relatively happy with my i-mate ultimate 8502 till I dropped it and the display broke.
As I'm against buying new stuff if you can at a reasonable price fix something, I'm asking:
is anybody willing to sell almost altrusistically a display or even the whole phone? We could do it through the normal channels (paypal, google, ebay,whatever). Or in person, I'me based in Spain.
Warm regards,
Manuel
A somewhat diffrent post =) but i need to say it. Just a basic huge thnx to the dedicated BA developers and programers. You seem to be in control here, and maybe its a good thing to have a phone that not to many uses nowadays (Less crowded) Thnx D-Two and Chef Tony for your never ending dedication. Made my starting point as a new user on BA forum very easy. Tonys guide how to flash this phone is just great and to the letter. Only wish you could elaborate more on radio flashing since i cant for some reason upgrade just as easy as the rom (wont accept the radio on second screen its no info at all) .. i have 1.12 and thought 1.15 could help issues i had on 6.1. Luckly i have no issues on 6.5 so far with dropped GPRS connection (weeeee).
Picked up my my old Qtek 9090 and flashed with 6.1 and then to the current 6.5 and though scary, it worked (Phew). Many years since i used a old WM device and having a Leo today, this is scary compared in flashing proceedings.
I installed some basic need apps according to me, and Opera 10 is really best on a BA in comparison to the HD2 and other new phones i used/tryed. The possibility to use buttons and arrow keys really makes for smooth surfing and next to non movment of fingures (and mouse arrow!!!). I just saw, what a breeze, a true one-man-hand surfin experience...now if i only had 3G =)
I loved my BA when it came out, and only reason i droped it for a new device was that it broke down. So why not get a new one then? Well here in Sweden phones came and went fast and when i was hoping for a replacment, it turned out they stopped importing it since they claimed it to be a device with a lot of problems ... so i had to upgrade =( (Cant say i hated my HTC Universial thou)
But 1 year ago, i helped a friend moving and guess what fell out of a box, a Qtek 9090 model of BA and since he didnt use it he gave it to me. With 6.5 now onboard my love continues. If it only had the 3 swedish letters on the hardware keyboard ... or the possibility to hold down a, and o to get alternetive letters it would be turnd in to my nr1 daylie driver.
I am thinking of scraping up some money to buy a mint condition one even. I see them on our eqviliant to e-bay here now and hen and its itchy. So thnx BA community for restoring my love for this device.
If people never scratches the surface of there WM devices they can surely miss a lot. Thnx to the dedicated work of the likes like my fav rom chef D-Two and master mind Chef Tony i now enjoy a Blue Angel that feels great and is up to date. Though i belive the HTC HD2 to be the best phone ever made, i must say, all modernazation is not of good. BA suprised me a lot in usability, and there is only 3 factors to really make it a dated phone today, despite a great dev community.
1. Screen: Man its lovly to look at with modern software but it wont help the fact that brightness and resolution and the good old angle problems is there. Its barly usble in daylight.
2. 3G radio. Being a media monster as it is, it still suffers in my point the fast internet usabillity. While still very usable as it is, if in a thight spot it takes to long to make things happen.
3. Storage space, 4GB is little for a media consumer like me. 8GB would have made it ok atleast, but 4GB just dont cut it anymore for me on a device like this.
So, there i said it. But it still dont stop me from loving this phone, and as it is, its my second daylie driver since i use 2 phones a lot. And all the Iphone users etc, they just cant get there head around what this is (there too young to remember prolly).... shall they fear it, laught at it ... they dont get it, and that is a fun disraction in everyday life. Only wish i have left was a way to boost the CPU. Remember xpuScalar and ....1 moe, cant remember the name, to do the trick. But they where pay software and apperently my key has expired at Handango (lol its only ...what, 6-7 years ago =). Prolly wont work with 6.5 anyway, wich is a shame. Btw, can you restore a 60MB made 6.5 device to original rom? Guess my Swedish rom is gone forever =( If i get a second BA i think of having this restored to original just for kicks.
Anyways, a long post for a short word, thnx once again all Blue Angel lovers.