Develop Bugs

Problems of the XDA IIs on the IIi also?

Hello all,
Some of these things may have been covered but for the life of me I can't find them in the forum, so if I'm barking up a tree thats already been p**sed on, I appologise.
Basically I am looking to buy either an IIs or IIi (or similar MDA III etc) but I would like know if the same sort of problems that happen on the IIs happen on the IIi also. The problems with the IIs are detailed on many a topic (such as http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=23880&highlight=month+review) but here are the mains ones I can see.
- The keyboard is flimsy (falls out own accord etc)
- Bluetooth is unstable
- Sound cuts out on calls sometimes
- Restarts itself
- WiFi is unstable and picks up little signal
- Corrupts SD cards
- After some months the screen will 'whistle' (on some devices)
- The device does not hang up properly sometimes
- A version of WM2k5 doesn't look set to be available for this device
(Also it has older generation processor)
These problems do not seem to be experienced by all, and many seem to be fixed by a selection of ROM updates and quirky software settings. Do these same issues exist with the IIi (the keyboard one doesn't obviously)? I was going to get the IIs (the better battery life and keyboard looked useful) but the sheer quantity of problems people have put on the Blue Angel board has pushed me towards getting the Andes model. Is this a fair thought about the device or will I find just as many issues on the IIi as the IIs? I will be giving the device some fairly hefty PDA type use (Documents and Spreadsheets etc) so I would prefer to get a model that it not so buggy as the IIs appears to be. It seems it might be all software issues but could they be caused by hardware problems also?
Any thoughts on this issue would be greatfully appreciated as I don't want to make a purchase I later regret a lot.
Thanks a lot.
Tom
P.S Keep up the good work on this site - its a mine of useful information.

Without owning a IIi, I can tell you that:
- You *won't* get the keyboard problem
- AFAIK, the Bluetooth stack is the same, so any problems there are replicated over.
- The wifi signal strength stems from not having an external anntenna ala PalmOne Treos, so you'll have the same problem with the IIi.
HTH
Chris

I worried about this one for a while , but I went for the IIs as there seemed to be a lot more ROMs available to customise and sort out stupid problems like bluetooth and gprs not reconnecting. The imate 1.40 ROM for Blue Angel is really stable in my opinion and it works with the customisation CABs for o2 UK from the original extended rom. I havent soft reset my device for over a week now and everything seems to be really stable. The only possible advantage with the IIi is the camera, but reports of that say that the quality is just as crap as the IIs camera. Forget the slightly faster processor, if you really need that little bit more, just overclock a IIs, they will run at 520 MHZ very comfortably!
HTH
Fin

Thanks - This is useful stuff. The IIs might be back in the game. Will overclocking it cause the battery life shorten significantly? Also would the Bluetooth problems mean that using a portable bluetooth keyboard (such as the Stowaway one) would be impossible as it would cut out or is this just on high data transfer rates such as those needed by a headset?
Thanks again.
Tom

hi
i have both 2s and 2i...
as far as wifi goes.. the signal on 2i is way stronger than 2s
bt is 1.2 with support for listening to system sounds and MUSIC on 2i
i dont have any keyboard,sound cutting on calls etc problems you have written.. except that 2i didnt hang up properly with the old rom ..now that i upgraded to the lastest o2 rom on 2i that problem has gone.. the voice (caller and me and vice versa) is crisp adn clear on both the devices
cheers

Strange about the wifi, they must have put a boosted antenna in there, or perhaps changed the enclosure material...
Chris

Cheers for the help. I have decided to go for the IIi (well the Qtek 2020i version of it). It is cheaper than the IIs and the better Wifi signal will definitely be more useful as I will be using the device in libraries and other places where I will not be able to guarantee signal strength. It looks slightly more future proof with WM2K5 Roms looking like they will be available for it more readily. Its not that I will need the extra features of WM2K5 but it looks like I will be using the device a lot and so it will be good to get the benefits of future development. Guess i'll have to get a spare battery to compensate for it short battery life. Cheers again.
Tom

HTC Magician to Blue Angel; upgrade or downgrade?

I'm a Magician (MDA Compact) user, and I want more powerfull Phone/PPC machine (more RAM and bigger display); MDA III (Blue Angel) is my next primary objective. But I'm not sure am I doing step forward, or step backward? I've read many negative opinions (and many positive) on this forum about Blue Angel software and hardware issues, so I'm confused - To be, or not to be? :lol: :lol: (HTC Universal is 2 big, 2 fat, and 2 expensive 4 me) :!:

Im in the same boat..... My phone network have sent me a new BA to replace my old jam but Im still unsure whether to send it back or not ..... the main hangup Ive got with the BA is its size after having a jam everything looks/feels big........ on a plus its builtin wifi is great and I like the keyboard so maybe i'l keep it? or just save some more money and go for a k-jam?

ratcom said:
Im in the same boat..... My phone network have sent me a new BA to replace my old jam but Im still unsure whether to send it back or not ..... the main hangup Ive got with the BA is its size after having a jam everything looks/feels big........ on a plus its builtin wifi is great and I like the keyboard so maybe i'l keep it? or just save some more money and go for a k-jam?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If U are gamer (like me), you'll definitely be dissapointemnt with K-Jam 200 Mhz Processor, lack of buttons and small display. I like BIG display on BA, and buttons on the TOP of display... In landscape mode is very hard to play games using side (camera) button to control fire, acceleration etc... I like extra buttons! :lol: :lol:

I have been happy with my BA. At first I thought it was only going to be a temporary solution until I could get a Wizard (e.g. K-JAM), but from what I've read, it sounds like WM 5.0 and other issues of the Wizard make it not worth spending $700 on a Wizard right now. (I'm talking about usability issues, such as the Wizard's buttons not working quite as expected -- I'm not saying they don't work, just that they are not as intuitive as the BA.)
The only advantage of the Wizard over the BA for my needs is EDGE support and a bigger keyboard (I primarily use my BA to connect to home and work through ssh). Nothing else is a significant advantage of the Wizard over the BA. Disadvantages include a smaller SD slot (I'm using a 2 GB SD card right now), less compatibilty with existing applications, no cradles or extended (3550 mAh) battery packs available yet (though that will change), a less mature OS, etc.
Someone said the screen size of the Wizard is smaller than the BA, but I think they are the same resolution (320x240) and size.
The advantages of the BA are that you have a full line of accessories already available for it, such as extended battery packs and cradles, and it can run just about any PPC software today, including games (not true of Wizard). You can add 2 GB SD cards (4 GB if you want to spend the same amount on RAM as on a Wizard).
The BA also costs about $250 less than the Wizard if you shop wisely for it -- I've seen new BAs for as low as $489 US with no contracts.

BA -v- Magician
I have BOTH BA on my Orange personal contract & Magician on my Orange Business contract.
The only benefit, to me, of the BA is WiFi; other than that: Its HEAVY, poor keyboard, flimsy construction. In operation the screen sizedoes not matter - I run TomTom on both & prefer the Magician.
The Magician has VASTLY superior battery life (due to smaller screen & no WiFi?) and a micro USB connection.
The BA will be eBayed as soon as my contract expires!

Sold the BA and bought a Wizard, I am happy now!

I am so happy.
I sold my BA for a Wizard, no echo, great BT and more stabil.
As an early adaptor, the concept of the BA was great but technical not perfect. I am glad to see the Wizard has improved compare to the BA.
It's smaller and the screen is smaller, but the keyboard is better.
Regards,
Max

Me too, much happier now!

Wizard vs BA
Can you comment on,
Radio, less dropped calls?
Robust, is it still mostly plastic?

Same for me. The Wizard is what the BA should have been.
It actually works as a phone !!! (you receive calls, people can here you, you don't get half the signal compared to other phones, etc...)
The WIFI and BT are also working fine, and WM5 is definetly better if you want to use it one handed.

i agree to all of you regarding the difference. ive got the blue angel and wizard and im still using them both. the wizard is more stable and reliable but not a good choice for synchronization, still got a problem on synchronizing. i hope they can solve this. ive tried everything based on the forum discussions as well. but wizard is mostly handy especially when i go out in the pub.
i still use the blue angel because it has a big screen. very useful for work and for teaching. the os is more stable and more compatible (comparing from w5 and w2003se) to other third party applications. and considering the discussions of others why they upgraded then decided to downgrade it.
there were lots of issues and stuffs really thats almost endless when you read the forum. so its up to you weigh the advantages and disadvantages.
screen is a big deal for me but the stability and battery life and memory to keep from missing as well. thats why i like them both. :lol:

OOOHHH how I envy you guys who got the Wizard :roll: !!! A little more praise on the wizard and im gonna get on myself :lol:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?p=229154#229154
Theres a review by... me!
Later; Lew

I just did the same (and sold my BA on this forum).
I advise you all to do it (or better, wait for the P990).
Wizard:
+Works as a phone 100% of the time
+No 'silent' calls
+Bluetooth/wifi work
+OS is much faster (especially with overclock)
+Small enough to carry around and use withoout looking a tit
+Again, it works... I cant stress this enough.
+I have only had to soft reset once in a week, and that was my own fault for putting dodgy apps on.
+WM5
+Camera is exceptional, I'd say better than a Samsung D600 camera, and it has a light on it (although its a bit weak, but hey!)
-Can't change keyboard repeat rate (although theres prolly a registry hack)
-Wireless G is by hack only for UK customers, and then it screws it up
-Media player ANY button turns the screen on. A bit annoying when trying to skip track in your pocket.
-Struggles to play hi bitrate vids, but the smaller screen means you dont notice lower bitrate AND overclocking helps alot
-MSN on WM5 has alot less featrures, meaning annoying notifications interrupting me telling me my contacts are signing in literally every 5 seconds.
-WM5 insists on Activesync 4, which syncs over TCPIP and kicks me off my wireless network for a few seconds whenever I sync, interupting any downloads
-Activesync 4 hads no backup/restore facility, although 3rd part software manages
BA:
+Better Bluetooth management (although it rarely works
+Easier to dial on without needing a stylus eg. in the car
+Plays Media Better
-****E phone
-Impractical
+Uses SD cards, which I'm sure most of us have heaps of, and are a bit cheaper than mini SD
basically, buy the Wizard. It's worth it. You can use it without having to arse about with ROMS all day. All I did was change the (already unlocked/unhidden) Ext. ROM.

after this thread, no ones gonna buy my BA in this forum.. :lol:

lol, i just wrote a reccomendation to do this as well. Count me on the list within the next few months.

Hm. 200 MHz CPU just doesn't cut the mustard for me.
I'm very happy with my BA - I don't understand what anyone could mean by poor quality this and that. All the functions of my phone/pda are working as I might have expected them to. (The camera does suck, but I expected it to, but there have been many reports that the 1.3 megapixel cam of the Wizard just isn't so, and sucks as well.) I can only imagine that people are dropping or manhandling their BAs to be so fed up with them. I have had NO problems AT ALL with my BA once upgrading to 1.40 ROM and 1.15 radio.
BA has standard SD/IO slot. Does the Wizard's mini-SD slot double as IO? I find that almost as important as the 400 MHz CPU.
I actually like/use the BA keyboard. I like its higher resolution screen. I do find its buttons useful when coupled with 3rd-party software to customize them.
Windows Mobile 5.0 is as good as useless as far as I'm concerned. For one thing, it won't run executables or .cab files unless they are signed. (You can't install your own root certificate for security purposes, for example.) Far more software I find essential is compatible with Blue Angel, as it's got WM 2003SE Phone Edition in it.
If I had hastily bought the Wizard, I'd be here trying to make a swap with a Blue Angel owner, but I carefully considered the Blue Angel and the Wizard before making my purchase, chose the BA, and have been very happy to have made the right choice for me.

for those of us with the BA.. before you jump ship I suggest you wait just a bit more for the new AKU2.3 ROM to be been fine tuned as I think then you will see the advantages the Wizard guys speak of will no longer be the case

sub_rosa25 said:
Hm. 200 MHz CPU just doesn't cut the mustard for me.
I'm very happy with my BA - I don't understand what anyone could mean by poor quality this and that. All the functions of my phone/pda are working as I might have expected them to. (The camera does suck, but I expected it to, but there have been many reports that the 1.3 megapixel cam of the Wizard just isn't so, and sucks as well.) I can only imagine that people are dropping or manhandling their BAs to be so fed up with them. I have had NO problems AT ALL with my BA once upgrading to 1.40 ROM and 1.15 radio.
BA has standard SD/IO slot. Does the Wizard's mini-SD slot double as IO? I find that almost as important as the 400 MHz CPU.
I actually like/use the BA keyboard. I like its higher resolution screen. I do find its buttons useful when coupled with 3rd-party software to customize them.
Windows Mobile 5.0 is as good as useless as far as I'm concerned. For one thing, it won't run executables or .cab files unless they are signed. (You can't install your own root certificate for security purposes, for example.) Far more software I find essential is compatible with Blue Angel, as it's got WM 2003SE Phone Edition in it.
If I had hastily bought the Wizard, I'd be here trying to make a swap with a Blue Angel owner, but I carefully considered the Blue Angel and the Wizard before making my purchase, chose the BA, and have been very happy to have made the right choice for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
a. you forget that it's dual core 200 mhz and not only does it easily outperform the BA but also withstands higher overclocking.
and b. I'm writing this from the wm5 perspective. I've been running the BA on wm3 for a few weeks now and it runs fantastic! But i've come to realize that if i want all the features of wm5, i'm going to have to sacrifice speed unless i upgrade my hardware.

Dual core means nothing in this cell phone. One core is for the PDA, one is for the phone. Your effective speed is still gonna be 200mhz. So if your planning on doing something CPU extensive (eg emulation), your gonna have a rough time. I can play SNES games at almost full speed on my BA and FF7 at about 75% speed. Can a Wizard do that?

I find the Blue Angel (IIs) to unreliable and I am changing to the Tytn (Jasjam).

caloy said:
i agree to all of you regarding the difference. ive got the blue angel and wizard and im still using them both. the wizard is more stable and reliable but not a good choice for synchronization, still got a problem on synchronizing. i hope they can solve this. ive tried everything based on the forum discussions as well. but wizard is mostly handy especially when i go out in the pub.
i still use the blue angel because it has a big screen. very useful for work and for teaching. the os is more stable and more compatible (comparing from w5 and w2003se) to other third party applications. and considering the discussions of others why they upgraded then decided to downgrade it.
there were lots of issues and stuffs really thats almost endless when you read the forum. so its up to you weigh the advantages and disadvantages.
screen is a big deal for me but the stability and battery life and memory to keep from missing as well. thats why i like them both. :lol:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't really agree. First of all, BA is much faster compare to slaggy Wizard. However as it is mentioned the size is smaller and a better keyboard. That make a good choice. For signal / radio wise, I would say "it depends on your network provider". I didn't have any signal drop while using my BA. For Wizard, so far no complaint but the speed is really slow which you have to bear with it if you really want to have it.

Sorry but prefer Blue Angel
I might be in a minority here, but 15 months ago parted with my Blue Angel and got a Wizard. At first I loved its size, then found I struggled reading e-books on it, or anything which required a larger screen. Also it was FAR slower (200mhz) and appliances took a lot longer to open up (reboot takes twice as long). Tried overclocking it which did work, but to be honest people moaned I sounded Tinnie on the Wizard, something they never did on the Blue Angel. Other things I found hard to put up with the wizard was the smaller memory allocated and the finish was poor - varnish started flaking after bout 6months, even though I kept it in a case (I have an XDAII which is far older, has seen far more use and has lasted far better! Also WM5 can be very fussy about which programs can be downloaded to device. I know it has its faults, but I look upon the Angel as a PDA with a phone attached (which I mainly use for Internet & email), whereas the Wizard feels like a Phone first and a PDA second. Suppose it depends what you value most and how conscious you are in putting a brick to your ear. Personally I am too old to give a toss what people think, it suits me fine.
Needless to say I got rid of the Wizard and have got a Blue Angel Back and am now Happy again.
The only thing I miss on the Wizard is the keyboard which I must admit was far superior to the Angel.
Still each to their own, but I prefer Blue Angel with all its faults!

kwaknok said:
I might be in a minority here, but 15 months ago parted with my Blue Angel and got a Wizard. At first I loved its size, then found I struggled reading e-books on it, or anything which required a larger screen. Also it was FAR slower (200mhz) and appliances took a lot longer to open up (reboot takes twice as long). Tried overclocking it which did work, but to be honest people moaned I sounded Tinnie on the Wizard, something they never did on the Blue Angel. Other things I found hard to put up with the wizard was the smaller memory allocated and the finish was poor - varnish started flaking after bout 6months, even though I kept it in a case (I have an XDAII which is far older, has seen far more use and has lasted far better! Also WM5 can be very fussy about which programs can be downloaded to device. I know it has its faults, but I look upon the Angel as a PDA with a phone attached (which I mainly use for Internet & email), whereas the Wizard feels like a Phone first and a PDA second. Suppose it depends what you value most and how conscious you are in putting a brick to your ear. Personally I am too old to give a toss what people think, it suits me fine.
Needless to say I got rid of the Wizard and have got a Blue Angel Back and am now Happy again.
The only thing I miss on the Wizard is the keyboard which I must admit was far superior to the Angel.
Still each to their own, but I prefer Blue Angel with all its faults!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes...i love my Qtek 9090 too... Wizzard (qtek 9100) is smaller...its true....but i dont want a small and slow PDA with phone....i want a powerfull PDA with phone.
I dont have any problem with phone (radio 1.15 and 1.12). Bluetooth is working well to. I have 2 Qtek 9090, one is runnins W2003SE and other is running WM6 (helmis_c version). Wireless is working well too (battery goes down fast, but works great).
I Love keyboard of Qtek 9090. For me, is beter than Qtek 9100. Its beatifull (all blue) and the position (on vertical) is better than horizontal keyboard.
I write fast on this keyboard.
WM2005 of Qtek 9100...I dont like WM5 is slower than W2003SE and not good like 2006. With my Qtek 9090 i can use 3 operating systems: WM2003SE, WM5 and WM6. I can select.
I have brought my 2 Qtek 9090 1 month ago, becouse a friend of my have 1 (brought on 2005) and i really love that PDA. The new Qtek/HTC phones, i dont like. Most of them have a slower 200mhz CPU with a small RAM 64MB. Higher models have CPUs like 400 or 416Mhz with 128Mb but with a small screen and with no keyboard on vertical. (And these models Like HTC TYTN II price are so high)-
Its too nice when a ppl says "let me see my video on your pocket, in this screen is great!"
And its too nice see a movie on my Qtek 9090....with this screen size.
And the quality of material used on Qtek 9090 (metal) is better than plastic.
PPL whos say "I bought a qtek 9100 and sell the 9090...im so happy...yupi"..
No comments....U have trade a Ferrari for a fiat uno.
Qtek 9090 are one of most powered phone, with 4 years, is better than much models from HTC at now.
Think about it ppl...
Sorry my bad english ppl...

dont worry guys...
i think the subject of this thread was posted at the dawn of WM6 supremacy... the thread maker/poster might have suffered enough with wm5 or wm2003... just kidding.
and since WM6 is alive and making our BA kick b*tt! We can truly appreciate our BA more and more each day...

Second that SiverSamurai!
I started with the wizard and graduated UP to the BA. It's twice the phone, larger screen, thinner profile than the wizard. Twice the memory and storage, not to mention the 400mhz processor! If you don't believe it, navigate with file explorer to the windows folder and open it. Maybe tonight you can view what you wanted to look at in Windows, and I had my wizard overclocked to 247mhz. I keep it now, only as a back-up and I don't care to ever use it again. I have had no problems at all with the BA since I got it, and I have put it through the wringer to see how it would perform. I give it an A+ and the Wiz about a C.

How is your Artemis??

I have some quetion to ask.. since i'm going to purhcase this phone very soon.
1. How is the sound quality.. Ring volume.. good?, Loud?
2. Is their any lack or slow or bug errors ... in opening standard programs..
3. How is the GPS works? is this work well and fast?
4. Any other problems for this Artemis lately??
Thank you very much for your answer..
The reason is PPC, when is first launch always has some problem.. with normally can be fix by the next firmward, so i just want to make sure that this work well... (Not like ATOM when is first launched)

firstime911 said:
I have some quetion to ask.. since i'm going to purhcase this phone very soon.
1. How is the sound quality.. Ring volume.. good?, Loud?
2. Is their any lack or slow or bug errors ... in opening standard programs..
3. How is the GPS works? is this work well and fast?
4. Any other problems for this Artemis lately??
Thank you very much for your answer..
The reason is PPC, when is first launch always has some problem.. with normally can be fix by the next firmward, so i just want to make sure that this work well... (Not like ATOM when is first launched)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Sound quality: I would give it a 3.5 out of 5. Reception is very good. Ring volume: excellent! Too loud for my taste in fact. I NEVER use the maximum setting because it is, well, too loud!!
2. Nothing significant regarding bugs. Speed is more than acceptable. I still cannot believe that it's using "only" a 200MHz CPU. It simply doesn't show. I guess this is due to excellent implementation on their part (AKU and all). Also it is VERY easy to overclock and get significant improvement (if you so desire...) but I haven't found this to be necessary.
3. The best GPS implementation I have ever seen. State of the art in my book.
4. I was looking to get Nokia N95 but I'm glad I didn't. HTC has hit the jackpot with this one I think.

I agree I hardly notice the difference between my shiny new XDA Orbit and my 2 yo XDA IIs, apart from not having to carry around a brick!
This was my biggest concern, top marks to HTC!

I have to say this thing blows the Exec out of the water. I got crashes when messaging, freezes while looking at pics, and a whole host of other little niggles with my Exec. The O2 XDA Orbit which I picked up yesterday has been an absolute beauty. It's a lovely size, really light, and the controls are very easy to use. The only thing I'm slightly concerned about is my battery has gone from 56% down to 6% in about 10min, which is a little bad but aparently is just my battery so changing that tonight.
Ad

Excellent
I have had the MDA compact III for a week now and I think its great, if you want a brick then its not for you... ok it could have done with 3g and wifi (I have had it confirmed through a friend who works for HTC that the wifi Chip (hardware) was removed on the MDA) but at the end of the day who turns on there wifi? I havent on any other device...
All in all you choose the device for your needs, I had a M3100 and got rid of that for this... my main needs are tomtom, e-mail and phone in the smallest form factor I can get.... this device does it!....I have two and my partner has one also ... got them from the t-mobile shop £20 for each phone then £15 a month and 6.99 for the Web and Walk .... Bargain!.
Mouse - I prefer the roller on the M3100 but I do like the inovation and have played a bit with it but I do like it.

It's awesome. I have the the HTC with Wifi, but also without Wifi it's an excellent device
All the points that you ask have a 5 stars for me, compared with my old HTC Himalaya
Nothing is perfect anyway, a cradle available is my desire

I am also seriously considering getting this phone. My only concern is reception and voice quality. Anyone who has used HTC Magician please compare phone function of these two phones?
Also, does this have a2dp?

Exelent
raven2000 said:
I am also seriously considering getting this phone. My only concern is reception and voice quality. Anyone who has used HTC Magician please compare phone function of these two phones?
Also, does this have a2dp?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reception is good gps faar out and voice quality better than the magician (s100)
Good Device (still trying to get rid of the t-mobile ****) using mda compact III with wifi. by the way the device supports RDS (many people where asking this on the forum so here's your anwser
When is the free unlock available and htc roms (tmobile roms are fully branded and hardreset softreset doesn't affect this much....

Just about perfect...
This phone is the best I have owned. I upgraded from a PDA2k and see no appreciable lag between that device's 400mhz and the 200 in this little beauty - other than Voice Command taking just a little longer to beep after button press. It plays video like a champ (although converted to divx) - but who uses non-converted video anyway? Too much space on the mem card!
My only desire is that the memory card would be easier to get to. Sending large files to the card via Usb or Bluetooth takes forever. I hate the fact that I have a card reader built right into my laptop and I can't make use of this functionality with my PDA without taking out the battery and lifting the sim card holder. I guess since it uses MicroSD and those cards are easily damaged, HTC figured that hiding it away would protect us from ourselves!!! Hey, deeper in the device means less dust, right!? Just get a 2 gig and forget about it.
I have noticed that the battery is a little weak; I had an extended battery on my 2k and it lasted forever - but talk about bricks!!! I see that they are making an extended for the Artemis too, but I am hesitant to bulk up such a remarkably perfect form factor.
By the way - I concur that the wifi is solid and the GPS is fantastic (and well managed by the OS). I can walk around INSIDE my house and not loose my fix!! As far as Rollr is concerned, it takes some getting used to, but after a while I now don't think I could live without it! Read on:
If anyone wants to try a great configuration, try this: Use Double Launcher 2.11 and you go from having 6 hardware buttons and 2 softkeys to having 16 functions available via button! DL doesn't see the start menu button or the OK button on the Artemis, but it will give you 4 options on each of the other four keys. I had Vito Buttonmapper on my 2k, but it didn't seem to function well on the Artemis. DL is much nicer on this device. Then I used the registry hack by travegliaesogno posted here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=281487&page=2&highlight=mousemode to get the mouse mode to turn on using a button rather than the HTC icon on the Today screen. I used 40c2 (as this is the startmenu key which I never use for that function). The best thing is that the hack survives soft reset! Now I can get the mouse to appear within applications when I need it and make it disappear when I don't without having to minimize and go to the Today screen to activate/deactivate it!!! The mouse takes a little practice, and I wouldn't be surprised if the ROM updates for this device will make it run even more smoothly as time goes on.
I was really considering the Trinity when it became more and more likely that it would eventually have GPS, but now that I know the Artemis is as zippy as it is and my new love affair with Rollr, I'm glad I took the plunge with this lovely gadget! High marks, HTC!!!
Oh yeah,
raven2000 said:
I am also seriously considering getting this phone. My only concern is reception and voice quality. Anyone who has used HTC Magician please compare phone function of these two phones?
Also, does this have a2dp?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Voice quality is excellent - no "sweet spot". Sounds good everywhere on your ear. Reception has been fantastic on Cingular in Virginia, USA. Sorry, can't comment on A2DP since I don't have bluetooth earphones yet. Okay, I'm done.

psargent, thanks for your mini-review, it was very helpful and removed my doubts about the device.

Thank you very much
Thank you very much for your coment on this Artemis..
So.. should say that this is the most perfect phone HTC ever build..
one more question, is this phone capable of 2g microsd?
Anyway i'll buy it.. wait until it release in THailand...

Yep, its a fine phone/pda. Ringer is loud, im glad to say, nice ringtones too, none of the normal crap tunes they put on all the phones these days. Tomtom seems slow to get the sats up but once it gets going its great. Its amazing what you can get on a 1gb card. I have 2 full length films and tomtom with space to spare. Unreal picture quality too. Well happy

I have the 2gig sandisk card from www.mobymemory.com and it works fine.

2 Gig Sandisk ULTRA also works well

jstubbings said:
...WiFi chip was removed on the MDA, but at the end of the day who turns on their wifi? I havent on any other device...
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I cant believe you just said that LMAO.

consono said:
I still cannot believe that it's using "only" a 200MHz CPU. It simply doesn't show. I guess this is due to excellent implementation on their part (AKU and all)....
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I havn't looked at this in detail but dont forget you can only compare the clock speeds of CPU's with similar architecture. Intel XScale chips usually have sky high CPU clocks (500MHz) but their architecture means a different CPU at 200MHz could potentially have more number crunching ability. One thing is for sure though more MHz = more battery juice.
Checkout the current crop of PC CPU's, Pentium 4's have clocked upto 3.8GHz but the new Core 2 Duo's running at 2.6GHz are way more powerful because of their architecture.
Its good to know that HTC's 3300 at 200MHz matches older 400MHz designs though so thanks for your input, I had been reading lots of posts about "BUT ONLY 200MHz - WHY!!?" etc etc I thought they were talking boll**ks now I know they were.

Network lock
Does anybody know if the O2 Orbit is actually locked to O2. I'm so tempted to go and get one right now, phone shop is only 10 minutes away, but i need to put a Vodafone sim in it.
Thanks for your help.
Paul

mine wasn't locked at all. orange sim worked with no probs...

FANTASTIC!!!!!! I'm off to get one right now ;-)

Got one tues without copilot but can't get gps to work, if you get one can you let me now if yours works vlad69uk? 02 say it only works with copilot!

Xda Excalibur vs Hermes comparison

Just let you know my comparison of the two units after 5 days with the Xda Cosmo after having the Trion for the last 4 months. My Girlfriend brought me the Excalibur as a pre Christmas gift 8)
After 4 months my Trion main speaker stopped working and I have currently sent it back to get it replaced. All in all I was quite happy with the Trion except for a few quirks.
1. Media Player was buggy with the storage card
2. Never got WM5orage working properly (either had to stopo all my programs running on the storage card which included removing items from the Today screen).
3. Screen alignment problem.
I got the Hermes originally as it looked like a device which I didn't have to use the stylus much to access most of the functionality and in 90% of cases I got by with just using the jog wheel and a couple of presses with my thumb (I had the very first xda device and was turned off by the need to use the stylus to do simple things such as dialing and looking up contacts )
I had noticed due to the operating system PPC vs smartphone the PPC needed much more processing power and hence battery life was preety much limited due to the power from the CPU 400mhz vs 200mhz ( maybe of the extra functionality needed for the touchscreen ).
Differences in the devices
1. Xda Excalibur is more responsive even with the slower CPU. Contacts work instantly on typing on the keyboard. On the hermes there is always a delay in searching for contacts.
2. Excalibur supports multiple languages in its rom and therefore there no need to reflash the rom with the rom with your appropriate language.
3. A2DP works flawlessly on Excalibur being aku 3.2. No need to install cab files to get it working and no sound quality issues and no need to get somone to write a bt stack driver to get around the microsoft one.
4. Programs in general for smartphone seem to be running better than on Pocket PC. Tomtom 6 Navigator doesn't run on the Cosmo but Tomtom 5 work just fine and performance actually seems better on the smartphone even with the lower CPU. Same is notice with other PPC vs Smartphone progams I have eg Skype and Fizz Traveller
5. Cosmo has 128 MB flash ram which is really useful as I was always trying to install everything on the SD card with the Trion to get as much memory possible for standard stuff such as emails, ringtones etc. Yes I know you can tweak the Hermes to get ringtones from the SD card but it just a hassle changing the registry settings.
6. For some reason Windows Live Beta works on the Cosmo. It stopped working on the Hermes about a month ago and never worked since. The smartphone version looks really nice as well and functions much better as I have noticed with all smartphone vs ppc programs.
7. WLAN works much better on the Cosmo compared to the Hermes eg handling of connection settings when WLAN is turned on. On the Hermes I always had to go through the process of changing my connection settings every time I switched by WLAN on an off.
8. Battery life on cosmo is much better. 3.5-4 days use compared to 1.5-2 days use on Trion. Probably because of CPU (I also changed the Hermes to GPRS only to try and save battery life due to UMTS draining the battery)
9. Not to sing all praises for the Excalibur. The only drawback I have found so far for my purposes is the Microsoft Office editing functionality is not possible on the smartphone.
10. 2MP camera vs 1.3 MP camera but I really cannot see much advantage in the quality as the 2MP wasnt that great to start with. Yes the Hermes has a led light but I doesn't really help with indoor photos. The 1.3 MP camera seems to be better quality than other 1.3 MP cameras before and for emails, web photos and MMS quality seems fine for my purposes as I wont ever print out photos from a camera handy.
11. Lack to UMTS/HSDPA on Excalibur. Loose the speed but you'll gain heaps on battery life.
12. Microsoft Media Player works with the SD card. No disappearing songs 8)
13. Price. The excalibur is less than 1/6 the price of the Trion on contract. My Girlfriend brought the Cosmo on contact for 60 Euro. I got the Trion for 320 Euro on the same contact.
14. and I think this is the killer. The excalibur have looks to die for. The Hermes is thick and although many people would say it is solidly built after using the Excalibur it makes the Hermes look like a oversized flimsy machine. The Excalibur is thin and compact with a large screen. Fits in your shirt pocket or even slide it into your jeans!!! HTC have outdone themselves with the build quality I haven't seen any phone build as solid including the razr. I fells like the device is made out of titanium or magnesium with a soft feel rubber all along the back of the device and for the keys as well, ( I cat't stop touching the device it feels sooo.. good ). My Girlfriend who is really fashion concious absolutely loves the look of the device. Photos on the net do not do it justice you have to see it in real to appreciate it's looks for me one look and it was love at first sight. (I first got a look at it from a female collegue who got the phone)
It took me a day to get used to the smaller keyboard and maybe bigger thumbs might have some problems but with rubber keys feel beautiful and make each key feel distinct during typing. The excalibur really is a one hand device even with the d pad and keys only. The touch slider is just a added bonus with flexibility.
After writing this I have noticed that this is more of a sales pitch for the excalibur than a comparison of the two devices but I have found my perfect device which does everything I need without any problems ( performance, bugs and quirks ). If you dont need the UMTS speed I must say Excalibur is the way to go. If you really need UMTS and 2MP camera then wait for the Calivier ( the UMTS /2 MP / 300Mhz version of the excalibur, rumoured to release in Spring next year ).
For me the excalibur seems to have a quite launch compared to the expectations of the Hermes maybe because on paper the Hermes looks better in terms of specifications but for usability it's excalibur all the way.
Now what to do with my Trion when it gets back?

it seems like you're really happy with the excalibur. i've moved from ppc to smartphone as well. overall i like the aspects you pointed out and i agree that the not having office editors built-in (and no word application) is too bad. the only real other thing i miss from ppc is the huge selection of software as what's available to the landscape qvga is much more limited. sell the hermes

I have both, HERMES (H) and EXCALIBUR (E), side by side and I add some comments.
Home screen:
- easy to have plugins in H home screen, a panic in E because smartphone homescreen XML mechanism
Usage
- no way to use H easily with one hand, easy with E
- generally faster E, the time you need to grab the device with left hand, take the stylus out, elongate... you've done 3 things with E
Boring Meeting
- Lot of things to play with H, less with E
Data transmission
- Forgot E if you aren't in an EDGE area or your provider doesn't support it(vodafone Italy in rome?) GPRS is to sloooooow
Summer
- H is a brick, no pocket were to put it, in a bag on your neck? Don't call CSI, they will never understand why those strange signs E is perfect
- No way to use H in a waterproof bag, E works perfectly
OS
Obvioulsly E AKU 3.0 (not 3.2 my HTC is 3.0) is better than H 2.3!
Is better a nice, fresh girl or an experienced, plastic surgeon addicted women? I want both!

sergiopi said:
Is better a nice, fresh girl or an experienced, plastic surgeon addicted women? I want both!
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Hahahahahaha! Sergio, you are the man. Absolutely right!