Develop Bugs

Camera Upgrade

I believe that I have read somwhere in this forum that there is a update/upgrade for the camera on blue angel which helps get clearer pics. I have done a search but can not find it. My actual version is2.21 Build 17084.

http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=ERK_Patches_13x

So anybody tested them?
Does it make any difference..........i mean, there is from the starting point not so much to expect from a vga camera :?
I currently have 2.21 17084

Thanks for your quick reply! I just don't understand what this means:
"Note this is a higher build than but lower version than"
Which one is the latest/better version. Which one should I get for my blue angel, Fix_camera18157.sa.cab or Camera patch 10080401? I have camera version 2.21 build17084?
Do I just install the cab from the blue angel?

Lio said:
"Note this is a higher build than but lower version than"
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I suppose it should have said
"Note this is a higher Version than the one above, but a lower build"
And yes, .cab files are just copied to the PPC and executet for installation. Note that the .cab file will delete itself on installation

Thank you! It did help quiet a bit. The pictures are sharper now

Xda II
hey guys.....
is there something like this for xda II as well ?
regards
jeetz

Lio said:
Thank you! It did help quiet a bit. The pictures are sharper now
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so which cab file you did you get?

I just tested them both.
Now this is a mini test on only a few pics. in bad light, and a minimal difference on the pictures, but i found the 2.11 (Build 18157) to be just a ini mini little bit better, but in no way the same quality as you se on screen.
Anybody got an explanation on why its much better on screen (just with the camera active) than the actual picture that comes out of it??
For me it seems quite unlogical that the lens can capture a much better quality to put on the screen, but ones you take the picture the quality is much whorse.
How does this makes sence?

so which cab file you did you get?
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I got this cab file: Camera patch 10080401
Anybody got an explanation on why its much better on screen (just with the camera active) than the actual picture that comes out of it??
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Maybe it's to do with the encoding?

Lio said:
Maybe it's to do with the encoding?
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Yep, but why the h... not fiks it so it uses the lens full capasati.
Im beginning to get a bit frustrated over using so much money on a device thats not even finished.
I gotta say, that if SonyEricsson comes with a new P900 type of device thats more like the BA, i will consider turning back to Symbian.
Symbian has its own troubbles, but they are very productive when it comes to updates and getting things fixed, which definantly is not the case with HTC/Microsoft and probbably the 5000 companies they outsource to

Well I went form the P900 to the MDAIII, only since I got it free.
The P900 is a VERY nice phone, its small gives you addresses in and not just phone numbers, has a lot of good apps and when I go out I still use it due to the size.
The MDAIII, well its a PPC, and thanks to this forum you can infact fix a few of the issues like the language. Its far form perfect but its one hell of a toy if you want to waste time palying with it and trying to work out how to make it better.
I think it all about maket share, what is the point of having a PDA as a phone with a 5meg camera all in one unit if you can sell all three.
The technolagy is around, look at the Sony cameras. Shame but what can we do as the differences between men and boys remains the price of their toys.

Ha ha ha, I know MDAIIIUser........
It's just that I use it also as a tool in my business.
I have a lot of tools, and if one of them don't work as it's suppose to, it's just right back in their the next second.
I get no mercy when I'm out on a job, everyone don't get any mercy when they are on a job. If it's not finished........Well you simply just don't get the money. If it's not made by the regulations, you get a ticket to the court room, and don't expect it to anything else for you than cost a hell of a lot of money.
So you see, it's bugs me quite a bit that i buy a device at this price that’s not finished. There are major software troubles on it, making the phone part useless from time to time.
It's sold as BT compatible, what BT compatibility are they talking about??? Everyone is having trouble with it no matter what headset they are connecting to.
It don’t even have the most basic function found in every single phone sold world wide, a button lock that actually locks the device. I was sure that it was something I missed, just couldn’t believe that it weren’t in there.
And I don’t care if this is a PDA/Phone and not a Phone/PDA, they can’t be that thick in their heads that they don’t see this.
The hardware is bad, it’s getting more and more loose every day, the sliding keyboard is soon to become an auto sliding keyboard. Just hold it vertical and it will slide down all by itself.
I had the whole outer case replaced because the stylus was sliding out by itself. Now about 3 weeks later it’s so loose that it in the next week or so will be completely loose again. Then it’s in to service once again, me not having my tool which I spend a good amount of money on software for business use. Back to paper and then by hand doing the job in the office.
Now I’m guessing that this will happen again, that being the 3’rd time. Then it’s a full refund by law, and if the software isn’t ready at that time, I will claim a full refund or else ill just hand it over to my attorney. Buy a laptop for the car, a P900 again and then the irritation is over, and I can work in peace and quite.
The screen occasionally makes a high frequent sound when I’m talking in it, making it quite difficult to concentrate on the conversation. Unfortunately they didn’t have any new screens on stock when it was repaired the last time……….
I had absolutely no hopes for the camera when I got it, as I said earlier, what’s to expect of a VGA camera, and I don’t care, even though it would be nice to actually have one that could produce something just a little bit useful.
If I where the IT responsible person in a big company, I certainly wouldn’t recommend the boss to get 50 of these, the work load and support needed is simply just too much.
And all that said, ill properly end up with the MDA IV anyway *LOL* , what an idiot

Hum!!! Got out of bed on the wrong side or did wify have a headache??
Ok I admit the hardware is crap, my keyboard is auto eject at the momnet and the only thing I am REALY happy about is the fact that it has a metel case as I have dropped it (or was it threw it on the floor). My 5 yearl old girl has better developed teath than the BT on this thing. Yellow is a nice color if you realy like it but maybe not on a high depth screen. Don't even let me go down the rest, I will sound like you.
All I can hope for is the MDA 4 and that I get that one free as well. If its only to update wiki. Grin.
Thanks for your post put a big grin on my face.
Once there was a book "101 uses for a dead cat". Maybe we should start a thread for the BlueAngel:
101 uses for a dead BlueAngle
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and hope that NOBODY postes the paper wheight idea.

Well let’s not take it all out on the phone.
I think it would be more fair to get that book out with the title “101 uses for a BA owners head”.
It’s going to be the worlds most paperless book ever sold :lol:
Well maybe we could get some highly respected brain schrinks expert opinion in there, then it at least would have one page, “I simply do not now”

Something cool we need: The Samsung i780's media pop up panel

So the Blackjack home screen has us beat, but this new media pop up panel on the i780 looks promising and hopefully we can have better success extracting that app and get it working on our Excaliburs!
See it at 4:25
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpNCxw2ZiD8&eurl=http://msmobiles.com/news.php/7112.html
It looks like a pop up panel that can appear on top of any app.

indiekiduk said:
So the Blackjack home screen has us beat, but this new media pop up panel on the i780 looks promising and hopefully we can have better success extracting that app and get it working on our Excaliburs!
See it at 4:25
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpNCxw2ZiD8&eurl=http://msmobiles.com/news.php/7112.html
It looks like a pop up panel that can appear on top of any app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I received my QWERTZ Samsung i780 yesterday, like many others over here in Germany.
The first impression was great(build quality, operation speed) but now I'm so MAD at Samsung, I don't even find the right words to describe it.
First: FORGET about this video from Barcelona. NONE of the showed software features(incl. Navigation and the media pop up panel) are included in the final product.
In fact, the i780 came without any navigation software, without any real manual(not written, not on CD, not online) and even the MITS application for the PC is faulty(it stops installing with an error message on my Windows XP Pro SP2 PC).
I installed TomTom 6 and Google Maps, both don't work with the built-in GPS receiver.
Some people claim to have succeeded in making them work using the third party software GpsGate but I haven't tried yet, simply because I don't want to spend more money for a feature which should be included from scratch.
Bottom line is: don't let the build quality, the design and the attractive price tag fool you. The i780 available now in Germany is missing a lot of the promised features, the processor speed is 412 MHz btw, not 624 as claimed in some other reports. WM6 Pro works fast on the i780 but otherwise, the i780 is really not ready, it lacks the GPS software and more.
Battery life is decent at best and the display is not of the fabulous quality www.mobile-review.com reported of. Today we had a very sunny day over here in Bavaria and I barely was able to read the display in bright sunshine, the display is also very shiny.
Compared to a Nokia E90 or the iPhone, the display is bad. Even compared to other WM6 devices, the brightness isn't what I expected, at full brightness setting, the i780 display seems still to be slightly darker than other displays. A shame.

What a nightmare! Hopefully you can send it back.

On this topic, what's everyone's preferred audio player for the S620?

before you send it back can you take out some of the nice features that come with it and not any other phone so we can use it. And the SDHC drivers would be cool please. Thank you.

my experience is that the i780 works great, also the GPS. it works out of the box with google maps and tt6 works fine with gpsgate. this is the best pocketpc-phone i ever had! samsung thanks for doing a great job! you do you can download it from the samsung site. just google for i780 and manual.
cheers,
frank

P996 said:
I received my QWERTZ Samsung i780 yesterday, like many others over here in Germany.
The first impression was great(build quality, operation speed) but now I'm so MAD at Samsung, I don't even find the right words to describe it.
First: FORGET about this video from Barcelona. NONE of the showed software features(incl. Navigation and the media pop up panel) are included in the final product.
In fact, the i780 came without any navigation software, without any real manual(not written, not on CD, not online) and even the MITS application for the PC is faulty(it stops installing with an error message on my Windows XP Pro SP2 PC).
I installed TomTom 6 and Google Maps, both don't work with the built-in GPS receiver.
Some people claim to have succeeded in making them work using the third party software GpsGate but I haven't tried yet, simply because I don't want to spend more money for a feature which should be included from scratch.
Bottom line is: don't let the build quality, the design and the attractive price tag fool you. The i780 available now in Germany is missing a lot of the promised features, the processor speed is 412 MHz btw, not 624 as claimed in some other reports. WM6 Pro works fast on the i780 but otherwise, the i780 is really not ready, it lacks the GPS software and more.
Battery life is decent at best and the display is not of the fabulous quality www.mobile-review.com reported of. Today we had a very sunny day over here in Bavaria and I barely was able to read the display in bright sunshine, the display is also very shiny.
Compared to a Nokia E90 or the iPhone, the display is bad. Even compared to other WM6 devices, the brightness isn't what I expected, at full brightness setting, the i780 display seems still to be slightly darker than other displays. A shame.
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Actually, i encountered none of the problems u did... I'm using a i780 as my primary phone... Was dubious when i first got it, but love it to the max now... GPS works off the box, even with multiple apps simultaneously... Tried 4 apps at once and they worked perfectly... It is quite fast and has not slowed down till now... The three different input methods are great... Each has its advantages in different situations... I love the finger mouse the most... The square display is perfect for browsing, texting and office uses, what it is designed for... No more switching to landscape headaches... In short, this is an amazing phone and has good value for its price...
P.S.: I wrote this entire post from my i780... This is my first post from a mobile device...

yniukk said:
Actually, i encountered none of the problems u did... I'm using a i780 as my primary phone... Was dubious when i first got it, but love it to the max now... GPS works off the box, even with multiple apps simultaneously... Tried 4 apps at once and they worked perfectly... It is quite fast and has not slowed down till now... The three different input methods are great... Each has its advantages in different situations... I love the finger mouse the most... The square display is perfect for browsing, texting and office uses, what it is designed for... No more switching to landscape headaches... In short, this is an amazing phone and has good value for its price...
P.S.: I wrote this entire post from my i780... This is my first post from a mobile device...
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This thread is a year old!
You probably don't have the problems he did 'cause he had the phone a year ago. Maybe the first release of the phone, the OS and apps were buggy and lacking. Now it might have been fixed and upgraded with better software and apps that were missing then.

roloracer said:
This thread is a year old!
You probably don't have the problems he did 'cause he had the phone a year ago. Maybe the first release of the phone, the OS and apps were buggy and lacking. Now it might have been fixed and upgraded with better software and apps that were missing then.
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lol i thought i was the only one to revive the dead

s1l3nt said:
lol i thought i was the only one to revive the dead
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What is it with u'se people can't i get any rest around here?

Why does Windows Mobile (or the hermes) suck? -my complaints voiced

I was just sitting here using my phone with all the cool stuff that you guys all offer. WM6.1, icontact, SPB shell, custom icons, etc. Well its all good, but it just seems very "disjointed".
This isn't a stab at anyones work, because I think you are ALL making the most of this device, but there are some limitations that just make me wonder WHY we all keep putting up with this.
For instance, why the heck must we all endure poking a tiny X in the corner of the screen for certain programs? Sure I can use touchflo, but then some programs like spb shell use the same gestures to do different things. Can't I do one complete task without busting out that annoying little stick, or cramming my finger into a corner? (disjointed).
Why does it take 3 seconds for the screen to rotate? Shouldn't that be instantaneous? How much processing power does it take to render something 90 degrees? come on. Jeez sometimes i think it should just have a square screen. Then no app resizing.
Or why do I have to go from using my finger on the touchscreen (icontact and htc home, htc cube) to poking tiny one line text in stylus mode? (disjointed).
Or how about waiting for the phone to do things. Like when you make a call, or END IT? Why doesn't it END when you press END. Theres like a 3 second delay, so I always have to watch it to make sure that the other person doesn't end up listening to me banter on in some other conversation with someone else. Why can't it go "doodly doot" like a motorola, or make some other "its hung up" sound? The screen has no tactility so a sound would be nice so I don't have to make sure something happened. (disjointed)
How about WM 6.1. I mean why isn't it faster? I know it should be slowing down with newer releases (like every windows OS) but if I could trade out 10 MB of space for some more speed, I'm all for it.
Why are phones slow anyway? Good grief. This comes from a programmer who prides himself on trying to optimize code for efficiency as well as low overhead. I've seen XP run on a PII 400 at a somewhat bearable pace. AND THATS XP! Not tiny little WM.
Go ahead and post about things you don't like about the hermes or software in this thread. Don't bother telling me how to fix this stuff cause i'll probably just flash a new rom tomarrow and start the frustration all over again This is probably why I enjoy this phone so much, but for once I'd like to just win the battle before I start again. I KNOW that each and every one of you have been frustrated with these phones AT LEAST one time.
Oh, and sorry if i've upset anyone. I'm not making any personal jabs here (on purpose at least). I know you are all working hard to do your best to provide software for a common interface (the hermes). I respect and appreciate that. I know its hard to accomodate everyone.
/me throws out the idea that maybe he should start doing custom programming for WM instead of XP...

Do tell
What ROMs you have tried?

I feel your pain

For instance, why the heck must we all endure poking a tiny X in the corner of the screen for certain programs?
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you obviously havent heard of ALT + F4 + Map to HW button, also pressing OK allows you to multitask. maybe the iphone would be better suited for you
Why does it take 3 seconds for the screen to rotate?
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its near instant on mine, maybe you should try a new rom...?? you know how to flash right? (btw no phone is immediate, all phones have to redraw the screen), the stupid iphone takes even longer because of its retarded animation that you CANT TURN OFF
Or why do I have to go from using my finger on the touchscreen (icontact and htc home, htc cube) to poking tiny one line text in stylus mode?
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you know WMPro OS's have about 50 diffrent KB's to choose from, alot of them free, and alot of them even cooked in to roms. dont like the stylus? use a full screen KB like SPB, personally i can type nearly as quick with the stylus using large keys + gestures.
you should also know the hermes has a slide out KB....
Or how about waiting for the phone to do things. Like when you make a call, or END IT? Why doesn't it END when you press END.
are you using a cingular/official rom or something? if so thats your own dumb fault
Why can't it go "doodly doot" like a motorola, or make some other "its hung up" sound? The screen has no tactility so a sound would be nice so I don't have to make sure something happened.
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the hermes actually has an END CALL button. try pressing it, also for call disconnects windows automatically has a 3 tone/beep sound
How about WM 6.1. I mean why isn't it faster? I know it should be slowing down with newer releases (like every windows OS) but if I could trade out 10 MB of space for some more speed, I'm all for it.
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FFS try something other than a cingular rom, i sware, your specific phone is only slow becuase your using some POS offical rom. try the super storage rom, its blazing fast, still dont like it? COOK YOUR OWN
Why are phones slow anyway? Good grief. This comes from a programmer who prides himself on trying to optimize code for efficiency as well as low overhead. I've seen XP run on a PII 400 at a somewhat bearable pace. AND THATS XP! Not tiny little WM.
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Click to collapse
im starting to think you havent flashed a phone in your life... YOU KNOW that you can UPGRADE YOUR OS RIGHT?
Don't bother telling me how to fix this stuff cause i'll probably just flash a new rom tomarrow and start the frustration all over again This is probably why I enjoy this phone so much, but for once I'd like to just win the battle before I start again.
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i doubt that you have flashed a phone or else you would not have said any of the above comments.
please just go back to an iphone....
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Didn't read your entire message. As for the first point, why don't you hit the hardware close button to close an application. The fact that WM phone supports touch screen and gesture doesn't mean you need or should use it in all cases. For a phone without hardware button, yes everything has to be done on the screen. But for Hermes, there are plenty of buttons for for specific tasks. Use that.
Indeed I have tried the Slither Cube (in C++). It was fast in spinning the Cube with finger. Yet it also supports spinning the Cube by the D-Pad which I prefer as it saves me from having to swipe the finger which there is not way would be quicker than a click of the button.
So my point is use finger, stylus and buttons where it suits most. Right tool for the right job.

Lord_BlackAdder said:
But for Hermes, there are plenty of buttons for for specific tasks. Use that.
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yes the hermes is button plentiful, which is why i dont like the kaiser... they took out the comm manager button!!!!!!!! WHY!!!

Hi Carcomp,
I don't have any problems, issues or dislikes with my device.
I simply took time out to customise it to the way I like to operate and voila, consistent performance every time. By customisation I mean choosing the right rom then sifting through and choosing the most appropriate applications for my needs.
Keeping it simple is a rule of thumb that tends to work.
Cheers
WB
PS - For all you guys who hate your Hermes so much, I'm happy to consider taking the devices off you if you don't need them.

i also think like you mate. i hate my hermes, too.
i'm using ultimate launch with up to 7 today plugins and then wm stucks like hell -.-"
i hope htc raphael is going to be our dream-device.

girls - nokia 3310 the best device for you.
no function - no bugs.
if you cant use your hermes - it is mean you don`t need it.
mine works greate.

Most ROMs use a 4 or 6MB PP. I've seen posts where people have gone to larger PPs (12MB) to get better performance. Comments? Optimal PP size?

schwert said:
i also think like you mate. i hate my hermes, too.
i'm using ultimate launch with up to 7 today plugins and then wm stucks like hell -.-"
i hope htc raphael is going to be our dream-device.
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Click to collapse
since the Raphael is built on the same OS i doubt it will improve your experience much.
I and probably the majority of users here have found the Hermes great and would never go back to a standard cellular device ever again.

On some points I agree, on some I don't.
I agree on the end-call button thing. I also watch and wait and it usually takes 3 seconds before it really says "Call Ended".
I also agree on the turn-screen thing. Portrait or landscape shouldn't really matter that much. I also have another irritation here. When in landscape mode, the "unlock phone"-screen has such tiny buttons that you have to be a bloody sharpshooter to hit them. On most dialpad-skins it's the same. You can hardly hit the right number with your finger. Zero problems in portrait mode, nice big buttons, easy to hit.
The overall speed is indeed disappointing, as is the graphics performance. I recently played around with an iPhone and the interfacing was ALOT faster. No, I don't like the iPhone but I did like the performance of it. I also use my Hermes for Navigation using TomTom and sometimes it's a fricking slideshow instead of proper navigation. My old Qtek Himalaya even did better here.
Another grief I have which you didn't mention is batterytime. I went to Greece on holiday for 8 days. I packed my Hermes and my Nokia 6021. After 2 days, the Hermes starts beeping with an empty battery and it needed a refill 3 times in total during the 8 days(did 3 phonecalls, rest was standby time). The Nokia didn't need need a refill at all and I also made a couple of phonecalls as well as sent some textmessages. Yes I know I can purchase high-performance batteries but then I can't use my carholder any longer or fit it into the standard beltcase. Why can't the device be more economical with it's powerconsumption? Nokia does it out of the box. (yes I know you can't compare a 6021 to the Hermes but other phones of Nokia also have better battery-usage while having simular functionality). It was better in the past. I owned a Himalaya, it did about 4 days on a battery, I still own a Wizard and it almost does 5 days on a full load.
And yet.. I do like the WM interface, the multifunctionality, the integrated keyboard (whoever invented the 9-key-type-function to enter text-messages like on my Nokia 6021, should be shot) the fact that I carry only 1 device for phone, calendar, memo's, navigation and even more (mobile internet, phonebook, citymap, yellowpages etc etc). Actually, I especially LOVE that last fact because that is the exact reason I bought the Hermes in the first place.
My Hermes now is about 2 years old and I'm starting to look around for a replacement. I still want the keyboard feature, the Windows Mobile and all the things I love but I am looking for better graphical performance, more speed and better battery endurance. I would also like a higher screen-resolution while maintaining the compact format of the device. The Kaiser is definately not the solution for this so I am eagerly waiting for a new release from either HTC or any other competition (E-Ten, Asus, whatever).

mrvanx said:
since the Raphael is built on the same OS i doubt it will improve your experience much.
I and probably the majority of users here have found the Hermes great and would never go back to a standard cellular device ever again.
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I think that the Raphael will be my next one, if it does what it promises. We'll see how it goes but I am not sure if this is the phone they want to place in the same line of business as it's called Touch Pro (or that is what I found out about it) and I always thought that the touch series where for non-professional users.

carcomp said:
I was just sitting here using my phone .....but it just seems very "disjointed".
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no offence bro, but by the sound of the things you've mentioned, it's obvious that somehow/somewhere you've radically messed up with your phone. God knows what rom you've used and in what process you did the upgrade.
"3 seconds for the screen to rotate" ?? you must be joking. my phone/rom does it in less than a sec.
"I know it should be slowing down with newer releases" - another amusing joke. Only this single baseless generalization is enough for me to consider all your other claims with too much hesitation.
Who on earth would claim that Windows Vista is slower than WIN XP or WIN 95?
I recommend that you read the forum a bit more closely and change/upgrade roms more carefully and properly. Then you will not be this much annoyed with ur device and its OS.
Good luck

Great job everyone! Just what I was looking for! A 50/50 split between "I totally agree" and "you are a moron for thinking that".! Haha. Some good points were raised. I would like you all to know that I have flashed my phone with Schaps Lite / Full, some TNT releases and am currently running the new CRC 6.1.
Oh, my grief with the end button isn't that it doesn't exist, lord no. I know I can hit the end call button to get out of things, but WHY does it act like the "Show Desktop" icon. I usually just want to go back to the last task I was using (such as spb shell).

one point i also doesn't like is to add new appointments in your calendar or manage them. i need the calendar so much.
there is this finger-friendly actionscreen where you can select new appointment. but then, you need your stylus to set the time and rotate the screen because you want to write a subject and so on.
i also used other calendars, but they are the same.
i have tested an iphone, too. it has the best performance i have ever seen. typing sms was no problem. i dislike only one thing. you can't sync it with your pc -.-"

My Opinion
I grabbed my Hermes about a year ago and just jumped in man.. totally new to the wm scene.. and this phone rocks... love it! Totally customizable! I have learned (self taught) with the help of all xda peeps how to tweak my phone to the max...Seriously this phone can do almost anything (if you take the time to customize and tweak it) a friend of mine ownes a kaiser and beotches all the time.. it's hilarious cuz if he just took the time to learn and tweak his phone he probably could be as happy as me!
lata guys!
-josh

I just think that we should be able to do the most basic things without busting out the stylus. Like adding a contact, sending a txt message etc. All windows functions *may* be used with a stylus. But when "phoning", just a finger should suffice.

I agree with every single point you made and have a few of my own. You can use apps like Mobile Shell and it makes everything mobile shell uses better but anytime it has to use a built in app instead of whats in the shell you run back into the same problems. I used to do a lot of work with Samsung phones and it always seemed like I could flash them into something WAY better than it started by making it faster and giving it more features. With this Hermes I have now it feels like Im just trying to make it do what it should have done when I bought it. Like Im trying to fix the mistakes someone else was too lazy to solve. I too agree that the only reason I still own this phone is because of that challenge but I too am becoming sick of it. I just hope we will be able to use Android or Linux or anything else on our phones soon because if not I dont know how much longer I can tolerate WM. True there are some designers like Binkys and MRH that are making strides but it doesnt feel like they can change enough to really turn it into what I want.

This probably should be moved to the General forum, since it isn't really Hermes specific.
With that said, I've been a Windows Mobile user for close to 4 years now. (Starting with the Audiovox SMT 5600 on AT&T Wireless.) I've also carried a BlackBerry for almost two years, and an iPhone for just under 6 months. (No Symbian OS experience)
With access to these three platforms, I can see the strengths and weaknesses of each. I think many/most of the Windows Mobile weaknesses stem from the fact that it is based on a general purpose OS (Windows CE), where it wasn't really designed to do any one thing very well. The BlackBerry OS was designed first and foremost to sync email, etc and the experience is better than Microsoft's ActiveSync (which I do use). Yet, the third-party app and browser are fairly poor. The iPhone is game-changing because the user interface and web browser set new standards. The unofficial third-party apps also show potential.
There is no perfect phone, but the competition does drive improvements. I'm a Microsoft fan, but unless they make drastic changes in WM7, I think it will be an incremental update just like WM6.1, WM6, and even WM5. (Seriously, things haven't improved much since WM2003SE.)
I do appreciate all the work that the cooks do improving what we do have; keep up the good work!

Pro2 and Universal photo comparison

-not the best of photos, but you'll get the drift. If anyone wants better ones, just let me know

Nice . Not that the phones look like eachother, but still funny to see. People who have the universal rate it high.
What grades would u give to both phones concerning the useablitiy?
Just from looking at it, I would prefer the TP2 for typing and watching movies.
Strange thing btw, everyone says the screen is briliant and you can see everything, even in the sun. but on photo's it realy glares a lot.

quarintus said:
Strange thing btw, everyone says the screen is briliant and you can see everything, even in the sun. but on photo's it realy glares a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's because the screen dims after a few secs if you don't touch it. To save battery life.
Yeah it's cool to look at both machines but the second pic is a bit too blurred to see. Sorry...

Tomo said:
-not the best of photos, but you'll get the drift. If anyone wants better ones, just let me know
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I´m happy to find this thread!
As an proud Universal owner as primary buisness oriented device I have been waiting patiently to find the perfect replacement for my Uni, but 4 years later nothing worth to look.
TP2 is a good candidate as it has better specs in almost all, but still missing the form factor swiveling screen as Uni is really more like a micro lap top with phone than a phone with nice stuff like TP2.
I´m still no sure that TP2 can really be Uni succesor but at least is a posibility
I´ll wait till the ends of 09 to see what new models comming from HTC or Toshiba and then I´ll make my desicion on what device to buy to replace my Uni (If replaceble)
Cheers,
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=pdacomparer&id1=1751&id2=313

orb3000 said:
I´m happy to find this thread!
As an proud Universal owner as primary buisness oriented device I have been waiting patiently to find the perfect replacement for my Uni, but 4 years later nothing worth to look.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From all the threads I read that you have posted, you really do love your little Universal. He he he... Not saying it's a bad thing. I respect people like you, people that knows exactly what they want and won't jump and just buy anything that is new.
It really does take a lot of patients. You will make a good equity trader! Waiting for 4 years is a long time mate! Perseverance of finding the perfect handset is hard to hold.
Me, I am waiting to buy my first full QWERTY handset, the TP2. I hope the wait is worth it. Waiting for 4 months is already very hard, don't know how I can wait for 4 years. My hands will be so itchy, there will be no hands left.

For me, the Universal was my dream phone, but the form factor made it utterly impractical for day-to-day use for me.
Now that I have a TP2, I can finally enjoy a universal-class phone in a form factor that is practical.
The keyboard is SO much better than any other HTC device I have used before. Certainly it wipes the floor with the Kaiser keypad. I feel it is more responsive than the Universals.
The screen is just plain tasty, and touchflo has been massively improved.
I am pleased!

dazultra2000 said:
For me, the Universal was my dream phone, but the form factor made it utterly impractical for day-to-day use for me.
Now that I have a TP2, I can finally enjoy a universal-class phone in a form factor that is practical.
The keyboard is SO much better than any other HTC device I have used before. Certainly it wipes the floor with the Kaiser keypad. I feel it is more responsive than the Universals.
The screen is just plain tasty, and touchflo has been massively improved.
I am pleased!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I-hate-you....NOT.
I'm on Sprint (CDMA) and can't wait to get my hands on this provided the rumors about a mid-June launch are true. Was going to get a Palm Pre but will be forced to change my plan to almost double, so TP2 it is.
How is the battery life, ear piece quality and does it get hot? I had the original Touch Pro for a month and took it back because battery life was horrid and it would heat up in the middle of the keyboard area bad after a few mins on Opera. Thanks.

Battery life so far is on par with my TyTNII. It's not great, but it's not terrible!
It hasn't got hot for me yet, but I've not really been pushing it.
Not made enough calls to comment on the quality of the earpiece yet, but the speaker is louder than my TyTNII (though sounds a bit more "echoey")
Main concern at the moment is there is no lens cover on the back shell as with most other phones. It's just a hole that leads through to the main camera sensor lens...hoping I don't scratch it!
Oooh and the ambient light sensor and g-sensor are cool!

dazultra2000 said:
For me, the Universal was my dream phone, but the form factor made it utterly impractical for day-to-day use for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly the same for me, in 2005 when I bought the Wizard, my dream was the Universal. I bought it last year and keeped it only 6 month (unpractical).
dazultra2000 said:
Battery life so far is on par with my TyTNII. It's not great, but it's not terrible!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True with the htc roms. False with the last radio. With last radio the battery life is excellent and with the last M2D and WM6.5 it terrible!!!
If the Pro 2 is something between TyTn2 and Universal, it's perfect for me. If the bluetooth stack works fine with my S705, doesn't matter for the FM radio (it's integrated in my S705).
I wanted it in Orange offer.

orb3000 said:
As an proud Universal owner as primary buisness oriented device I have been waiting patiently to find the perfect replacement for my Uni, but 4 years later nothing worth to look.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I once had a Uni, 'upgraded' to the TYTNII and am now waiting to see if my carrier will have the TP2. Whilst the newer phones out perform the Uni (for me!) I still wish that I could get something with the guts of a TYTNII in the casing of a Uni. That was a brilliant device.

Snapped some of my own pics for you guys to ponder over.

dazultra2000 said:
Snapped some of my own pics for you guys to ponder over.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for pictures. Nice one!

Great comparison pictures!
Thanks a lot!
Besides the size and RAM I´m still choosing Universal!

orb3000 said:
Great comparison pictures!
Thanks a lot!
Besides the size and RAM I´m still choosing Universal!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a fellow Universal afficionado, I share your view of how great a device it is, but apart from the RAM and size there's the GPS, higher connection speeds, screen & camera capability. These things might not be important to everyone, but made me make the change (still have the Universal though)

My Universal is long gone, Touch Pro 2 is the new King!

Tomo said:
As a fellow Universal afficionado, I share your view of how great a device it is, but apart from the RAM and size there's the GPS, higher connection speeds, screen & camera capability. These things might not be important to everyone, but made me make the change (still have the Universal though)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for the Uni lovers.
I still haven't found a replacement for my Uni.
It is still by far the most practical business PDA / UMPC on the market.
I am waiting for a TP2 to arrive, and have been highly disappointed with the Raphael. (my fault for jumping in and buying one without doing my research first) I could never get used to the tiny 2.8 screen or the little keyboard.
My Uni still makes me smile every time I use it, it has never let me down (and I've had it since they were first released) robust, decent keyboard (with tilt and flip, so no issues of not being able to see the screen whilst typing comfortably) The only let down for my poor Uni is lack of GPS, with the 128mb ram upgrade I managed to make her last a bit longer as a primary device, but eventually had to get an "All-In-One " device that was more practical for everyday use.
I hope the Rhodium lives up to the reviews and has better reception amongst other things over the TP.
LONG LIVE THE UNI
I'll post some pics of my devices for peoples enjoyment (Still have a fully functional Wallaby at home too)
Cheers,
Beasty

Here's another post from a Universal fanboy
I've been using the Universal exclusively for almost 4 years now. Except for a big mistake I made when I ordered a Glofiish M800 and used that for a couple of days, got rid of that one real quick, and since I exchanged it for a Qtek 9000 I made that wrong right again. So I now own an MDA Pro a Qtek 9000 and... since 2 days, a Touch Pro 2.
I have to start out with saying that I personally always carried the Universal with me in my pocket. I Never had an issue with it's size. And as for the real reason I got a new device? Well you know, I want to see myself as a sort-of early adapter and since that Universal was way ahead of it's time, and I pre-orderd that device in spring 2005, I just wanted something new to play with. Why it took so long for anyone to release a device that even came close to the Universal is beyond me.
Personally I never really used a lot of local applications on the Uni. Except for the phone, sms and calender functions and navigation software the thing I used the most by far was remote desktop. The size of the screen, the resolution the AWESOME keyboard and the UMTS and Wifi connections really let me use my workstation and server to their full potential, ANYWHERE in the world.
While I did flash the device with new versions of Windows Mobile that I found on this forum I never really owned a device with TouchFlo on it. Obviously I did play around with TouchFlo on devices that friends and colleagues owned.
After having used the device for about a day these are the things I noticed when I compare it to our beloved Uni's:
TP2 Pro's:
-Size: Like I said, the size never bothered me, but as I was used to the Universal the Touch Pro2 is TINY
-Resolution: 800x480 beats 640x480, especially when using Remote Desktop.
-HSDPA
-Internal GPS
-Conference call option in TouchFlo (which someone on this forum has probably hacked into the Uni already as well)
-Just having something new already
-Audio call quality is higher
-Keyboard is almost as good as the Uni's
TP2 Cons:
-While I never used it, I just don't get why there's no mini-jack connection
-No flash: While I used the flash on the Universal as a flash light most of the time and not as a flash for the camera I just don't get why they couldn't at least put a LED light on the device.
-No TAB-key on the keyboard. I really miss this when filling in forms online.
-The slide-and-tilt formfactor is ok, but not as good as what the Uni does. When the screen on the TP2 is fully tilted It's difficult to press the number keys (top row). Also when I carried the Uni in my pocket the screen was always well protected. I guess it takes some getting used to as well.
-Keyboard is ALMOST as good as the Uni's

Johny58 said:
Here's another post from a Universal fanboy
I've been using the Universal exclusively for almost 4 years now. Except for a big mistake I made when I ordered a Glofiish M800 and used that for a couple of days, got rid of that one real quick, and since I exchanged it for a Qtek 9000 I made that wrong right again. So I now own an MDA Pro a Qtek 9000 and... since 2 days, a Touch Pro 2.
I have to start out with saying that I personally always carried the Universal with me in my pocket. I Never had an issue with it's size. And as for the real reason I got a new device? Well you know, I want to see myself as a sort-of early adapter and since that Universal was way ahead of it's time, and I pre-orderd that device in spring 2005, I just wanted something new to play with. Why it took so long for anyone to release a device that even came close to the Universal is beyond me.
Personally I never really used a lot of local applications on the Uni. Except for the phone, sms and calender functions and navigation software the thing I used the most by far was remote desktop. The size of the screen, the resolution the AWESOME keyboard and the UMTS and Wifi connections really let me use my workstation and server to their full potential, ANYWHERE in the world.
While I did flash the device with new versions of Windows Mobile that I found on this forum I never really owned a device with TouchFlo on it. Obviously I did play around with TouchFlo on devices that friends and colleagues owned.
After having used the device for about a day these are the things I noticed when I compare it to our beloved Uni's:
TP2 Pro's:
-Size: Like I said, the size never bothered me, but as I was used to the Universal the Touch Pro2 is TINY
-Resolution: 800x480 beats 640x480, especially when using Remote Desktop.
-HSDPA
-Internal GPS
-Conference call option in TouchFlo (which someone on this forum has probably hacked into the Uni already as well)
-Just having something new already
-Audio call quality is higher
-Keyboard is almost as good as the Uni's
TP2 Cons:
-While I never used it, I just don't get why there's no mini-jack connection
-No flash: While I used the flash on the Universal as a flash light most of the time and not as a flash for the camera I just don't get why they couldn't at least put a LED light on the device.
-No TAB-key on the keyboard. I really miss this when filling in forms online.
-The slide-and-tilt formfactor is ok, but not as good as what the Uni does. When the screen on the TP2 is fully tilted It's difficult to press the number keys (top row). Also when I carried the Uni in my pocket the screen was always well protected. I guess it takes some getting used to as well.
-Keyboard is ALMOST as good as the Uni's
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great comparative with pics that give an idea of sizes comparison!
Thanks a lot for this!
Every new year comes I think if HTC would do again something on the form factor of Universal: A micro lap top with phone functions!! but nothing...

AAGH! /(&%/ TP2 lost

Have you ever been in tears while kicking your self at the same time?
Thats´s what i am pretty close to right about now.
Yesterday i lost my TP2. Looked everywhere but no go.
After the holidays i´ll put up a poster advertising a reward in the local store.
i´d just updated to sense 2,5 & bought spb backup.
Now i´ll either have to get lucky (getting the phone back that is ) or start from scratch.
If that is where i´ll end up, i´d like your input.
I thought about getting a cheap peace of c##p phone until TP3.
Anyone hazard a guess as to when that might be?
I thought about jumping WinMo ship and getting the Legend. I know - TP2 keyboard is a dream but there isn´t any recent android phones from htc with hardware keyboard. I love using the keyboard but maybe i could adapt.
Does anyone know of a good compulsive review for the Legend and have you tried switching back to a phone without the KB?
Please let me have your thoughts.
Regards
ELO

Polar67 said:
Have you ever been in tears while kicking your self at the same time?
Thats´s what i am pretty close to right about now.
Yesterday i lost my TP2. Looked everywhere but no go.
After the holidays i´ll put up a poster advertising a reward in the local store.
i´d just updated to sense 2,5 & bought spb backup.
Now i´ll either have to get lucky (getting the phone back that is ) or start from scratch.
If that is where i´ll end up, i´d like your input.
I thought about getting a cheap peace of c##p phone until TP3.
Anyone hazard a guess as to when that might be?
I thought about jumping WinMo ship and getting the Legend. I know - TP2 keyboard is a dream but there isn´t any recent android phones from htc with hardware keyboard. I love using the keyboard but maybe i could adapt.
Does anyone know of a good compulsive review for the Legend and have you tried switching back to a phone without the KB?
Please let me have your thoughts.
Regards
ELO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe you should get a kaiser they are pretty cheap for a pretty good device.

Definetely Kaiser. I just sold my kaiser after almost 2 years of using and that`s a workhorse, stable, good battery, could be great tweaked. I got Rhodium for a while and I miss my Kaiser (really).

The speed, beautiful screen, excellent speaker, and increased memory of my Tilt 2 is what is keeping me from going back to my Kaiser, but there are features that my Kaiser had that I REALLY miss in my Tilt 2.
I loved that my Kaiser had the additional buttons to reassign, a scroll wheel, a D-pad, and I could get to the SIM and SD cards WITHOUT having to remove my back cover! That baby is a bit slower and can lag from time to time, but it's still a workhorse, and I've put it through heavy usage, many drops, and it was even left out in the rain during a heavy down pour for a few minutes, and yet still works!
I haven't tried all of the 6.5 ROMs available for the Kaiser, but I always developed the Sleep of Death with any that I've tried, as well as a few other quirky, random problems. I either haven't found the right ROM or my version of the Kaiser absolutely hates 6.5. I've been using the ROM in my signature with it for a while now and haven't found any problems -- it just works!
Apparently others still view the Kaiser as a go-to device, after seeing that they often sell for quite a bit over $100 on Ebay.
Best of luck!
Debbie

I thank you for the input folks.
Used to have a kaiser that broke down on me.
Will give it some thought though.
Regards ELO

hey, did you have the microsoft myphone app installed on the device...if so you can pull up your tp2's location via gps on a map...it is very accurate...
i lost my tp2 a couple of weeks ago and i used that feature...also you can lock you phone and make your phone ring constantly for up to 60sec, regardless if it is set to vibrate or silent...
good luck...

DebbieNY13 said:
The speed, beautiful screen, excellent speaker, and increased memory of my Tilt 2 is what is keeping me from going back to my Kaiser, but there are features that my Kaiser had that I REALLY miss in my Tilt 2.
I loved that my Kaiser had the additional buttons to reassign, a scroll wheel, a D-pad, and I could get to the SIM and SD cards WITHOUT having to remove my back cover! That baby is a bit slower and can lag from time to time, but it's still a workhorse, and I've put it through heavy usage, many drops, and it was even left out in the rain during a heavy down pour for a few minutes, and yet still works!
I haven't tried all of the 6.5 ROMs available for the Kaiser, but I always developed the Sleep of Death with any that I've tried, as well as a few other quirky, random problems. I either haven't found the right ROM or my version of the Kaiser absolutely hates 6.5. I've been using the ROM in my signature with it for a while now and haven't found any problems -- it just works!
Apparently others still view the Kaiser as a go-to device, after seeing that they often sell for quite a bit over $100 on Ebay.
Best of luck!
Debbie
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I`m really touched with your words for the Kaiser...that`s my untold story of my Kaiser...

@ da9th_one.
Rats - didn´t know that.
i thought Microsoft My Phone was a web based back up thing.
Around these parts of the world we only have GPRS so far. To top that off we pay 10 DKR/MB. ~ US$1,50. I try to not be ripped off totally by being very careful about the web based applications i use (only manual updates from wifi etc.)
Will remember this little tidbit of info though. Thanks a bundle.
Regards ELO