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"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe it's to do with the encoding?

Lio said:
Maybe it's to do with the encoding?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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”

My 6 month impressions/review - long

I am very unhappy with the latest (1.40) ROM update and this has finally pushed me to this post. I thought I would provide some general thoughts/comments after about 6 months of use. I keep hoping and praying that each ROM release will actually fix some of the devices more serious issues but it never seems to happen. Certain things actually get worse through the updates.
Overall the level of integration and the sheer amount of things our device accomplishes is staggering. However, the reliability and robustness is terrible, about as good as an "alpha" release, but certainly not a production device. You may argue that I should be happy with what I have and I guess I am because I keep carrying my PDA2K. I love not having to carry so many devices but almost always feel like I have the worst of each. My "relationship" with my device is absolutely love/hate.
As background I use my device as a phone, camera, video camera, mp3 player, movie watching, internet, e-mail, gps/navigation, games, Metro subway maps, weather, pdf reading and of course all the std. windows goodies like Excel, Calendar, Contacts, etc. However, the device performs most all of these functions poorly. As a small bit of background I am not a programmer nor hardcore techie but do consider myself a power user and am comfortable with registry editing, ROM upgrading and most features/functions of all of the standard software. I do also install a fair amount of 3rd party applications. I do not see how you can get by without doing this. I use the device for work as a sales professional and also for personal use.
The phone is much less robust and reliable than almost all cell phones I have previously owned, just buggy in general, often not functioning despite a good signal and often will not connect nor hang up properly. The camera is plain terrible, nowhere even close to a decent 1MP camera, good only for a small caller ID photo taken in perfect lighting conditions. Networking in general is almost unusable: Bluetooth during navigation always disconnects when a call comes in, WiFi will almost never start with out a soft reset, and sometimes the same with GPRS. General system stability/robustness: terrible! With a device such as this it should not be possible to have spontaneous hard resets where you loose ALL data. I have them fairly often (without Sprite, I would truly throw my device away). I have also had spontaneous loss of SD card data. MS Voice Command is fantastic, except the first use of every day always requires the name to be repeated twice. The built in e-mail software is really poor, the invisible items that show up in various mail folders which require a complete cleaning out of all mailboxes to fix is beyond annoying. The long 20 second or so delay when opening the Calendar to show days with appointments really causes me delays at the most inopportune times. I suppose I could go on and on but I will wrap up this summary/gripe session
Again, the level of raw capability, variety of useful programs and integration is truly amazing. The speed when operating well is fine. However I am often nearly crippled by hard resets, poor phone, WiFi, GPRS and Bluetooth, usability and robustness and the need for soft resets. I guess this is the price one pays for being on the cutting edge, but again I can not help but feel this device is nowhere close to the reliability and performance any reasonable user would expect. From spending a lot of time on this board and other similar ones I expect to hear some quite similar echoes of my thoughts.
I do eagerly look forward to some similar comments (or different), fixes, general experiences or suggestions from the community.

Well put, some of the issues I have, some not.
Lets have a look at the hardware.
Well the case is metal which is great as it can take some punishment however the Keyboard, well.....
My Keyboard has a life of its own, I have the device in my hand and talk on the phone and it drops down. I pull the device out of my pocket and it comes out first screen then keyboard. I never use the keyboard as me fingers are to big so given a choice I would not have it.
If you hold the screen in one hand and the back plate in the other you can turrn the whole thing a good 3mm as its so loose. You can even lift the screen up away form the Keyboard at the bottom of the device and stick a piece of carboard into as a form of a break to stop it dropping.
Sound of calls is bad, tiny and to low.
Yup its a love/hate relationship and I love to hate the thing.
I too look forwared to a device that has camera which is useful (I still carry around a small 5 meg sony).
The only thing I feel that is realy good about owning a BA is this board, if I had not come here I would still have a german CE and be reseting the bugger every day.

love it
Probably, I am cheap and easily pleased.
I bought my IIs almost the same time with yours. I too have updated my ROM to 1.40 (stockROM 1.4Asia). Only the barest software I need are installed to maintain stability: KBattery, psShutXp, AgileMobile, Skype, VCard, Pcoket TV, GSPlayer, and Avantgo. For games, I only installed Smartfall, Chess, and BF Mines - not much of a gamer. IIs is too expensive for me to destroy its button playing games.
I love it very much except for some performance hiccups like restarting by itself. However, this only happens when I am using skype or agilemobile for sometime. Hard Reset rarely happens. in six months, I only remember it to happen to me once and I could not remember what I did then.
I love it because I could check my email whereever I am either thru WIFI or GPRS. In fact, I use to check my email thru XDAIIs rather than waiting for my PC to start in the morning before leaving the house. With so many "leaking" free WIFI around, no phone should be without.
I f---kng HATE the keyboard. A week after I bought mine it was already broken. Yes, it will open on its own. It was repaired though free of charge by Brightpoint Philippines. Now, I barely open it because constructionwise, it is so flimsy and I know will easily be broken again. Now, I know why they remove the keyboard in the IIi.
Will buy it again. YES, It is so neat and convenient that I could do emailing, IM and chat on the go. Of course, it is a great electronic photo album to show my family pictures to friends with MP3 background playing.
Before this phone, I was using NOKIA 9210 Communicator. It was a great phone during its time. WHAT I WOULD REALLY WANT NOW IS A NOKIA COMMUNICATOR 9500 RUNNING WM Ver.5. DREAMING....

So you guys say that the keyboard is a piece of s**t?
I'm asking because I'm going to buy BA or Nokias 9500. And if the keyboard sucks a** i'm not gonna buy BA, because I need the keyboard because I do lot of work in MSN and in IRC. So the phone must be capable to these specific applications. I know that Nokia 9500 is...

When I was still using my old trusty Nokia 9210, I sent literally hundreds of text messages per day. I love its built in keyboard. It was a breeze typing text in that old phone. I could even schedule sending text messages - what a neat feature.
The tiny keyboard of IIs is hard to use. Even painful to the fingers after long use. Now I sent few text messages because it is very hard to do so with the tiny keyboard (II's rehabilatated me, I am NOT text addict anymore). The tiny soft keyboard using the stylus is just as difficult to use.
If you will do lots of typing, I recommend you buy one of those external keyboards. Although, personally, I hate carrying extras like that. I dont want to look like Inspector Gadget carrrying with me that external keyboard. My Bluetooth suffered same fate. I dont carry it anymore. Too troublesome carrying two gadgets.
I use my IIs mainly as a communicating device (which should be) so the killer applications for me are:
Agile Mobile for IM like ICQ, MSN, AOL and yes YAHOO.
Skype for VOIP (yes, it works for me just dont expect quality calls. It's free who am I to complain)
AgileMobile will run on both Nokia 9500 and IIs BUT the SKYPE will not.
That is the deal breaker for me why I decided to go for the XDA path. Every one and then, I still do glancing look at that Nokia 9500 though.
If you will go for the XDA path and cannot wait anymore, get the IIi. The keyboard really sucks. Hard to use and easy to get loose.
If you go for Nokia path, please lend it to me sometime (hehehehe)

xcalibur said:
The tiny keyboard of IIs is hard to use. Even painful to the fingers after long use. Now I sent few text messages because it is very hard to do so with the tiny keyboard (II's rehabilatated me, I am NOT text addict anymore). The tiny soft keyboard using the stylus is just as difficult to use.
If you will do lots of typing, I recommend you buy one of those external keyboards. Although, personally, I hate carrying extras like that. I dont want to look like Inspector Gadget carrrying with me that external keyboard. My Bluetooth suffered same fate. I dont carry it anymore. Too troublesome carrying two gadgets.
I use my IIs mainly as a communicating device (which should be) so the killer applications for me are:
Agile Mobile for IM like ICQ, MSN, AOL and yes YAHOO.
Skype for VOIP (yes, it works for me just dont expect quality calls. It's free who am I to complain)
AgileMobile will run on both Nokia 9500 and IIs BUT the SKYPE will not.
That is the deal breaker for me why I decided to go for the XDA path. Every one and then, I still do glancing look at that Nokia 9500 though.
If you will go for the XDA path and cannot wait anymore, get the IIi. The keyboard really sucks. Hard to use and easy to get loose.
If you go for Nokia path, please lend it to me sometime (hehehehe)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that's the thing...those are the programs I would also use plus I need an IRC client (Nokia has s2putty which is great), so this is going to be a real hard decision.
It seems in a operating system level, Windows/qtek9090 kicks Symbian80/Nokia9500 ass, because Nokia has a pretty slow processor and Symbian80 is a little bit greedy, but so is windows.
Nokias online time should be better than Qteks so that's important fact (going to use Wlan a lot). Nokia also has much better keyboard if I have read reviews right.
But...Qtek/WM2k3 has a lot more apps if I'm right and it's hardware is better than Nokias.
But the bigges issues are still on the fact that how does the device handle Instant Messaging and IRC environments. In IRC i'm in a few VERY active channels so would like to know how well does the BA handle IRC messaging, viewing etc....
Is the keyboard slider going to loose very easily? I have read that in some models it's big issue? Or is this only problem with branded phones(i mean like T-mo etc)? Qtek 9090 is the only one which they sell here in Finland.
xcalibur, yeah sure i'll borrow you the 9500, if you come to visit Finland someday =)
The above fact is the only thing keeping me away from ordering BA...

I don't want to keep on ranting against IIs.
Yes, the keyboard will easily get loose. We have here two units and it is the same. I talked to the Brightpoint service people, they say almost all IIs they repaired is about the loose keyboard.
And yaiks, I noticed now that my IIs keyboard is misaligned by a millimeter or two. I cant stop looking at it now. I hate it.
Consider also after sales service of XDA there in Finland. These things do break down. I am sure Nokia will have superb service there in Finland as they have already excellent service here in Philippines. In fairness, Brightpoint too has good service here though their location is not so good.

My keyboard experience
I have had no problems with my keyboard. I like it, use it and it has not developed any problem with the keys themselves nor the sliding mechanism. Perhaps you guys talking all about Nokia vs HTC could move that topic to a separate thread?

Keyboard's great! However, other than for impressing your friends this phone is horribly unreliable. Also, windows is not as polished as Symbian. You will find yourself installing so many 3rd party apps (which make an already unstable handset even less stable) just to perform basic phone functions.

In my opinion, XDA IIs is truely an ingenius device. However, Ias much as I hate to agree with most of you, I share the same sentiments of hating/loving it.
I really dislike the part whereby I receive/dial a call and no sound comes out of it. Also when my IIs hang the moment I exit from Bejeweled 2. I dont use a bluetooth headset, so the bluetooth bit doesnt affect me so much. I also detest the so very prominent gap between my keyboard and screen.
However, on the other hand, my IIs had helped me in so much many other ways, so much so its advantages exceeds its disadvantages. Despite the small keyboard, it had been extremely useful, and having compared with the onscreen keyboard and Transcriber, I personally found that it is so much faster and efficient to key text with the keyboard. Despite haing mid-sized fingers, with good practice, keying in text can be so much of a breeze. I especially liked its soft touch and blue iluminous glow.
Also, the calander feature of Microsoft CE is great. With appropriate 3rd party software, and its extremely ease/stability to sync with Outlook, my contacts and appointments are always at my fingertips. Tho the ringer is quite soft, I have no problems with it as I have always been using traditional ringing ringtones, which are much louder than fanciful mp3 music. Besides, I can see that O2 is doing its fair share by providing support thru O2 connect as well as the after sales service. O2 plus beta had been a great software. I had used it to replace phone alarm and pocket plus. I especially liked it phone profile feature and the part whereby my IIs vibrate upon receipt of call response. I no longer have to hold my device against my ears waiting for the other party to pick up the call.
Another comment is that the screen is clear and even using 10% backlight, I can view the screen to great details, even under sunlight conditions. The extra 4 hardware buttons for today, messaging, IE and OK had been great and it had aid me in single-handed operations with my device.
Overall, all I can say is, its been a great device. You choose to hate / like it. Cheers. Just my two cents worth...

I also came to the XDA series from the Nokia Communicators and have always been looking for a communicator with MS OS.
Can't wait for the Universal

a wonderful use of keyboard! + comments abt XDA IIs overall
hi all,
i have a very very good argument in favour of the keyboard on XDA iis and a big -ve for the absence of it in XDA IIi:
i live in india where the roads at times tend to be a bit bumpy. on such roads keying in with a stylus becomes frustrating! (those who have tried it will know). it is on these roads that u appreciate the inbuilt key board the max.
2ndly, by the grace of GOD, till date i have had NO SOUND issues with my XDA IIs.... so no probs about that..
with 1.40 update i have seen that wifi wont connect usually without a soft reset but thats not very bugging! also there is some camera application brightness control bug and thats also ignorable.
But overall i think that XDA IIs is overall a very good buy... better than XDA IIi and Mini.... NOKIA is ****ty in front of this and looks more of a brick!
i suggest you all not to load any 3rd party apps for password lock and dialler except smart dialling included in mini rom. and must haves are pocket plus, pocket informant,pocket music, skype, phonealarm, alarmtoday and 1-calc. dont forget norton anti-virus and sprite backup as the very very very imp. 1st loads.
All the best to XDA lovers... LONG LIVE XDA IIs... Doom to Nokia!

At one point I used to carry an iPAQ 3870, a mobile phone and a collapsible keyboard. With my suit on, some people thought I was a bodyguard due to my swollen breast pockets. I also also had a Navigator 3000 GPS sleeve and the WiFi CF card.
The iPAQ made me love the Pocket PC. However carrying two or more devices was cumbersome.
I then discovered the Blackberry. Look mum, no wires. Over the air synchronization using the GPRS network was great. The keyboard is also excellent. No GPS and a lack of good application was a minus. Furthermore any interesting application would be pricey.
… but I still missed the Pocket PC.
Then came the Blackberry Connect embedded in the Blue Angel. That is the best of both worlds. My dream was to have a Pocket PC with push email and WiFi with an embedded keyboard.
The cherry on the cake came with Skype. I use desktop Skype a lot and I love it. As I am an international self-employed consultant, my cellphone bills amount to at least £300.00 ($550.00) a month. Skype on the BA will save me money but I need to find a good noise cancellation headset. So what if the sound quality is not that good, my customers would expect that from a roaming mobile phone anyway.
As for the camera, at its current resolution it is a gimmick. I would rather have a lighter BA with no camera. My 5.1 Mega Pixel camera will have to stay.
I agree with everyone that says the keyboard has a bad build. The MDA III and the XDA IIs I have seen at the T-Mobile and O2 shops had the keyboard sliding out on its own as soon as I picked up the device. I had already arrived to the conclusion that the keyboard will break down even before reading this thread.
I know that I will miss the stability of the Blackberry software but the advantages I get from the BA far outweigh the disadvantages.
I don’t thing anyone of us on this board will ever find a device that is perfect in every aspect. This is technology.
I will be moving from the Blackberry to the BA XDA IIs this weekend and I am sure that most if not all on this board will encourage me.

i agree with you
hey,
i agree with you fully... no technology can be perfect... but still XDA IIs is the best bet!
just a doubt: how did u manage to get a BA with blackberry connect? any software for that available for asian users too?

Re: i agree with you
studdocs said:
just a doubt: how did u manage to get a BA with blackberry connect? any software for that available for asian users too?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The T-Mobile MDA III supports Blackberry Connects. The XDA IIs should support it soon. I will be using the XDA IIs but I am hopping to use the MDA III software.

hoping 4 the best!
i am just hoping that XDA IIs supports it soon!
the earlier the better!

You have two choices...
1. Purchase an old used XDAII and upgrade it to WM5.0. Very stable and flawless communications and Bluetooth.
2. Wait for the new WM5.0 devices this summer.
(my 2 cents)

I fully agree with the love/ hate, as per others - I to have experianced neumerous resets, lock ups no sound etc. after two weeks I returned it to the shop and swapped my XDAIIs for another one (it was clearly faulty) - loaded it up with exactly the same applications as the previous one and since then I have only experianced the no sound issue twice in the last month, my unit runs on the "stock" O2 firmware loaded in using Corporate mode. I love the flexibility of the device and my ipaq-4700 is now rarley used as the XDA does everything I need of it with the addition of the phone functionality - great idea and concept, but I still feel it is nowhere near the level of maturity that it should be - Mike

Hi guys,
could you guys tell me where can I download for the latest firmware for my O2 XDA IIs that are going around currently? and is it true that updating firmware will results data losts ? thank you

A hard reset will allways result in data loss, but if you back it all up onto the SD card you should be able to return the unit to the same condition - note I say "should" its probably wise to re-install the lot from scratch to gain the true performance, as yet I have not tried the 1.140 ROM but I am tempted - you don't state whice service provider you are with - try their web site for a download to see if you are upto date - my philosopy is that the service provider should provide a functional device, in pratice the HTC unit is a bit hit and miss - but if you load up anything other than official firmware then taking it back and complaining is out of the window - I am on my second handset from O2 and this apears to work OK - at least it does for the demands I make of it, this includes running bespoke "home" created software scripted using Labview and it performs quite well - mike

Respectfully request a thread for Pantech Duo

Greetings,
You guys have been wonderful in getting to know my good ol' phone, my Wizard 8125 (which is now suffering from serious "seizures"-as in power off and on constantly). Now I have this Duo and frankly, even though it has many features that I wanted in a smartphone, the BASICS-can't hear people they sound muffled!!!
Now I ask that since some of your software should work on the Duo that you bring together all the people that are suffering from this and many other Duo issues. I will post here what I posted on Howard forums, my review on the Duo-got it last week and I am on the infamous 30-day trial from AT&T.
Don't underestimate this chick; I took apart and put together my Wizard four times; first two to give it a good cleanup b/c my daughter decided to dip it in OJ. The other two minor fixer-uppers and my phone worked fine for +2 yrs., till last month. I wanna learn more and more on software programming but have no formal education on either. I like to figure out stuff on my own.
So before I decide to keep it and tear it apart or return this phone for something better, I will be reading along the boards what in the world I can do to get this thing to work to my advantage.
Cheerio, Chica

My post from Howard's Forum Pt. 1
My review - I got it last week
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi, first post here...
Got the Duo after still mourning the 8125 that is booting off and on constantly. And it was about time I renewed anyways. Here are my thoughts, still not 100% sure that I am gonna keep this one (because of what I am gonna write below I am gonna try switch it for another Duo.
PROS:
1- Got the Duo for the dual-slider. Hard to dial when in a car and I don't use my Bluetooth often. Busy mom, it is hard.
2-LOVE how clear and crisp the screen is. Bright, vivid and good enough space.
3-I know there are some users and abusers out there but I do my best to keep it in "Lock" and inside my case. The less I deal with dirt, lint, scratches the better. I will buy a screen protector though.
4-Took me a couple of days of breaking the touch-screen habit; it's like going from automatic transmission to manual. It was not easy but not as complicated as I thought it was gonna be.
5-I like the speakerphone, simply turn the phone over and adjust the volume and I can hear fine.
6-Looking forward to really modify the phone to my liking, get into as many mobile forums as i can and customize it to my lifestyle. With that said...
CONS
1-WHAT IS WITH THE MUFFLED SOUND? I read this thread SHOCKED that no one mentioned it here...perhaps in another thread. Multiple forums users complain about the same problem. Stayed last night till almost 1am doing research and getting ready to alter the unit and lookup some software to fix this issue like a patch or something; well at pantechusa.com they have a radio patch (it will wipe out whatever the phone had and bring it up to default). I hoped really that the patch would work but it didn't. I knew that by having the same version of the software on my Duo it was a 75/25 chance that it was not gonna work and unfortunately I was right.
2-JUNKWARE - The Duo has lots of them and they are really useless and take up a lot of your memory if: a-you don't have a PDA plan, and b-you don't care for them. First things first, 95% of those need the plan in order for them to function and get the most out of the Duo. Since I don't have the PDA plan ($30/mo) then these have GOT to GO.
3-Cannot adjust/distribute memory on the unit - I can stop working programs fine, but there is an area where you can see both "drives" where it stores memory. I can't go in and just click and manage it further. It is frustrating because it would make the Duo faster.
4-I suffer from the Curse Of The Worst Ringtones. Whenever I get a cell the ringtones SUCK. Which makes you wonder who this Duo was designed for, or going for which type of person.
5-MicroSD card-I got a 4 Gig SDHC and forget it, it does not work. You can see the icon top bar that it has the micro card inserted, can't see it the rest of the Duo. Big disadvantage because: Micros are evolving to SDHC and have way more room; a Duo just can't be lagging behind with technology and get stuck with a regular Micro 2 Gig card (?!?!?!). Because there is wonderful people out there that can do lots of programming and hacking, I found the solution at xda-developers from reading in this forum. Thankfully the xda people have helped me with software for my Wizard and it seems I will use their software this time around too.
6-NO WI-FI, NOT FAIR! I have wireless at home and I used to go online, Media Player, and look online for my fav radio station (from another country), listen live and with headsets, go about my business. Can't do that with this unit.
7-Battery Life-This has been brought up multiple times and yes, the first couple of days it felt I was dealing with my HP camera which sucks batteries dead in one day. Now I can deal with charging it either daily or every other day. With the 8125 because of the type of battery you HAD to charge it daily or the cellphone would pay the consequences. On this one the Pantech people say let it drain then charge it; I am not comfortable with that scenario and I hope I don't ruin the battery because I charge it halfway or down to one bar.
To me the worst are in "bold", and I expect the Pantech people to come around and fix the muffled sound-which is worse if you talk with someone from cell-to-cell. Will take the unit today to AT&T and see if by getting another Duo the problem is fixed.
Interestingly though, I am willing to give the Duo a pass if I can program it, hack it, alter it every which way I want so I can have some fun with it!

Part 2-my post on HowardForums
Forgot to add to the cons...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On CONS, I forgot to add that in order to delete multiple files, I cannot select them with SHIFT-(Select) UP or DOWN. Do I have to delete each item one by one and not by multiple selection?
Does anybody know a way around that? thanks!

Went to AT&T today to figure out swapping the Duo...
...and I can do it only once. If I decide to try and have another Duo and the sound on that phone is just as bad as this one, I am stuck with it. If I switch for another unit, of course there is the restocking fee; now if I decide to go for a Tilt or a BlackJack II for example, I assume I'd have to pay extra for price difference.
FYI...Chica

This site is based on htc devices..... you probably have to look for other websites..... there is new new one not much up yet but here is the link.....
http://winmodevelopers.freeforums.org/

im gonna research this and create a forum for it at winmodevelopers.
youll have to be patient tho ive only got 8 users

i mean dont expect a reply straight away, but hopefully all pantech duo owners will see i can accomodate them.
thanks for the reference joel

Pantech Duo
Thanks!
I still have it, I am gonna tweak it and see if upgrading it and add/remove software it will perform better. Still have to keep the Bluetooth close, just in case a long phone call comes in.
Phone is like an ol' pair of jeans you don't wanna part with...

Activesync weirdness and other "niggles"

Got my Desire yesterday having had an iPhone 3g since launch. I'm experiencing some issues and am currently debating whether to go back to using the iPhone or not. I really like the phone, but not made my mind up if I can live with the "niggles".
My issues are:-
Activesync: I use "managed folders" on my Exchange 2007 Server. This creates a folder called "managed folders" in the root of the mail account and then creates subfolders beneath it (note: not below the inbox, but at the same level as it). Activesync will sync all folders except for "Managed Folders". They simply don't show up in the mail client.
*update* - after running fine for a day the phone has just popped up saying my activesync server details have changed and all mail/contacts/calendar will be erased and re-copied from the server. I can guarantee that they haven't change as I'm the only person with a login to the server.
Bluetooth: The wife has a Parrot CK3000 Evo hands free. In order to do voice dial you have to send your contacts from the phone to the kit over bluetooth and then use the kit to record voice tags. The Desire will not let me send the contacts as it claims the hands free kit doesn't support the correct bluetooth profile. It does support the profile and works with all other phones I've tried. This means she can't do voicedial as the Desire doesn't support native bluetooth voice dial.
Media playback: The Desire seems to use a separate audio and video player. Not a big issue but doesn't have that consolidated feel. It also doesn't playback video with multiple audio tracks. I watch a lot of films that have both Spanish and English audio and the iPhone natively allows you to flick between them.
Audio playback: I listen to foreign language podcasts (MP3) which have transcripts built in to the standard MP3 "lyrics" tag. The iPhone will natively display the lyrics during playback but I can't find a media player for the Desire that will do this.
Battery life: I've set the Desire up with the same sync frequency as the iPhone. The battery seems to last half as long. I'm hoping this will improve after a few charge cycles.
Screen rotation: Mine only seems to rotate anti-clockwise but not clockwise. Not a major issue but if you rotate clockwise you end up with the volume keys on the top of the unit which is better than rotating the other way and them being on the underneath.
As I said above, nothing is major (except for the wife's hands free - she was thinking of getting a desire but has changed her mind if we can't sort the voice dial issue), but they are all adding up and making me think twice. It's a 2 year contract and I don't want to regret the decision and end up stuck with a phone that bugs me, but on the other hand I think that all these issues are resolvable by either HTC or finding the correct app.
Dae

Exchange managed folders
I cant say for sure since Im still waiting for mine to arrive but you should be able to manage which folders you want synced via the Activesync settings on the handset.
also - regarding parrot speakerphones: give them a call. they will probably be able to help you out. Parrots support is pretty good.
Let me know how you go. I'll be hit with the same issue when mine finally arrives so it would be nice to know theres a fix.

The activesync thing is definitely an issue with the phone. I'm an Exchange specialist for a living, so know that it's definitely the phone end of things.
The folder selection screen doesn't show the Exchange Managed folders to allow you to sync them. They simply aren't there. All my other folders are selectable (e.g. drafts, sent items, deleted items etc)
I may give Parrot a call but not sure that they'll be able to help. If a firmware update fixed it I'd need to buy the cable (about £30) which is a large proportion of a new kit. Not an issue for me as I have the CK3300 and it works with one minor issue. With the iPhone the CK3300 saw 1 contact (e.g. wife) with multiple numbers for home, work etc. With the HTC Desire it sees each number as a separate contact. It's annoying but it works though, which is more than can be said for the wife's kit.
Dae

I've just noticed a couple of other oddities.
The phone is set to sync mail every hour from 06:00 until 23:00 every day, and manually outside these times.
I just looked at the phone now and it's remained in manual mode, but when looking at the times it should be in hourly sync. Went into the settings and clicked on the setting that was already there (i.e. re-selecting the same setting without changing it) and it's popped itself back into hourly sync mode.
The other thing I've noticed is that if you create an appointment in the calendar you can't choose your time as free/busy/out of office etc for when it syncs back to Exchange.

Off topic, but why in the world would you add "may go back to iPhone" to subject? Is it at all relevant to the problem you're having?
It just looks like an attention seeking behaviour -- oh no, don't go, we'll do everything we can to help -- is that the reaction you were looking for?
Well, let me tell you a secret -- you don't have to threaten to leave for another platform in order to receive help on these forums

Hey man, calm down !
He is just comparing to what he had before the Desire.

Yupe, but he does not have to put that line "may go back to iPhone".
Oh sure, he can go back to iPhone ... nobody will stop that.
Sorry for saying this, but I agreed with user Karolis about the OP attention seeker behavior.
513 said:
Hey man, calm down !
He is just comparing to what he had before the Desire.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I am very calm and I hope daesimps will find a solution to his problem(s)

The idea behind the comment was to give people who couldn't be bothered to read the entire post an idea of my current thoughts on the handset.
There was no attention seeking behaviour. My current train of thought is "Not sure I've made the correct decision, but if I can fix these issues I'll be a very happy bunny".
The problem is that written text when constrained in a short amount of space (e.g. subject line on a forum) doesn't necessarily convey the correct emotion/intonation and can lead to confusion. Would people have been so outraged if I'd put "may return for refund"? Is it that I used the dreaded iPhone word?
I didn't think people would be so defensive/protective of their Desire. Many people are looking around for opinions/reviews on the phone and I thought I'd offer up my current thinking instead of jumping on the "I got a Desire, it's perfect and I love it" bandwagon.
There was not meant to be any offence to anyone on the board - just a highlight of some issues with a hope that someone could offer up a solution.

513 said:
Hey man, calm down !
He is just comparing to what he had before the Desire.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree. I believe the OP is just commenting on the fact that he has a few niggles which, if he cannot sort out, he may revert to his previous phone.
Would you still say he was being aggressive if he said 'i will revert to my HD2'? Maybe, maybe not.
I happen to agree, as my previous phone was an iphone, couldn't wait to get my hands on the Desire, and have felt massively disappointed with the overall experience.
I love Android, and the way it sits nicely between the flexibility of WinMo and the 'just works' of the iphone OS, so i don't think it's Android that has proven to be the weak point in my case.
It may sound silly, but it even boils down to the design of the handset as well. I always feel like i'm going to drop the phone. When i hold the iphone, it sits snug and safe in my hands, but the Desire is a different kettle of fish. Whether it's the slightly rubberised coating of the back, or the slimness, or even the slightly angled sides...something doesn't 'feel' right, and the phone wants to slide out of my hands! Try it, a few of my friends have even commented. Also, while i'm having a bit of a nag, the power button...just feels unnatural in that position (maybe because i'm right handed, but it seems a bit of a stretch).
SenseUI is a wonderful thing, but i feel that they/it tries to overload you with too much at once. Some people may like that, others not...would be interesting to see how many ex-iphone owners would agree with that.
So, getting back to the original post, yes i feel the same, the phone has a few niggles that cause me problems (not the same issues as the OP), and i'm very tempted to go back to using my iPhone.
Might try the Xperia X10, i know the hardware isn't on spec to the Desire (damn close though)...if not, it's the iPhone HD for me (and no, i am not an apple fanboy, just love the simplicity of the iphone - which is the only apple product i own!)
Regards
DF

datafanatic could u please tell us what it is you do not like about the desire? apart from the ugliness/ feeling its gonna drop/ and sense overload?
thanks.

Datafanatic said:
I totally agree. I believe the OP is just commenting on the fact that he has a few niggles which, if he cannot sort out, he may revert to his previous phone.
Would you still say he was being aggressive if he said 'i will revert to my HD2'? Maybe, maybe not.
I happen to agree, as my previous phone was an iphone, couldn't wait to get my hands on the Desire, and have felt massively disappointed with the overall experience.
I love Android, and the way it sits nicely between the flexibility of WinMo and the 'just works' of the iphone OS, so i don't think it's Android that has proven to be the weak point in my case.
It may sound silly, but it even boils down to the design of the handset as well. I always feel like i'm going to drop the phone. When i hold the iphone, it sits snug and safe in my hands, but the Desire is a different kettle of fish. Whether it's the slightly rubberised coating of the back, or the slimness, or even the slightly angled sides...something doesn't 'feel' right, and the phone wants to slide out of my hands! Try it, a few of my friends have even commented. Also, while i'm having a bit of a nag, the power button...just feels unnatural in that position (maybe because i'm right handed, but it seems a bit of a stretch).
SenseUI is a wonderful thing, but i feel that they/it tries to overload you with too much at once. Some people may like that, others not...would be interesting to see how many ex-iphone owners would agree with that.
So, getting back to the original post, yes i feel the same, the phone has a few niggles that cause me problems (not the same issues as the OP), and i'm very tempted to go back to using my iPhone.
Might try the Xperia X10, i know the hardware isn't on spec to the Desire (damn close though)...if not, it's the iPhone HD for me (and no, i am not an apple fanboy, just love the simplicity of the iphone - which is the only apple product i own!)
Regards
DF
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey DF,
I'd like to hear a more complete list of what you don't like about the Desire (especially vs your old iPhone 3gs). Could you elaborate on that?

Datafanatic said:
I totally agree. I believe the OP is just commenting on the fact that he has a few niggles which, if he cannot sort out, he may revert to his previous phone.....
Regards
DF
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DF,
Thanks - you hit the nail on the head. I'm not an Apple fan and have been really trying to get away from them, but at the end of the day I've always returned to the iPhone as it's the only thing that's ticked all the boxes.
I've decided I'm going to keep the Desire and use the iPhone for my media playback - as though it's an iPod.
I know what you mean about feeling disappointed. I had high hopes for the Desire and was looking forward to ditching Apple.
supasye/jm997 - Here are my list of niggles:-
* Media playback doesn't play back dual audio tracks for videos and can't show lyrics embedded into MP3 files. I've also noticed that if you go into the "Genre" view it only displays a standard list. For example, I have a load of tunes in Spanish and to help distinguish them in our media library they have a Genre of "Spanish". The Desire doesn't seem to understand this and shows them as "unknown genre".
* Volume from headphone jack is too low. I use a pillow speaker and whilst the iPhone was too loud the Desire is not quite loud enough even on max.
* Activesync. Doesn't show up Exchange managed folders.
* Battery. It's not very good although I hope it improves. I've set mail to sync every hour and turned all the others (e.g. twitter/facebook etc.) down to every 12 hours.
* Keyboard. It's very good, but the auto text correction doesn't always show on screen, for example in the search box in the Market app.
* Calendar. You can't set appointments to be free/busy/out of office etc. when you create them on the phone.
* Bluetooth. It's 2010 and it doesn't do voice dial, which I acknowledge is an Android thing and not a Desire thing. This is a major problem for the wife. Her Parrot car kit can do it if you send contacts to the kit and use it to record the voice tags. Unfortunately there is a compatibility issue and the Desire won't send contacts via bluetooth to the kit as it claims the kit doesn't support the push profile (which it does and works with all our other phones).
Overall I am happy enough to keep the phone, but disappointed. The speed, screen and overall interface are absolutely brilliant.
HTC are known for their business phones and I've had them for probably knocking on the last 10 years. Unfortunately I think there's too many business related issues (Activesync, bluetooth, calendar) for this to work as a business phone. However, given that the media playback isn't spot on, I can't see many people choosing it as a media phone given it's shortcomings in this area.
Dae.

Galaxy Player as bluetooth headset. Personal experience?

Have any of you tried using a Galaxy player as a bluetooth headset for the tablet to make phone calls? If so, how did you fare?
I'm thinking of picking up a used Galaxy player 3.6 to use as a headset paired to the 3g GN 10.1 I just ordered. I've never been a fan of bluetooth earpiece which have to remain in-ear constantly, I like the idea of answering a pocketable, phonelike alternative that I could also use to spot check emails while I leave the note in my backpack while commuting. I dont care about the performance of the player for gaming and the display size, obviously if I have the time to care about what im looking at I'd be whipping out the tablet. Just looking to see if anyone has done this and enjoyed it, or if I should just bite the bullet and buy a traditional BT headset.
Any suggestions on viable, handset-like alternative from other companies is welcome, too.

While looking into whether the GN 10.1 can be used for voice cell phone calls in the US, I stumbled across this handy - if weird - little bluetooth device.
I'll let the article on this "stylus-phone" speak for itself.

k1darkknight said:
While looking into whether the GN 10.1 can be used for voice cell phone calls in the US, I stumbled across this handy - if weird - little bluetooth device.
I'll let the article on this "stylus-phone" speak for itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Holy crap thats cool. I might get one of those just for the sake of having all the available accessories. I'd propbably use something like that sparingly, because I'd need to A) Really keep track of that thing, and B) need to have the Tablet open in front of my to see who's calling. I'm proabably still leaning towards the Galaxy Player to to get the caller function. The 3.6 im watching on ebay is actually cheaper than the Bluetooth S Pen
I guess I go really go old school and get one of the OLD samsung Yepp mp3 players.. they had this functionality to, but with them I need a proprietary charger and I'd lose email checking. Dammit this is complicated. lol.

This would be really great to see come to fruition. I wonder if an app would need to be developed to properly pair the phone to the tablet.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

From my understanding, Its lees about an app than it is about the Bluetooth Profile. The Galaxy Players give you the proper Profile (plus earpiece and built in Mic) to do this affectively. You get caller ID, and headset functionality. You can pair phones to other phones but never have the option to set what type of profile youd like the pairing to utilize. Would/Could an app do this type of thing, or would it have to be a tweak/add to the bluetooth profile?
Lol, I never get too deep in this. When in doubt - throw money at the problem