Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Is This the Diary of a Mobile Madman?
Posted by Raphael Salgado in "THOUGHT" @ 02:00 PM
"You went thru all those other devices to end up with a memory deficient Treo?" As an active and vocal member in the Windows Mobile community over the past few years, those who have seen my profile and forum posts noticed that I've changed from device to device very often, and even been a 'flip-flopper' like a former US presidential candidate. Others, like the one from the opening quote, just wondered what the heck I was up to. I felt I had to explain.
If you could step into my shoes for a bit, perhaps you could considered me a "mobile madman," or you can empathize on how I simply wanted to get it right the first time (which obviously didn't happen :wink:). Either way, you can see why I've been able to answer so many device-specific questions on various forums. Perhaps you have a similar history like me? Can you be considered a mobile madman, too? Read on!
Back in the day, when mobile devices weren't converged like they are now, I was actually going around with a PDA and a cell phone, tethered with a proprietary cable that I usually picked up from places like Radio Shack or SupplyNet. With each change of a cell phone or a PDA, these companies were making a killing off of me, not to mention the fact that I looked like some ubergeek walking around with his science project, that's when I decided I couldn't take tethering any longer.
Technically, I may have even have a longer history of mobile madness, but this is where my history begins with converged devices, and how I progressed (and sometimes regressed) to others.
Samsung SPH-i700: My first Pocket PC Phone. Great converged device for its time, but downright horrible support, likely due to both Samsung and Verizon's first steps into the Pocket PC realm. Both were pointing fingers at each other for bugs and issues, until it was Smith Micro :?: who brought out the Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition update a little too late. To add insult to injury, Samsung held a defiant attitude for third-party developer support. A perfect example is Microsoft's own development team for Microsoft Portrait who were adamantly denied access to the i700's front-facing camera, to which I've always argued that mobile videoconferencing could probably have been popular right from there, had they been able to proceed with a popular converged device such as the i700.
Audiovox SMT5600 (HTC Typhoon): This is my first GSM device. Yes, it's an AT&T Wireless-branded Smartphone that I converted to Cingular and made a popular how-to guide for others, but it was my first attempt to get a device that was a phone first, and PDA second. Lack of Cingular support for this device (especially the ominous '05' text message for voicemail) had me reconsidering already.
Motorola MPx220: There's not much to say about this device, except that I struggled like most MPx220 owners. Horrible memory allocation, frequent resets, poor response time, false hopes with every firmware update, you name it. As much as I still respect the Smartphone platform, it was time to return to the Pocket PC world, and that's when I had my first talks with well-respected US reseller David Weiniger, also known as MadMonkeyBoy.
i-mate PDA2k (HTC Blue Angel): I really enjoyed this device, having a convenient keyboard, Wi-Fi, and peppy processor. Coming from a small Smartphone, the combination of holding up the large phone to my face and the extremely poor Bluetooth strength unfortunately started the countdown to another device. That, plus the relatively anemic battery life and sliding keyboard getting scratched up and loose all at the same time, accelerated the time left I would have with the device. After a couple of months, I decided I needed something smaller and better.
i-mate JAM (HTC Magician): Probably the most comfortable GSM Pocket PC Phone I had. The small crisp screen and sturdy form factor made it all too easy to keep forever. Unfortunately, rumors surfaced and were later confirmed that Windows Mobile 5.0 would never make it to the device, and I was looking forward to those features and the long-term.
E-TEN M500: With the promise of Windows Mobile 5.0, the less-expensive M500 seemed like a great alternative, even though it used cheaper plastic and components that barely rival my daughter's toys. But it was here where I got burned by the extremely poor signal strength, dropping more calls and getting more voicemail notifications without even receiving a missed call. I had to move on to something else before my wife and my friends went from angry to furious.
i-mate K-JAM (HTC Wizard): There was no doubt that the HTC Wizard is, in fact, a great device. I even created my first blog dedicated to it. Yet, there were some real annoyances I had about the device that just grew worse over time, such as the 200MHz TI OMAP processor's sluggishness, especially when switching to portrait to landscape and back (which happened often for the sliding keyboard) and surfing with "script warning" errors on many pages (even with the setting off). Add the cumbersome keyboard and loose stylus syndrome that inevitably happens for all Wizard 200 owners, and you've got a device that might not last the long haul. Coincidentally, my personal needs started to go from a "phone-first" to a "PDA-first" design.
Qtek 9000 (HTC Universal): While having a lack of other devices to try out, and while having a bit of a wanton desire, I ended up with the Universal. No doubt, this device felt monstrous compared to the K-JAM, but it satisfied my "PDA-first" need to a certain point. The lack of 850MHz fortunately had no effect on me, and the 1900MHz-only signal strength even fared better than my days on the quadband E-TEN M500. However, on my first business trip, I brought along my laptop, only to find out that my network drivers weren't compatible with the hotel's network connection. With no Wi-Fi hot spot available, I loathed a repeated painstaking 9MB download (of which I only needed 500k of that self-extracting archive :evil:) that kept getting cut out over the wimpy GPRS signal. Quoting Jeff Goldblum in Independence Day, "Must go faster. Must go faster!"
O2 XDA Atom: Needing to utilize EDGE capability on Cingular's network and not wanting to go back to an OMAP processor on the newly released HTC Prophet, the Atom seemed like a better choice. I then believed that the Atom should have been the true successor to much-enjoyed HTC Magician, even though it was nearly as pricey as the Universal. While the camera was ultimately a downright insult to the device, the novelty FM radio proved somewhat fun, albeit for a short time - I found out that my favorite radio station had a live 32kbps WMA stream on the Internet, and I never used the FM radio portion again - no static, and thanks to the FCC, no local commercials allowed, just an instrumental track would take its place - who needs satellite? ;) My first scare with the device (it wasn't charging for some reason, but found out it was a false alarm) had me reeling in my head on how to handle and how long it would take to go through the Hong Kong-based warranty procedure that another had to endure with negative results.
Verizon UTStarcom XV6700 (HTC Apache): I have always walked into Verizon Wireless stores and sampled what I initially thought were feeble attempts to satisfy their offerings in the Windows Mobile world, as compared to the free-for-all attitude that GSM device owners have. That all changed when I walked up to the XV6700 and felt that this should have been the HTC Wizard all along. With EVDO speed, the mSpeed test on DSLReports.com scored a jaw-dropping average of 850kbps, while my Atom barely made it to 140kbps. I canceled my Cingular contract, got this device cheap, and enjoyed it for nearly a month. That is, until others' reports of a "dark screen of death" syndrome started to creep up on my device until it really started missing calls on a daily basis. The fact that neither HTC nor Verizon nor UTStarcom could officially acknowledge this issue had me reconsidering this device, since I knew would be locked into it for the next two years. Luckily, I made a good relationship with the Verizon Wireless salesperson-turned-store manager who authorized the exchange well after the initial 15-day mark.
Palm Treo 700w: This is where I am now. I was very skeptical when I first heard about this device - no Wi-Fi, pricier than the XV6700, 312MHz XScale processor, and a square screen. What felt more weird was its customizations that were likely designed more for the transitioning Treo 650 user than a true Windows Mobile power user. But, with an open mind, the "don't knock it until you try it" attitude, and swearing that I'd never use another Samsung product (i730/i830 were the only other choices), I went ahead with the Treo 700w. Needless to say, the device seems to have an excellent balance of phone and PDA. Like Janak described in his review, it sure didn't feel or act like 312MHz, and the form factor just won me over. Now, I know why the Palm OS-based Treo 650 became so popular. Sure, it could have used more RAM, an LED flash for the camera, and integrated Wi-Fi, but none of those things were big enough of an issue for me. Just for fun, I installed NYDITOT Virtual Display and am able to squeeze many 240x320 applications into the Treo's display without a hitch. What can I say? It serves my needs on both the phone and PDA fronts, and enforced with Verizon's contract, it's going to be a keeper.
From the Audiovox SMT5600 to the Treo 700w, all this happened in the span of just 16 months. That averages to one device every month and a half! The Samsung SPH-i700 was a little while before that period, where I actually tried out some (gasp) regular cell phones, such as the infamous Motorola V710. Oh, and you can squeeze a Dell Axim x50v into the above list just because it was a great bargain at the time.
Am I the mobile madman some people think I am? Am I too hard or critical on these devices? Perhaps so, but I've just been trying to find a perfect balance in an imperfect mobile world, and it's been a fun ride figuring it out. Is this the end for me? Will this finally be the last device I get? Certainly not, but like I stated in my previous thought, I needed to settle down with a single device and really start enjoy it for what it's worth. I've hard-resetted my devices more often than most people soft-reset theirs, and I've also probably given eBay a good run over the past year in selling my previous devices. Surprisingly, I ultimately broke even in all my transactions, even with paying three (3) early-termination fees with Cingular, because I kept the device, its accessories, and packaging in the absolute-best condition possible in the likely event that it would have been sent off to another happy would-be owner. It obviously also helped that that these GSM devices were SIM-unlocked and without any contracts, making the price a lot higher than the Verizon phones at reduced, subsidized prices with the 2-year contract.
Do you have any similar stories to share on how you've migrated from device to device over time, why you did it when you did, and why you'd probably do it again, like me? :wink:
If you could step into my shoes for a bit, perhaps you could considered me a "mobile madman," or you can empathize on how I simply wanted to get it right the first time (which obviously didn't happen :wink:). Either way, you can see why I've been able to answer so many device-specific questions on various forums. Perhaps you have a similar history like me? Can you be considered a mobile madman, too? Read on!
Back in the day, when mobile devices weren't converged like they are now, I was actually going around with a PDA and a cell phone, tethered with a proprietary cable that I usually picked up from places like Radio Shack or SupplyNet. With each change of a cell phone or a PDA, these companies were making a killing off of me, not to mention the fact that I looked like some ubergeek walking around with his science project, that's when I decided I couldn't take tethering any longer.
Technically, I may have even have a longer history of mobile madness, but this is where my history begins with converged devices, and how I progressed (and sometimes regressed) to others.
Samsung SPH-i700: My first Pocket PC Phone. Great converged device for its time, but downright horrible support, likely due to both Samsung and Verizon's first steps into the Pocket PC realm. Both were pointing fingers at each other for bugs and issues, until it was Smith Micro :?: who brought out the Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition update a little too late. To add insult to injury, Samsung held a defiant attitude for third-party developer support. A perfect example is Microsoft's own development team for Microsoft Portrait who were adamantly denied access to the i700's front-facing camera, to which I've always argued that mobile videoconferencing could probably have been popular right from there, had they been able to proceed with a popular converged device such as the i700.
Audiovox SMT5600 (HTC Typhoon): This is my first GSM device. Yes, it's an AT&T Wireless-branded Smartphone that I converted to Cingular and made a popular how-to guide for others, but it was my first attempt to get a device that was a phone first, and PDA second. Lack of Cingular support for this device (especially the ominous '05' text message for voicemail) had me reconsidering already.
Motorola MPx220: There's not much to say about this device, except that I struggled like most MPx220 owners. Horrible memory allocation, frequent resets, poor response time, false hopes with every firmware update, you name it. As much as I still respect the Smartphone platform, it was time to return to the Pocket PC world, and that's when I had my first talks with well-respected US reseller David Weiniger, also known as MadMonkeyBoy.
i-mate PDA2k (HTC Blue Angel): I really enjoyed this device, having a convenient keyboard, Wi-Fi, and peppy processor. Coming from a small Smartphone, the combination of holding up the large phone to my face and the extremely poor Bluetooth strength unfortunately started the countdown to another device. That, plus the relatively anemic battery life and sliding keyboard getting scratched up and loose all at the same time, accelerated the time left I would have with the device. After a couple of months, I decided I needed something smaller and better.
i-mate JAM (HTC Magician): Probably the most comfortable GSM Pocket PC Phone I had. The small crisp screen and sturdy form factor made it all too easy to keep forever. Unfortunately, rumors surfaced and were later confirmed that Windows Mobile 5.0 would never make it to the device, and I was looking forward to those features and the long-term.
E-TEN M500: With the promise of Windows Mobile 5.0, the less-expensive M500 seemed like a great alternative, even though it used cheaper plastic and components that barely rival my daughter's toys. But it was here where I got burned by the extremely poor signal strength, dropping more calls and getting more voicemail notifications without even receiving a missed call. I had to move on to something else before my wife and my friends went from angry to furious.
i-mate K-JAM (HTC Wizard): There was no doubt that the HTC Wizard is, in fact, a great device. I even created my first blog dedicated to it. Yet, there were some real annoyances I had about the device that just grew worse over time, such as the 200MHz TI OMAP processor's sluggishness, especially when switching to portrait to landscape and back (which happened often for the sliding keyboard) and surfing with "script warning" errors on many pages (even with the setting off). Add the cumbersome keyboard and loose stylus syndrome that inevitably happens for all Wizard 200 owners, and you've got a device that might not last the long haul. Coincidentally, my personal needs started to go from a "phone-first" to a "PDA-first" design.
Qtek 9000 (HTC Universal): While having a lack of other devices to try out, and while having a bit of a wanton desire, I ended up with the Universal. No doubt, this device felt monstrous compared to the K-JAM, but it satisfied my "PDA-first" need to a certain point. The lack of 850MHz fortunately had no effect on me, and the 1900MHz-only signal strength even fared better than my days on the quadband E-TEN M500. However, on my first business trip, I brought along my laptop, only to find out that my network drivers weren't compatible with the hotel's network connection. With no Wi-Fi hot spot available, I loathed a repeated painstaking 9MB download (of which I only needed 500k of that self-extracting archive :evil:) that kept getting cut out over the wimpy GPRS signal. Quoting Jeff Goldblum in Independence Day, "Must go faster. Must go faster!"
O2 XDA Atom: Needing to utilize EDGE capability on Cingular's network and not wanting to go back to an OMAP processor on the newly released HTC Prophet, the Atom seemed like a better choice. I then believed that the Atom should have been the true successor to much-enjoyed HTC Magician, even though it was nearly as pricey as the Universal. While the camera was ultimately a downright insult to the device, the novelty FM radio proved somewhat fun, albeit for a short time - I found out that my favorite radio station had a live 32kbps WMA stream on the Internet, and I never used the FM radio portion again - no static, and thanks to the FCC, no local commercials allowed, just an instrumental track would take its place - who needs satellite? ;) My first scare with the device (it wasn't charging for some reason, but found out it was a false alarm) had me reeling in my head on how to handle and how long it would take to go through the Hong Kong-based warranty procedure that another had to endure with negative results.
Verizon UTStarcom XV6700 (HTC Apache): I have always walked into Verizon Wireless stores and sampled what I initially thought were feeble attempts to satisfy their offerings in the Windows Mobile world, as compared to the free-for-all attitude that GSM device owners have. That all changed when I walked up to the XV6700 and felt that this should have been the HTC Wizard all along. With EVDO speed, the mSpeed test on DSLReports.com scored a jaw-dropping average of 850kbps, while my Atom barely made it to 140kbps. I canceled my Cingular contract, got this device cheap, and enjoyed it for nearly a month. That is, until others' reports of a "dark screen of death" syndrome started to creep up on my device until it really started missing calls on a daily basis. The fact that neither HTC nor Verizon nor UTStarcom could officially acknowledge this issue had me reconsidering this device, since I knew would be locked into it for the next two years. Luckily, I made a good relationship with the Verizon Wireless salesperson-turned-store manager who authorized the exchange well after the initial 15-day mark.
Palm Treo 700w: This is where I am now. I was very skeptical when I first heard about this device - no Wi-Fi, pricier than the XV6700, 312MHz XScale processor, and a square screen. What felt more weird was its customizations that were likely designed more for the transitioning Treo 650 user than a true Windows Mobile power user. But, with an open mind, the "don't knock it until you try it" attitude, and swearing that I'd never use another Samsung product (i730/i830 were the only other choices), I went ahead with the Treo 700w. Needless to say, the device seems to have an excellent balance of phone and PDA. Like Janak described in his review, it sure didn't feel or act like 312MHz, and the form factor just won me over. Now, I know why the Palm OS-based Treo 650 became so popular. Sure, it could have used more RAM, an LED flash for the camera, and integrated Wi-Fi, but none of those things were big enough of an issue for me. Just for fun, I installed NYDITOT Virtual Display and am able to squeeze many 240x320 applications into the Treo's display without a hitch. What can I say? It serves my needs on both the phone and PDA fronts, and enforced with Verizon's contract, it's going to be a keeper.
From the Audiovox SMT5600 to the Treo 700w, all this happened in the span of just 16 months. That averages to one device every month and a half! The Samsung SPH-i700 was a little while before that period, where I actually tried out some (gasp) regular cell phones, such as the infamous Motorola V710. Oh, and you can squeeze a Dell Axim x50v into the above list just because it was a great bargain at the time.
Am I the mobile madman some people think I am? Am I too hard or critical on these devices? Perhaps so, but I've just been trying to find a perfect balance in an imperfect mobile world, and it's been a fun ride figuring it out. Is this the end for me? Will this finally be the last device I get? Certainly not, but like I stated in my previous thought, I needed to settle down with a single device and really start enjoy it for what it's worth. I've hard-resetted my devices more often than most people soft-reset theirs, and I've also probably given eBay a good run over the past year in selling my previous devices. Surprisingly, I ultimately broke even in all my transactions, even with paying three (3) early-termination fees with Cingular, because I kept the device, its accessories, and packaging in the absolute-best condition possible in the likely event that it would have been sent off to another happy would-be owner. It obviously also helped that that these GSM devices were SIM-unlocked and without any contracts, making the price a lot higher than the Verizon phones at reduced, subsidized prices with the 2-year contract.
Do you have any similar stories to share on how you've migrated from device to device over time, why you did it when you did, and why you'd probably do it again, like me? :wink:
