Hi all

I have just been lucky enough to get my hands on the vanilla version of the HTC TyTn - and am using it on the O2 UK network, with my (shockingly) O2 SIM.

I was just wondering if someone could point me to one of the following (in order of good-ness) :

1) a CAB file containing all the setup needed for O2 Wap, O2 Internet, and O2 MMS
2) a set of instructions which show how to manually set up the TyTn (for O2 UK)
3) literally just the settings themselves

I've only had Windows Smartphones before, but even those were a bit of an arse to set up for data connections - after a brief dalliance with an N73 (which was actually good in that settings were sent automatically), I am now for the first time in Pocket PC land!!!

Any help would be greatly appreciated, even if it's only directions to a link where this info exists.

Cheeeeeeeeeeeers
benjo

Hi all,

Just a quick canvas of opinion about whether any of you have noticed a degradation of the earpiece (inside) speaker over the course of a month.

I bought a black mpx220 just under a month ago and in the course of that period, the internal speaker has started buzzing as people talk - this is bad enough now that it actually distorts what people are saying.

I'm returning the unit for a replacement, and am getting another, but I was wondering whether it's going to do the same again .......

.... I've seen another MPX220 do this too, so not hugely positive about what your comments might be

cheers

benj

Hi all

I've got an MPX220 which keeps developing an issue from time to time of stating "SIM invalid" - in order to solve this, the ONLY way to fix is to power cycle the phone, which takes ages, and is irritating as hell !

The things that cause this problem to happen are incoming SMSs, and also the start/end of calls - although that's much less frequent. Normally I get a day where SMSs incoming will knock the phone over 6-7 times, and then it's fine for a while again.

So, my questions are :

1) Anyone else experiencing this ?
2) Does the Cingular software 1.30 ( offered on the moto website for a while) do this ?
3) Is the Cingular firmware operator/SIM-locked i.e. could I put my o2 sim in there ?

cheers

benj

yep it's irritating alright ...

just tap down on the joypad three times - takes a while to re-program your brain after MPX200 ... !

Apparently 1 is more often used than "."

yeah ok then!

benj

Cheers, that's the info I was looking for - was going to lever it out but didn't want to force anything - at least now I know it's OK

thanks again

benj

Comments were warranted.

As regards to the ringtones, through some experimentation I think finally I have the best profile for creating them.

Still it would have been nice to get the input of others on what will, for many, be another big frustration of owning an MPX220.

Nuff said.

benj

evidently no-one knows .....

Want you to do about it ? nothing - as shown by the lack of threads.

However, there are lots of knowledgeable people on modaco, and numbers that are connected insider of either manufacturers or operators.

MPX200 has I would say arguably the best speaker in terms of ringtones - as you've rightly noted, I've been able to deliver some excellent quality "real" tones through

But I struggle to believe that MPX220 is really that bad when it comes to the same thing!

Maybe I am just uber-frustrated by the extremely late delivery of the handset, and then after all that, numbers of killer problems - too much to list here.

Personally I like tones, and I like updating mine - and given that you don't know a call has come unless you can hear the phone, they are kind of important - what a crying shame MPX220 is that bad if that is the case. Without any further input from the early adopters on here though I'll not be 100% sure.

oh and thank you all for your volume of responses - not.

I always try to post and help where I can and on one issue that is definately going to be a problem for all mpx220 owners, total useful responses = 0.

cracking. cheers.

benj

Very briefly :

220 uses iTap NOT T9

I've been having problems getting used to it, but it's a case of learning - iTap is better than T9 in some ways and worse in others - for example :

* better - predicts words after less button presses

* worse - for some reason the "-" character is about 10 million button presses under the 1 key

So, it's a case of getting used to it - I'm quite happy with it now

benj

Go for the HS850 - it's a bit dearer, but a cracking headset, latest one from Moto

Got mine from ebay

benj

Hello

Unfortunately (as I think many of us know) MIDI does not support digitally-sampled audio - or realtones as lots of content providers call them

The (open) formats for realtones tend to be :

MP3
WAV
WMA

... and some other lesser known or poorer quality ones

MIDI is not a good solution for lots of reasons, although at the moment it seems to be the only format that plays loud on 220 !

Argh - anyone got any ideas ???

benj

Hello all,

I've been doing some experiments with the 220 and I am darned if I can get the output volume through the speaker loud enough !

I've tried WAV, MP3, and WMA, and they all suck !

Now, I know what I am doing - I wrote a tutorial for MPX200 users on Modaco - however, the MPX220 is just not up to the same standard

For definite, part of the problem is the speaker - it's small and tinny - but you can normally work round this - but maxxing out volume on any of the above formats gives a far less than satisfactory result each time ...

Any input will be gratefully received !

benj

Hi all

I bough the CHA8250 charger for the MPX220 and I am glad to say that everything works great !

Except the clock - how do you set it ....!

Someone please tell me ....

benj

Hello

Mate, you got an early version of firmware - that's the issue. It's a shame that firmware ever got released because it certainly shouldn't have - it's development software as far as I am concerned ...

I've tried much later versions, and those have lesser issues, and STILL I wouldn't consider it release software - so I think we can all empathise how much stress you are having.

However, you are having an unusual ( i.e. not mainstream ) handset - in addition, you are effectively an early adopter - so you have to expect some problems - but they shouldn't be this bad.

Your options are obviously to take it to a moto service centre and get it flashed, or to download the Cingular software from the moto site and upload it yourself - being as moto suggest it's only for cinglular customers ( and user tests have proved inconclusive as to whether it works on other networks ), I would suggest the service centre is the best option

Don't despair, get flashed up to something like 1.30.00 and you should be fine - sounds like you have the 0.3xx software

benj

aha, that's a cunning idea !

I hadn't tried that - the 192Kbps MP3 was playing so nicely, just way too quiet !!!!

Hello y'all

I've finally got my hands on an MPX220, and have been running some (lots) of tests on it .... quirky little beast, that's for sure !

Anyway, the one thing that I was looking for some input on from other owners is a difference in volume between WAV/MP3 ringtones.

(for those who are waiting to get this handset, it seems that we are now natively supporting MP3, rather than WAV - you'll see why in a minute )

-- WAV ringtones ( 22.050 KHz, mono ) play VERY loud - in fact, without volume reduction, enough to distort the speaker

-- MP3 ringtones ( at any of 128/160/192 kbps stereo ) play VERY quietly - in fact, you can barely hear them !

Note : this is not a profile volume ringer issue - I have the setting on LOUD already, so as to manage straight comparison

This difference is disconcerting for a number of reasons :

(1) Different filetypes of the same "genre" shouldn't have such a wide response difference on the handset - i.e. they should be approx same volume

(2) There is no gating on WAV playback, hence easy for you to mash your speaker

(3) WAV codec appears to be poor on the MPX220 - lots of hiss can be heard

(4) Speaker on MPX220 is not as big or capable as MPX200

(5) WAV files don't appear to have a native "open with" association - mp3 files do



--> So, here's the question - has anyone else experienced QUIET mp3 playback, versus LOUD WAV playback. It would be nice to use MP3, as for the same clip the MP3 file at 192kbps is approx half the size of the WAV, and clearer when encoded.

Let me know what you guys think !

benj

No probs

I can't speak for MPX220, but an MPX200, apparently does things OK. Therefore, given the MPX220 is more powerful beast, should be cool !

benj

Drawing together what everyone has says and present situation :

Orange : now not even in testing - which isn't a good sign, since handsets usually progress through and get released! Don't hold your breath. i-mate JAM might even beat it / replace it to market !

O2 : Been in catalogue since Dec 04, but no sign it's coming. Shops don't know anything about a potential release date, loads of people saying Jan 05, but very unlikely. May slip in to Q105 sometime.

Generic : You can buy from US, or try and source in Europe. If you are buying in US, you need to take care of firmware issues and locking, if you are getting from Europe, just try and actually lay hands on the hardware

benj

Hello

(1) No it's not available (now) at expansys, it just looks like it due to a glitch in their website. Call them and check - a couple of weeks at least, is what I was told. And no, it's not the same as O2s handset.

(2) Mini-SD and Mini-MMC (proper name RS-MMC) are different. Whilst the parents ( SD and MMC ) are of similar form factor ( SD has more pins ), and will both fit in the same slot of a compatible reader, their smaller children are not the same.

Both Mini-SD and RS-MMC usually come with adaptors that let them fit in SD and MMC readers respectively, but you can't put an RS-MMC in to a full-size SD adaptor - it's a completely different shape.

There is a third small storage card called Transflash - this can be adaptor-ed up aswell, but the important distinction with this type is that it's not regarded as a removable storage card by manufacturers, rather a portable internal memory extension !

If you are getting an MPX220 you want a nice 512Mb Mini-SD - reasonable price, and good size.

(3) Pass

(4) Bin the Java apps, and go with native MS Smartphone apps - they are much better quality, and usually worth paying for.

benj

Hello all,

Thanks for the update Paul

Thought I would just stick my 2 cents on the end of that, seeing as I, like lots of others here have been waiting for the phone !

It's a real shame that the greatest possibility now is that we'll never see this handset officially in the UK - Orange (by the sounds of things) are not going forward with it, o2 likewise, and a main importer (expansys) stated at least a few weeks before they get units

So, what are we left with ?

Either buy the handset separately, or go with a network ( which as we know isn't likely to happen ). Buying the handset separately is both expensive, and you can't rely on any support from the network if you get an issue.

A very depressing state of affairs given that this handset looks great, is probably 80% there in terms of software, and fits the needs of a lot of people

Do we need to start a R.I.P. mpx220 thread so everyone can pay their respects ....

Hello all,

I've read another post about expansys having MPX220's in ( they are pretty dear, but at least they are ordering them ), but I have questions ... they have not answered yet, so I am asking here in the hope that some of you guys might know :
--------------------------------------------------------------
I need some info before I buy this device ( + vodafone connection ) from you (expansys):

(1) What version of firmware is on the handsets you (expansys) are selling - this is VERY important indeed. As you might be aware, MPX220 has significant catalogued firmware issues relating to speaker volume, BT/camera problems, and switching off. Customers need to know what firmware they are letting themselves in for.

(2) As you are selling the handset with an optional vodafone connection, have you preloaded the Vodafone settings, or can I assume this is a blank, vanilla, unconfigured, handset? Some users have run in to problem manually configuring the MPX220...

(3) Please confirm exactly what accessories the handset comes with - the MPX200 (on orange admittedly) came with a lot of accessories including SD card, headphones, charger, cradle. What does the MPX220 have ?

(4) Please confirm the branding on the device - are there any operator logos on there ?
--------------------------------------------------------------

If you guys happen to know the answers (perhaps you've bought one), that would be cool !

benj

no probs

I do like to change ringtones quite often, hence the detail on what I do. Microsoft Sound Recorder is actually a pretty nifty tool, for something that's free

Anyhow, I'm looking forward to seeing what the MPX220 can do with mp3 tones and how it plays them - the A1000 ( Motorola also ) is quite impressive in terms of speakers, I think Motorola have got the right idea when it comes to sound on handsets

cheers

benj

Hello

Thought I'd add a couple of comments here since I work in the area of mobile content :wink:

It would seem that if you are going to make ringtones there are a number of ways you can achieve it - I base my comments on the MPX200, since that has an absolutely whopping speaker in it - but the same should work for most Motorola's, since the speaker equipping is just getting better and better ( check out the stereo and bass on the A1000 if you don't believe me ) !

Anyhow, I'd actually be tempted to use WAV rather than MP3 for ringtones - sure it's bigger, but it's uncompressed, which can be both a blessing and a nightmare!

In selecting the ringtone, exactly as per the last post, choose the 30 second segment you want, and get that in to a wave editor. Now, recently I started using 192 kpbs MP3 as my source, and then expanding that out to a STEREO 44.1 Khz WAV for editing - the mp3 compression done originally to get the track seems to have some effect on improving the clarity !

Once the WAV is edited, I save to 44.1 Khz STEREO WAV - you might think you would want to edit further now, but stick with me.

Next step - open Microsoft Sound Recorder - no download needed as it's in Windows by default - this is able to re-volume and re-bitrate tracks very quickly indeed.

For any track you've got, usually the same rules apply :

1) Select the decrease volume option between 3-4 times ( i.e. 3-4 cycles' worth of selection - seems to drop by about 10% each time )

2) Save as 22.5 Khz Mono WAV

Now, the combination of using as MP3 source, expanding to WAV, editing, then into MS sound recorder, then volume drop, then save lower bitrate seems to preserve the quality - and will be loud !

There are of course some exceptions - Rock music does not work well, but simple tracks with say just percussion ( rap particularly ) works well. Any tracks that originally were not well-levelled don't translate well either.

benj

Wahey ( no exclamation mark as I'll have to see it to believe it )

I'm off from Orange to O2 then

benj