25 replies to this topic

[dr_nick]

getting really fed up with my tytnII now.

originally i loved it. found the keyboard useful, enjoy its capabilities, like all the mods you can make and software freely available.  got very excited about flashing 6.1... (never got a diamond ROM to work)

but now it takes so bloody long to do anything, completely freezes for minutes at a time, and is almost useless as a phone or text device...

i would hard reset, but it takes me so long to get it tweaked back to how i like it with all my programs reinstalled (many of which i either have to buy again or pester the develeper for new codes for as they seem to only work on the original install...

just looking forward to be able to upgrade to something better... but there is nothing out there (that i have seen) that compares to the features but that actually works.

diamond screen is too small (and no keyboard), iphone is too restrictive.

am just hearing about the HTC dream and google android - what are people's thoughts on this, and do we know who will brig it out and when?

regards

dr_nick

Edited by dr_nick, 08 September 2008 - 02:46 PM.

[dr_nick]

oh yeah,  and today the internet just stopped working over anything other than wifi   cannot get it to connect with explorer, though can pick up my email off imap server...


bah


edit: is magically working again today, but i don't understand why?!  i soft reset twice yesterday, rebooted the gprs connection 4 times... i just left it overnight!

Edited by dr_nick, 08 September 2008 - 02:50 PM.

[burrzoo]

I feel your pain. I'm sorry that I don't have any answers for you. I gave it almost a year with my TyTN II and finally sold it on Ebay. I guess I never was completely satisfied with the WinMo OS. Palm was always better for me but they never updated their OS so I moved on to WinMo.
It got to the point on my TyTN II where it would take 2-3 minutes to even open a calendar item. I didn't lose internet connection for 3G but the browsing experience is not very satisfying. The best part about the phone was that I got strong reception and the GPS worked really well. I've moved on to a 3G iPhone and yes it lacks many (expected) basics but for my needs it works quite well. Nothing beats surfing the net on the iPhone. The UI is truly fabulous. OK, no flash but I'm not missing that too much. I'll tell you though, the 2 MP camera takes better pictures than the TyTN II ever did. No matter what software or tweaks I tried, never could consistently get a really good picture unless I had all the time in the world. That auto-focus was bogus to me. Go into an Apple or phone store and play with one. You might be surprised! Good luck working out the bugs with your TyTN II.

burrzoo

[shirozina]

dr_nick, on Sep 7 2008, 22:37, said:

getting really fed up of my tytnII now.

oriinally i loved it. found the keyboard ueful, enjoy its capabilities, like all the mods you can make and software freely available.  got very excited about flashing 6.1...

but now it takes so bloody long to do anything, completely freezes for minutes at a time, and is almost useless as a phon or text device...

i would hard reset, but it takes me so long to get it tweaked back to how i like it with all my programs reinstalled (many of which i eiter have to buy aain or pester the develeper for new cdes for as they seem to only work on the original install...

just looking forward to be able to upgrade to something better... but there is nothing out there (that i have seen) that compares to the features but actually works.

diamond screen is too small, iphone is too restrictive.

am just hearing about the HTC dream and google android - what are people's thoughts on this, and do we know who will brig it out and when?

regards

dr_nick

So is this a probblem with the phone and WM6.1 or the tweaks and progams you have installed?

[Webreaper]

I wonder whether you have some bad memory etc in your device?

I've had my Kaiser for over 12 months and never had any problems with speed. It's as quick as when I first got it. Admittedly, I'm very careful about installing 'crap' on my device, and only have a set of particular apps which I install (repeatedly installing/removing stuff does clog it up and cause problems).

I'm also not sure about the comment you made about it taking so long to hard reset. I hard-reset about every 3 months, just to keep things ticking along nicely. I have a folder on my storage card with all my apps, and a text file with the licence keys. I literally just work from top to bottom through the CABs. Stuff like tomtom just resides on the storage card anyway, so doesn't even need re-installing, and settings for most apps (e.g., PhoneAlarm, MortPlayer, etc) are exported to the storage card. I reckon I can go from hard-reset to fully-configured device with all my apps and settings restored in about 35 minutes.

I am, however, considering what device I might want next. It's difficult, because unlike when I was waiting for the Kaiser (and there was no other device with decent memory, keyboard, GPS, etc) there are lots of similar devices out there but no major technological steps up from what the Kaiser already does/has. Okay, so the touch pro has a better styling, more memory/cpu and a VGA screen, but that's not enough for me to bother upgrading.

The iPhone is just no good for me. Putting aside my natural prejudices against it for a moment, the idea of a device with no keyboard, no cut'n'paste, no background apps (so I can't run my IM client in the background, and can't have PhoneAlarm type functionality) is just a non-starter for me. Which is a shame, as the GUI is very slick. However, the only advantage the iPhone has (other than being shiny) is the GUI and that gap is closing fast (see the Touch Pro's GUI, the Xperia, and Android).

T-Mobile will be first to carry the Android Dream, and it looks like it could be a very interesting prospect. The OS looks good, the device has what I need (GPS + keyboard are the killer features for me). Not sure about the styling though - I hate white devices. The biggest issue with Android is the initial software support - there are certain things a device must be able to do for me:

• Automatic profiles based on current location - PhoneAlarm does this for me, but I don't believe there's an app out there for Android (yet) which has the same level of features and functionality. It'll come though (and this guy sits about 10ft from my desk, so I'm going to persuade him to write something similar for Android  ).
  
• Turn-by-turn quality SatNav - TomTom has its foibles, but it works. I suspect GoogleMaps will be the app of choice on Android, but it doesn't have proper routing/navigation. Again, that'll change, but how long will it take?
  
• Music players - I'm sure there will be lots but a good one is essential. Let's hope it supports gapless playback properly too, a feature which is all too lacking on WM players.

We'll see what Android is like when it's released, but my suspicion is that the 2nd/3rd devices will be the ones which really tempt me away from the "devil I know" PocketPC devices. In the meantime, I may well just stick with the Kaiser and see what happens...

[Neil5459]

dr_nick, on Sep 7 2008, 22:37, said:

i would hard reset, but it takes me so long to get it tweaked back to how i like it with all my programs reinstalled (many of which i eiter have to buy aain or pester the develeper for new cdes for as they seem to only work on the original install...

Bite the bullet and do the HR- it will cure many if not all your ills.

A HR, as opposed to a new ROM flash should not affect any of your application registration codes, as the Device ID won't change. Even tricky developers like TomTom, SkyScape and Vito don't require new registrations for a simple HR.

Which ones have you had trouble with previously?

[WearTheFoxHat]

I kinda agree with Dr Nick on this one.  The Kaiser was/is a great phone.  But Im now just getting rather fed up with it.  The keyboard is unresponsive ... some keys require light keypresses, some require pressing very hard.  Tapping the screen sometimes response other times it doesn't.

Ive installed new ROMS and hard reset before.  In fact last time, I just couldn't be bothered reinstalling all the apps, so left it as a fresh Dutty Diamond Rom, and just installed my hosted mail, and co pilot.  Since then a few thing have crept in ... one of which has been removed, but I think it still hasn't tidied up properly.

So need a HR, just really can't be bothered with it!

[Boinng]

I'm coming to the end of the road with my Tytn II too - will be swapping it for an Iphone in October when my contract is up.

It's the lost keypresses and random freezes that drive me up the wall.  From time to time over the last year I thought they were gone - I've tried various cures like resets, new ROMs, new SPL's loaded on - but ultimately, and usually at the very worst possible times, I still find myself waiting for it to register a button press or screen touch that never happens, only to have to repeat that over and over again until the bloody thing wakes up.

Then there's all the other shortcomings, the GPS that takes an age to lock after the 6.1 update, the slow typing, the rubbish video, the terrible camera, the way it sometimes slips into speakerphone mode when I first pick up a call.. it hasn't aged well.  Even part of the Windows logo has rubbed off my silver Windows key on the front, leaving it looking pretty shabby.  I'll probably keep it just for TomTom in the car, but I'm looking forward to ditching it as a phone, sadly.

The Iphone may be a little more restricted at the moment, but using it is a positively joyous experience in comparison.  The UI is a thing of beauty, and what it does, it does extremely well.  The rest I can manage without.

Edited by Boinng, 08 September 2008 - 01:55 PM.

[dr_nick]

why does installing and uninstalling stuff clog it up and slow it down?  For me, the whole point of having a "Pocket PC" is that it can do everything i find useful in a portable device.  I dont want to be restricted in running aps i find useful for fear they will slow down the basic functionality.

I have had a very good play with the iphone and agree it does do what it does very well... but it's what it doesn't do:

• no cut'n'paste,
  
• no decent turn-by-turn satnav,
  
• no capability for bluetooth sereo,
  
• i hate itunes,
  
• and phoneAlarm is one of my faveourite aps (works flawlessly in the background),
  
• i disagree with the application management making development costly and slow,
  
• availability of medical software/calculators for my work
  
• there must be more....

all i want is a phone the size, style and screen resolution of an iphone, running a UI as nice as the iphone, with a decent camera and flash, with bluetooth 2.0 (a2dp), wifi, HSDPA, micro SD expansion slot, hardware keyboard, decent video and music playback, AND with ALL of WM functionality - IS THIS TOO MUCH TO ASK!?!?

oh and i want it NOW, and i want it FREE on my contract (these points mor negotiable!)

what am i missing from this "perfect device"?

regards

dr_nick

[Neil5459]

dr_nick, on Sep 8 2008, 15:44, said:

why does installing and uninstalling stuff clog it up and slow it down?  For me, the whole point of having a "Pocket PC" is that it can do everything i find useful in a portable device.  I dont want to be restricted in running aps i find useful for fear they will slow down the basic functionality.

regards

dr_nick

I think its a bit like with a PC- over time, the apps we install and uninstall leave remnants of themselves on the HDD and in the registry, so all the startup processes and memory useage start getting clogged.

With the PPC, the more limited memory means there is less tolerance of these items, which are caused as much by badly behaved uninstallers, as the OS itself. I suspect the WnMo platform is a victim of its own success as, being an open platform there is no control over how items install and uninstall themselves. It's these remnants and orphan entries that lead to the slowing.

The better applications ask if you want to retain settings when removing; others don't, and almost all will leave registry entries to prevent users getting over trial period restrictions and simply reinstalling.

This is why a timely hard reset is often a good idea.

There's probably enough comment around the forums to deduce that the TyTnII was never a particularly strong performer, but there are few competitors if a hardware keyboard is needed. The new Touch Pro is much better, but the VGA screen is smaller.  The iphone is good at what it does, but it is, as you say very limited compared to the WM platform. If you use a lot of medical programs, then you are probably stuck with WM for a tome- I can see Unbound and Skyscape moving towards iPhone eventually though.

[gavken]

dr_nick, on Sep 8 2008, 15:44, said:

why does installing and uninstalling stuff clog it up and slow it down? For me, the whole point of having a "Pocket PC" is that it can do everything i find useful in a portable device. I dont want to be restricted in running aps i find useful for fear they will slow down the basic functionality.

I have had a very good play with the iphone and agree it does do what it does very well... but it's what it doesn't do:

• no cut'n'paste,
  
• no decent turn-by-turn satnav,
  
• no capability for bluetooth sereo,
  
• i hate itunes,
  
• and phoneAlarm is one of my faveourite aps (works flawlessly in the background),
  
• i disagree with the application management making development costly and slow,
  
• availability of medical software/calculators for my work
  
• there must be more....

all i want is a phone the size, style and screen resolution of an iphone, running a UI as nice as the iphone, with a decent camera and flash, with bluetooth 2.0 (a2dp), wifi, HSDPA, micro SD expansion slot, hardware keyboard, decent video and music playback, AND with ALL of WM functionality - IS THIS TOO MUCH TO ASK!?!?

oh and i want it NOW, and i want it FREE on my contract (these points mor negotiable!)

what am i missing from this "perfect device"?

regards

dr_nick

Have you looked at the Touch Pro or is the screen too small (it does have a VGA screen). Otherwise that does all the things you mention above. The other alternative will be the Sony Experia 1 when it comes out.

Gavin

[Webreaper]

Unfortunately, a lot of the criticisms here are problems with WM5/6/6.1, rather than with the Kaiser itself. It astounds me that Microsoft STILL haven't got a replacement OS for WM which solves the problems of random hangs, missed keypresses and GUI unresponsiveness. And by the looks of it, WM7 isn't going to fix any of these either.

Only Android appear to be addressing all those problems but without an anal application certification process, with proper process management for background apps, and with a decent hardware platform that has options like a hardware keyboard.

Let's be honest, HTC have the capability to build the hardware, and Apple have the nice UI, but only google appear to be able to actually get both right. Let's just hope Android and the Dream (and subsequent Android handsets) aren't a massive disappointment when they come out.

[dr_nick]

come to think of it - the one thing i din't like about the kaiser when I bought it was the hardware keyboard - upgaded from m600 (prophet) and never used my bluetooth keyboard... but now i have it i find lenghy emails cumbersome on the touchpad (added aftermarket)

but today's modaco news has HTC touchHDand (t9) swype- could these be the ideal combination?

(still looks to be running WM6.1 - no some swanky new GUI...)

Edited by dr_nick, 11 September 2008 - 06:22 PM.

[dr_nick]

and if i am going to perform a hard reset (which i have now), i may as well updat rom to one of the diamond ones... but i have not been able t get this to work in the past

[dr_nick]

posting from my freshly hard reset tytnII...

took me bloody hours to get everything back on.

lost my favourites in tomtom6 and all my phonealarm settings - both of which i thought were stored on SD?

also lost all my user-defined dictionary entries... rapidly repopulating the swear words!

and had to rebuy two out of four skyscape titles since their "subscription had expired" - dont quite understand why i have to pay them 35 dollars a year to keep the software running (my books happily continue to work without subscription!)


but it does seem faster, and hasnt hung yet...

[dr_nick]

and i cant remeber how to get rid of this hideous green...

and large start menu not working - blank drop down until you hover over it with finger...

cant remeber the program that scheduled a hard reset every night in the wee small hours...

all my phonealarm location-based deets are lost, so gonna have to repopulate that...

[Neil5459]

dr_nick, on Sep 13 2008, 00:45, said:

and had to rebuy two out of four skyscape titles since their "subscription had expired" - dont quite understand why i have to pay them 35 dollars a year to keep the software running (my books happily continue to work without subscription!)
but it does seem faster, and hasnt hung yet...

You don't have to rebuy Skyscape applications even if they have expired - just click to continue and let the program run. It will ask for a new Activation Code, which you may be able to obtain automatically if you use My Skyscape, otherwise a quick use of their Online Live Support has always done it for me- they ask for your Device ID and Product Code, then immediately issue you a new Activation Code.

I've just reinstalled eBNF and 5MCC in this way after a ROM flash.

Probably too late now if you've already repurchased, but useful for future reference

[dr_nick]

Neil5459, on Sep 13 2008, 07:24, said:

You don't have to rebuy Skyscape applications even if they have expired - just click to continue and let the program run. It will ask for a new Activation Code, which you may be able to obtain automatically if you use My Skyscape, otherwise a quick use of their Online Live Support has always done it for me- they ask for your Device ID and Product Code, then immediately issue you a new Activation Code.


i spoke to the online chat people - they checked my deets and said they wouldnt reissue an unlock code as "subscription had expired" grr
I've just reinstalled eBNF and 5MCC in this way after a ROM flash.

Probably too late now if you've already repurchased, but useful for future reference

[Neil5459]

i spoke to the online chat people - they checked my deets and said they wouldnt reissue an unlock code as "subscription had expired" grr

Oh Dear    Maybe your application was on an annual license arrangement then?  I'm still suing 5MCC 2004 on one of my devices and they still issue new codes!

[Webreaper]

PhoneAlarm doesn't store the settings on the storage card. If you're using v2.0, you need to go to Settings->Profiles->Right softkey->Backup/Restore and save the settings to your storage card. Although it's probably too late for you now. :|

Just to really annoy you, I actually hard-reset my device on Friday (it kept freezing... ) and it took me about 25 minutes to get it set up with all my apps, etc. The only thing I haven't done is re-install Resco (which works, but some of the features aren't enabled because I'm just running the previous install off the storage card, but didn't actually re-install it).