A few questions before upgrading

[Guest Ged_UK]

I'm due to upgrade from my Vario 2 (as it's starting to fail, keyboard sticking, some bad scratches etc). I'm really taken with the Diamond. I use my phone mainly as a personal organiser that plays music. I text a fair bit too, though not excessively. I don't make an enormous number of phone calls, days can pass without phoning.

I have some questions that I'd appreciate some answers too, especially considering this phone and various ROMs have been out for a while now and hopefully things are a little clearer now.

1. I listen to a lot of music via my phone. Currently I use Bluetooth stereo headphones. I presume that these will work perfectly well on Diamond?

2. I need to sync my phone with my computer at home. I have a mac, and use The Missing Sync as an Activesync mac equivalent. I presume that this should work fine with the Diamond too? I'd need to sync Calendar, Tasks and Contacts. Anything else is a bonus! I do have access to a Vista laptop too, so if mac syncing isn't possible, it's not a disaster, just annoying!

3. How does the coverart type system work with iTunes syncing? Anyone experienced this? Again, it's not critical to have album art on the main screen, but it would be nice! For those that don't know, iTunes doesn't store the album cover with the music (for reasons i don't understand), but in a separate folder that I haven't been able to fathom.

4. I've not had a GPS phone before. I don't imagine that I'd need to use it very often, but it's a useful thing to have. From what I've read, Googlemaps can use this functionality, is that correct?

EDIT: I ought to mention that I'm on T-Mobile flexsomethingorother, and would be getting the phone via T-Mobile

Thanks in advance!

Edited September 12, 2008 by Ged_UK

[Guest SSR]

1. I listen to a lot of music via my phone. Currently I use Bluetooth stereo headphones. I presume that these will work perfectly well on Diamond?

I've used them also, and had no issue.

2. I need to sync my phone with my computer at home. I have a mac, and use The Missing Sync as an Activesync mac equivalent. I presume that this should work fine with the Diamond too? I'd need to sync Calendar, Tasks and Contacts. Anything else is a bonus! I do have access to a Vista laptop too, so if mac syncing isn't possible, it's not a disaster, just annoying!

Not tried Missing Sync, but ActiveSync certainly works.

3. How does the coverart type system work with iTunes syncing? Anyone experienced this? Again, it's not critical to have album art on the main screen, but it would be nice! For those that don't know, iTunes doesn't store the album cover with the music (for reasons i don't understand), but in a separate folder that I haven't been able to fathom.

Based on other posts, you either need the cover art embedded in the track, or within the folder the file resides in.

4. I've not had a GPS phone before. I don't imagine that I'd need to use it very often, but it's a useful thing to have. From what I've read, Googlemaps can use this functionality, is that correct?

Correct.

[Guest FatBloke23]

4. I've not had a GPS phone before. I don't imagine that I'd need to use it very often, but it's a useful thing to have. From what I've read, Googlemaps can use this functionality, is that correct?

That's what I thought when I got my Artemis (MDA Compact III), a loooong time ago :wacko:

Didn't care about the GPS aspect (I'm a man, I can map-read!), but they threw in CoPilot for free and I've never looked back.

However, it opens up so many possibilities, especially now that Google Maps can use GPS -- much handier than the full SatNav in many cases, esp. when you're walking.

Meeting some mates in a pub, and they txt you to say they've decided to go somewhere else that you don't know? A minute on Google, and you'll find it. Going to stay with a friend in a city you don't know? I used to spend half of Friday afternoon printing off maps! Halfway up a mountain and want to know how much farther to the top? Yep, it'll help with that too ;)

Best use so far was finding then directing my entire hockey team from an away pitch to the clubhouse of our opponents, in deepest darkest Cheshire -- without GPS and web access, we'd have been left very hungry and very thirsty!

[Guest Ged_UK]

Thanks for that! I can happily map read too, but it requires having the map with me! I'd use it when I was walking about too. I don't drive often, and if i do, i've got a TomTom I can use, so that's fine.

Looks like this is definitely the phone for me!

[Guest Neil5459]

3. How does the coverart type system work with iTunes syncing? Anyone experienced this? Again, it's not critical to have album art on the main screen, but it would be nice! For those that don't know, iTunes doesn't store the album cover with the music (for reasons i don't understand), but in a separate folder that I haven't been able to fathom.

Depending on which music player you used before, you may find the version with the Diamond (at least the bit on the TF3D screen) limiting. It's a nightmare to select individual tracks and playlist management is poor.

As SSR says, the coverart needs to be in the Album folder it relates to (standard practice for Windows Media Player and Media Player on mobile devices.)

For serious music listening and ease of use, I'd recommend Pocket Tunes or Pocket Music ;)

With GPS- for occasional use, and as long as you have a decent data bundle, GoogleMaps is very good. Does depend on having a phone signal though, so not a lot of good in the wilds when out of phone mast range!

[Guest vii_voo]

I'm due to upgrade from my Vario 2 (as it's starting to fail, keyboard sticking, some bad scratches etc). I'm really taken with the Diamond. I use my phone mainly as a personal organiser that plays music. I text a fair bit too, though not excessively. I don't make an enormous number of phone calls, days can pass without phoning.

I have some questions that I'd appreciate some answers too, especially considering this phone and various ROMs have been out for a while now and hopefully things are a little clearer now.

1. I listen to a lot of music via my phone. Currently I use Bluetooth stereo headphones. I presume that these will work perfectly well on Diamond?

2. I need to sync my phone with my computer at home. I have a mac, and use The Missing Sync as an Activesync mac equivalent. I presume that this should work fine with the Diamond too? I'd need to sync Calendar, Tasks and Contacts. Anything else is a bonus! I do have access to a Vista laptop too, so if mac syncing isn't possible, it's not a disaster, just annoying!

3. How does the coverart type system work with iTunes syncing? Anyone experienced this? Again, it's not critical to have album art on the main screen, but it would be nice! For those that don't know, iTunes doesn't store the album cover with the music (for reasons i don't understand), but in a separate folder that I haven't been able to fathom.

4. I've not had a GPS phone before. I don't imagine that I'd need to use it very often, but it's a useful thing to have. From what I've read, Googlemaps can use this functionality, is that correct?

EDIT: I ought to mention that I'm on T-Mobile flexsomethingorother, and would be getting the phone via T-Mobile

Thanks in advance!

Why don't you wait for Vario 4 before deciding?

[Guest Ged_UK]

Depending on which music player you used before, you may find the version with the Diamond (at least the bit on the TF3D screen) limiting. It's a nightmare to select individual tracks and playlist management is poor.

As SSR says, the coverart needs to be in the Album folder it relates to (standard practice for Windows Media Player and Media Player on mobile devices.)

For serious music listening and ease of use, I'd recommend Pocket Tunes or Pocket Music ;)

With GPS- for occasional use, and as long as you have a decent data bundle, GoogleMaps is very good. Does depend on having a phone signal though, so not a lot of good in the wilds when out of phone mast range!

Well, I started off using WMP mobile, but then it stopped recognising tracks, so I switched to Mortplayer. I only listen to music an album at a time, I'm old fashioned like that.

[Guest Ged_UK]

I'm thinking about waiting for the Vario 4, but I'm not sure how long i can cope with the dodgy keyboard that my Vario 2 has developed