C500.. overhyped?

[Guest Confucious]

This is my first HTC - I like it and am quite happy with the joystick. I find your attitude very strange you have not sugested anythinbg better (if you want a joystick get the SP3i) and complain that Orange are resticting choice - whta a strange argument - how so?

It is far more than just a phone - it might be an "average" phone but iot also replaces my pocket PC in a small, user friendly form factor.

[Guest bronksy]

well i don't want to pay for an offline handset. I'm with Orange. If I want a smartphone what choices do I have?

I pay a mobile operator huge bills for calls and line rental, that covers the cost of my handset over the year. I want insurance and I want the services offered my Orange rather than an expensive SIM free phone that is not covered insurance wise.

There is the C500 or the E200. The E200 is now outdated and no reason to get that over the C500, so the C500 is the only choice. Therefore our choices are limited. Well.. .we dont have any.

If you want a smartphone on contract.. there is no choice. At the moment O2 don't have one, not until the MPX220 comes out, neither do the other operators. I dont believe 2/300 quid is a justifiable price for a SIM free handset.

The choice is limited because Orange want to shift the C500, they have corporate deals with HTC which make it mutally beneficial for them to do this in a business sense. No I don't know it, it's just common sense that they would do this.

Still not convinced it's as good as you all think it is.

[Guest Confucious]

They have the C500 because it is the ONLY phone acailable that does what it does. What other phone do you think they should have? The only thing that comes close IMHO is the P910 which you can get just not with Orange - no one is forcing you to use orange, you do jhave a choice. The market in Smartphones is probably not big enough for them to justify more than one even if there was something else to offer. What do yoyu sugest? That they design another phone just so you can have a choice? They have given you the choice of the C500, any of their other phones or, if you don't like their offerings use another provider. What do you expect them to do?

[Guest sparkisgti]

what more choice do you need?? its a top phone :)

shouldnt you be having a dig at o2 and vodaphone for not offering the C500 or even the SP3/3i? Orange might offer more for your money if their was some competition.

and if i had to choose between the current nokia offerings and the c500 i know which one i rather have.. the one with native support for windows, but then im a die hard windows fan as well

[Guest Confucious]

sparkisgti - you have obviously believed all the hype about Windows. You know you should really be using DR-DOS :)

[Guest sparkisgti]

sparkisgti - you have obviously believed all the hype about Windows. You know you should really be using DR-DOS :(

no i wanna use gem desktop and cpm dos :)

id use unix if it could give me something i cant already do in windows (pls dont start a unix is better than windows :roll: )

[Guest scott2eyes]

Hot to mention the silly joystick. Why design it like that.

I think it's a perfectly good design for a 4-way joystick... Especially considering how few applications (apart from games) actually use it as a joystick (as opposed to a roller.) I prefer to have a 4 way joystick/controller that works properly to an 8-way that doesn't (see the MPx200...)

The choice is limited because Orange want to shift the C500, they have corporate deals with HTC which make it mutally beneficial for them to do this in a business sense. No I don't know it, it's just common sense that they would do this.

Sure- that makes sense. A reasonable assumption...

But why is there no other choices coming from the other manufacturers, or competing networks? (In or out of the UK...)

I think it's just a glass half empty/half full thing. You don't think that the C500 is as good as a free smartphone could be- I don't think that there's any competition that comes close; either you go for a free non-MS phone with less features (unless there's something with email, web access, expandable memory and MP3 player that I haven't noticed) or you pay an extra £100 or so for a PDA or something similar with the features. (And personally, I've gone for 9 years without paying for a mobile phone, and don't see any reason to start!)

[Guest Disco Stu]

The SPV range has always been designed as a business phone, so the needs of gamers haven't been a priority.

[Guest bronksy]

Is it a non priority or is it just an oversight?

[Guest Confucious]

It is a 4 way joystick, the majority of use is for menu selection and is up and down so a rocker makes perfect sence. I have no problem with it. If playing games is your major objective then get a gameboy. I do play some games on my phone but it is not it's primary purpose.

It doesn't make very good coffee either which is why I have a coffee maker.

[Guest bronksy]

...and you have a phone for making phone calls..

and for this, it's a very average phone.

Does your coffee make very average coffee?

[Guest Confucious]

It makes very good phone calls - I have no complaints with the reception or quality of the calls - why do you say it is "average" for making calls?

It also does lots of other things very well.

My coffee maker makes very good coffee.

[Guest bronksy]

why do you say it is "average" for making calls?

well it takes an age to re lock onto a signal from not having coverage. I've had lots of times when I try and hang up and it won't let me, and need to pull off the battery.

Don't tell me.. 'thats just Microsoft for you'

Make mine a Mocha please :)

[Guest Confucious]

I've never had a problem making calls or hanging up (I've certainly never had to pull the battery) and it doesn't seem to take long to re-establish a signal so I have no complaints. Are you sure you're talking about the same phone? A C500 on orange with the latest firmware? Maybe you've got it confused with a N*kia :(

It's a coffee pod machine so just makes straight forward, decent coffee i'm afraid - I have mine black topped with squirty cream - delicious :)

[Guest bronksy]

well all your opinions are most valid.

I'm especially impressed with the coffee. Personally I prefer getting someone else to make it, like Pret or someone. I like the way that they over charge me for a basic service.

I like the fact I've started a thread that goes to 3 pages, although I think it's easier to get stars working in McDonalds than on these forums!

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

I am just curious why you did not just make a post screaming

"I HATE THE C500 and anyone who dissagrees with me is wrong and blind" ?

As that is the only impression you are making.

I like the fact I've started a thread that goes to 3 pages, although I think it's easier to get stars working in McDonalds than on these forums!

Stars (if you are refering to the ones under your name) are linked to number of posts you make not how many people reply. And people posting for that sake of it just to try and get more stars can lose them as well :)

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

Please grow up and stop patronising us.

You say you were a journalist.... :roll:  :(

So does another certain web site owner who visits IRC but that does not stop him either :)

[Guest beersoft]

bronkey

when are you going to bring up the other things that smartphones cant do but your s60 phones can? because you sound like a nokiafanboybitch to me

3 pages of you going "this is rubish" and us explaining the facts and then you going "yea but no but yea but." and dismising the opinions of everyone because there not the same as yours.

which rag^wmagazine do you 'journalist' for? as im interested in your 'balanced views' and 'considered and thoughtout opinion' you have for the wonderful world we live in.

later

Owen

"hunting trolls for fun and the smell of blood"

[Guest Disco Stu]

Is it a non priority or is it just an oversight?

I understood that Orange didn't think a joystick was necessary for the reasons Confucious has stated. It doesn't have a function for email / internet use.

The call quality on mine is sparkling and as a train passenger I can say it reconnects to a signal very quickly.

You'll find there is already plenty of debate on this (and similar) forum(s) regarding the pros & cons of the C500. The vast majority of those contributing seem to love it.

[Guest Disco Stu]

So does another certain web site owner who visits IRC but that does not stop him either :)

:wink: :(

[Guest akarno]

I sort of get bronksy's point although I do not agree with the main premise that the phone is over hyped. What hype has it got. You could argue the iPod is overhyped but not the C500. There is hardly any mention of it in the press.

I agree some of the phone functions are fairly average, but that's not what it is all about. Personally I only occasionally use it as a phone and mainly use it as a media player, games machine and web browser. It does non of them brilliantly but it does do them all and fits neatly in my pocket.

The design could be better and future smartphones will be. But for now it is the best one and the only small device and does all these functions adequately.

[Guest CB-Dave]

the only reason the c500 crashes is due to third party software - if you leave it as orange intended, ie app locked and so on - it will be fine.

it gives you enough warnings about unsigned software when you install it to the phone, you choose to ignore them and accept the consequences - pointless saying "the c500 crashes, it's a phone - it should not crash" when it's not *just* a phone... a 3210 is *just* a phone but even when I had one of those it occasionally spazzed and locked up solid - my old Ericsson T68 used to, and the T610 was famed for occasionally dying completely.

[Guest CB-Dave]

oh and the poll is a bit closed questioned isn't it - either agree with your original point or sound patronising and condecending...

a third option such as "I like my c500, does everything I need it to do" would give a lot more scope for a less 'biased' thread.

[Guest beersoft]

i know whats overhyped ipods/bingedrinking/christmas/the latest thing the designmonkeys at the big N have released/germs*

(delete as applicable)

now if you want to moan about the smartphone comunity 'bigging up' the new products, or maybe a phone network advertising one of its major releases i would recomend getting back under your rock because its a big scary world out there, and not everyone is all smiles and hugs

later

Owen

[Guest bronksy]

Well then ladies.. apologies for upsetting you all, just wanted to get a bit of banter going.

Judging by the reactions, it would look like everyone else is sponsored by HTC/Orange...

I used to be a journo, I'm not now. I'm am not a Nokia whatever, haven't had a Nokia for about 4 years now, nothing wrong with them, just went to SE mainly for shallow reasons like design. I like SE's branding. Shallow yes I know, and yes the P9xx is nice but bulky and not that good with syncing.. however I'm a Sony boy.

I'm not trying to pump up my posts. I have also not said that the phone is rubbish. I was simply airing my opinions that there seem to be lots of hype about this handset that i'm not sure it's all worth it.

I forgot to mention the headphones it comes with, please nobody tell me that they think they are in any way decent for actually doing somethng as basic as actually staying in your ears.

Doesn't it trouble you all that people have gone to absurd lengths to make their own headphones by soldering a pair of sony buds to teh SPV wires. Surely, if this phone is SUCH a premium product we shouldn't be entertaining the thought of bastardising a pair of headphones so we can have average sound.

At the end of the day it's a bloody phone, and it should be designed to be just that. Perhaps my cynicism isn't really appreciated.

Perhaps I'm too shallow. I think the design stinks, yes nice screen, yes ok it looks different in black, whatever.. the joystick is a pain in the arse and the suggestive.. 'type whatever it feels like you may want to say predictive text' is sometimes irritating.

I am not trying to re-invent the wheel.. I started my making an observation that I thought that the phone was over rated. I still think that as early adopters we get a kack hand of the stick when it comes to technology. We DO suffer, and it costs us to suffer, we spend HUGE amounts of cash on new kit and it should perform its duties well, out of the box without having an upgrade within weeks.

Companies push out the products because they know we will lap them up. By the time they iron out the bugs, the model has been superseded. I still think this is nonsense. Sure I'll buy your car, but I won't drive it properly until I get all 4 wheels.

I just think we should be more aware that we may be being played more than we like to think.

Don't be defensive, and i'm not trying to patronize, I just think sometimes things are not as good as we think they are, nor does their perceived value relate to their actual value.

Take the ipod for example.......