Orange M500 or T-mobile MDA

[Guest moonshot]

Hi

I have a c500 and I have been waiting for the M500 to arrive at my local Orange shop to see if I like it enough to change. My wife telephoned t-mobile about an upgrade, they asked if any-one else in the house hold wanted to a new phone. When she said that I was waiting for the M500 they suggested I take the MDA on a 7 day trial.

Its arrived, I thought that it would be a bit heavy at 170 grams but the one I have is only 150 grams, the same as the M500.

My question is....are they much the same? Or being newer does the orange M500 have added features. (I have not been able to find a like for like review.)

Thanks

[Guest travisb]

Can I add a word of caution. Unless you never stray out of major towns and cities, I would never consider T-Mobile as their coverage is feeble to say the least.

I have just gone from a C500 to a M2000, and the size/weight difference doesn't matter after a couple of days (unless you are into John Travolta type trousers [-X )

[Guest Xenzo1990]

I live in an extremely rural location, and I used t-mobile for ages. I never usually travelled to cities and coverage was superb.

[Guest Confused Stu]

I had a little play with a MDA Compact in a T-Mobile shop (not exactly extensive research, I know!) and I've owned an M500 for about a week now.

Most of the features I use most on the M500 - handwriting recognition, Movie watching, game playing, pocket Office, etc - are on the handset when it comes from HTC. The ones that are specific to Orange are things like Orange world, downloads, and that kind of thing. How often did you use them on the C500? Will you miss them? If you won't miss them, then anything you get from T-Mobile added to the phone is a bonus!

One thing that I don't think is set is the (very useful) GPRS traffic monitor. I think T-mobile include one too from a couple of comments people've made with the MDA, but definitely worth going to Orange if the MDA doesn't have it.

Now, I'm sure someone with more experience of both phones can come out with a better answer, but in my opinion the only thing that swung it for me was the M500's styling. :)

[Guest Pondrew]

Can I add a word of caution. Unless you never stray out of major towns and cities, I would never consider T-Mobile as their coverage is feeble to say the least.

I have just gone from a C500 to a M2000, and the size/weight difference doesn't matter after a couple of days (unless you are into John Travolta type trousers  [-X )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've been told the exact opposite. Apparenty T-Mobile have gone from being the cheap network with worst coverage to having the best coverage in the UK.

@Moonshot: with regard the MDA Compact as opposed to the SPV M500. As I understand it the hardware will be virtually identical (just different case). There will be subtle differences in the roms, possibly some operator specific bugs...

[Guest psionandy]

One thing that I don't think is set is the (very useful) GPRS traffic monitor.  I think T-mobile include one too from a couple of comments people've made with the MDA, but definitely worth going to Orange if the MDA doesn't have it.

The MDA comes with it's own GPRS monitor.. and also a copy of SPB GPRS monitor which you can install if you like (I did :) )

[Guest Confused Stu]

Cool. Cheers Psionandy! :)

Why would you need two GPRS monitor's? Which do you go with if they disagree? ;)

[Guest psionandy]

Cool.  Cheers Psionandy!  ;)

Why would you need two GPRS monitor's?  Which do you go with if they disagree?  :(

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have no idea what they were thinking... I went with SPB in the end as it can produce a full set of reports, which may come in handy if i ever have to querry the bill.

The other thing to consider when choosing, is the level of support you'll get. With Tmobile there is no handheld support at all (except a scottish bloke on the end of a phone). Not even a web page... still I suppose thats why I'm here :)

[Guest Confused Stu]

Yeah - cos Orange are always SO clued up about their phones!

I still remember last year my other half in an Orange shop when the girl asked her what phone she'd got and on which network. She said a Siemens SL55 on Orange. Assistant said she can't have as they never released it. Eventually, other half had to pull out her phone (with Orange badging, homescreen, start-up screen, etc) and shop assistant still said they'd never sold it! Eventually she said we must've bought it illegally and should sue the shop - so we asked for the manager as we'd bought it in the shop we were standing in!

Sorry to go a little off topic there, but my point is the same as Andy's. Neither network is going to be that much help (besides making sure you're phones not locked, or barred, or whatever) and so long as you've got access to MoDaCo, it really doesn't matter about the network's back-up as this site will always be ten times better than they're ever gonna manage anyway!

So, Moonshot, looks like it's a case of which is cheaper, which looks better to you, and which side the coin comes down on when you flip it! :)

[Guest moonshot]

Thanks for all the suggestions to date.

I have taken them all on board. The T-mobile contract, price wise is much better than Orange but it is 18 months (Orange is 12). T mobile reception has improved a lot in my area over the last few years, but on the other hand I have found Orange to be quite helpful with tech. advice IF you can get through to the right person, which is not always easy.

I have flipped the coin and am just waiting for it to land.

[Guest mcwarre]

I have flipped the coin and am just waiting for it to land.

So, if it lands on its edge you will go to 3? :) ;)

[Guest psionandy]

So, if it lands on its edge you will go to 3? ;) :(

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If it never comes down he should go to 3 :)

[Guest moonshot]

It has come down and it did not land on its edge....but I have not looked at it yet. :??:

[Guest mcwarre]

It has come down and it did not land on its edge....but I have not looked at it yet.  :??:

If you have not looked how do you know it is not on its edge? :)

If a tree falls in a forest and no-one is there does it make a noise? :shock:

[Guest digger]

If a tree falls in a forest and no-one is there does it make a noise?  :shock:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If a husband says somthing and his wife does not hear, is he still wrong?

[Guest psionandy]

If a Mime falls down in a forrest....

... Does anyone care????

[Guest moonshot]

Ok....so I have looked, do I go with what the coin says?....

....or is it the best of three?

ps the tree would not make a sound.

[Guest travisb]

T-Mobile admitted to me that they have poor coverage in my part of the world, and have no plans to update it in the next 18 months.

Orange, Voda, O2 - no problems

[Guest Trickyjoe]

You feel like you don't want what the coin said so choose the other. I bet it's MDA compact :)

BTW - If it did fall it woul make a sound :twisted: lol