Considering Leavig Symbian OS to Windows Mobile

[Guest ceanth]

Hi all, i joined up quite a wile ago when i was considering getting a SPV but didnt bother but now ive seen the M500 im really tempted!

Im a long time Symbian OS user but im just not liking any of the devices that are out there. Ive used the touchscreen P900 and lots of S60 devices and i really liked both but most of the new S60 devices are pretty slow and the P900 isnt the PDA im looking for.

Anyway i took a brake from Symbian and sold my phone for a cheaper option, but ive got some cash on my hip so its back to smartphones for me. So looking at phones i was considering the Nokia N70 but heard that its pretty sluggiesh so i looked into the M500 and i really like it, in fact looking at the sizing its about the same as the P900 so size isnt an issue.

The problem im having is how the windows mobile works with the intergrated phone. Does it work well? Does the device vibrate? Does it have profiles like Nokia's do? Can mp3's be used for ringtones? Any other advantages or disadvantages as a phone would be much appreciated.

Now im considering using the M500 as a MP3 player and possibly reading things as well, does the mediaplayer cut out when you get a call? Can normal headphones be used?

Camera - how good is the camera? Im not really that bothered about the camera but it would be nice to know what the quility is like? Also does the lens have a cover?

Battery life - i would imagine its going to be pretty low due to the screen?

Installing stuff - ive read about sychin the device with the PC, is this the only way to install applications/games onto the device?

Battery die = resych. I spoke to a few pocket pc users and they said that you have to do this if the battery every dies, is this the case with the M500?

Ill probably think of some more questions soon but that will do for that now

[Guest fraser]

The problem im having is how the windows mobile works with the intergrated phone. Does it work well?

Fairly well. About as good as any I've seen.

Does the device vibrate?

Depends on the model, think most do

Does it have profiles like Nokia's do?

Third party free software, see "PPC Profiles" sub forum

Can mp3's be used for ringtones?

Yes

Any other advantages or disadvantages as a phone would be much appreciated.

Size, battery, thief magnet, usual stuff. Plus points are lots of software available. There isn't much they can't do. Dunno about the M500, but I seriously recommend getting one with WiFi if you can set it up at home. Free broadband data.

Now im considering using the M500 as a MP3 player and possibly reading things as well, does the mediaplayer cut out when you get a call?

The free player MortPlayer I use does, others probably do.

Can normal headphones be used?

You can get adapters for most phones.

Camera - how good is the camera?

Perhaps a M500 owner can answer this....

IMHO all phone cameras are poor, even the fancy new ones. Poor optics.

Battery life - i would imagine its going to be pretty low due to the screen?

For solid use, yeah. For day-to-day, it's OK.

Installing stuff - ive read about sychin the device with the PC, is this the only way to install applications/games onto the device?

No. Depends on the software. 3 types I can think of: sync install (exe ran on PC), "cab" install (zip-like file installed on the phone) and manual install where you just copy the program.

Battery die = resych. I spoke to a few pocket pc users and they said that you have to do this if the battery every dies, is this the case with the M500?

If it's Windows Mobile 5, no. Any older, yes. Mine came with backup software, but I bought one that does a complete dump of the ROM to a self-installing exe on the phone, so I can go back to a nightly backup if need be. Not ideal, and you can see why Windows Mobile 5 has got it completely sorted, I'm likely going to upgrade some point, but it's a waranty voider and not recommended for the beginner.

[Guest ceanth]

see im not a big fan of the sych every night idea, i did like the M500 but i think it comes with windows mobile 2003 2nd Edition. Which devices come with Windows Mobile 5?

[Guest eyecam]

I'm currently a P910 User and have an M500 on trial so here are few points.

The problem im having is how the windows mobile works with the intergrated phone. Does it work well?

The P910 is still the better phone and with the flip shut you can text with T9 just as you would on any other phone, also you can do everything one handed with flip open or shut, which is great.

You can do a lot on the M500 one handed but sometimes ou get "stuck" and have to touch the screen, the newer devices with WM5 should work better one handed.

Does the device vibrate?

The M500 vibrates fine

Does it have profiles like Nokia's do?

PPC Profiles is great, as mentioned above but not as advanced as Magic Profiles Pro on the p910, it is free though !

Any other advantages or disadvantages as a phone would be much appreciated.

The M500 is thinner than the p910 and the battery last nowhere near as long, but it'll do you a couple of days if you don't fiddle with it too much and don't sync and browse via bluetooth.

Camera - how good is the camera?

The m500 camera is OK much better than the p910 but not as good as the wifes 7610 which is only 1Megapixel

Battery die = resych. I spoke to a few pocket pc users and they said that you have to do this if the battery every dies, is this the case with the M500?

I have backed up my calender and contacts to persistant storage on the M500, on the p910 though you can backup and image of the whole phone, so when mine got washed (don't ask) I got a new one and reimaged it back in 30 minutes.

Of course you have to remeber to sync it !

Talking of Syncing the sync on the M500 is much much faster than the p910 and the settings in Activesync are more granular than SE's sync.

I am about to relace my p910 and am considering the M500 but I think I will wait for a K-jam or M3000 (if orange ever release it in the UK) or similar probably on O2. The slide out keyboard would be great, and WIFI and WM5's better one handed operation.

Any other questions I wil try and answer

Edited October 29, 2005 by eyecam

[Guest ceanth]

thanks for the reply eyecam, with the M500 can you image the whole thing, so it backs up the applications and games you have installed? Also does it have a backup battery?

Im not sure whether to wait for the new windows mobile or get this puppy? :??:

[Guest eyecam]

thanks for the reply eyecam, with the M500 can you image the whole thing, so it backs up the applications and games you have installed? Also does it have a backup battery?

Im not sure whether to wait for the new windows mobile or get this puppy?  :??:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know whether you can image it,, i'm sure someone on here will know !

I'm waiting for WM5 a friend has the XDA Exec and its great (but huge) I think the Wizard variants seem a good compromise, just waiting to see if 02 release the XDa Mini S.

[Guest Confused Stu]

Just to add my two-pence worth on a couple of issues - while with any 2003SE edition Pocket PC you do get a completely reseted phone when your battery dies completely, the M500 has a trick up it's sleve. It has a back-p battery who's sole job is to save your data when the main battery's flat. This is quoted as keeping your data safe for 72 hours and I've got no reason to disbelieve that.

The battery lasts two days with a fair bit of use (playing games, watching films, etc.) and can last longer if you don't use it too much. Stick an SD WiFi card in it and go surfing, or watch three or four films all the way through and the battery will last you about a day.

The camera isn't as good as my wife's Samsung D500. However, the screens so much better that the pictures look better until you transfer them both to a PC and look at them. Swing, roundabout - your choice.

The phone can play WAV, 3GP, MP3, WMV and WMA straight out of the box just fine. If you add the excellent (and free) TCPMP then you can play: MP4, M4A, M4B, MPC, AVI, DIVX, MKV, MKA, OGG, OGM, ASX, WMX, WVX, WAX, ASF, AMR, M1V, M4V, RMP, AWB, MP1, MP2, MPA, MPEG, MPG, MPV as well! You can even add software t play SWF - anyone for Magical Trevor on their phones?!?

Overall, I love my M500. It's not as easy to use as a phone as my C500 was, but the larger screen, extra software and buit in Excel, Word, Powerpoint and PDF sold it for me. It's much nicer to watch films on, which I seem to do most of the time with it! ;)

[Guest ceanth]

thanks for the reply, Confused Stu you mentioned the C500, as that runs windows mobile as well does that mean it suffers from the same problem of loosing all the data if the battery runs out?

[Guest Disco Stu]

You will get problems if you let the battery run low but one of the main differences between Smartphones (C500) and Pocket PC Phone edition devices (M500) is that you can switch a Smartphone off and the battery is not being used.

A PPC PE is never really 'off' and the battery is draining away all the time. If it is possible to put these things in a drawer and forget about them for a few months then please enlighten me ! ;)

[Guest Confused Stu]

Ceanth - as Disco already said, a Smartphone (e.g. C500) will keep it's data when the battery's dead, but a PPC (e.g. an M500) won't. The backup battery on the M500 covers this up nicely, but it still happens.

Disco - there is a way to switch the phone off completely while keeping your data. Some people say "turn off the radio and then press the off button" but this simply doesn't do it. The only way is to slide the battery cover down, then up again. When the battery cover's moved, the phone thinks the battery's coming out so it switches off. So long as the battery's still in place, the phone uses this to keep the data aive without the rest of the phone actually running.

Handy to know when you've gone away for a few days without your charger but know you'll need to call for a taxi for the final leg back home at the end! ;)