This is my third article in the series from purchasing the phone to evaluating it. I have finally concluded that the phone is unusable and I’m returning it. Basically nothing on this phone works right and I am really disappointed.
I had high hopes for this phone as it looked totally cool. I’m a Windows user and I don’t care about operating systems. To me it’s whatever works. So I thought that the current Windows Mobile will be at least as good as my 3+ year old Palm 700p. Boy was I wrong!
First of all, Windows doesn’t work with the fingers and requires a stylus. But even then it’s broken. It also really needs a 4 way rocker switch to scroll through items to select. Most menus have no scroll bars so you have to flick the stylus just right to get it to scroll to the exact spot on the list you want. If you go to far you have to flick to back up and if you flick wrong you end up selecting the wrong item.
The phone itself was almost useless. It shows recent calls just above the number touch-pad and if you accidentally hit one, it dials that number instead… or if you accidentally hit the green key twice, it dials your last call and nothing about this can be configured.
When talking, the phone times out and goes dim (which is fine) but as it moves, touching my face, it lights up again because it thinks it’s been touched. So you have what seems to be a flashing light in your eyes. It has a feature where if you lay it down on a desk it will do a speaker phone but if you put it on a soft surface like a bed or couch then the speaker phone switches on and off.
When the phone rings, there are answer and ignore buttons but you can’t touch answer, you have to slide a bar to answer with your fingers and half the time it doesn’t work because it has to slide just right. So it doesn’t even work as a telephone let alone anything else.
I spend almost $200 buying software upgrades for better shells, better email, and other applications. I got the SPB shell that everyone talked about and it was great eye candy but it was also unusable, although not quite as bad as the original.
I could go on and on about what wasn’t right on this phone but the bottom line is – the phone doesn’t work, so I sent it back today. Luckily Verizon has a good return policy. I’m back to using my old Palm 700p hoping it will hold together till I find a phone that actually works. And that sucks because I was looking forward to owning this phone.
Exactly right. Did the same with a HTC touch pro (first version) just a few months ago.
Can’t argue with you. I’m holding out until there’s a phone that can completely replace my Palm, including all of the functionality and database aspects. If it can’t do that, I don’t want it.
Did you go back to the store and ask for an exchange unit? Maybe you got a lemon…
Send it back to me, I’ll take it.
Winmo can use a lot of improvement, but you havent really been fair to it either. It could be more finger friendly, but it by no means requires a stylus. The flick menus you complain about are an attempt to make it finger friendly – you cant have it both ways.
The redial and recent calls work very similarly in Palm OS.
Most of what you claim is not configurable is – either natively or through software.
Seems to me more than anything you’re suffering from Palm withdrawal. its too bad Palm almost put themselves out of business. Lets see what the future of WebOS brings.
xnexus – Just works except for the crappy unpredictable interface, and the nightmare of mail setup. Enterprise Activation is more trouble than its worth.
The trackball is the best thing about BB. I wish every phone had one.
#14 – I think you’re being a little harsh, but I do see the point.
Have you considered a Nokia E71? Not a wundertoy, but quite usable, robust, good keyboard, good sound… I’ve had one since June and the only issue I kind of have with it is that the battery only lasts 2 to 3 days.
I guess you are welcome to your opinion and all, but you lose all credibility when you say you are going back to a 700p because its better than a TP2.
I had a palm fanatic buddy like you once…
It took him several switches to WM before he loved it. He went from 700p to 755p to 800w to TP..
I couldnt pry his touch pro away from his hands now.
I must admit tho chattermail was the best however
They should pass out rolls of toilet paper for that turd.
WM = Garbage
Blackberry is about the best thing on the VZW network. If you switch to a GSM provider, an unlocked Nokia E71 would be a fantastic choice.
The AT&T branded one has a lot of missing software.
I’m running WM 6.5 on an old HTC Tytn I… works like a dream. Just wish it was faster.
“I have finally concluded that the phone is unusable and I’m returning it. Basically nothing on this phone works right and I am really disappointed.” – Marc Perkel
I rest my case.
#33 What, that you have absolutely no idea how to use a phone? Yeap, crystal clear.
Windows Mobile makes me WinCE
The only Windows CE device that ever worked properly for me: Dreamcast
I crack myself up
I’d forgotten one of Marc’s points. The phone frequently will wake itself and dial your last call just by putting the piece of garbage in its pouch. Even though the screen was turned off. But that’s “user error”.
So Pedro, do you really think it’s possible every engineer in our company got rid of their HTC Pro because they couldn’t figure out how to use the piece of garbage? Plus we all reported the same idiotic issues. Plus our dealer, myself and her IT staffer spent an hour with HTC technical support trying to iron out some of the phone’s interface issues. Not one issue was resolved and none could be changed in the phone’s settings. Which so pissed off our agent she replace all of the HTC Pros at no cost to us a week later. All with contracts less than a year old.
Has anyone here used the T-Moble MyTouch? I played with one this weekend. Looks very interesting. I’m considering it.
#36 Look, the reason you’re unable to work a device like that, it’s no reason for you to get pissy. Just so you know, the HTC pro 2 is a different animal than the Pro. None of the issues you copy and paste all around are not there.
The phone DIM function comes from the video camera that’s on front; put the phone close to your ear, the screen dims, take it off your ear and it comes back on.
Plus, you should be using a bluetooth device to begin with. After all, how does an “engineer” take notes on a call if they have both hands tied?.
On top of that, if you were an “engineer” (specially one bringing IT support to an organization), you should know that you can manipulate any system setting, even fully customize a device using a registry editor. That’s what carriers use (aside from developer tools) to customize the phones. You want me to tell you what that is? I sure you have no idea how it works.
If you think HTC will tell you how to disable only the damned stoopid, maclike start icon menu they made without disabling the whole touchflo 3d, well you’re not thinking straight. Even so, it was the first thing I made go away. Go figure. Was it magic?
Most of Marc’s problems derive, as many others have pointed out, from the fact that he’s very used to his Palm. He’s gonna have that same problem with any winmobile machine, be it a phone or otherwise. I’m sure he’ll find something that’ll fit him.
I am certainly no Apple fan boy as I have only owned 2 Apple products ever. i iPod nano and now my 3GS.
I am confused about the statements on call quality. Maybe I am lucky that Austin has good AT&T coverage. Have not traveled much since i got it so there may be some bad places. Have had zero issues with calls or data. I do use it for business daily so again I am confused. Sure i do not do Excel models, just emails, texts and calls but what more do I really need?
The only reason I moved to AT&T in the first place we years ago they were the only carrier that reached my last house.
#39 That’s what an iPhone does well with varying degrees of success. The radios on the 3g had issues that seem to have been addressed via firmware.
Yet, there are people selling signal boosters for the thing. You have to be a typical macfan braindead to pay 40 bucks for this doodah http://tinyurl.com/ya29fl6
Is the oy!phone a nice phone? Maybe, if you only want to have the crappy AT&T service & only want to play games with it. Is it pretty? sure. Is it a serious computing platform? Not a fat chance.
I always get a kick when there’s someone with an oy!phone doing something in the thing. Just call them while they’re doing anything and hear them curse. I do it over and over to turn it into real aggravation.