Bye bye :-(

[vincenzosi]

Well, I just couldn't take it anymore.

My MPX 220 proved to be more buggy than I was willing to tolerate.

1. Multiple incoming calls (one on the phone, one on call waiting) locked it up (that's ultimately annoying).
2. It would click (as if it were about to start ringing) and then not ring and show a missed call.
3. I couldn't reply to my wife who has Verizon when she SMS'ed me.
4. Phone performance, even though I was checking out Resource Manager often would still get sluggish and require a reboot.
5. And so on and so forth...

So I parted with my MPX 220 today. I'm back to using my T610 and 2215 for my mobile data needs.

It was fun hanging with you guys; maybe one day I'll drop back in!

[Kris Kumar]

I'm back to using my T610 and 2215 for my mobile data needs.

We lost another one to the SE/PPC camp! :lol:

MPx220 is not the perfect Smartphone out of all the Smartphones. And Microsoft Smartphones are still in the evolutionary phase. So hoping to have you back soon...real soon! ;-)

[Jerry Raia]

What's all this talk of the MPx220 not working right?? :lol:

[skibee]

Before you can your MPx220 i would recommend the following:

-making sure that your phone is upgraded w/ the most recent version of firmware. this might solve the locking up problems.

-as far as not being able to respond to your wife's SMS's -- this might be a problem w/ your service provider, have you tried contacting them?

- in response to the device being sluggish, just like w/ a laptop or any gadget running multiple programs, you should make sure that you're shutting down programs that are running in the background. This is a common issue w/ PDA/mobile phones.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience, i hope that this helps.

[vincenzosi]

1. I do have the latest firmware, luckily enough.

2. The SMS issue is a known bug with WM devices on TM not responding to the right service center. C'est la vie, I guess. They'll probably never fix that one because they'll argue back and forth between each other about who's responsible.

3. The sluggishness isn't such a big deal, really.

Actually none of the three things by themselves are a big deal, but combined they really just ruin the experience as a whole. Maybe one day TM will come out with a WM SP device and all will be right with the world because I can actually call my account rep (lucky enough to work for a certain company that shan't be named here) and they can help me get it fixed.

A friend of mine who has the exact same phone and got it at the same time just canned his also for exactly the same reasons. Nice phone but a bit buggy for my tastes...

[Sven Johannsen]

What's all this talk of the MPx220 not working right?? :lol:

I'm back to my Dell X50v and T-610 myself in lieu of my MPX220. My two issues are BT related. It does not work with the handsfree setup in my car. Doesn't even work right using the headset profile with the car. The T-610 has been flawless. Cannot get it to act as a BT modem (GPRS) for my PPC. T-Mobile BTW. It just never seems to even try to dial. The phone by itself seems to do all the internet stuff fine, so it's parameters seem to be set up correctly. So why do I need to pass my PPC through it? 640x480 :)

Other than those two items, which are really important to me, the MPX220 has been working fine. No stability problems to speak of. BT sync and file transfer woorks OK. Shame really.

[vincenzosi]

OH yeah. I forgot to mention the crippled Bluetooth profiles...

[skibee]

1. I do have the latest firmware, luckily enough.

2. The SMS issue is a known bug with WM devices on TM not responding to the right service center. C'est la vie, I guess. They'll probably never fix that one because they'll argue back and forth between each other about who's responsible.

3. The sluggishness isn't such a big deal, really.

Actually none of the three things by themselves are a big deal, but combined they really just ruin the experience as a whole. Maybe one day TM will come out with a WM SP device and all will be right with the world because I can actually call my account rep (lucky enough to work for a certain company that shan't be named here) and they can help me get it fixed.

A friend of mine who has the exact same phone and got it at the same time just canned his also for exactly the same reasons. Nice phone but a bit buggy for my tastes...

Hmm...well, i still think that people would better be served w/ the MPx just by making sure they manage their active programs a little better. shut down those you're not using.

[vincenzosi]

You need to re-read my original post, particularly #4.

I'm an anal retentive nut when it comes to programs running in the background.

[keirmeister]

I sold my T610/2215 combo after I got an SP3i. I love everything about it except for the bloody joystick problem. But the T610/2215 combo worked quite well.

I'm waiting to update my phone to a WM2005 QVGA model whenever they show up in the US. When this happens, it'll (hopefully) be like I never left the T610/2215.

- Keirmeister

[Islanti]

I sold my T610/2215 combo after I got an SP3i. I love everything about it except for the bloody joystick problem. But the T610/2215 combo worked quite well.

I'm waiting to update my phone to a WM2005 QVGA model whenever they show up in the US. When this happens, it'll (hopefully) be like I never left the T610/2215.

- Keirmeister

I got rid of my T610 for the i-mate SP3 (NOT the "i", due to the joystick issues). I've experienced a few Bluetooth issues, but managed to figure them out by reading the articles and forums here. Now my iPAQ hx4700 dials out via my SP3 fine.

I have run into the SP3 locking up on an incoming call occasionally. I've taken to running Sprite Backup every night, which closes all the running apps. This seems to help, for whatever reason. I think the "sudden missed call" is a related issue to this, possibly due to custom WMA/MP3 ringtones.

[dollardr]

Hello,

For whatever its worth here are some thoughts about our experience evaluating converged devices. We looked at MS Smartphones, Treos and now Blackberrys.

The Blackberrys have proven to be the most reliable and trouble free device for our end users. Prior to the 7100 series, the big drawback was the form factor. The 7100g from Cingular now offers an alternative. Its true, Blackberrys don't have the bells and whistles of other devices but they also don't have the related problems. Executives want a device that works and the folks at RIM seem to know what they are doing. Business users don't seem to care about ringtones, custom home screens, animated screen savers, and the "features" of various smartphone devices. They want their calendar, address book, e-mail, and a simple interface with a reliable phone. The RIM interface may be boring for people like ourselves, but it works for the average person.

As an IT professional, there is no comparison between the TCO of other devices compared to Blackberrys. We rarely hear from our BB users but the Treo and MS users seem to have chronic problems. Its been an interesting case study to say the least. Our assessment indicates some devices just have too many features which makes them too complicated for the average person. The advanced design and functionality make them more prone to problems. True, I can't listen to MP3's on my BB like I could on the i600 but its no great loss - I can now stay in touch because my battery lasts much longer.

I recently started using a BB 7100g after using a Samsung i600 for two years - the differences with reliability are amazing. I don't have to "reboot" my phone anymore. The bluetooth worked with my car bluetooth system out of the box. The one-handed operation and the ability to easily type messages on a light device gives me everything I need. I am not sure why but the term "crackberry" is true and BB devices are addictive (for better or worse). Socially, it seems to be similar to the iPOD craze.

This is not intended to be a slam against any device or platform but rather a realistic view of our evaluation. I hope all devices only get better but I think manufacturers and OEM's need a reality check as to what people will use and accept. While you and I can adapt to technology and live with problems and bugs, the average person has a different perspective.

I would welcome your thoughts and feedback. I find the evolution of wirelesss technology fascinating as it relates to our acceptance and use of all these devices.

Thanks.

[Kris Kumar]

Executives want a device that works and the folks at RIM seem to know what they are doing. Business users don't seem to care about ringtones, custom home screens, animated screen savers, and the "features" of various smartphone devices. They want their calendar, address book, e-mail, and a simple interface with a reliable phone. The RIM interface may be boring for people like ourselves, but it works for the average person.

I have to say I agree with you. That has been the strength or the reason of success for BlackBerry. It does not try to be a "Jack of all trades"!

But on the other hand, where I feel RIM is not getting the point is that, these people who love to work hard, play hard too. Which means at some point the users will realize that they don't want to carry their MP3 player, and cell phone. Or want cool games or occassionally watch movies on the cell phone itself. When that happens RIM will be in trouble.

Meanwhile Microsoft must pay serious attention to the quality of OS. Unlike the PCs, people are not used to cell phones crashing or hanging. ;-)

[dollardr]

Kris,

I agree. I don't really want to carry more than one device and I loved the idea of playing music on my i600 when travelling. I even downloaded Space Invaders to my blackberry (love the old school games) as I too need my downtime.

I think what happens though is reliability is comprised when these devices do too much, at least for now anyway. Your average person won't put up with it when it affects their phone. You should have seen the looks I got when I had to tell folks to reboot their phone :oops: In a similar analogy, those all-in-one fax, scanner printer devices seem to have more problems than a good old HP laser printer. At some point the technology will improve enough to handle more functionality on a single device but for now I don't think some devices are ready for prime-time for business users. Besides the problems, they also seem to be just too complicated.

I recently read an article on how baby boomers over 40 have more difficulty adapting to new devices (i.e. smartphones, ipods, digital cameras etc..). I am over 40 but am more tolerant to problems in my quest to explore new technology. I am also more willing to spend time learning how something works. However, as a busy executive with days full of meetings and 100's of e-mails and the need for a reliable cell phone, even I lose my patience when it comes to buggy devices as it reduces my productivity rather than increasing it.

I have started to become more interested in the way devices are adopted and what people want or accept - seems like it could be an interesting area to study and is fascinating to me. I've learned alot during our evaluation of smartphones.

[Kris Kumar]

...even I lose my patience when it comes to buggy devices as it reduces my productivity rather than increasing it.

Same here. I am always in a rush (though I don't know why :?) and expect the Smartphone and Pocket PC to do miracles for me. But once in a while they always frustrate/anger me by not responding to my wishes. :evil:

But life goes on...I hope Smartphone OS, applications and peripherals become more stable in the future. Note that I included the apps and peripherals. ;-)