What cool things have you done with your XDA?

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://www.pocketpcpassion.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18522">http://www.pocketpcpassion.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18522</a><br /><br />There's this great thread over at Pocket PC Passion where people are talking about the cool things they've done with their XDA or Phone Edition devices, and I wanted to start up the same thing here. What sorts of things has a connected Pocket PC enabled you to do that you weren't able to before? Got any great Phone Edition device stories? Share them...<br /><br /><b>UPDATE: </b>Anyone with a connected Pocket PC, of any type, and a great story is welcome to jump in and share!

[Jerome Carney]

Just a couple of days after purchasing my T-Mobile, I found myself at an association mixer, and spied a key contact across the room... a key contact who's name I totally blanked on. :oops: I yanked out my PDA and checked my Outlook contact list, but, arrrgggghhh... she wasn't there.

I braced myself for upcoming moment of awkwardness, preparing to stammer through the "How are you's" by means of strategic coughing everytime I needed to refer to this woman directly by name... but then suddendly, the light bulb of realization finally came crashing down on my head. I yanked my PDA out once again, opened up Explorer, cruised over to the association website and found the woman listed in the online directory.

I believe that was the first time I actually kissed and nuzzled my l'il T-Mobile in public... onlookers be damned. :wink:

[Jason Lee]

That's too good, should be a commercial... :wink:

[squeeze]

I love my PPCPE.

I use the wireless for a bunch of things.

1) Check PocketPcThoughts.com for latest and greatest while in transit!
2) Chat (MSN and AOL) with co-workers and other while on the train to/from work.
3) Use the phone.
4) Reboot the phone
5) Check pop mail for latest and greatest
6) Keep myself busy while wife shops...good thing a lot of these women's stores are now providing comfortable seating areas.
7) Check movie times
Eight) Check bank account
9) Keep trying Yahoo Messenger and hope it starts working one of these days
10) Send RiteMail (www.ritemail.net) in my own writing
11) Stream RealOne NPR broadcasts and monitor my kb usage.
12) Try to see if I can exceed the max 39Kbps speed that I have experieced thus far
13) Check PocketPcThoughts.com again
14) Check my frequent flyer miles on United.com

the list goes on and on...interestingly enough, I also carry an iPaq 3955 as my "power" machine. No PIM data on it - just games, videos, music, photoalbum, etc.

I just love these things. I just got my 3955 after swapping out from a Sony Clie NR70V (not a bad machine). I keep the T in the pocket and the 3955 in the Tumi computer bag...

[brianchris]

I honestly don't mean to rain on anyone's parade, as the XDA/PPC Phone Edition are awsome technologies.

BUT, most of what everyone on this board AND the PPCpassion board is doing with their XDA's can be done with a bluetooth enabled PDA and Bluetooth GPRS cell phone.....I've done a lot of it, and I use a 3835 with a Socket CF Bluetooth card (integrated antenna I might add) in an SS2 sleeve with a T68m.

Indeed, the only thing I can't do with my setup described above that can be done an a XDA/PPC Phone Edition are the ringtones......really cool stories (especially the starfleet comand one :wink: )!! Enough to make me switch gear though? No, cause eveything else I can do already, AND I'm more modular (PC card sleeve, CF card sleeve, sleeves with extra batteries, leave the ipaq at home if I don't need it, leave the phone at home if I don't need it, etc. etc. etc.). A lot more questions when you're connecting the to internet from your PDA with no protruding antennas!

Can't stress enough though: if I was just starting out in the PPC world, it would be hard to beat $299 at Amazon for a color PocketPC 2002 AND a GSM/GPRS phone. Those ringtones are awesome 8)

-Brian

[pt]

I honestly don't mean to rain on anyone's parade, as the XDA/PPC Phone Edition are awsome technologies. BUT, most of what everyone on this board AND the PPCpassion board is doing with their XDA's can be done with a bluetooth enabled PDA and Bluetooth GPRS cell phone.....I've done a lot of it, and I use a 3835 with a Socket CF Bluetooth card (integrated antenna I might add) in an SS2 sleeve with a T68m.

i love when people say "i don't want to xyz, but i'm going xyz now" hehe...anyway. yah, i had the same set up t68i and ipaq. the deal is you need to carry 2 things, charge 2 things, etc...since i've gone to one unit i don't think i could ever go back for quite a long time. bluetooth is neat, and i love it. but after 6 months of using bt headsets, not always connecting to the ipaq, the one unit solution is great (for me).

so i'll post my fun stories soon, i have a bunch.

cheers,
pt

[brianchris]

I honestly don't mean to rain on anyone's parade, as the XDA/PPC Phone Edition are awesome technologies. BUT, most of what everyone on this board AND the PPCpassion board is doing with their XDA's can be done with a bluetooth enabled PDA and Bluetooth GPRS cell phone.....I've done a lot of it, and I use a 3835 with a Socket CF Bluetooth card (integrated antenna I might add) in an SS2 sleeve with a T68m.

I love when people say "i don't want to xyz, but i'm going xyz now" hehe...anyway. yah, i had the same set up t68i and ipaq. the deal is you need to carry 2 things, charge 2 things, etc...since i've gone to one unit i don't think i could ever go back for quite a long time. bluetooth is neat, and i love it. but after 6 months of using bt headsets, not always connecting to the ipaq, the one unit solution is great (for me).

so i'll post my fun stories soon, i have a bunch.

cheers,
pt

I love it when people use the word "love" sarcastically :wink:

I *know* pt, you got the jist of my point, but for others that might not of, I was making a valid point (that I could do almost everything the same as an XDA) WITHOUT the *intent* to take away from the XDA's well deserved glory. Indeed, I praised the XDA as much as I explained most of the wireless feats (being described as unique to the XDA in threads) could be done in other form factors.

About the two device argument, of course there is great benefit in one device, but there is also benefit in two devices. Are you married? If so, have you had to explain to your wife why you two can't take your phone to the store because of the 12 hour battery life and you forgot to charge it, or worse, it hard reset and it'll take you two hours of work just to get the thing working again? Screen goes out on one, you are out both your mobile and PPC while its getting serviced. These are just examples, but there are other benefits of dedicated devices. And I must repeat from my original post:

If I didn't already own a pocketpc and phone, and I was just starting out in the PPC world, it would be hard to beat a $299 XDA.

-Brian

[Paragon]

brianchris

I really think you should try using an XDA. Battery life is not a problem. Do you forget to sleep each night? Simply drop the XDA in the cradle each night...no biggie. There is a real cool factor, and satisfaction of being able to use a single device. No fiddling with Bluetooth connections. No cables. No talking into one and trying to use the other with your third hand :wink: It is very cool to put someone on speakerphone, and take a note fom them at the same time. Or, to be standing in line somewhere surfing the net, and you get a call. ALL this with one single device.

It is all far too cool!

Dave

[Big Honkin' Deal]

As soon as they have a model with Bluetooth (for headphone set) and more Ram, I will buy one as well....

After using it for almost a year I do not want to use a phone without a Bluetooth headset anymore.

I can use the phone and take notes at the same time too:-) As a matter of fact, I don't even touch my T68 most of the time.

Frank

brianchris

I really think you should try using an XDA. Battery life is not a problem. Do you forget to sleep each night? Simply drop the XDA in the cradle each night...no biggie. There is a real cool factor, and satisfaction of being able to use a single device. No fiddling with Bluetooth connections. No cables. No talking into one and trying to use the other with your third hand :wink: It is very cool to put someone on speakerphone, and take a note fom them at the same time. Or, to be standing in line somewhere surfing the net, and you get a call. ALL this with one single device.

It is all far too cool!

Dave

[brianchris]

As soon as they have a model with Bluetooth (for headphone set) and more Ram, I will buy one as well....

After using it for almost a year I do not want to use a phone without a Bluetooth headset anymore.

I can use the phone and take notes at the same time too:-) As a matter of fact, I don't even touch my T68 most of the time.

Frank



Agreed. A mobile phone without Bluetooth is just not quite a phone in my book. In the XDA, there is that SD slot, but a) I don't know if its SD-I/O capable, and b) even if it was, you couldn't use memory while your protruding SD bluetooth card was in the slot.

Also, as Frank said and I didn't make this very clear in my earlier posts, I rarely touch my T68 when using it for data on the iPaq.....that's the whole point of Bluetooth.

HOWEVER, this thread is going off course from the subject I originally posted about. Inadvertantly, I've started a (not uncommon) discussion on which is better, one device or two. The original topic of this thread was "Got any great Phone Edition device stories?" and I just pointed out 98% of those same stories are being done everyday on Bluetooth phone / PDA combos as well.....nothing unique to the XDA. Only two things so far unique to the XDA: 1) Ringtones (still way cool) and 2) integrated device, but the fact the device is integrated was not the subject of this thread. Sorry I've had a hand in derailing it :oops:

-Brian

[pt]

I love it when people use the word "love" sarcastically :wink:

no i actually do love it, i do it all the time too. i catch myself, or try to. the worst is when someone says "not to beleaguer the point...but xyz" and then they proceed to beleaguer the point. ut oh, i think i'm doing that here, rats. :rainbow1:


Are you married? If so, have you had to explain to your wife why you two can't take your phone to the store because of the 12 hour battery life and you forgot to charge it, or worse, it hard reset and it'll take you two hours of work just to get the thing working again? Screen goes out on one, you are out both your mobile and PPC while its getting serviced.

i'm about to get married, and i'll never ever need to explain any of those things as odd or unlikely as that sounds.


These are just examples, but there are other benefits of dedicated devices. And I must repeat from my original post: If I didn't already own a pocketpc and phone, and I was just starting out in the PPC world, it would be hard to beat a $299 XDA.

oh yah-- i'm with you. but here's the rub, this thread was about people sharing their stories, and then ya see a post "i honestly don't mean to rain on anyone's parade.." resist the rain, let the parade go on by for a bit then sprinkle perhaps. but you're right-- if you're just getting in to the ppc world a $299 pocket pc phone is amazing. rain on.

cheers,
pt

[Paragon]

Big Honkin' Deal

I think you are right about the Bluetooth headsets. Myself I don't like them, and I don't use the phone enough to warrant one, but I know a great many people do. I see it as one of the key factors in the XDAs future success. I will say though, the XDA is much less a brick, holding it to your ear than I thought it would be. It is much more comfortable than a lot of phones I have used

Dave

[Paragon]

To bring this thread back to what it started as......Cool stuff with your XDA.

For me everything is cool with it. I'm pushing 50 years old. For me technology started out as black and white tv. Big heavy black rotary telephones. You had to dial the operator to call long distance. To call overseas you had to book an appointment. Seriously! So for me to be able to do what I did yesterday is just too cool.....I'm sitting on the sidelines of my sons football game, at halftime I pull out my XDA, sign into messenger, and start talking to a friend in Scotland that we stayed with when we were there a month ago.....I just pulled out my little XDA, tapped away for a few minutes to pass the time. Man, if that ain't cool what is?

We now truly have the ability to control the world from the palm of our hands. Maybe many of you who are younger than me take todays technology a lot more for granted then I do. Just stop for a second and compare the XDA, and that big, black, heavy rotary phone......

Dave

[Jason Dunn]

I just pointed out 98% of those same stories are being done everyday on Bluetooth phone / PDA combos as well.....nothing unique to the XDA.

Right. But that's not what I asked, was it? :D I was specifically asking the XDA/Phone Edition users to speak up and tell thier stories. It wasn't a case of "this device is better", it's simply a case of asking new Pocket PC users (or at least owners of a new device) to talk about what they're using them for. You seem to have taken my question as a personal slight against your device combo, which it certainly wasn't. :wink:

If it makes you feel any better, I can ask the same question tomorrow and ask about iPAQs and Bluetooth phones. :lol:

[yawanag]

For me everything is cool with it. I'm pushing 50 years old.

I'm with you, Dave. I got you beat, though. I'm 69. A retired teacher, who taught herself computers because as a teacher I knew nothing about them. I hated that the kids knew more than I did. Now I volunteer and teach computers to Seniors.

Keeping to the subject. I just got my T-Mobile (Thanks to Pocket PC Thoughts site) I love the fact that I have it all in the "palm of my hand." I don't buy the TV Guide. I have "Door to Door Directions" In a restauant, I use "Tipster." I know how to dress for the weather. In Church when the minister asks everyone to hold up their Bibles, I hold up my T-Mobile. :lol: I keep better check of car repairs with "Odometer." I listen to MP3 files. The list goes on and on.

I was going to sell my HP Jornada 548 but I decided I'd use it for backup 'cause I remember when I had to be without it for 5 days and I was going through "withdrawal."

[Barry_Rau]

8) I have been really loving this device. some of the things i do with it are very mundane, but sometimes it is the really simple things that count. oh yea, I am testing some very interesting apps. cool stuff........ :wink: oh and it is kinda cool when you get done doing the dog & pony show (all the drool can get a bit slippery) and see the look on folks faces that says I want to get one of those....PocketPC one convert at a time....

[Paragon]

For me everything is cool with it. I'm pushing 50 years old.

I'm with you, Dave. I got you beat, though. I'm 69.

Holy sh*t you're old! :D :D

[brianchris]

I just pointed out 98% of those same stories are being done everyday on Bluetooth phone / PDA combos as well.....nothing unique to the XDA.

Right. But that's not what I asked, was it? :D I was specifically asking the XDA/Phone Edition users to speak up and tell thier stories. It wasn't a case of "this device is better", it's simply a case of asking new Pocket PC users (or at least owners of a new device) to talk about what they're using them for. You seem to have taken my question as a personal slight against your device combo, which it certainly wasn't. :wink:

If it makes you feel any better, I can ask the same question tomorrow and ask about iPAQs and Bluetooth phones. :lol:

Nothing personal....really. I honestly was just reading the stories (of the XDA) and remebering the other night, while dining at a Sushi Restaruant, I remembered I hadn't canceld a consultant's visit for 9am the next morning (I'm really not that last minuete, that appointment was only made earlier in that morning :wink: ). Anyway, whipped out my iPaq 3835, connected to GPRS via Bluetooth via the T68 *in my waist holster,* logged onto Messenger, found him to be online, and notified him the appointment was canceled. Had I not had the technology, I certainly would have thought about it during dinner, then forgot about it totally during the rest of dinner, and the consultant would have appeared at 9am with no one there....PocketPC saved the day.

Or can I contribute this story? As this thread *is* for XDA users. I don't see how I was being negative, despite my original opening of "not raining on anyone's parades." Indeed, if anything, I was trying to be *inclusive*, not exclusive, and while doing that, I was singing the XDA's praises. Don't rember it that way? Read my posts.

Anyway, no need to ask Bluetooth phone / PDA users the same question tomorrow (ouch). I've enjoyed the thread, and, with unlimited funds, would enjoy an XDA just as much as my current set up. Hopefully that makes everyone believe I have nothing against the XDA.....its a great PPC.

Sorry,

-Brian

[Gremmie]

I love my PPCPE.

I use the wireless for a bunch of things.

5) Check pop mail for latest and greatest
6) Keep myself busy while wife shops...good thing a lot of these women's stores are now providing comfortable seating areas.

11) Stream RealOne NPR broadcasts and monitor my kb usage.


So whats your phone bill, these three alone is massive kb transfer

[Paul P]

Awesome device, but...
:?:
Anybody find themselves going over the amount of data included with your plan?

Thx

[Paragon]

Awesome device, but...
:?:
Anybody find themselves going over the amount of data included with your plan?

Thx

NO! My plan is $50.00 a month unlimited....aaaahhhh somedays it's good to be Canadian. :)

Dave

[Jason Dunn]

...and remebering the other night, while dining at a Sushi Restaruant, I remembered I hadn't canceld a consultant's visit for 9am the next morning (I'm really not that last minuete, that appointment was only made earlier in that morning :wink: ). Anyway, whipped out my iPaq 3835, connected to GPRS via Bluetooth via the T68 *in my waist holster,* logged onto Messenger, found him to be online, and notified him the appointment was canceled.

Great story! I hereby officially open the thread to anyone with a connected Pocket PC. :D

[MellowYellow]

NO! My plan is $50.00 a month unlimited....aaaahhhh somedays it's good to be Canadian. :)

Dave

Off topic question, but where and how much did you get your XDA in Canada?

Our digital plan might be cheap, but I have not been able to find anything that is close to the $299 deal on Amazon in Canada.

Most of the days it sucks to be Canadian.

[Paragon]

NO! My plan is $50.00 a month unlimited....aaaahhhh some days it's good to be Canadian. :)

Dave

Off topic question, but where and how much did you get your XDA in Canada?

Our digital plan might be cheap, but I have not been able to find anything that is close to the $299 deal on Amazon in Canada.

Most of the days it sucks to be Canadian.

Well it ends up the way I got mine is not the way to do it. It's far to risky.

There appears to be two ways to get a T-Mobile in Canada. You can buy one from one of their stores (not online...no Canadians shipping) pay $725.00 USD fax your receipt to them showing you paid the full unsubsidized price and they will give you the code. The other way is to buy a phone for $549.00 USD and purchase a plan with them for 3-12 months, then apply for the code telling them you want to be able to use the phone outside of the US. There are varying reports on whether you need to wait 3 months before applying. T-Mobiles policy seems to depend a great deal on who you are talking to, so be sure to get names, and ID numbers so you can follow through with the same person.

Once you have it unlocked you can use a SIM card from either Fido, or Rogers. Fido have a GPRS plan for $50.00 a month for 12 months, unlimited use, and Rogers have one for 6 months. Both are rumored to be leaving these plans in place. HOWEVER, this is only a rumor at this point, and nothing official has even been hinted at.

I chose Rogers over Fido although their plan is shorter they have a wider coverage area. Fido is good if you spend your time in metro areas, but if you venture outside of large cities Rogers coverage is better.

Hope this helps

Dave

[cludwig]

Things I love about my Phone Edition:

- Checking to see what traffic is like (traffic.com) whenever I want instead of having to wait up to ten minutes for the radio station to get to it.

- Checking the mass-transit schedules when the traffic _really_ stinks.

- Surfing the web while riding mass transit (I would _not_ carry a laptop on the bus for what amounts to a lesuire trip).

- Being able to decide while in a bar that I'd like to find a Karaoke joint any night of the week no matter where I happen to be.

- Being able to settle nearly any bet (any time, any place) with the old "Why don't we look it up on the Internet."

Of course for 2 of these 5 things I _have_ to use Thunderhawk, since IE coughs and spits on traffic.com and septa.org.

And of course I could do these things with two separate devices connected via bluetooth, but then I look a little more like the geek I'm pretending not to be... It's not "Yeah, I have a little network here where my PocketPC talks to my phone wirelessly, etc., etc." Instead it's just "Yeah, this phone is pretty cool."

HOWEVER... the one situation where two devices would be easier for me is that I'm often checking the (pretty low :cry: ) balances on accounts or otherwise using touch-tone-based information systems... unfortunately I can't remember all those account numbers, so I keep them in eWallet. Until Seymour, it was a _real pain_ to switch back and forth between eWallet and the phone app to read the account number (stupid bank mergers... account numbers are longer now than the IP6 space... every dust mote in the universe could have a unique First Union account number... duh!) and then tap out the touch-tones. Seymour solves that problem for me... just open eWallet at the top of the screen and leave phone (and keypad) at the bottom.

[fmcpherson]

Has anyone done any price comparisons while shopping in stores using their XDA? Have you find a good site that provides that type of info? I know that Amazon has a Pocket PC-ized site, but I want something a bit more broader.

[Gremmie]

Of course for 2 of these 5 things I _have_ to use Thunderhawk, since IE coughs and spits on traffic.com and septa.org.

Have you given Netfront a try?

[cludwig]

Of course for 2 of these 5 things I _have_ to use Thunderhawk, since IE coughs and spits on traffic.com and septa.org.

Have you given Netfront a try?

I haven't been able to get it to run on the Phone Edition. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong, I guess, but if I connect myself before I run it (like you have to with Thunderhawk) then I get nada, and if I let it connect itself (choosing the correct -- I assume -- dialing profile) then still nada. It pretends to be off looking for something, but never comes back with a page. Frustrating, 'cause I used it (and liked it) via Ethernet / Nyditot Virtual Display with my iPaq back in the days before Phone Edition. I wonder aloud if it has something to do with VoiceStream (T-Mobile) proxy action, but of course there aren't any proxies explicity set up for IE, so who knows?

[Paragon]

cludwig

I have been using NetFront v3.0 with very liitle problems. any problems are very minor, and it is a beta so some glitches are to be expected, I guess :-( I have heard others have problems with it as well.

Have you tried uninstalling/reinstalling.

Dave

[cludwig]

Of course for 2 of these 5 things I _have_ to use Thunderhawk, since IE coughs and spits on traffic.com and septa.org.

Have you given Netfront a try?

I haven't been able to get it to run on the Phone Edition. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong, I guess, but if I connect myself before I run it (like you have to with Thunderhawk) then I get nada, and if I let it connect itself (choosing the correct -- I assume -- dialing profile) then still nada. It pretends to be off looking for something, but never comes back with a page. Frustrating, 'cause I used it (and liked it) via Ethernet / Nyditot Virtual Display with my iPaq back in the days before Phone Edition. I wonder aloud if it has something to do with VoiceStream (T-Mobile) proxy action, but of course there aren't any proxies explicity set up for IE, so who knows?

Yuck. Hate quoting myself... but... I did manage to get NetFront to work on my T-Mobile Phone Edition device. Still very finicky about whether or not it's connected sometimes, but I think I may have been using the "old" 3.0 version the last time I tried. Also seems to have a bad habit of displaying garbage text instead of the web page, unless I refresh a lot. Would like to blame network, proxies, etc. -- but looks like bad pointers to me, since IE & Thunderhawk both work fine all the time (except that TH occasionally loses it's concept of connection to it's server because network is unavailable for a moment. -- Works fine if I quit and come back... strange.)

[Gremmie]

Yuck. Hate quoting myself...

Its like listening to yourself on the answering machine