To buy or not to buy the XDA...

[gu]

When the XDA became available in Norway six months ago, I really wanted to buy it, but I could not afford it. Now I have the money, but I'm thinking that a better PDA phone might be released soon and that it's a bad idea to buy the XDA now. I would really like it to have SDIO (WiFi and 65k colors would also be nice). I'm afraid that if I buy the XDA now, someone will release such a phone the next month.

I know that there are several companies (like Samsung and Mitac) who have announced plans for new PDA phones. Does anyone know when we can expect to see these phones in the store? And does anyone know if HTC has plans for a new model?

If I can't expect anything to happen in the next six months, I will probably buy the XDA now, but I would hate to be the last one who bought the "old model".

Any thoughts? Should I buy it now or is there a new super-phone just around the corner that I should wait for?[/url]

[bdegroodt]

Any thoughts? Should I buy it now or is there a new super-phone just around the corner that I should wait for?

As a former owner of an XDA, I'd highly suggest waiting. A-It's first generation and about a year old now. So, you know better is coming and first gen is full of problems (Search Google groups for some of the many issues it has. Not to say some aren't happy, but I personally thought it was the biggest disappointment I've ever owned in PDAs). B- T-Mobile recently requested owner feedback that clearly pointed to new hardware and services coming in the near future. C- You are right, many have announced SmartPhones forthcoming. Jason could probably comment on this better than I, but I have some serious doubts about MSFT standing behind both the PPCPE and the SmartPhone long term. It would seem one has to give way to the other if they ever want critical mass in a consumer environment (Consumers AKA Non-PPCT readers are very confused about what the difference is between the 2 platforms.). D- TI released a reference designed called WANDA that was shown again today by MSFT at WinHEC and that suggests to me this uber phone could be getting some MSFT mojo...And that's the one I'd buy if and when it comes out :D

[Brad Adrian]

It sounds to me that part of your answer hinges on what kind of device you need. If you need something that's FIRST a Pocket PC and SECOND a phone, the Phone Edition (or some such) may be for your. If you want something that's FIRST a phone and SECOND a PDA, then the SmartPhone may suit your needs better.

Personally, I like my Phone Edition. It's not quite my "ideal device," but it comes pretty close, especially since I got the 128MB RAM upgrade.

[TopDog]

I have no personall experience with the Qtek 1010 (what it's called in Norway), but I've talked to a lot of people that have it, and they say that it's full of bugs, espesially around the phone/SMS-part.

So if you think you can live with that... go for it, but buy the 64MB edition.

If not... wait and see, more fun will come :-)

At least I'm thinking seriously about getting one!

[gu]

Thanks for the replies.

Brad:
I forgot to mention that I'm looking for a PPCPE device, not a SmartPhone.

TopDog:
Any particular bugs I should be aware of? I know about the SMS-sender bug, but I've heard that this has been fixed with the ROM upgrade. Do you know if this is correct? And why should I choose the 64MB edition (except the obvious 32MB extra memory)? Are there any other differences between the two models? Being from Norway, you are probably aware of the considerable difference in price.

bdegroodt:
A: Yes, I know that a better device is coming. The question is when. Do you know anything about this?
B: Do you know if this new hardware will be a completely new product or an upgraded XDA?
C: I was not thinking of SmartPhones, but PPCPE devices. Samsung, Mitac, Eten (and others) have the last months announced that they will release such devices in the near future, but I still can't see them. HP also announced plans for an Ipaq with GSM/GPRS, but this seems to have been cancelled.
D: I know about WANDA and it looks like a wet dream to me. But being a reference design only, I thought it was a long way from becoming a reality. If it was available today, it would definitively be my choice. But if I have to wait a year for it, I will buy another device that I can play with in the meantime.

As far as I know, the XDA is still the only PPCPE device available in Norway. I know that it is first generation and I know that it has some bugs. But unless it's realistic to expect a better product to be released within a few months, I will probably buy it and keep until a second generation device actually becomes available. On the other hand, if I can expect a second generation device to show up in the stores within a few months, I will wait.

So again, does anyone know what we can expect?

[bdegroodt]

I'd be very surprised if you were to wait much more than 3 months for the newest machines to ship. As you have probably read here, it's widely rumored that PPC 2003 ships in June and there are already screen shots floating around of PPCPE 2003 devices/software. As you may have noticed release announcements are about as dry as possible right now and that tells me that after the PPC 2003 release is made, there will be a flood of "new" devices announced.

Personally, I'm holding off on any new purchases until PPC 2003 is released. That will give me a chance to see the new OS and see a complete offering from all vendors before making my next buy.

[TopDog]

TopDog:
Any particular bugs I should be aware of? I know about the SMS-sender bug, but I've heard that this has been fixed with the ROM upgrade. Do you know if this is correct? And why should I choose the 64MB edition (except the obvious 32MB extra memory)? Are there any other differences between the two models? Being from Norway, you are probably aware of the considerable difference in price.
The SMS-bug is partly fixed as I understand... there is a tread here som where about it... as I understand it has something to do with when you are replying to an SMS...

I've just heard that soft-resets are a more comon thing on PPCPE than PPC, can't remember any other spesific bugs at the moment.

As for the memory-part... Personally, I fill up 32MB easely with critical apps I like to have in RAM, but of cource it's a question of prize and need... No other difference as I understand...

A norwegian link: http://www.qtek1010.no but you've probably seen that!?

[Fil]

I've had my XDA for just over a week now, got it as part of a deal with UK based Phones4U.

The XDA was FREE, as long as I subscribed to O2 MAX calling plan for 3 months, works out at £75 p.month. This being £40-ish a month more than my normal bill, which in turn makes the XDA cost around £120 for me.

So far I'm absolutely over the moon. I've had no problems whatsoever. I installed a program which handles the SMS name problem. I've got Battery Bar 2003, CalenderPlus, TaskPlus etc. I've just put in a 256mb SD card (courtesy of ebay USA).

No sync problems, using XP at home and at work, maybe the XDA needs a stronger signal than my nokia, but hell, I can live with that.

My advice is that if you can get to Phones4U and get hold of an XDA then go for it.

Maybe after I've had it a few more weeks I may encouter a few problems. But at the moment I'm very very happy with it.

[bjchantry]

I am happy to say that I converted from a loyal, 4 + years, Palm user tot he Qtek 1010 about 2 months ago. I was very skeptical, I had heard so many rumors about soft resets, etc. and I am in South Africa where the device isn't even sold/supported. I don't believe I have had to soft reset my device more than 3 times in any week, and I use it intensively every day, both as a PPC and a phone. I have quite a feew apps installed but I use Pocket Plus to close apps rather than leaving them minimized, PPC's default. Certain apps such as Agenda Fusion I let it minimize for speed. I am the one that posted the ROM upgrade info and the SMS problem. With the new ROM the SMS match to a name issue that Paragon had fixed is resolved. The problem comes in that the OS pulls both the name and phone number from the Contacts list. If you try to reply to an SMS it inserts everything and the SMS fails unless you manually delete the name and the <> that are put around the phone number. Dumb mistake in my opinion, but I have learnt to deal with it. The new ROM supports the GPRS connection staying connected even in power save mode which is great with MSN messenger. I am sure new one's will come out but I wasn't in the position to wait so I took the plunge. With the ROM upgrade I have to be honest and say that I can't imagine what would be improved from a stability or performance standpoint. My unit has 64 Megs and here is my list of apps,

Agenda Fusion
Acrobat Reader
Pocket Plus
GPRS Monitor
Worldmate
Palbum Suite
Space Recaimer
HandBase
ThemeMaster
DateMate
Flex Wallet

As you can see, my device is by no means an empty device.

I know this is first generation, but I have to take my hat of to HTC for a great first generation product. Just my 2 cents but I hope it helps.

[gu]

After some further investigations, I decided that the waiting time will be too long. The first new GSM devices will probably be released september/october 2003. And then there will be another 3-4 months before the products are available in Norway. Due to Norwegian telecom regulations, there is always a considerable delay before new devices with phone capabilities are ready for sale here. I spoke with the Norwegian retailer of the XDA (Qtek) and they told me they would be very surprised if a new PPCPE device was available before next year.

So end of story was that I purchased the XDA 64MB. Since I got it three days ago, I have spent most of my time playing with it. So far I have not experienced any real problems. The screen is much better than I expected and the sound is very good. And there is no need for frequent soft resets.

When (if) the Wanda (or something similar) becomes a reality, I have probably saved enough money to buy a new device. In the meantime I believe I will be very happy with my XDA. Thanks for your help.

[TopDog]

So end of story was that I purchased the XDA 64MB. Since I got it three days ago, I have spent most of my time playing with it. So far I have not experienced any real problems. The screen is much better than I expected and the sound is very good. And there is no need for frequent soft resets.
If you want to, write down (in norwegian) a few lines about your experiences and email me ([email protected]). I'll post it on my site... since I currently can't afford one myself, I would love to post your experiences!

You've bought it from Idedata, right!?

[Cortex]

you probably made the right choice.

i bought a t-mobile about 6 months ago after waiting for the i700 since last summer! the t-mobile was 299 at amazon.com and the rom upgrade fixed all of the bugs i was having for the 1st week. my only complaint is that t-mobile coverage in boston SUCKS. every day im wandering around town with my phone to my ear saying "Hello.... Can you hear me.... Can you hear me now?". today i had to use a %#(@&$ payphone.
but i had the pleasure of using the ppcpe in austin texas where coverage was excellent and the handheld worked fantastically.

:O