[hawkeye]

I agree with you about profiles that should be included. But, in my case every attempt I've made be a multidevice person has failed.

I use my 8525 (no-data plan, $40/month for GPRS/EDGE is crazy) for RSS, podcasts (audio only), phone, my Sunday School Lesson, and light ebook reading.

I've settled on Newsbreak for the RSS and Podcasts syncing over Wi-Fi when I get home.

I use Pocket Player to listen to Podcasts since it was the only media player I could find to do variable speed playback without making everyone sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks. I have considered switching to CorePlayer but it doesn't do pitch adjustment but it should handle video podcasts.

I've tried using the Zune 8 and Sansa View for podcasts (audio and video)but I couldn't get variable speed playback.

Other than battery life I'm very happy with my 8525 using it this way.

[hawkeye]

I agree with you about profiles that should be included. But, in my case every attempt I've made be a multidevice person has failed.

I use my 8525 (no-data plan, $40/month for GPRS/EDGE is crazy) for RSS, podcasts (audio only), phone, my Sunday School Lesson, and light ebook reading.

I've settled on Newsbreak for the RSS and Podcasts syncing over Wi-Fi when I get home.

I use Pocket Player to listen to Podcasts since it was the only media player I could find to do variable speed playback without making everyone sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks. I have considered switching to CorePlayer but it doesn't do pitch adjustment but it should handle video podcasts.

I've tried using the Zune 8 and Sansa View for podcasts (audio and video)but I couldn't get variable speed playback.

Other than battery life I'm very happy with my 8525 using it this way.

[virain]

Most of these problems can be solved with better efford to learn and apply available features and services. Also, it seems that you've got bored with your current device. Try shopping around for a new one.
And, unfortunately thre's no perfect device out there, so choose the one that suites you better.

[Jason Lee]

Originally Posted by burtcom

I was hoping to find something like this too, but have not been successful.

I've been kicking around the idea of writing a little utility that will set the time from the built-in GPS clock...

For WM5:
\HKLM\SOFTWARE\OEM\PhoneSetting\ShowTimeZonesPage
Set it to 1

for WM6:
\HKLM\SOFTWARE\OEM\PhoneSetting\ShowNITZPage
Set it to 1

[optimus_dag]

For most of your problemas you can install PHONEALARM, I got that installed on my HTC P4350 and it works really well... you can schedule it to change your profile automaticly and in the profiles settings you can change almost everithing... even you can change phone forwarding options, change toasts and rigtones and souns, it really works great... it is not free, but it's worth the price.

Hope this info help you...

[ddwire]

Originally Posted by jgrnt1

These are technology constraints, mostly independent of WM. Don't get me wrong, WM has a lot of flaws, but I think you're issues are related to device technology.

I donot have my email pushed to me, so that is not a problem, but as said above I am plain tired of the postage stamp sized screen on all the new converged devices!!
My Treo700WX screen is horrible, forget about TV or vidieos. Email (in text form) music and ebooks are ok. Web browsing sucks too with it's screen.

I don't care about the size so much, put the guts of my Treo700WX in a old Hitachi G1000 with a VGA screen and I will be happy.

***long quote trimmed by mod JD***

[Mikey]

Ed,

Thanks for this post. I've seen several like it over the years & because simple things aren't being resolved in new versions of Windows Mobile, I think these posts are being ignored.

I agree with all your points. A few years ago, after viewing your website (ehansberry.com) & corresponding back & forth with you, I tried to converge with the Cingular 8125. I sold my Axim x50v on eBay only to return the 8125 within the 30 days grace period. I then bought another Axim x50v on eBay, and stayed with several Blackberries. Since that time, I still carry 3 devices, the Axim x50v, the BB Pearl, & iPOD 60GB for the 600+ sermons I listen to & 2,000+ songs. I also tried a Cingular Treo 750 but all those notifications drove me crazy, not to mention all the soft resets & losing bluetooth connections, among other glitches...

I currently use the Blackberry Pearl for email & phone, & have since January of this year. I also use it for my alarm clock. I set it to the Silent profile when I go to bed & the only time it makes a noise is at 5:30am when I set it to go off. Why can't a WM phone do this? Seems simple enough. The Blackberry works great as a phone & great on email. That's about it, but that's a lot better than I could say for the WM phones, & I never have to reset the BB!!!

I carry the Axim x50v for Laridian PocketBible, Pocket Informant 2007, & Pocket Quicken 2.5. I use all 3 everyday. The Axim is fast, screen is great, etc.

Last, the iPOD. Apple has the best software & best MP3 player around IMO. I also have an iPOD Shuffle that I run with, with about 150 songs on a playlist. Both are small devices, very easy to use, & work without issues.

Can WM make a converged device that works on all these fronts? I seriously doubt it. One problem is they seem to have very little control on what the device manufacturers put in for processors & memory, which is a major problem. But WM also criples the devices. Ed mentioned one example of this in his post, which was WM Standard has features that the full blown WM Professional is still missing... How is this possible??? The right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing or they flat don't care. Either way, looks like I'll be carrying 3 devices, or maybe the iPHONE when it comes out w/ 3G next year. The jury's out on Microsoft...

[mr_yellow]

You know, the problem would be solved if Microsoft would put the time and effort to design a devices end-to-end instead of doing only the OS and letting it loose on the open market of device manufacturers.

It's mainly an ideological battle since this is how Windows became so prevalent. i guess they figure it worked for PC's, it should work for mobile phones/PDAs...

But let's not forget that if MS did an end-to-end device, you would most certainly lose any ability to load third party apps, lose options to configure all the different ways to setup the phone, lose all the different hardware form factors that are currently available now... You would essentially end up with the Apple iphone. And as great as a product that is, I still laugh that I can load google maps on my 2 year old prophet and get pseudo GPS location mapping that everyone in the iphone community was falling over with in navigon. I have emulators and games that blow any iphone game away, I have decent music and videos, etc etc etc...

Of course, do I ever use any of it on a daily basis? nope! why? it's just too much of a hassle to use each little feature. Hehe.. i'm sure we all know how that feels.. =)

[palur]

My problem with convergence is battery life. I am afraid to use the pda functionality fully for the fear my cell phone may become unusable (lack of power). This is the scenario when I am travelling or when I am on call in the hospital.
Moreover, most of the converged devices are 2.6-2.8" screen and as you age you would need slightly larger screen. If I need to demonstarte to students or patients, the screen is too small.

I think, XDA flame or Imate ultimate 7150 (if released) would then be ideal for convergence provided battery life is improved.

[JvanEkris]

Hi Ed,

Why turn on e-mail notification in the first place? It keeps anoying me, you and the rest of the world because somebody wants to dump something in the digital dumpster and dump their problems onto you. Turn the sound off and check for new e-mail when you feel the time is right.

One of the first thing most productivity training will teach people is to free themselves of the slavery of the inbox and become the master of their inbox again. YOU decide when to read e-mail. If they needed an answer right away, they should have used the phone or IM, and it is THEIR problem that they have chosen the wrong medium for their communication......

Jaap

[tucker8235]

I enjoyed your post Ed. I had a VX6700 for a little while and hated it. I am currently very happy with my Blackberry from Verizon and my HP iPAQ that I carry with me at all times. The blackberry just works. I don't have to reboot it and the settings are wonderful. I have it set to power off every night at 11:00 and back on at 6:00... And it is always working the next day.