Qtek 8500 as a Music Player: The Hardware

[Rocco Augusto]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.twoinchview.com/?p=55#more-55' target='_blank'>http://www.twoinchview.com/?p=55#more-55</a><br /><br /></div>"<i>I’ve been using the Qtek 8500 (a.k.a. HTC Str Trk) as a digital audio player the past few weeks, and have a few thoughts on the experience. Overall, it’s been a mixed bag: in some ways, the experience has been excellent, but in other ways I found it frustrating compared to the Zen Vision:M I’d normally be using for listening to music. Certainly, a converged music player is bound to have compromises, and depending on the scenarios in which you’re using the Qtek 8500 as a music player, some of these may or may not affect you.</i>"<br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/augusto-2006.08.03-8500music.JPG" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/><br /><br />Over at <a href="http://www.twoinchview.com">The Two Inch View</a>, Jason has written a very nice article about using the new Qtek 8500 as a music player. If you were interested in picking up this sleek handset, or you have been curious about converging your music player and phone into one device, I would seriously consider reading this article. :)

[Jerry Raia]

I like that front display. I'm in denial about the media buttons though.

[Rocco Augusto]

I like that front display. I'm in denial about the media buttons though.

::waves hand in front of Jerry::

there are no media buttons on this device. these are happy buttons... also, these are not the droids you are looking for

[Kris Kumar]

I love the front display.

[sojourner753]

Jerry...
There is no spoon.

[Jerry Raia]

these are not the droids you are looking for

There is no spoon.

:rotfl:

[eric]

Jason wrote some great info.

I use my 2125 as a converged device including listening to occasional music and many books (Audible or on WMP).

I've read that the StrTrk has stereo BT support built in. With the form factor &amp; BT stereo I want to switch to this phone!

Unfortunately I am waiting to hear the response from HTC to Jason's inquiry about using other headphones...I also use Shure E2's (awesome noise reduction on planes). The $.99 cent specials including in phone boxes never fit my ears properly and have all the other negatives that Jason pointed out.

Jason--let us know when you hear about the possibility of a headphone adapter!

[Kirkaiya]

Well - Expansys already sells an adaptor for the S300-connector to mini-USB connector cable. My guess is that it's only a matter of time before somebody starts selling a S300-connector-to-standard-audio-jack adapter.

Then, it will be like using the mini-audio connector on my old phone (which had WMP9, and a mini-audio-jack). Not ideal, but workable.

Actually, with a pin-out diagram for the StrTrk port, either a spare sync cable or the Expansys adapter cable, and a soldering iron, most of us could probably make our own (not that it would be as nice as a factory-made one probably).

[Mike Temporale]

Well - Expansys already sells an adaptor for the S300-connector to mini-USB connector cable. My guess is that it's only a matter of time before somebody starts selling a S300-connector-to-standard-audio-jack adapter.

They do? oh.. Check it out, they do have 'em! http://www.expansys.ca/product.asp?code=137745&amp;asource=136572 Cool find Kirkaiya! 8)

[Kirkaiya]

I'm just here to serve :wink:

[TopDog]

I've written a similar review (http://www.wmobil.no/Artikler/A45E9044-D6F7-4B70-A5A2-0CF98317598F.html) (almost thought Jason had ripped mine, but I don't think he knows norwegian :lol: ).

I also have the Plantronics Pulsar 590 Bluetooth headset (http://www.gauteweb.net/?p=136). I just love it!

I've just been on holiday, took this picture:

http://www.gauteweb.net/images/gadget-summer.jpg

[onlydarksets]

As a followup, it looks like WM11 (at least on Vista, anyway) will transcode in the background while it is copying the previous file over.

http://www.imagehosting.com/out.php/i358365_convertingsyncing.gif (http://www.imagehosting.com)