View Full Version : BBC gives mmO2 XDA thumbs up
Andy Sjostrom
07-25-2002, 03:21 PM
<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2148923.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2148923.stm</a><br /><br />I read BBC's review of the mmO2 XDA. The review follows the same pattern as I have seen in many more reviews in public media: it is very positive. I can't blame them! Here are a couple of quotes:<br /><br />"With an impressive array of features, it fits into a gap in the market where several mobile phone and computer manufacturers are already operating. ... First things first, the XDA looks good, with a sleek, shiny, silver body. It is not too large or heavy, it has a bright, clear screen, and it is pretty easy to use once you get accustomed to using a stylus and tapping on the touch-sensitive screen. ... In terms of value for money, however, it is definitely worth it. I would pay the extra money for the added functionality of having my phone and PDA in one device, and no headache trying to set up a connection to a mobile phone by Bluetooth or infrared. " (Source: Graham)<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/xda_02.jpg" />
Master O'Mayhem
07-25-2002, 03:36 PM
I Particularly like the carrying case that it comes with!!!
marlof
07-25-2002, 04:02 PM
Seldom do you see a model as happy with the product she's holding than in this picture. Proof that the XDA is hot stuff!
Ed Hansberry
07-25-2002, 04:10 PM
Seldom do you see a model as happy with the product she's holding than in this picture. Proof that the XDA is hot stuff!
There is an XDA in that Pic? Must have over looked it. :crazyeyes:
Corn Bread
07-25-2002, 04:18 PM
Reading all these good reviews of the XDA gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Makes me proud to be an XDA user. :)
I agree with MOM, the freebie leather case is cool.
mookie123
07-25-2002, 04:49 PM
.oh wow, pretty and have a nice tan too,..
ehrr. I mean my what a shiny PDA you got there.
possmann
07-25-2002, 05:45 PM
What PDA?
:wink:
But seriously - anyone know when VoiceStream/T-Mobile is going to finally get this out on the streets here in the US?
I was expecting this month (late) - which could still happen...
The device itself is great, but for this to be a truly awesome package, MS must release fully functional (as much as possible) versions of pocket Excel, Word and IE.
thenikjones
07-25-2002, 08:23 PM
Maybe it's a cultural thing, but this unit is far too big. I was looking at one in Dixons (UK high street sotre) and comparing it with my Jornada - it's about the same size (as you'd expect). NO-ONE I know wants a phone the size of my Jornada - there is no way I can slip it in a pocket and forget I'm carrying it. Most people i know prefer Nokias to Ericsons. Why - no external aerial.
It is a nice unit for a PDA user, but no replacement for a phone. Unless the Sendo units are successful, this convergance lark won't be taking off en masse.
EyePAQ
07-25-2002, 09:37 PM
I couldn't stand to be without my phone if the PDA part was broken, and had to be sent in for repair, and vice-versa. I don't think I'll ever buy a combo-pda/phone. It's like having a TV/VCR combo. If the VCR breaks (and they do), then you're also out the TV.
Just my $.02
Sslixtis
07-25-2002, 10:12 PM
Well for me convergance is the only way to go. my poor phone hasn't left the charger for over a week now. I keep forgetting to put it back in the car. I refuse to walk around looking like Batman with electronics hanging all around my utility belt. A combo device would be Heaven to me. Let's face facts I don't really have to talk to people but my Jornada has to go everywhere with me! She would be lonely and frightened without me, and I would be sad and bored without her! I already have to carry a pager for work so combining atleast the phone and PDA would allow me to carry one device, as it is now the phone gets about 45 mins use a month with the 1000 min calling plan :cry: I just can't be bothered. I can't wait to see the XDA here, I've been tempted by the Thera already :wink:
While I agree with "people want small phones" idea I think PDA/Phones will become more popular as people start using the Smartphones and become exposed the powers of a PDA for the first time. Then they will be willing to add size for the extra abilities of a PDA/Phone. But hey what do I know, until the WIN CE handhelds came along I always laughed at people with Palm Pilots and asked what good are those stupid things anyway? Ok, ok, so I still laugh at and ask that about Palms. But I couldn't stand to be without my HP 568 :oops:
Mobile Bob
07-25-2002, 10:17 PM
But seriously - anyone know when VoiceStream/T-Mobile is going to finally get this out on the streets here in the US?
I was expecting this month (late) - which could still happen...
I called VoiceStream yesterday, and they said it would be available in late July. If that is true, then sometime during the next six days. :D
kagayaki1
07-25-2002, 10:44 PM
Voicestream / T-Mobile is still on track to release the XDA in Q3. Yes, they originally said July, but that has been moved back to encompass Q3. How late is that? September, latest.
Given that VStream moved to T-Mobile on schedule, I would assume the same is true for their new product releases that are supposed to coincide with it.
This information is direct from the Senior Manager for Internal Affairs at Voicestream HQ, Bellevue, Washington.
-Jason
Mobile Bob
07-25-2002, 10:58 PM
Thank you for the inside info Jason. Whenever T-Mobile is ready, I am ready. My cell phone contract with Nextel expired two months ago, so i'm on a month-to-month basis right now and ready to jump ship (provided the price of T-Mobile's XDA is not ridiculous).
Does anyone know whether or not the XDA has a swappable battery?
Bluetooth? CF or SD slot?
Sslixtis
07-25-2002, 11:16 PM
I agree with that price is right thought! The Thera is $799 from Verizon. Maybe if it was Xscale with multiple expansion slots! Although I'm not very hopeful, Expansys has it listed O2 XDA Pocket PC with Connection
$767.73 w/o connection $1097.43! OUCH!! Seems like alot of money to downgrade my PDA portion of the package. After all, that is the most important part of the package to me.
Jason Dunn
07-26-2002, 12:29 AM
Does anyone know whether or not the XDA has a swappable battery? Bluetooth? CF or SD slot?
No to the battery, no to Bluetooth, no to CF - just SD.
kagayaki1
07-26-2002, 01:09 AM
I'm not sure about the price of the XDA by itself, but we could look to our Dutch friends for an example.
Remember when the Netherlands was one of the forerunners with the XDA a few months ago? Someone posted some prices up here in Euros (although I can't find them all now ;-). Euros are a fairly even currency to compare with, so let's run with what I remember.
The phone by itself was in the $800-900 (USD) range w/o activation. But, depending on the contract length AND the allotted data portion of the contract you signed up for, the price went down. I recall the lowest was around $500 USD.
Going with the assumption that most technology is more expensive in the major European countries than the US (agree?), we're likely to see something in the $400-500 range from T-Mobile.
Of course, there are all kinds of mystery factors here. Now that VStream is going to T-Mobile, will Deutche Telecom go for a more "European" price structure for the hardware? Will they make you sign a 2 year contract for even a reasonable price?
LOL, there's probably some VStream bigwig monitoring these sites, laughing to him or herself about our curiousity. :wink:
-Jason
Does anyone know whether or not the XDA has a swappable battery? Bluetooth? CF or SD slot?
No to the battery, no to Bluetooth, no to CF - just SD.
Well thats too bad :cry: Bluetooth would allow for the use of BT enabled wireless earset, so not having that reduces convenience. And these handhelds need not only SD, which is great, but CF2 slots as well, to be really practical.
But as far as the battery is concerned, Hp is the only one who seems to understand the need for a swappable battery. That 928 is gorgeous and smart. These phone handheld hybrids will never succeed without the ability to swap in a fresh battery. Without swappable batteries, the usefulness factor is reduced by about 90%. Internal batteries are worthless. Too many of us lead busy lives and do not have time to wait for batteries to recharge. These devices may have enough power for some people for a whole day, but not for most, since only one battery is running not only cell phone activities, but handheld activities too, while running a big color screen. Could you imagine the amount of convenience that would be lost by your cell phone, which is a far less sophisticated device, not having a swappable battery? But consumers are supposed to accept a cell handheld hybrid not having one? Ridiculous.
Jason Dunn
07-26-2002, 03:24 AM
Could you imagine the amount of convenience that would be lost by your cell phone, which is a far less sophisticated device, not having a swappable battery? But consumers are supposed to accept a cell handheld hybrid not having one? Ridiculous.
I understand what you're saying, but by the same token of the four cell phones I've owned, I've never bought a spare battery for it or swapped it with a fresh one. Am I abnormal? :D
Maybe it's a cultural thing, but this unit is far too big. I was looking at one in Dixons (UK high street sotre) and comparing it with my Jornada - it's about the same size (as you'd expect). NO-ONE I know wants a phone the size of my Jornada - there is no way I can slip it in a pocket and forget I'm carrying it. Most people i know prefer Nokias to Ericsons. Why - no external aerial.
It is a nice unit for a PDA user, but no replacement for a phone. Unless the Sendo units are successful, this convergance lark won't be taking off en masse.It's not a phone. It's a wireless PDA with phone functionality. People who buy this would trade the convenience of a small phone for more power/storage/screen. Just as with many other products, there will be several variations catering to different tastes and preferences.
Could you imagine the amount of convenience that would be lost by your cell phone, which is a far less sophisticated device, not having a swappable battery? But consumers are supposed to accept a cell handheld hybrid not having one? Ridiculous.
I understand what you're saying, but by the same token of the four cell phones I've owned, I've never bought a spare battery for it or swapped it with a fresh one. Am I abnormal? :D
Yeah, I think so. :lol: Nah, Im just kiddin, man.
Everybody is different of course, but I have always purchased a spare battery for my cell phones. But yet, cell phones dont have close to the power drain that a handheld with a big color screen, powerful processor, and so on, have. So it seems to me that this feature would be even more crucial to a handheld, and even more so to a hybrid device.
As it stands, battery life is always such an issue for people when it comes to their handhelds. I have yet to hear the majority convey their fulfillment over handheld battery life in general. And throwing in cellular capability on top of it all just provides yet an additional way for a handheld to drain its battery, which means less battery life overall, because now two devices integrated into one chassis are sharing one battery originally only dedicated to the computer functions alone.
Moreover, making spare batteries would just be another income stream for manufacturers. IMO, most people with handhelds would carry a spare.
But Im really eager to see what Hp does with its 928 over here in the States, or whether they come out with another similar hybrid.
marlof
07-26-2002, 01:48 PM
Moreover, making spare batteries would just be another income stream for manufacturers. IMO, most people with handhelds would carry a spare.
I guess that's why O2 is talking (http://www.mmo2.com/docs/services/xda_how.html) about an additional extended battery to attach to the XDA. :)
Jason Dunn
07-26-2002, 03:22 PM
But Im really eager to see what Hp does with its 928 over here in the States, or whether they come out with another similar hybrid.
The answer is "nothing" I'm afriad. That device will never see the light of day in North America - I'm quite sure of that. :cry:
But Im really eager to see what Hp does with its 928 over here in the States, or whether they come out with another similar hybrid.
The answer is "nothing" I'm afriad. That device will never see the light of day in North America - I'm quite sure of that. :cry:
Ahhh, thats too bad. Thats a nice device. Hopefully theyll come out with some type of hybrid. Time will tell.
pda tek
07-28-2002, 06:37 AM
i just went to the t-mobile store about 2 days ago and they said that the xda will be available in the next week... but they'll only have about 10 to sell... i don't know about you...but one thing is for sure... i'm getting the first one!
tbito
07-28-2002, 07:50 PM
I'm finally getting the ppc phone this tuesday (here in california, USA). Will my 3rd party softwares from my ipaq be compatible with it? I thought I read somewhere that it's a strongARM processor too. Are there any ppc phone site links dedicated to it? Thanks in advance.
I saw this device on a british website for around £600 without SIM and unlocked but only with GSM 900/1900
the GSM 900/1800 is £200 more
I live in switzerland... any reasons NOT to buy the US-model? I also sometimes travel to the US...
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