Doesn't it just pi$$ you off...

[Monty Gibson]

...when you purchase something that your not familar with? What I am saying is that being new to PPC's in general I saw all the bells and whistles of the T-Mobile PPC and thought WOW! This just _has_ to be IT! And also thought that the slot at the bottom would afford me to all the "great and wonderful" attachments in the PPC community. I see now that I was wrong. S/D needs I/O, no CF available since I was told that SD was the "Way of the Future," which means also no Bluetooth, no nada and always; probably, adapter for this and an adapter for that. Kind of upsetting. And now, instead of being hostage to a computer company that devotes their time, development and research to items such as these I; for one, am a slave and dependent on a phone company (T-Mobile) for any new releases they may or may not have with this current PPC. I called them yesterday to ask them about a future S/D slot or an internal memory upgrade and the gentleman stated "We intend to stay on the 'cutting' edge of technology for our customers." Cutting edge, huh? Seems as if this PPC is behind the times as far as PPC's are concerned but ahead of the times in the convergence of PPC's and cellular phones. So, what's my complaint? I just wished I researched a little bit more and waited possibly a little longer. I want it all I suppose and thought I had it all with this PPCPE. I don't know how some people can financially afford to stay "up-to-date" with these gadgets at $500-700 a pop. I make good money and to always have the "top of the line" would seem impossible to me. Unless everyone sells theirs on eBay and then goes out and purchases the next latest and greatest. Anyway...

/endsoapbox

Thank you,
Monty Gibson

[Jason Dunn]

I've heard from several sources that the SD slot is physically SDIO compatible, but it will require a software update to work. True? False? I don't know - but it offers some hope if Bluetooth is what you desperately want.

Probably not what you want to hear, but ultimately you as the consumer are responsible for making informed decisions - I'm not sure if a T-Mobile employee mislead you into believing that the T-Mobile Pocket PC would accept a Bluetooth card, but if that was your main goal in a device, a different device would have been a better choice.

You're right though, from a technical standpoint, the T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition is "last year's Pocket PC" - 206 Mhz StrongARM, 32 MB RAM, 12-bit colour. Nothing fancy in the specs - but the integration is the beautiful part that so far no other device has been able to match.

There are strong rumours of an iPAQ 5600 series that will be a phone edition device as well, and if it doesn't have Bluetooth (I think it will) it has an SDIO slot for a card.

And yes, ebay is the option of choice for many people who upgrade every six months. :D

[Monty Gibson]

I've heard from several sources that the SD slot is physically SDIO compatible, but it will require a software update to work. True? False? I don't know - but it offers some hope if Bluetooth is what you desperately want.

Probably not what you want to hear, but ultimately you as the consumer are responsible for making informed decisions - I'm not sure if a T-Mobile employee mislead you into believing that the T-Mobile Pocket PC would accept a Bluetooth card, but if that was your main goal in a device, a different device would have been a better choice.

You're right though, from a technical standpoint, the T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition is "last year's Pocket PC" - 206 Mhz StrongARM, 32 MB RAM, 12-bit colour. Nothing fancy in the specs - but the integration is the beautiful part that so far no other device has been able to match.

There are strong rumours of an iPAQ 5600 series that will be a phone edition device as well, and if it doesn't have Bluetooth (I think it will) it has an SDIO slot for a card.

And yes, ebay is the option of choice for many people who upgrade every six months. :D


Sorry to "quote" so much. But to answer in a nutshell I want it "all" and by that I mean the ability and the option to have: Bluetooth, GPS, a camera (this is more of a need), and whatever else that may come available along the way. I suppose I was "mislead" by the saleswoman at T-Mobile but not knowing any better and thinking I was speaking to someone who knew the product and the way the "industry" was heading; I believed her. My main concern was that I wanted a phone that was also a PPC. I have my first wish. Secondly, I wanted it to be able to expand and talking with her you would have thought the world would be able to plug into this thing and work and tilt the Axis of the planet. Wrong, I see. Nevertheless, rumors that fly around here I have noticed are about 80-90% correct and if that's the case whom do I wait for? HTC to put out an upgrade and "hope" that T-Mobile implements it and then passes it on to us at a reasonable upgrade cost or as you say do some eBay lovin' and shed it off to get a HP in the near future? Wait and see I suppose. If the slot is compatible then fine I will be happy because although the specs are not up to par, they are fine with me since everything I'm doing now I would probably still do if I had a 400 mHz processor and I don't think it would change that dramatically for me. Who knows. Thanks for your "Thoughts."

Monty Gibson

[smittyofdhs]

first off, there is no device that will do "everything". You might as well get pass that right now or you will never be happy.

Next,HTC has nothing more to do with the product once it's on the shelves. Microsoft will produce any updates, then they go on to the vendors like Compaq or t-mobile. The vendor then makes any mods to the package and then posts it for the customers. The upgrade are usually always free. The only one I've seen so far that included a charge was the PPC2k2 upgrade for older Ipaqs.

Finally, as Jason said before, the end-user is responsible for figuring out what he/she wants, what price they want to pay, and which options he/she are willing to live without. Buying a PPC is no different then buying a car. Would you walk into a car dealer and let the salesperson tell you what you want? or what options are the best? or how the industry is developing in the future?


:)

[Monty Gibson]

first off, there is no device that will do "everything". You might as well get pass that right now or you will never be happy.

Ah, but one day soon, there will be :) I think it's coming soon...


Next,HTC has nothing more to do with the product once it's on the shelves. Microsoft will produce any updates, then they go on to the vendors like Compaq or t-mobile. The vendor then makes any mods to the package and then posts it for the customers. The upgrade are usually always free. The only one I've seen so far that included a charge was the PPC2k2 upgrade for older Ipaqs.



Yeah, I understand the software side, but what about the hardware side? As in creating an SD I/O slot or a future CF slot? HTC would handle this wouldn't they? T-Mobile would only have to "request" it correct as O2 did in Europe to have a 64 Meg. upgrade? If so, then why can't HTC just whip out a new device that is already I/O standard and make the world happy so everyone can enjoy a Coke and a smile?


Finally, as Jason said before, the end-user is responsible for figuring out what he/she wants, what price they want to pay, and which options he/she are willing to live without. Buying a PPC is no different then buying a car. Would you walk into a car dealer and let the salesperson tell you what you want? or what options are the best? or how the industry is developing in the future?

I totally agree, however, being new you try to listen to the sales person and hope that they are telling you the truth. I know that in the car business this is not usually the case, but with PPC's I would have hoped that us "geeks" stick together and be honest with one another, especially when you have a newbie geek trying to get into the market. I really didn't "know" what I wanted at the time since I didn't know all that these little works of art could do. I just knew that they had "accessories." All I wanted was expandability so I could have these "accessories" and she said it would and could "expand." Uh, no... I guess not.

Thank you,
Monty Gibson

[smittyofdhs]

first off, there is no device that will do "everything". You might as well get pass that right now or you will never be happy.

Ah, but one day soon, there will be :) I think it's coming soon...


Next,HTC has nothing more to do with the product once it's on the shelves. Microsoft will produce any updates, then they go on to the vendors like Compaq or t-mobile. The vendor then makes any mods to the package and then posts it for the customers. The upgrade are usually always free. The only one I've seen so far that included a charge was the PPC2k2 upgrade for older Ipaqs.



Yeah, I understand the software side, but what about the hardware side? As in creating an SD I/O slot or a future CF slot? HTC would handle this wouldn't they? T-Mobile would only have to "request" it correct as O2 did in Europe to have a 64 Meg. upgrade? If so, then why can't HTC just whip out a new device that is already I/O standard and make the world happy so everyone can enjoy a Coke and a smile?


Finally, as Jason said before, the end-user is responsible for figuring out what he/she wants, what price they want to pay, and which options he/she are willing to live without. Buying a PPC is no different then buying a car. Would you walk into a car dealer and let the salesperson tell you what you want? or what options are the best? or how the industry is developing in the future?

I totally agree, however, being new you try to listen to the sales person and hope that they are telling you the truth. I know that in the car business this is not usually the case, but with PPC's I would have hoped that us "geeks" stick together and be honest with one another, especially when you have a newbie geek trying to get into the market. I really didn't "know" what I wanted at the time since I didn't know all that these little works of art could do. I just knew that they had "accessories." All I wanted was expandability so I could have these "accessories" and she said it would and could "expand." Uh, no... I guess not.

Thank you,
Monty Gibson


There will never be a device that has everything that everybody wants...I've been in the computer industry for 15 years now and that has never happened...keep wishing :)

The 64 meg upgrade is actually a new device, not just an upgrade to an old 32 meg device. As for the SDIO, the slot is rumored to already be SDIO ready, if this is true then HTC is already done what it was suppose to. From here, MS would write the software to access the calls to the SDIO slot. HTC wouldn't be involved that (they may work with MS to develop the correct drivers/software but in the end it should come from MS).

As for the salespeople at t-mobile and AT&T, for the most part they are just 9-5 workers that sell phones. Most of the ones I've dealt with are not "computer geeks" as all the rest of us are. Most of the time I have more insight into the device then they do. In fact when I bought my AT&T SX56 I knew more about the device then the reps did. I had to show them how to turn on/off the cell radio. So, I would treat them just like car sales reps, as if they have no clue of what it is they are selling.

[Monty Gibson]

The 64 meg upgrade is actually a new device, not just an upgrade to an old 32 meg device. As for the SDIO, the slot is rumored to already be SDIO ready, if this is true then HTC is already done what it was suppose to. From here, MS would write the software to access the calls to the SDIO slot. HTC wouldn't be involved that (they may work with MS to develop the correct drivers/software but in the end it should come from MS).

Really? I just thought they just installed some more memory into the device. "The Rumor." Who started this rumor and where did it originate from? Do you know? And do you think that eventually there will be software to support it? Is there anyway we can figure whether or not if it's indeed I/O compatable? I'd like to know if it is I/O compatable... I'd think I could rest easier at night :wink:. I know that there're a lot of questions here for you to answer :D

Thank you,
Monty Gibson[/quote]

[smittyofdhs]

The 64 meg upgrade is actually a new device, not just an upgrade to an old 32 meg device. As for the SDIO, the slot is rumored to already be SDIO ready, if this is true then HTC is already done what it was suppose to. From here, MS would write the software to access the calls to the SDIO slot. HTC wouldn't be involved that (they may work with MS to develop the correct drivers/software but in the end it should come from MS).

Really? I just thought they just installed some more memory into the device. "The Rumor." Who started this rumor and where did it originate from? Do you know? And do you think that eventually there will be software to support it? Is there anyway we can figure whether or not if it's indeed I/O compatible? I'd like to know if it is I/O compatable... I'd think I could rest easier at night :wink:. I know that there're a lot of questions here for you to answer :D

Thank you,
Monty Gibson[/quote]

Yes, the newest devices coming out from t-mobile contain 64 megs of RAM (you can always get an upgrade of your ram at http://www.pocketpctechs.com), they are suppose to have a Class B radio (which they do but it's not acting like a class b), the latest OS ROM updates (which may help out some of the hang issues), and they are suppose to have the SDIO s/w upgrade. As for the rumor, I heard it here first. Do I think it will happen....hmmm? I really thought that a SDIO slot was different then a SD slot (hardware wise), so could a patch be made to make a SD a SDIO...I don't think that's possible but I'm not a programmer or hardware tech.
One other thing to look at.... there is an adapter for the t-mobile and AT&T device that allows the user to use any Ipaq accessory. The connector on the t-mobile/AT&T is the same as the Ipaqs but the pinout is different. So someone came up with an adapter to fix the pinout. Basically if you wanted any of the IPAQ 3600/3700 accessories such as a GPS or BT, you could use this now. More info.... http://www.datanywhere.net/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=DI&Product_Code=XD-IPA&Affiliate=dc

[Monty Gibson]

Yes, the newest devices coming out from t-mobile contain 64 megs of RAM (you can always get an upgrade of your ram at http://www.pocketpctechs.com), they are suppose to have a Class B radio (which they do but it's not acting like a class b), the latest OS ROM updates (which may help out some of the hang issues), and they are suppose to have the SDIO s/w upgrade. As for the rumor, I heard it here first. Do I think it will happen....hmmm? I really thought that a SDIO slot was different then a SD slot (hardware wise), so could a patch be made to make a SD a SDIO...I don't think that's possible but I'm not a programmer or hardware tech.
One other thing to look at.... there is an adapter for the t-mobile and AT&T device that allows the user to use any Ipaq accessory. The connector on the t-mobile/AT&T is the same as the Ipaqs but the pinout is different. So someone came up with an adapter to fix the pinout. Basically if you wanted any of the IPAQ 3600/3700 accessories such as a GPS or BT, you could use this now. More info.... http://www.datanywhere.net/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=DI&Product_Code=XD-IPA&Affiliate=dc

I just got off of the phone with a T-Mobile store here in Tampa, Florida and they stated that their PPC's are still 32 megs of RAM. I then called the Data Wireless Group (which probably is a joke) at T-Mobile and they said that they are not aware (shock) that they were shipping 64 megs of internal RAM just yet. So, I suppose I would have to just stick with the 32 or do as you say and get that upgrade kit from PPC Techs. I looked on their website by the way and could not find a software upgrade for SDIO :(. Bummer. Anyway, thanks for the links about the adapter.

Thank you,
Monty Gibson

[smittyofdhs]

opps, my fault..... o2 is the one shipping the new devices with the additional ram and SDIO upgrade (rumor), not t-mobile. o2 is the first company that used the HTC design. I'm sure t-mobile and AT&T are going down the same path as o2 so I'm sure there's something in the works already.

[Monty Gibson]

opps, my fault..... o2 is the one shipping the new devices with the additional ram and SDIO upgrade (rumor), not t-mobile. o2 is the first company that used the HTC design. I'm sure t-mobile and AT&T are going down the same path as o2 so I'm sure there's something in the works already.

Hey, you're right. I had one of the "techs" from Data Wireless Group give me a callback (how about that?) and he said that "early next year they hope to release a new version." Hmmm... that's a little interesting. Kinda makes me hopeful! He then said that they have an "Upgrade" progam in place. So, perhaps we can get an upgrade on the PPC without having to eBay :lol:! Can't wait. This isn't a rumor... it's what he said :P so, I have to take him at his word... we'll see.

Thank you,
Monty Gibson