i-mate JASJAM Released

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.clubimate.com/t-DETAILS_JASJAM.aspx' target='_blank'>http://www.clubimate.com/t-DETAILS_JASJAM.aspx</a><br /><br /></div>The shiny JASJAM (HTC Hermes) is here. Within the elegantly curved shell, you'll find quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and tri-band 3G connectivity, a Samsung 400MHz CPU, 64MB RAM, 128MB ROM, integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 1.2, a 2.0-megapixel camera and secondary camera for video calling, a 2.8" QVGA display, a microSD slot, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and Windows Mobile 5.0. You could say this is everything the K-JAM should have been, and more. Well, aside from the meagre memory configuration, of course. ;)<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20060822-jasjam.jpg" /><br /><br />So, who's getting one? Or rather, who already has one?

[MitchellO]

I will in a few months when my M600i has lost its appeal, and I have some money :D

[martin_ayton]

I took delivery of mine this morning 8) and it's charging up as I write. It's branded as a T-Mobile MDA Vario II, but it's still a Hermes. I'm going to keep my Blue Angel going for a while whilst I set the Hermes up and get used to it. There are a bunch of accessories that I want, but very few seem to be available just yet:

- Decent case (PDAir seem to be the only ones who make one and I can't say I'm very impressed with the pictures of it)
- Good screen protector (I'll be talking to PPCTechs later today)
- Headphone adaptor (Nothing on the PPCTechs website yet)
- Memory upgrade (puh-lease PPCTechs... :puppydogeyes: )
- 2Gb MicroSD card :evil: I hated having to do it but I ordered one of those yesterday and it's now sat in the side of the Hermes.

I have a question for those of you who are familiar with WM5 - which of my key apps for the Blue Angel am I going to have to redownload / repurchase because the version (I have the most up-to-date releases) I have will not be compatible with the Hermes?

- Laridian Pocket Bible
- Tom Tom Navigator
- SBP Pocket Plus
- SBP Weather
- Skype
- eReader
- Pocket Informant
- Card export
- SKTools
- Eval Calculator
- MagicSS
- Conduits PocketPlayer
- 4Pockets PocketRTA
- TCPMP
- Total Commander
- Fitaly

And finally, is there now a consensus as to which is the best of the 2 major WM5 backup solutions (Sprite or SPB Backup)?

[MitchellO]

A screen protector for any of the other 2.8" Pocket PC Phones will do. Ones for the HTC Magician should be very easy to find.

I can confirm from when I had my KJAM that TCPMP, Total Commander and Pocket Informant work fine on WM5.

[Foo Fighter]

What's the pricing, and where do you buy i-Mate phones? Oddly not on clubimate, apparently. :?

[SHC]

"And finally, is there now a consensus as to which is the best of the 2 major WM5 backup solutions (Sprite or SPB Backup)?"

I don't know what the concensus is but I've got both and prefer Spb.
Theyve' both got plusses and minuses but on balance - Spb.

[efjay]

And finally, is there now a consensus as to which is the best of the 2 major WM5 backup solutions (Sprite or SPB Backup)?

SK Tools (currently $9) also has a backup option. The latest beta 3 has full support for WM5, maybe worth checking out for backup and its other features as well.

[MitchellO]

Who was the dumb ass who came up with the name? It would be great when someone asks you:

"Hey whats that phone?"

"Its a JASJAM!!"

"Lol"

[Darius Wey]

What's the pricing, and where do you buy i-Mate phones? Oddly not on clubimate, apparently. :?

Usually, random stores online (too many to list), or local carriers. For example, Telstra, the main carrier here in Australia, sells i-mate devices outright or through a plan. They don't stock the JASJAM yet, but they most likely will soon. :)

[Darius Wey]

Who was the dumb ass who came up with the name? It would be great when someone asks you:

"Hey whats that phone?"

"Its a JASJAM!!"

"Lol"

Look on the bright side. At least it's not a JARJAR.

[RogueSpear]

Would it really have been too much to ask for Bluetooth 2.0 and at least a miniSD slot? Always so close to perfection, yet so far away.

[martin_ayton]

I don't know what the concensus is but I've got both and prefer Spb.

Yeah, I was kind of getting that impression from reading around. Thanks for responding.

SK Tools (currently $9) also has a backup option. The latest beta 3 has full support for WM5.

Ooh. Interesting. I currently use SKTools on my BlueAngel and I like it a lot. I'll go try it out. Thank you.

[aquanaut]

Of course it has bluetooth 2.0 with AKU2.3! The A2DP works very nicely with a pair of HBH-DS970's for telephone and wireless stereo tunes... all while grabbing my daily current event fix over a 3G UMTS2100 connection...

Not sure what it needs miniSD for though... I picked up 1Gb of microSD (aka, t-flash) about $34... not a big deal. No experience with miniSD, but my sandisk microSD card is noticebly faster at transfering files than my previous 1gb sandisk SD card.

cheers

[DaveSadler]

Does anyone know of a reputable reseller in North America? www.expansys-usa.com is not listing anything but accessories.

[RogueSpear]

Within the elegantly curved shell, you'll find quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and tri-band 3G connectivity, a Samsung 400MHz CPU, 64MB RAM, 128MB ROM, integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 1.2, a 2.0-megapixel camera and secondary camera for video calling, a 2.8" QVGA display, a microSD slot, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and Windows Mobile 5.0.

Perhaps this is a typo?

[powercx]

Finally someone came out with a smaller 3G Capable PDA Phone rather than the bulky Dopod 900 that was out a few months.

SPB Pocket Plus 3x and SPB PocketWeather 1.3.5 works in WM5.

[Darius Wey]

Within the elegantly curved shell, you'll find quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and tri-band 3G connectivity, a Samsung 400MHz CPU, 64MB RAM, 128MB ROM, integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 1.2, a 2.0-megapixel camera and secondary camera for video calling, a 2.8" QVGA display, a microSD slot, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and Windows Mobile 5.0.

Perhaps this is a typo?

Maybe, maybe not. i-mate seemed pretty clear in further stressing the case by mentioning "without EDR". It's also not uncommon for OEMs to "nerf" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerf(computer_games)) features for whatever reason.

[Stan2]

I took delivery of mine this morning 8) and it's charging up as I write. It's branded as a T-Mobile MDA Vario II, but it's still a Hermes...


Wait, Tmobile is offering the Hermes? I checked out their website and they don't have the hermes listed. Where did you order your?

[efjay]

SK Tools (currently $9) also has a backup option. The latest beta 3 has full support for WM5.

Ooh. Interesting. I currently use SKTools on my BlueAngel and I like it a lot. I'll go try it out. Thank you.[/quote]

I just tried the backup feature in SKTools and it doesnt work very well. You may be better off with SPB or Sprite.

[Brad Adrian]

...which of my key apps for the Blue Angel am I going to have to redownload?

I haven't gone through your list item-by-item, but if you've got the most current version of each, you might not have to re-purchase any. The ones I'm familiar with incorporate WM5 compatibility into their latest releases and do NOT have special WM5 versions. These are the ones I use and which I know you won't need to re-purchase:

- Laridian Pocket Bible
- SBP Pocket Plus
- SBP Weather
- Skype
- eReader
- Conduits PocketPlayer
- Total Commander

Even so, if you happen to have recently purchased an application and will need a newer or WM5-specific version, most developers I've dealt with will either give you a free upgrade or deeply discounted upgrade.

Good luck!

[Brad Adrian]

That device does have a lot to salivate over. But...

Once I got a VGA device, it became very difficult to consider another device without VGA. When I try to use my HP 2755 for something after using my Axim X51v, it's like trying to drive at night with sunglasses on.

[Jason Lee]

As much as i like this device i don't think i will get one.. At least not until 3G is availiable in my area.. and by that time there will be much newer technology out. :D

Besides my 8125 is only 2 months old. :) I gotta give it some time.

[ctmagnus]

What's the pricing, and where do you buy i-Mate phones? Oddly not on clubimate, apparently. :?

Does anyone know of a reputable reseller in North America? www.expansys-usa.com is not listing anything but accessories.

Mad Monkey Boys (www.dweiniger.com)! ('cept they don't appear to stock it yet. :oops: They have the Tytn, though, so if you ask he'll likely be able to get it.)

And for the inquisitive, all apps I ran on my 400MHz iPaq 5550 run fine on my 200MHz JAMin, with the exception of Skype. So you should be able to run just about anything on the Jasjam, with it's 400MHz CPU.

[Darius Wey]

Wait, Tmobile is offering the Hermes? I checked out their website and they don't have the hermes listed. Where did you order your?

That would in Europe, not the US. Assuming you're located in the former, you can contact your local T-Mobile store or check online and see if they're selling them yet.

[Marcel_Proust]

[quote=Foo Fighter]What's the pricing, and where do you buy i-Mate phones? Oddly not on clubimate, apparently. :?

Does anyone know of a reputable reseller in North America? www.expansys-usa.com is not listing anything but accessories.

i see you're in bc. you might want to avoid the usual transborder hassle. i use 2 places in the gta, both of which have given me good service. they both sell it, but i'm not sure they have it in stock right now. see if you can play them off each other for competitive pricing.
http://www.softpocket.ca/ - has a store in downtown Toronto. good service. lots of accessories in stock.
http://www.superiorgadgets.com/ - i think they're a web only service. good prices. i take it people ae satisfied.

[ctmagnus]

i see you're in bc. you might want to avoid the usual transborder hassle. i use 2 places in the gta, both of which have given me good service. they both sell it, but i'm not sure they have it in stock right now. see if you can play them off each other for competitive pricing.
http://www.softpocket.ca/ - has a store in downtown Toronto. good service. lots of accessories in stock.
http://www.superiorgadgets.com/ - i think they're a web only service. good prices. i take it people ae satisfied.

I considered that route, but I got my JAMin for less after tax, next-day shipping, and cross-border fees from MMB than Superior Gadgets was offering it, before taxes and shipping, at the time. And Softpocket's current price is just astronomical compared to what I paid.

It pays to do your research. ;)

[martin_ayton]

Wait, Tmobile is offering the Hermes? I checked out their website and they don't have the hermes listed. Where did you order your?

I don't know where you're based, Stan2. I'm in the UK and T-Mobile are definitely selling the things over here. However, you have to call them: they don't appear to have updated their website yet so you can't order them online.

Note of caution: The MDA Vario II is missing the video call button. The video call functionality is still there, but the hardware button is gone. I can sort of understand this from the point of view of them not wanting a lot of complaints about expensive (and battery-hungry) video calls being invoked by accident, but I'm sure I could have thought of something to re-map that button to :D

[martin_ayton]

[I haven't gone through your list item-by-item, but if you've got the most current version of each, you might not have to re-purchase any. ...
Even so, if you happen to have recently purchased an application and will need a newer or WM5-specific version, most developers I've dealt with will either give you a free upgrade or deeply discounted upgrade.

Thanks Brad. I'm going to try installing some stuff this afternoon if I get the time. It should be fun trying to shoehorn what I have on my capacious BA into the rather smaller memory footprint of the Hermes.

[whydidnt]

Mad Monkey Boys (www.dweiniger.com)! ('cept they don't appear to stock it yet. :oops: They have the Tytn, though, so if you ask he'll likely be able to get it.)


I'm having a difficult time understanding what's different between the TyTN and the JasJam. Why would I want one instead of the other? In other words, is there any reason to wait for a the JasJam?

[MitchellO]

Mad Monkey Boys (www.dweiniger.com)! ('cept they don't appear to stock it yet. :oops: They have the Tytn, though, so if you ask he'll likely be able to get it.)


I'm having a difficult time understanding what's different between the TyTN and the JasJam. Why would I want one instead of the other? In other words, is there any reason to wait for a the JasJam?

I might be wrong, but i think the only difference is the slight difference in their design.

[DaveSadler]

Mad Monkey Boys (www.dweiniger.com)! ('cept they don't appear to stock it yet. :oops: They have the Tytn, though, so if you ask he'll likely be able to get it.)


I'm having a difficult time understanding what's different between the TyTN and the JasJam. Why would I want one instead of the other? In other words, is there any reason to wait for a the JasJam?

I might be wrong, but i think the only difference is the slight difference in their design.

Have we heard any concensus on the JasJam having only Bluetooth 1.x?

[dignow96]

Club i-mate is stating "V1.2 supported without EDR". So are all of the resellers in this corner of the world. http://www.imate.com/t-DETAILS_JASJAM.aspx
As long as its not as thick as the K-Jam I will probably be trading up my Jamin. Will let post some thoughts if I do.

[phreaker18]

i have heard that there are some bugs in this device like screen alignment problems ...is that true and did anyone confirm the BT 1.2 without EDR??