07-09-2009, 09:13 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 119
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Upgraded to a Dash 3G
I'm not seeing a lot of chatter on this phone so I thought I'd share my experience as a non-employee, non-professional reviewer, "early adopter". Summary is, so far it's great!
I've been through the XDA, MPx220, SDA, and Dash (non 3G), so you tell I quickly had a preference for the non-touch screen. I was an early PDA and early Tablet PC adopter too, but IMO touch screens belong on desktops and stationary laptops, not mobile devices which are frequently used in bouncy conditions and situations where it's innappropriate to look at the device and find the virtual button. My ideal device would have a touch screen that's always off by default, so it's available but developers couldn't insist on it being there as a primary input mechanism. That's why for me it's a joy to have the trackball. It's a "smartphone" device, so buttons are the primary input, but the velicity sensitive trackball helps bridge the gap for fast scrolling and web navigation. Not as good as a touch screen, but much better than being forced to use the touch screen.
I'm also excited about the GPS. It took some wrangling to figure out that Live Search (now Bing) needs to be configured to COM4 to work with the GPS, but once I got it set right I found it worked remarkably well outdoors and in my car. Inside my house it won't acquire, but I guess this is common with a GPS? I do find the lack of a compass is an oversight; it maintains my place well but loses my "direction" (the way I'm facing) at intersections. Related, the Google maps application with GPS worked right out of the box; I stayed away from the TeleNav application since it apparently is a subscription service and they don't make their pricing or billing models clear when the app. launches. I wasn't able to configure Pocket Streets to use the GPS, it complains about a "bluetooth connection". Guidance here would be appreciated.
The HTC home screen interface wasn't immediately to my taste. Too much iPhone glitz and not enough real content. But it is growing on me and can be swapped out if desired. The device is extremely snappy and runs multiple applications at once without bogging down. The only issue I've had so far with processor speed is with Skype mobile, which is notoriously bad when receiving new messages. The 3G speed is a pleasant upgrade too, I'm finally comfortable browsing the web without first disabling images.
And of course, I wouldn't end this review without pointing out how awesomely helpful and available the T-Mobile staff were here in my Berkeley store. I've been with Sprint (fair) and AT&T/Cingular (they'd have to pay me to a sizable salary to be their customer again). T-Mobile customer service is first class!
Questions? Suggestions on Pocket Streets?
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Hybrid Mode
