Htc Touch Hd Vs. Iphone (sort Of Long) Lol

[anotheruser]

The latest blogs about smart phones are always comparing these two phones. I am fortunate enough to own both of them. So I will try to answer the question "is the HD an iPhone killer?" as objectively as I can. I have no reason to praise one device over another as which ever one wins, I win as I own both. I have only used my HD for a day now so my comparison will be limited in some ways. I am comparing both devices without jailbreaking or hacking.

The HTC is not nearly as slick as the iPhone at anything it does. The ease of use and interface makes the phone seem like the iPhone's retarded little brother. The screen response is nowhere as good. The web browser looks very nice but is not as good due to the lagginess and slightly unresponsive, resistive screen. The browser lags so badly that even when the HTC gets 3G and the iPhone is on GPRS the HTC loads so slowly that the difference is far diminished. The IPhones capacitive screen makes it the best touch screen around and that seems like it will go unchallenged for quite some time. It is impossible to use the HTC with out resorting to pulling out the stylus at times.

If you need to do anything more advanced than make a call or play a song then Winmo will come out and raise it's ugly head. Touchflo on the HD is like a customised skin for an application on the computer is. It can hide the fact that an app is ugly but doesn't change what the app is. My only analogy here is an ugly hooker with a lot of make up (that does it convincingly enough it takes you around 5 minutes to discover "she" is not actually a woman). For whatever reason Aerosmith's song "Dude looks like a lady" is in my head now.

That being said it isn't difficult to surmise that the iPhone keyboard beats the HTC by a long shot. The HTC virtual keyboard is too small, the auto correct feature is bad and for whatever reason HTC decided to pull an Apple and only let you use the landscape typing in the web browser. In fact the only program the acceloremeter works with out of the box is the browser as far as I know.

As far as reception goes the HTC wins hands down here. This is a very big point as what can you do with a smart phone if you don't get reception? I have an iPhone and my roommate also has one. Last night at the pub we both went online on our phones to surf. I was getting full bars of 3G coverage with the HTC and my roommate was getting 3 bars of GPRS service. At one point when trying to run a speed test his went to no service. At home it is the same thing both iPhones get GPRS only but the HTC gets full bars of GPRS and tests out at 1.9 MBPS. The radio in the HTC is 100 times better for data and calling. This is one of the few things the HTC beats the iPhone at.

I wouldn't however say that it is much to HTC"s credit however as I would be more inclined to say that the iPhone has sub par cell performance. Next time I am in the Apple store where the iPhone gets hardly any signal I will have my HTC with me and show the "genius" my full 5 bars of 3G signal. I hope that will make them stop lying and saying 3G just doesn't work inside. If they claim it is the SIM I will inform them that my HTC is unlocked and that is my iPhone SIM inside it. LOL The HTC merely works as any phone should. If the iPhone actually got good reception it is unlikely that I would have an HTC to compare it to right now.

There is no software fix that will be coming for the iPhone radio it is a hardware issue and when Apple says otherwise I think they are lying. They have sold too many of these things by now to fess up to the problem and issue a recall. The up side to this is they will probably knock $50 off the next version, tell the carriers to up the plan prices by $200 to compensate and put out a phone that has decent cell performance. I am looking forward to the keynote in January!!!

The screen and audio on the HTC is pretty good. My friend immediately said that the screen on his iPhone looked better but I didn't notice it as much. The external speaker on the HTC beats the iPhones by quite a margin it is much louder without as much distortion. The HTC is capable of getting normal radio stations as well. With headphones on the HTC is at least as good as the iPhone for audio and probably better. I am no hardcore audiophile so I can't elaborate much more on this.

The battery life while it is early seems much better on the HTC. This is another huge point as what can you do on a smart phone if your battery runs out? I have Bluetooth, wifi, 3G and everything else enabled on it and the battery meter isnt going down in front of my eyes. Whatever the case ends up being I have to say here the fact that the battery is replaceable makes the HTC win hands down as far as power management goes. I will be curious to see if the GPS takes more power than the cable can supply as is the case of the iPhone's GPS. Even when plugged in the iPhone using GPS will drain down so you can't charge it in the car and have GPS constantly on. The same is true of the work around for "tethering" on the iPhone. Oh and the HTC GPS locates me (an important feature when one wants to use GPS LOL) The iPhone GPS gives me a wide circle that shows where I might be with in 10 miles and has been like that since software update 2.1.

In regards to the bluetooth stack the HTC wins again. I am not saying the iPhone bluetooth is horrible but it is hard to say because Apple won't give anybody the benefit of actually using it. I can tether the HTC to my mac and it can be charging while giving my Mac a 2 MBPS connection.

One nice little thing I noticed is that the HTC detects your network settings and you don't have to go into it and input your APN password etc. It hooks you up with data straight from the box. No fuss, no muss. People will say an iPhone does this but if you bought it at an official store the salesman actually did that for you.

My iPhone however did automatically connect to DTAC when I was in Thailand and drained my prepaid credit because of it always looking for a data connection. I don't know if anybody else has had that experience that was my first gen iPhone and awhile back so things might have changed. In this case I had to actually put in a fake APN to stop it. When I wanted data I would delete the fake APN and leave it blank.

I wish Apple would allow you to disable widgets on the iPhone but as far as they are concerned if you own an iPhone you have a data plan and if you don't that's your problem. The concern here for "legitimate users" is what about when you are on data roaming? I was in Ireland using my iPhone and data roaming is 3 pounds per MB. That is expensive but it is ok if you just use it to check your email and maybe Google a restaurant or two to get info. I don't want widgets trying to suck data in such a scenario. I am paying through the nose for that data and every single KB counts. I managed to squeak by on just under a MB on my trip and it cost me 3 pounds but I had to always turn data roaming on and off to keep my widgets (which Apple won't allow you to disable or remove) in check. Is there some reason I should have to toggle between data roaming on and off when I travel? I am not amused by this.

The HTC is fully unlocked out of the box. Yes the iPhone I have is subsidised (and thus the company selling it has a very legitimate interest to enforce the contract) but when I read the small print O2 cheerfully informs that they won't unlock it even after my contract is finished. So in 18 months if I don't want to use their service I can take advantage of it as a full featured iPod!! Thank you O2, Kudos to you Apple. I know it could be unlocked in the future but right now the best description I have ever heard of the 3G iPhone is that it is the "North Korea" of cell phones. Unlockable and without voiding your warranty only able to download apps that Apple wants. If I want porn apps on my phone what business does Apple have saying I can't? Oh that's right I only want Disney content that I can watch with the kids (I don't have kids so you all can breath a sigh of relief here) that I paid for from iTunes.

The Ipod features on the iPhone aren't even vaguely in doubt when compared. Ease of use and syncing from a Mac or PC work on the iPhone and work well. To sync my HTC to a Mac I had to buy a 3rd party program. So as far as compatibility goes oddly enough Apple (in regards to the phone itself not their computers) wins on this one. I don't care who is to blame here people will say it is Apple as they should provide better drivers for os x or whatever. I can only say as an end user the HTC cost me $40 for the missing sync software I need and that is a hidden cost to an already excessively expensive phone (500 pounds).

I haven't had time to watch videos yet on the HTC but various feedback on web forums indicate that it may have some lag and lackluster performance in regards to video play back. I will convert some and see if that is in fact the case. I am not one for running benchmarks and if it plays well then it plays well if I don't notice any flaws with the naked eye.

The browser on the HTC looks really good but is very clumsy to use. You must enter .com, .co.uk etc. and given the keyboard that can be a pain. I actually like the double tap to enlarge and shrink text as opposed to the two finger pinch in and out of the iPhone. The problem on the HTC is that as far as I know when you enlarge things using double tap they aren't centered. So you have to enlarge and then drag it over to see what you wanted to view. I was also having problems clicking links and getting them to open. That is pretty frustrating when on a forum and you want to say... go to page 2. If you hadn't used an iPhone before though the browsing would probably be an amazing experience.

People always mention the iPhone has the app store. I agree the app store is great but I was able to go online and download CAB files for my HTC without having to have Papa Jobs approval. People always argue that it is Apple protecting the end users experienceby not allowing apps that could, be malicious, battery drains, useful, unique, etc. The Microsoft approach here seems to be to offer you a crappy experience to begin with and they don't seem to be the least bit concerned if you run right out and download stuff that makes it even crappier. I haven't downloaded enough things to comment about quality of apps or anything but certainly you can put whatever you want on the HTC. It is possible that there are 3rd party solutions for the HTC that would improve it and that is the case with iPhone. An iPhone with no 3rd party apps does very little so it will be interesting to see the progression of apps for the HD.

As far as form factor goes the iPhone absolutely destroys the HTC. The HTC looks and feels like some cheap Palm device from yester year. The feel of the iPhone in your hand is much better due to it's curved back. The HTC feels awkward in comparison. It is possible that I could get used to it and it feels weird just because it is new however.

This is already too long winded so I will sum it up here. The HTC is a phone and a very good phone, nothing more and nothing less. The iPhone is a great iPod and a horrible phone if you depend on that function heavily. The HTC isn't an iPhone killer and I couldn't picture it ever becoming one.

If Apple would open up the bluetooth stack, use a replaceable battery, put in a half decent cell chip, sell it unlocked ( I know I am asking for a lot here, but why wouldn't Apple want to succeed?) then the iPhone wouldn't even have a competitor that is even close. I know that could be argued but if they did those things I wouldn't have an HTC to even make a comparison. The fact that I have one is a telling sign that the iPhone isn't the say all end all in regards to smart phones. I feel like a man with two wives. One that is pretty and I love to be with and the other more homely one. The one that while she doesn't look as good and and isn't all that sexy does the job when I need it to. The killer here is both of them just love me for my money anyway.

Oh I will be using both of these devices in Thailand to keep it Thai related.

I was bored today so typed this up and that is the end of my rant.

[tjo o tjim]

Good balanced review; agree with most of your points, especially on the shortcomings of iPhone Bluetooth. Bottom line is that the perfect device does not yet exist.

Supposedly, AIS will be offering the iPhone soon on a domestic contract. With any luck, it will be unlocked when it comes; roaming data rates are obscene and harken back to the days of pure GPRS speeds. (Just downloading the TV Forum home page would be 55B with roaming.) In the meantime, getting an unlocked Hong Kong iPhone is the best bet (readily available in Fortune).

I bought a Richard Solo external battery pack for my iPhone-- it has a dock connector to plug into the bottom of the phone, and can re-charge it as well. That pushes me to two days of use without charging with no problems.

For me, I am stuck with a cheap Motorola phone I can tether with and the iPhone, when traveling.

[anotheruser]

Well I knew the Bluetooth issue when I bought the iPhone. My main issue is really the bad reception. I thought I was not in a 3G coverage area until I put the SIM into my HTC. If you are in the heart of a city this isn't noticeable but if anybody out there is living outside of an urban center than I would keep this in mind. I am not out in the sticks right now by any means. I am basically in suburban London. As far as the battery pack goes did you get it locally in Thailand or online and what did it cost you? I would like to purchase one of those.

I will be surprised if Apple allows the 3G to go on sale in a market with out 3G coverage. Apple is a bit like Thai people in some ways and doesn't like losing face.

[ozymandious]

for the touch (or any WM smart phone) try the new Opera Mobile 9.5 beta.

It's a much nicer browsing experience over the stock browser.

[anotheruser]

for the touch (or any WM smart phone) try the new Opera Mobile 9.5 beta.

It's a much nicer browsing experience over the stock browser.

I was using Opera actually. I am sorry that I neglected to add that in my post. There are a ton of things forgot to put in the original post.

[bill1960]

for the touch (or any WM smart phone) try the new Opera Mobile 9.5 beta.

It's a much nicer browsing experience over the stock browser.

I was using Opera actually. I am sorry that I neglected to add that in my post. There are a ton of things forgot to put in the original post.

Anotheruser

Thanks for the HD review, will look fwd to updates.

I'm looking for a big display (non brick) WM 3G phone that gives me access to markets when on the move . Choice of WM mainly so I can edit/view my excel spreadsheets and sync to my PC.

Omnia seemed the best WM phone for my needs but HTC HD seems better again ?

[monty]

Would indeed love to see such an in dept review on the omnia!

[anotheruser]

Bill,

I don't know what to tell you. I am not a tech guru by any means and the HD is the first WM smart phone I have ever had. Now I am experiencing problems with it. Programs don't install, it freezes up, things don't sync right. I am a bit unusual as I am using it with a Mac and expected some headaches but everything is like pulling teeth. I understand there are many more hardware options out there that Winmo has to support but at some point shouldn't a smart, mobile device have to play nice with others? Shouldn't compatibility be a key feature? Though I can't complain I chose to use the Mac platform so I deserve nothing but really expensive things made by Apple to work. Reap what you sow I suppose.

The video play back isn't that smooth and there are now tons of threads about this on the net. When I played with an Omnia I just didn't like the look and feel of it is all I can say. My honeymoon with the HD lasted about a day and the impressions from my the time of writing the first blurbs about it have become more pessimistic now. It is advertised as a capable media player and touted for it's video play back and that doesn't seem to be the case.

Another thing I am not liking is that every single program for this thing costs like $30. You want the screen to tilt to landscape in any app? $30 You want a video player with better codecs so you might be able to watch a video? $30. I already paid 500 quid for this thing and I didn't expect so many hidden costs for getting it to things I assumed it could do. I am not an office type user so I guess I am not benefiting from what people use Winmo for.

It really shows that Apple despite being a bunch of control freaks really did something great with the app store. There are many crappy applications but the dozen or so really useful ones are stable, easy to install/use and dirt cheap and in many cases free. I expect my iPhone to change more over time than the HD will.

I do have a choice of educating myself and learning how to tweak my HTC out, use home cooked ROM and use bootcamp on my Mac so it gives me the optimal experience. I am just lacking the enthusiasm to do so. It isn't that I can't learn to do all of this stuff but in my experience is that I don't like the phone enough to pick it up and become curious enough to do that. I have been looking for programs to download and for whatever reason many things are giving me errors when I go to use them. Again this is my incompetence as far as the world of Winmo goes...but I tend to just put the thing down and shrug. After awhile I pick it up again thinking this time I will see what I am doing wrong. So I start fresh and same results. I am not the most inept user out there so how much of the blame falls in my lap is really hard to say.

My feeling on the matter is that perhaps for die hard Winmo devices this might be ideal but even at the fan boy sites for the HD it is beginning to get a cold reception. People seem to be sort of praying it isn't as bad as they think and want it to work. I don't blame them I am sort of in that camp right now as I shelled out a bunch of money and want to love this phone. I just can't.

For casual users on an iPhone that think "Hey, this looks nice maybe I can switch to this" don't bother. I know it sucks being at Apple's mercy and not having a warranty in Thailand but the HD isn't the alternative. It seems to me that serious business users are just using two phones now like I am. One for fun and one for excel. If I keep it I am wondering if Android could be ported to it later? This maybe an acceptable alternative at that point but then you are dealing with a rev a phone and beta OS.

I figured if nothing else I would use it for video play back but choppy video is a deal breaker. Nobody seems to be sure if this is a software or hardware issue. It would be okay but HTC itself is hyping it as the best thing around for video. The screen is also way more reflective than the iPhone. It at times seems like a mirror to me. It is also a bit of a strain to use in bright sunlight. The camera is much better than the IPhone but then again what isn't? It still doesn't have a flash which kills that argument for 12 hours a day in Asia. It does take better pictures in low light conditions though. I am having a bit of buyers remorse and wondering if it is just me and I should hold on to it and really give this thing a chance or send it back now.

I wish I could let Bill play with it for a few hours and tell me what he thought LOL. Maybe I would be shown why this thing is great but at the moment I am just not feeling it.

The ideal phone would use the HD media capabiities and interface and the iPhone's Bluetooth stack, cell chip, camera and office capabilities and only play nice with the Linux OS. Now that would be truly a phone I could get behind. LOL It seems we are 5 years off from really usable phones that can replace laptops. I don't think they need to be faster or more capable just over all more reliable, easy to use, and most importantly put a good cell chip in it.

I have decided to keep it for two reasons only: all reports I have read all rate the reception very strong as well as the battery life. It connects anywhere and this is something I really need in the area I am going. I am paying a high price for that but ok it browses the web sufficiently too. It will be my only communication device so that's pretty important to me.

In 3 months the HD won't be anything special but I believe the iPhone will still be at the top. I say this as while people say the iPhone can never meet business needs and is only a consumer device.... there are 6 billion consumers and huge amount of them want an iPhone if it is available or they can justify the cost or afford it. How many business users are there in comparison? That being said even many business users wish their IT department supported the iPhone or it did a few things they need so they could cross over.

[stumonster]

for movie playback http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Core_Pocket_Media_Player - originally known as betaplayer

it runs well on my WM2003SE Dell Axim X50V - though it is a 640x480 VGA screen with graphics chip ( released in July04 ) .

[mezzoninny]

Thanks for the review, anotheruser. I enjoyed the read and you've raised a few points that nobody's mentioned before.

I've been wondering for several months if a smartphone would be right for me. Quite a few devices seemed fun and interesting (I was fixated on the SE X1) and a lot of my observations agreed with yours: every WM app that's apparently solid with an important use seems to cost $30! But I think in the end, I'm just too casual of a user to need a smartphone the way you or some of the other members here do. And there's always a deficiency here or a price premium there when I did the math. So I think I'm back to buying an ipod touch or a netbook.

If any one of these devices supported a full-size bluetooth keyboard, I'd be more than happy to fork out $800, 900 for the setup, but it's just impossible to confirm. Windows Mobile support is no longer a sure thing with version 6.1, and of course Apple would prefer if I just bought a $1299 macbook. I don't really want to buy a keyboard that may or may not work, and then take it to one of those IT malls and squeak "lemme try the ___ thing and if it works, maybe I'll buy it!"

I don't think they need to be faster or more capable just over all more reliable, easy to use, and most importantly put a good cell chip in it.

And although I think that's the best direction to take, I really doubt that would happen. Nowadays all anyone seems to want is to get new stuff out the door, they work the firmware up till the day before launch, they don't care about bugs, and they're not given the resources to care if they wanted to. I think it's especially obvious with Apple products. This is against my personal ethics, but I guess that must be the zeitgeist right now. I once observed that Samsung kept releasing updates for MP3 players up to a year after launch, and several people needed to know why I thought that's a bad thing!

[anotheruser]

As far as I know the HD can use a Bt keyboard. I haven't tried and you most likely need to pay for the keyboard plus some software script to make it run. I really don't know but it is rumored you can do so.

[bill1960]

There's a bunch of reviews here, the one from Pocketnow is very extensive with lots of pics

http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=porta...ews&id=1111

http://www.slashgear.com/htc-touch-hd-slas...part-1-0521514/

http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/0,39030106,49299703,00.htm

http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/HTC-Touch-...iew-r_2060.html

General consensus is HTC HD is the best WM touchscreen phone to date but doesnt match up to the Iphone as a multimedia device.

For business use one of the reviewers prefers the HTC Touch Pro due to the full slide-out qwerty keyboard but then we're entering brick territory at 165grms and its only a 2.8"display compared to HD's 3.8", 146grms.

http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=porta...ews&id=1094

Paying $30 to get the keyboard to work in landscape mode across all programs is a bit rich considering the cost of the phone. No doubt HTC will bring out a new improved model in the near term

As someone mentioned before, give it 6-12 months and there will be plenty of big display pocket friendly smartphones to choose from.

[nikster]

Good review - I have read much more glowing reviews on the HTC but I guess they just can't do anything about the crap software platform (WinMo). Stuff like not centering on double-tap - that's the kind of stuff Apple excels at. They get the little details right.

I only have a 1G iPhone and must say it doesn't have any connectivity problems. No dropouts, good reception compared to my Nokia N73. Sometimes fails to connect to GPRS but not often enough to blame it on the phone, might well be the network. Maybe the 3G is worse? Battery life is also excellent unless i browse the web a lot. For calling and music, it lasts forever.

[anotheruser]

Not sure my rev a iphone didn't get good signal when every cheap phone in the village could. I really don't know. If you get good reception that's great but you can imagine my frustration. I think you are probably in the center of a big city and haven't really had to truly test it though. Let's get Garya an iPhone to go with his ipstar and see what he says

[sabaijai]

I compared both, ended up buying the HTC, more bang for the buck IMO. Also I need a good phone - as you point out, the iPhone is crap as a phone - and was already acculturated to WinMobile (and like it - yep in the minority!) from using older brands. Also prefer using styli to putting fingerprints all over the screen

[nikster]

Not sure my rev a iphone didn't get good signal when every cheap phone in the village could. I really don't know. If you get good reception that's great but you can imagine my frustration. I think you are probably in the center of a big city and haven't really had to truly test it though. Let's get Garya an iPhone to go with his ipstar and see what he says

Nah I am out in the boonies... iPhone 1 is fine, just fine.

I do know how frustrating bad reception is though, I have had antennas broken in my phones and spent some time in the USA where reception is bad even in major metropolitan areas. Like the heart of Silicon Valley. It's absurd.

[anotheruser]

My first gen iphone didn't work in the boonies either. How far are you from the tower? I did think about getting a rev a but thought it wouldn't work. Perhaps I have some hope? What is the first gen 8 GB running at MBK these days?

[mezzoninny]

As far as I know the HD can use a Bt keyboard. I haven't tried and you most likely need to pay for the keyboard plus some software script to make it run. I really don't know but it is rumored you can do so.

Thanks again for the help. Specifically, I'm hoping I can use Apple's bluetooth keyboard, and I gathered from several sources that it works fine (or can be made to work) with any Windows laptop, but can't be guaranteed to work with WM. It might connect with some keys inoperative (the letter A?), or it might not work at all.

[anotheruser]

I am tired now but will try with my apple Bt keyboard tomorrow. It doesn't detect it as a device automatically. I will toy around with it later. I heard that it lacks any drivers but really don't know.

[Fun2Fun]

Would indeed love to see such an in dept review on the omnia!

Have one and can do so

Pros:

An Omnia with the latest ROM version and correctly calibrated is fast, very responsive and finger friendly.

Video is smooth and goes without hitches.

Sound quality for listening to music is great.

All app's work in portrait and landscape.

The camera is user friendly and makes great pictures.

It makes video in good quality and can also make 120 frames per second slow motion video.

Its pocket friendly and have great sound during calls.

It its battery capacity is ok and with normal use it can be used for a few days without charging.

Have had no problems with signal reception and its also very easy to connect to Wi-Fi Networks.

In Thailand it is delivered with Route 66 GPS Navigation Software, 3.5 jack converter, headphones, charger, mobile charger and dashboard holder.

Cons:

The screen resolution could have been higher for web surfing and spreadsheet working but for daily use and video the resolution works just fine.

It would have been nice if it had a 3.5 headphone jack, but then again it comes with a "coverter" which works ok since you plug your headset in above the mic and can use any headset as handsfree.

It would be more "exclusive" looking if it were made in metal, but its plastic build is still very compact, relatively light and solid constructed.

The camera in dark conditions and its flash functions could have been better.

Windows Mobile

In regards to 3 party software for Windows Mobile, yes some do cost a few bucks but you can also find large selection of free ones at places like FreeWare Pocket PC , Downloads.Com and Softpedia

Also there is a lot of free programs, tips and tricks to be found in forums like Modaco and XDA Developers Forum

[anotheruser]

You might want to make a new thread for your review. I don't care you posted it in this one but if you made a dedicated thread it might get more views.

[Fun2Fun]

You might want to make a new thread for your review. I don't care you posted it in this one but if you made a dedicated thread it might get more views.

Just made a quicky in response to monty's request

Might also make a full review with pictures in a new tread if there is any interest

[anotheruser]

If you have the spare time on your hands I will read it

[anotheruser]

I can't get the Apple BT keyboard to connect to the HD. It doesn't see it as a device.

[PattayaDavid]

You might want to make a new thread for your review. I don't care you posted it in this one but if you made a dedicated thread it might get more views.

Just made a quicky in response to monty's request

Might also make a full review with pictures in a new tread if there is any interest

I would like to see a full review of the Omnia with user opinions.  I saw on Fox News last night that the new Blackberry Storm with touchscreen was recently introduced in high demand in the United States.  It's a good looking phone, but I really don't know anything about it.

[nikster]

I would like to see a full review of the Omnia with user opinions.  I saw on Fox News last night that the new Blackberry Storm with touchscreen was recently introduced in high demand in the United States.  It's a good looking phone, but I really don't know anything about it.

Looks like the BB Storm is the top iPhone competitor ATM. Good overview review here:

http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/21/switche...s-on-the-storm/

[mezzoninny]

I can't get the Apple BT keyboard to connect to the HD. It doesn't see it as a device.

Thanks again anotheruser! Your help is greatly appreciated 

[anotheruser]

The reviews that I have seen for the storm have been pretty cold. The GSM unit on it is only a secondary unit as the primary cell chip is for for CDMA or whatever Verizon uses. So if you use a Storm in Thailand the GSM chip is an after thought for people that might roam once in awhile. The other failing point of course is no wifi and we know Thailand doesn't have a great network. The other main criticism I have heard is that the "tactile" feedback is a complete failure and slows typing down and the over all OS is laggy. Also no support is bundled for a MAc as compared to prior BB units. If you hook a Storm to a Mac nothing happens at all.

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/11/20/...y-storm-review/

I found a few other reviews that said the same thing about the typing input but I can't find them now. For whatever reason half of my post was wiped out and I had to type this all over again. Sorry If it didn't make sense at first, if it even does now LOL

So I went into the Apple store today and told them about what I have already said here about the HD radio getting 2 MBPS and the iPhone barely getting GPRS. At first the "genius" said the signal bars on the iPhone are different. I joked with him that if that is this case a software update that fixes only the bars display would cure this. I was having none of that and told him bars or not I was getting 2 MBPS and the iPhone couldn't stay connected enough to complete a speed test.

After that he dropped the story and just said yeah that the HD probably has a superior radio and a new iPhone if he replaced mine wouldn't be any better as I have two of them getting the exact same response. So he conceded even a new model wouldn't help and told me in the center of London his was the same some times.

This isn't related in any sense and is only of interest to you if you are a potential Macintosh computer buyer, I couldn't justify another thread....

I went for a broken track pad on my late 08 Macbookpro. I just enquired about the iPhone since I was there anyway. I appreciated that at the end he didn't lie to me and just said "that's how it is" instead of his "just works". Here is my experience with the new MBP although it is off topic. Anybody interested in the iPhone could have an interest in Mac computers so... this is copied and pasted but I don't think it requires it's own thread. If you are concerned about computer service for a Mac then you should read further. IF not it's all good.

Just got back from the Apple shop and the repair will cost 225 pounds. This is the first one they have seen needing this repair and it took them awhile to figure out the price. The entire unibody must be replaced. They explained that almost every external part is attached to the unibody the same way.

So if you break the keyboard, power button, ports, battery meter, etc. you are staring at a 225 pound repair. That is the understanding I have from what they said anyway. Even they seemed a little surprised by that.

I also had a faulty bluetooth unit. The bluetooth is located in the screen and they are going to replace the whole lid. They are doing it for free and didn't give me any grief about it. Once they looked it up and found out that the BT was in the screen of the unit they ruled out damage from the track pad. I don't know what replacing a lid would cost if you had to do it out of pocket, I didn't think to ask.

The estimated time of repair is 7-10 days. If any of you need your new MBP serviced don't be surprised if the genius at the shop takes a little while and doesn't know what things cost as they have seen very few of these things so far. I think mine is actually the first one they have had to do hardware repairs to at the Kingston, UK shop.

So it seems to me that if you break anything in the lid you are looking at a complete lid replacement and if you break anything on the unibody it is also a complete replacement. I am less certain on the lid however.

Some people are going to be shocked at the bill when they dump wine into their keyboards. The old MBP keyboard was $60 to replace when I had mine done in Warsaw for comparison.

I asked them if I get to keep the old unibody and the reply was a very firm no. So much for putting it on Ebay.

Sorry if it is long but I am rather garrulous at times. I hope some people find these things useful.

[bill1960]

Looks like the big display touchscreens are coming out thick and fast

just reading about the Nokia 5800 due ~Dec 2008/early 09

Its got a 3.2" display but only weighs 108grams so it's more pocket friendly than the HTC HD at 146grms or the Iphone at 133grms

OS is symbian but presumably you will be able to view/edit excel-word etc by downloading the software from Nokia site.

nokia 5800 specs

http://www.nokia.us/A41271075

review with videos

http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Id=5734

[nikster]

A 7-10 day wait is a bit shocking. Is that supposed to be normal? I know that in the U.S. they'd probably just give you a new machine instead. But service outside the USA is a very different story.