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Posted by Ann on April 9, 2006, 7:16 am
Please log in for more thread options I loved your review! I had been looking at the 8125 but my employer bought
me a treo 700w which I like except for verizon! I'm still use my Motorola
V551 on Cingular because I'm on a plan that doesn't expire until August and
all of my family are on Cingular.
> Extensive Cingular 8125 Review
> Introduction
>
> I have been carrying around a Motorola V551 and an Ipaq 4150 for about
> a year and although I was happy with the performance of both these
> devices the bother of carrying around both of them, dialing up through
> my cell to access the internet on my pda, and their age led me late
> last year to begin looking seriously at a converged solution.
>
> My initial search was frustrating, as the more I read about the
> devices that were available the more it seemed that nothing on the
> market would meet my needs. These were:
> A reliable cell phone with good battery life that gets a good signal
> in rural areas
> A reliable pda that could handle all of my PIM functions
> Daily internet use and access to the news through serviced like
> Avantgo
> On demand access to my email
> Several hours of daily use as an Mp3 player
> Preferably Windows based as I needed to be able to view and use word
> and excel documents and I prefer the platform
> Small/light form factor
> Preferably useable on the Cingular network
> Reasonable price
> QWERTY keyboard
>
> The most obvious candidate on the market at the time for a converged
> device was the Treo 650. Although I was impressed with the reviews,
> several things gave me pause, first of all it seemed that the device
> was not able to do serious multitasking, a must for me. Additionally,
> I didn't want to learn a whole new OS after using Windows 2003 for so
> long. Finally, rumors had it that a new Treo with windows would be
> coming out soon so I figured if I was just patient I might be able to
> get that phone.
>
> Although I would consider myself somewhat of a tech geek, I have to
> admit that when I began researching converged devices I had no idea
> how complicated or confusing it would turn out to be. For example, I
> had never heard of HTC, a Taiwanese company that apparently
> manufactured almost every pda/phone of note out on the market, nor
> that the same phone from HTC was rebranded by everyone and their
> grandmother. However, once I got this sorted out, mostly with the help
> of the following website:
> http://www.geekzone.co.nz/smartdevi...ype=PDA%20Phone
>
> I finally starting feeling that there might be hope, this feeling was
> significantly strengthened when I found out about the wonderful
> devices from HTC that were available in other markets, and
> specifically when I found out about the HTC Wizard, which was not
> available in the USA but seemed to offer all of the functions and
> features that I wanted/needed. Unfortunately an unlocked version of
> the Wizard cost over $600, which was well out of my price range. Then
> I discovered the 8125, and of course howard forum's 8125 pre-release
> thread, and like all of you I have been waiting for the phone to come
> out ever since.
>
> My phone arrived yesterday, due to the almost limitless amounts of
> time that were available to me before it finally came out (yes that's
> a dig at cingular ?) I new exactly how I would customize the phone
> before it got here. I already had a 1gb mini sd memory card and most
> of the software I needed. But first a little bit about Ergonomics and
> build.
>
> Ergonomics and Build
>
> The size and weight are perfect for me, it weighs just about a little
> more than the 4150 I was using before, and significantly less than the
> two devices I was carrying around in my pocket. I also like the way
> the device looks, although initially I preferred the wiz200 (aka
> K-jam) look,the 8125's simple industrial design has grown on me over
> the course of the weeks, and now that I can see it in person I love
> it.
>
> I appreciate that HTC went with the standard mini-usb cable for power
> up and syncing, and I also appreciate the plethora of buttons on the
> device. Unfortunately, one major oversight on the part of HTC mars an
> otherwise well put together device, lack of dedicated Start and
> Ok/Close keys. Given my druthers I would have placed those two keys on
> either side of the directional pad where there is plenty of real
> estate. More about how I got around this problem below.
>
> The buttons are all easily in reach and responsive, the only other
> problem I have had is that I occasionally hit the camera button when I
> am sliding out the keyboard. The keyboard itself is a marvel; I can
> easily type out long email messages and have even spent time editing
> reports and spreadsheets with almost no trouble. Of course the fact
> that the keyboard is a moving part means that the potential that it
> will get loose or break is high, this is just a reality of owning a
> device like this and it's a risk I'm willing to take. Another small
> issue I have run into is that when the headphones are plugged into the
> device they jut out of the right side of the keyboard making typing
> with the device just ever so slightly awkward.
>
> The integration of the sliding keyboard of course leaves plenty of
> room on the front of the device for a 240x320 screen. The screen
> quality is as good as my previous 4150 but obviously not as good as
> modern pdas with VGA screens. This doesn't bother me much because
> first of all I'm not much of a snob when it comes to my display, and
> second of all I appreciate the savings in battery power that come with
> the lower quality screen.
>
> I have heard some complaints about the sound on the stereo speakers,
> but I find sound to be loud and clear. The phone speaker is also quite
> good and the microphone provides good sound according to those on the
> other end of the call. The power button is well placed and recessed
> and I have not had it activate itself once in my pocket.
>
> Setup
>
> As I mentioned above, the long wait for the 8125 had me well prepared
> once it got here. I knew exactly what software I wanted to install and
> how I wanted to configure the device. For the benefit of those who
> might be having trouble, or those who are just curious, here is how I
> setup my 8125.
>
> Software
> I had previously installed Activesync 4.1, which is required for
> Windows Mobile 5 devices. I had originally had quite a bit of trouble
> with the software, but quickly discovered that my problem lay with my
> firewall. Once configuring my firewall as outlined on the website
> below, I had no problems.
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmob...nc/default.mspx
>
> I hope this is helpful to others who are having problems with
> Activesync. I have also found this web page that may be helpful:
> http://www.pocketpcfaq.com/faqs/act...tshoot-as4x.htm
>
> On the device itself I installed some software, made some registry
> tweaks, and configured the button layout to my preference. In terms of
> software I installed the following programs, all to device memory:
>
> Spb Pocket Plus - this software fulfills several helpful functions,
> first of all it adds a today plugin that allows you to add shortcuts
> to programs, it makes the x button on the device actually close a
> program, it includes a handy task manager, adds an unobtrusive battery
> meter to the top of your device and adds several new button functions
> that you can then map to any button. Available at:
> http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/pocketplus/?en
>
> TCPMP - The Core Pocket Media Player is a feature rich media player
> that I use for mp3 and video playback. It allows you to play video
> encoded with the popular divx format which windows media player does
> not. Available at:
> http://tcpmp.corecodec.org/about
>
> Mortsaver - This handy utility allows you to turn off the device
> screen and lock all of the buttons but still have programs run in the
> background. Very handy for those who want their 8125 to be there
> principal Mp3 player as it allows you to play Mp3 and stick the phone
> in your pocket without worrying about buttons or screen being
> activated. It also saves battery life as your touchscreen is turned
> off. Available at:
> http://www.pocketpcfreewares.com/en/index.php?soft=1437
>
> Avantgo - This handy free service allows me to download news stories
> from a plethora of sites and store them on my device to read whenever
> I want. This obviates the need to have GPRS active. It also is an RSS
> reader for those who use that service extensively. Available at:
> http://www.avantgo.com/frontdoor/index.html
>
> Total Commander - A powerful file explorer that gives you access to
> your registry for easy editing. Available at:
> http://www.ghisler.com/
>
> Null Keyboard - Tired of having the software keyboard pop up on you
> all the time? Well so was I, this handy little utility basically adds
> a keyboard to your list that is no keyboard, thus keeping it from
> popping up. Available at:
> http://www.freewareppc.com/utilities/nullkeyboard.shtml
>
> Flash for Pocket PC - Allows you to view flash websites on your 8125.
> Very handy as one of my favorite sites is www.homestarrunner.com.
> Available at:
> http://www.macromedia.com/software/...ketpc/2002.html
>
> Google Local - This Java midlet provides quick use of google local. It
> needs to be installed directly to your device. Available at:
> www.google.com/glm
>
> Smartskey - this handy little utility solved my previously mentioned
> problem with the lack of Start and Ok/Close buttons. The program
> assigns those functions to a press and hold of the soft keys, left for
> Start and Right for Ok/Close. Much more ergonomic than reassigning the
> keys above the screen to these functions, it also offers you the
> option of changing the function of the volume slider to scroll up or
> down, depending on which version you install. If you want it to start
> up every time you do a soft reset place a shortcut key in the
> Windows/Startup folder. I actually didn't know how to create a
> shortcut until I had to do it for this program, so for those of you
> who don't know here's how. 1) Hold and press on the file you want to
> create the shortcut for, then choose copy from the pop up menu. 2)
> Navigate to the folder where you want to place the shortcut and hold
> and press in an empty area, on the pop up menu you will see a "paste
> shortcut" option. Available at:
> http://forum.xda-developers.com/vie...534bd8f1af8becb
> (note: you will need to register with the site to download the file)
>
> Registry Tweaks
> That's it for software, now on to the registry tweaks. I performed the
> following registry tweaks on my device, all using the aforementioned
> Total Commander:
>
> Speed boost - don't ask my why this works, I'm not smart enough to
> know, but it does.
> Use Total Commander to navigate to
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\StorageManager\FATFS\
> Assign a value of 4096 to CacheSize
> Assign a value of 1 to EnableCache
> Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\StorageManager\Filters\f
> sreplxfilt\
> Assign a value of 4096 to ReplStoreCacheSize
> Perform a soft reset
>
> Disable menu animation - removes menu animation which uses up system
> resources.
> Use Total Command to navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\GWE\Menu
> Assign a value of 0 to AniType
> Perform a soft reset
>
> Keyboard status indicator - adds a handy indicator that shows you when
> caps lock and symbol lock are activated on your keyboard.
> Use Total Commander to navigate to \HKCU\ControlPanel\Keyb
> Create a new entry with the name EnableIndicator
> Assign the new entry a DWORD value of 1
> perform a soft reset
>
> Increase screen performance - this tweak increases your screen cache
> which allows yours screen and fonts to change faster. Beware that this
> also removes some resources from your general memory as well.
>
> "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\GDI\GLYPHCACHE"
> Change "limit" from "8192" (default) to "16384"
> Perform a soft reset
>
> Reassign left softkey on Today screen to open Notes application
> Use Total Command to navigate to
> HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Today\Keys 2
> Change the "Default" key to the name that you want to appear on the
> button (in my case Notes)
> Change the "Open" value to the location of the program you want to
> open (in my case "Windows/Notes.exe"
> Perform a soft reset
>
> Please note that for all of these registry hacks it is important to
> wait a few minutes before you perform the soft reset so the device has
> time to write the change to ROM. If you try the tweak and it's not
> working this is most likely your problem. These tweaks and more can be
> found on the following sites. I'd like to thank both the site owners
> and the posters for all of the help they have provided me and others:
>
> http://htcwizard.westlands.org/
> http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=39725
> http://ppc6700users.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=37
>
> Button Layout
> The final thing I did to setup my device the way I wanted it is to map
> the buttons to make it useable by me. As stated before I installed
> Smartskey to add Start menu and Ok/Close functionality to my soft
> keys. I also installed the version that remapped my volume key to
> scroll up and down. My comm. manager key I left exactly as it came. My
> messaging key (above and to the left of the screen) is mapped to Spb
> pocket plus' "close button context menu" function which provides a
> handy way to really "close" apps plus a task switcher. The Internet
> Explorer key (above and to the right of the screen) is mapped to
> mortsaver to easily turn off the screen. Since I don't use voice tags,
> I reassigned the voice tag button to open Internet Explorer on a
> single press and to open my midlet manager (for access go google
> local) on a long press. The camera button I left the same, and of
> course you already know I reassigned my left softkey on the today
> screen to open the Notes application.
>
> Use/Performance
>
> One of the issues that has been much discussed about the HTC wizard is
> the use of the OMAP 200mhz dual core processor. Depending on whom you
> talk to, the processor works fine, or the device is slow as molasses.
> I would also like to point out that how your device performs is
> supremely subjective, and depends greatly on what and how many
> applications you have installed and/or running at any given time.
> After using the device for about a full day I am very satisfied with
> its performance, and I've put it through the works.
>
> Opening about 10 standard applications, the device ran just fine, and
> this included some memory intensive apps like TCPMP and Internet
> Explorer. That's not to say that it never slows down a little, and for
> those who want instant gratification every time they ask the device to
> do something the 8125 is not for them. I recommend that those who use
> the device be sure to use a program like Spb pocket plus, or Magic
> Button to manage how many programs you have running at one time.
>
> I would also like to make sure and point out that one of the benefits
> of having the OMAP processor is simply incredible battery life for a
> converged device. Every review out there, and my own experience,
> points to this being a device that can take significant use with
> little or no worry about whether the battery will survive.
>
> As a phone I am very impressed with the 8125. Call quality is
> excellent and RF reception is outstanding. I expected to lose some
> signal strength moving from the Motoral V551, but so far I have
> noticed no change. Today while out at lunch my fiance's basic flip
> phone was getting no signal, while I had 4 bars. At my place of work,
> where signal strength is poor, I consistently get 3 bars. The included
> handsfree headset works well and I have had no complaints from those
> on the other side of the call.
>
> As an mp3 player using TCPMP the 8125 is obviously not as good as a
> dedicated mp3 player, but still does very well. It provides better
> sound quality both through stereo speakers and included headset than
> any other pda or converged device I have ever used. With mortsaver,
> its easy to stick the device in my pocket while working out, and then
> pull it out to record my reps and weight in excel.
>
> I didn't buy the device for the camera, except as a convenience, so I
> haven't tried it out too much. The little I have noticed is that it's
> fairly mediocre for 1.3 megapixels. Got a decent picture in a well lit
> environment but don't expect too much. Also, as others have noticed,
> the flash is almost useless.
>
> Internet access using Cingular's Edge network has been solid, but
> nothing that blows me away. Websites on IE definitely load faster than
> my old ipaq dialed up through my Motorola phone, but for some reason
> updating Avantgo is much slower. Streaming audio using Windows Media
> Player works well, decent quality with few interruptions.
>
> To answer a question that many have had, I am using the grandfathered
> Media Works plan with Cingular and it works just fine. I don't know if
> the pda plan would provide better speeds. Using dslreports.com in the
> middle of the afternoon downtown in a major city with 2 bars of
> service I got a speed of 37 kbits/sec on the 600k file. Not
> impressive, I know but it has been sufficient for my needs.
>
> For those of you who are having problems with your internet access the
> only thing I can tell you is that, as with many others, I had to go to
> Settings-Connections-Manage Existing Connetions-Proxy Settings and
> uncheck the box next to "this network uses a proxy server to connect
> to the Internet". Wifi worked fine right out of the box.
>
> Productivity software (word, excel, outlook, etc.) have been very
> responsive and if this is the most you are going to ask of the device
> you may never notice speed issues. Switching between open apps is also
> fairly quick, with barely noticeable lag. I have not tried Skype on
> the device.
>
> Comparisons to Other Devices
>
> During the month and a half between the time I found out about the
> 8125 and the time I received it I tried out several other devices. I
> don't want to do a full review on each of these, but here are some
> brief thoughts about them in comparison to the 8125.
>
> Treo 700w
> Three words "not enough RAM". I really liked this device, I liked the
> form factor and to be honest I actually prefer the treo form factor
> with the qwerty keyboard on the front of the device simply because no
> sliding mechanism means that you can't break it. It also places the
> navigation key and other buttons in a handier spot. Unfortunately the
> 32mb of ram (what the heck where they thinking?) means that I can't do
> the most basic of multitasking function for me, surfing the internet
> while listening to music. Given the 8125's better performance, and the
> fact that I don't have to move to Verizon (reception sucks in rural
> areas) I much prefer the 8125.
>
> PPC6700
> What to say about the Wizards near cousin, a lot of the same bonuses,
> but it has significantly worse battery life, reception on the Sprint
> network sucked, and I hate the antenna.
>
> 2125
> I loved this smarthpone, and if I had no need of the qwerty keyboard
> and office applications I would have kept it. However, the 8125's much
> improved productivity options makes it the right fit for me.
>
> HW6515
> I actually liked this phone quite a bit, it has the same treo form
> factor that I like, and the keyboard is significantly better thought
> out and more comfortable than the treo. After reassigning the two keys
> surrounding the directional pad to Start and Ok/Close I was able to
> get significant one handed use out of this 2003SE device.
> Unfortunately the lack of wifi, older version of Windows and terrible
> battery life led me to return it and hold out for the 8125.
>
> Conclusion
>
> After finally receiving the 8125 and having used several of its
> competitors recently my opinion is that this is the best converged
> pda/phone device on the market today. Its limitations (somewhat slower
> processor, lack of start and ok keys) are far outweighed by its pluses
> (size, keyboard, battery life) and can be overcome fairly easily.
> Considering I signed a two year contract to get this phone I certainly
> hope that the keyboard doesn't wear out on me, and perhaps I will
> change my mind in the future, but for now I am extremely happy with my
> purchase.
> Last edited by ajpprc : 02-16-2006 at 17:09.
>
> http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?p=6743543#post6743543
>
> ===
> "Work like you don't need the money, Love like you've never been hurt,
> Dance like nobody's watching..."
> -- Richard Leigh
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