Related
For does who are intressted in my WM5 experience
I have spent my weekend upgrading my XDA IIs to WM5. With all the comments in this forum and Wicki I was able to do this in a painless and strait forward way. But after 3 days of daily usage I came to the the conclusion that WM5 on my XDA IIs is not ready now for real business use. There are too many bugs which are very disturbing if you are depending on this tool. So I have downgraded to 1.40 and restored my datas with Sprite Backup.
Anyway WM5 looks very good to me and I will be back and install it again when the time is right.
Thank you very much for all the support placed in this forum by you guys!
I've installed it about 2-3 days ago so far, and I'm loving it, I've had a few minor issues but I've managed to work around them. The installation for Windows 2005 was very simple and to the point which I liked, it didn't give me any wonder off questions like "How do I do this part?" it was all done through a nice application. I'm sticking to Windows Mobile 2005. ;-)
FACT: WM5 is maybe ready for freaks, programmers and "wannabe cool guys". But for real business it's definitely NOT ready.
I work in a very hard business and need that thing very often, and it was much better with the WM2003SE, trust me. WM2003SE is a bit faster with my PH20B1 device, but it has definitely less bugs than WM5.
But it's just fair to say, that our WM5 version is just a beta version and for nothing (money). I already have it on my device, I'm not sure to downgrade. May when I have some time. :wink:
WM5 is a love hate friendship.
What gets me the most about this is the fact that if you buy a PC with 2000 on it you can LEGALY upgrade to XP or Server 2003.
If you buy the same machine in a GERMAN version you can LEGALY change the language to what ever you want.
We have paid good wonga for a device which was shipped with a licence for the CE. Here we are stuck as we can't change the language nor version without creative means (lets not get into that).
As a communaty I would say that XDA is a great source of information and has found many ways to fix issues that are both Carrier and OS based. Many of us have spent hours fumbelling in the dark to inprove our very expensive toys and passed on this info via the forum and wiki.
We all know that BIG Brother is watching us. We all know the so called gods of Richmond have flexed thier mussels on this site.
What I just fail to understand is the simple fact that in the long run we all want to better our devices and inprove the issues of perfromance and stabilaty. Whether this is from the side of us users or the manufactures.
So Microsoft make our day and leak a newer Build of the WM5 for the BA and I promise you that we will again documnet the issues, problems, incompatabilaties, faults and general messups.
Would a controlled beta testing by a bunch of Geeks that give a damm and use the device daily not be better than some lab rats that just see if the icons are color matched?
Will I go back to 2003, think I will have to and it pisses me off big time. Would I stay with wm5, well if I could charge my device and then answer a incoming call with out haveing to reset the bugger it would help.
Well - no additional comments. I agree with you :wink:
Agree
I agree with all of your views. As Saisoku-R i am also using my XDA very heavely every day. I do not have the time to play around bugs. But anyway I think WM5 will be a great OS and I may try to upgarde in some more weeks again. Thanks to the great work of all you guys out there!
Thanks!
I agree with the argument in this thread. I use the XDA for non-business purposes, and am enjoying WM5 and its improved verstality no end. I specially love the contextual soft buttons below, the enhanced office and the improved quality of sound. But I do realize that for serious business users, it would be smarter to stick to 2003SE for the moment, and hope a more stable version of WM5 is released.
I have had the version2 with all appropriate patches installed since it was released. I am fortunate to say the I can hear/answer all incoming calls and all SMS features. I don't care much for MMS and taking pictures on low quality imaging product so I have not tested it to a great extent. The only gripe I have with WM5 is that it is slow. Much slower than I can handle compared to WM2003. Even the overclock patch by Mamaich has it's limitations.
Mamaich and Buzz has done a great service to us and I personally would like to thank them for giving me first hand experience in using WM5. Unfortunately, WM5 on a BA is still in it's infancy and I await the day when they tame it. For now, I am on my way back to 2003 and will weight my options when a mature WM5 or a Linux Stable is available.
Downgrading
i have been using the WM5 for weeks now and it is not stable, i can't use bluetooth, wireless is bad, does not ring when i am getting a call, it might ring during the last ring and stuff, so i will downgrade and stay till bluetooth and stuff is fixed. Thank you guys for making WM5 possible, it looks nice but thats all it is so far, looks. I would love to upgrade again if u guys get it stable, thank you very much.
I really wonder why there are so many different problems that some have, but other haven't got. The WLAN and BT turning itself off when the unit is suspended is common for all. But the problems you mention are rare, and I have none of them. Maybe it comes down to other, third party applications that are installed, or perhaps a bad upgrade?
no real problems
I have to say that I have had no real problems since installing wm5.
I have had no reason to soft reset and I have been using for about a week. I must say that at times it goes a bit slow but if you run the mamaich overclock again it seem to rectify for a day or so.
everything works BT, MMS, EMAIL, pocket msn, spb weather, spb clock, Agile messenger, Fax. Oh and phone with no sound issues at all.
To me it is far more stable than 2003se ever was.
Cheers gang
I have been using WM5 for about 6 days now, and it is much more stable (if slower) than 2003 was for me.
Some things don't work
1. Spb Diary
2. Spd Today Plus
Windows Media Player doesn't play Windows Media streams (32k) that TCMP can play.
Overall I am happy with WM 5, it would be nice if Microsoft could figure out how to write code that executes faster though.
I'm back on WM5... I had serious problems with WM2003SE, it softresets itself every 5-10 min. That's right, WM5 is much more stable, even the splash image doesn't nerve me, because with WM5 I don't have to softreset 1time every day :lol:
Where can I get the overclock util from mamaich ? Couldn't find it. Are there any cons concering the overclock util ? My BA is just 3 months old, I don't wanna crack it. :wink:
2 things that isn't as good as it was in WM2003SE: WLAN/BT and performance.
Oh, I found another problem: I have the german keyboard fix for the hard keyboard, and when I type emails or whatever, the buttons sometimes "hang". i.e.: I push the "E" button and it types 60 times the "E". When I press backspace, it deletes the whole text till the beginning. :?
MDAIIIUser said:
So Microsoft make our day and leak a newer Build of the WM5 for the BA and I promise you that we will again documnet the issues, problems, incompatabilaties, faults and general messups.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That´s part of HTC and not MS. MS only delivers the PB and some extensions for WM5.
So go and ask your carrier for changes, so they can order something at htc.
In WM2003 a lot of problems may have been fixed a long time before you got it, but it was to expensive to create a new version,test it and deliver it...
I had WM5 for about 2 weeks on the BA. I thought it was very stable, just WAY TO SLOW. Loading a program like Resco Explorer normally takes <1 second on WM2003 but about 5 or 6 on WM2005. Now before you think, "well that isn't that big a deal", remember everything is going slow like this. I just could not take it anymore.
That being said, I believe BUZZ, (maybe mamaich as well?) is looking into making a version without persistent memory, (basically going back to using RAM for storage and program) like the XDA2 builds.
If that was made then the speed would no longer be the issue, (though persistence would be lost )
I cannot agree with you, my PocketPlus 2.5 loads very fast, ALL games I've installed on my device are much faster with WM5 than with WM2003SE. Just if you re-activate the BA it is slower than WM2003.
And I was just sick and tired of doing almost all 2 days a softreset with WM2003SE... I don't have this issue with WM2005.
All in all, it's like MDAIIIuser said, it's a love-hate story.
I'm a network consultant and I use my BA entirely for business, which is the biggest reason I was SO happy for the work that Buzz, mamaich, ramram, cdaly1970 and the others on WM5 for the BA. Being as that my email, like my clients, is entirely through Exchange 2003 I really don't use text messaging, MSN and such. My only real problem has been with the BT, which I can live with for a while as I need the other things that do work, like my Pocket PC actually syncing to my Exchange server in the cradle, tasks syncing over the internet, contacts containg photo's, setting importance in outgoing emails, etc. I reset in the morning before I get in the car and maybe once more during the day. Yes it opens emails, Word, etc slower.... but the Outlook email and Contacts are just SO much better!
I've gone back to 2003 twice .... and now I just can't imagine going back. Just my experiences....
Steven
^^ hey, what else could I say... this is exact my situation !!! :wink:
hello all I have been using it since the gurus figure it out, and gone trough all the patches and fixes and stuff, after removing the camera stuff, I never had a problem again, and with the overclock app, it works great, its fast, reliable, get all phone calls use it for business everyday its just great, exept for the album, I cant get that to work, other than that its great! thanks to all the geniouses!
win2003 is good still
Well i have used WM5, it is slow, i thought about using hte overclock tool but i would rather not damage my device and be stuck with dead weight. I was really really upset about the bluetooth issue and not being able to use my ear peice, i bought it for a lot of money and i would prefer to use it, cause it is safer and i cannot really hold the MDAIII between my head and shoulder like a regular phone. WM5 looks really good, no doubt, but so far since i went back to 2003SE, it is fast, i have not missed any call and bluetooth is a hell lot more stable. I have happy we have WM5 but i think i will not go back to it till it is well fixed
i have read the postings on the upgrade of WM5 on the Blue Angel device..
what i would like to know is what will WM5 do for me that WM 2003SE won't... are there any real benefits.. and do all the functions still work... wifi, gprs, phone etc..
i'm using the 1.40 ROM and don't really have that many problems..
every now and then the device resets by itself.. if i open the inbox, or change the phone on/off... otherwise it seems to run great.
is there any speed increase in using WM5 ??
any benefits in wifi or GPRS and emails ??
thanks..
hi
I had the opportunity to test WM5 in my himalaya device...
It wont be so different than yours but here is my 2 cents:
-Slower than WM2003SE
like 80% of WM2003 speed
-sometimes the cellphone rings once but for the other party is the 3rd or 4th ring.
-Lot of software bugs and incompatibilities.
bugs with camera and MMS
Camera= worse than the WM2003 one
MMS= I can send but when I receive, the page is blank (no objects, sounds, pics)
I just return to WM2003SE
Yes, is ugly than WM5 but is better, bug-less
hope this helps you.
Anyway, you can try WM5 and If you dont like it, go back to WM2003SE again, well at least work for me that way.
Same 2 Me...
I just get back to 2003SE...
But I miss the look of WM5
I'm back to 2003SE too!
The only thing i miss of WM5 is the Persistance Storage.
2003 gets my vote for now
I'm back to 2003, I ran several versions of the WM5 roms from Maimach. I can say that WM5 is fun, cool and all that but I didn't see any reason to stay with it. The persistent storage thing can be solved for me by backing up my contacts and appointments to a SD card along with the main apps I use on a daily basis on my SD card. Then when I lose power, I just reload the backup of my contacts database, re-load the apps from my SD card and I'm back up and running in just a few minutes. The speed and reliability were the two main reasons I came back. I ran WM5 for at least 6 weeks so I know I gave it a fair shot. I've found that I only use my phone for a few things:
1. Email
2. Phone (duh!)
3. Mp3 player (TCPMP)
4. Limited internet (google/froogle/weather/movie times/news/etc)
5. A few games when I'm stuck in traffic. =)
None of these functions were necessarily performed better in WM5, most of them actually were quite a bit slower but I decided to live with it because I was on WM5!!!
After going back to 2003 (1.42 rom) I was SHOCKED at how much faster it was. I had gotten so used to the sluggish performance of WM5 that I had forgotten what it was like to answer the phone on the first ring, watch outlook email open immediately instead of "within a few seconds" and not have skips when I listen to mp3's. Don't get me wrong, I TRULY appreciate the work Maimach and others are doing to get wm5 on our devices but it's more of a developers toy right now than an actual OS replacement for our devices. When they get a version of WM5 that's written for the xScale processor I think we'll see a HUGE difference.
For now, I'm back to 2k3 and not dissappointed at all.
Me 2
I am also back to 2k3 three weeks ago after 1 morning running 2k5.
Re: 2003 gets my vote for now
dmelton75 said:
For now, I'm back to 2k3 and not dissappointed at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which version of ROM 2k3SE did you use...
I'm using 1.42.... Some times when someone call me, the name not show...even that number already in my phone book....
Thanks
i have used windos mobile 5 since the first version on this forum (yep with all bugs and no camera) i have tried all upgrades and versions. and i have all most satisfied with the wizard version (v2) its really more faster. but i onlgy have no problems if i dont use my BA . some times i don´t have fone, other time don´t have sms, mms. lots off crash, with gps and tomtom navigator very instability, every time i put some software in today screen, the BA crash.. etc. etc..
now i have finaly go back to 2003 (version 1.42) and use wall memory (like wb5) use the wisbar advance 2 and my Ba its great.. but i still come here to see if there is some advance in stability on the wb5 .
when the ppl off this forum "bill" a windows mobil 5 running at 95% i reflash my rom again
thanks guys for everything
I see that we still have a lot problems with w5 on our beloved blue angels.
Now, my question is: what is a major benefit to go from fast and reliable SE 2003 to W 5.0?
it's sluggish, unstable.
so, why we all upgrading-downgrading our devices up and down, is this a justified action to get a better OS or our desire to try something new?
Something new. :wink:
WM5 is a lot better than WM2003 but the problem is that there is no specefic official version of wm5 for blueangel, so developers reverse engineer other versions of WM5 and the leaked one from MS , to create stable OS. Latest WM5 versions are quite stable. None forces you to try WM5 if you don't like it downgrade and use WM2003
it's not about forcing me or someone to use w5.0, but what's better in this OS, what do you mean by saying better ? speed, stability extra functionality ?
I simply like it better
Its like WinMe vs WinXP
Well said TB. Kinda like, why are people instrested in Windows Vista? Windows XP work dunit? Acuttaly, don't answer that one.
Guys, you are talking very subjectivly:
like-don't like.
win me and win xp is quite dif. OS. Upgrading to XP gives us very stable reliable system with much more functionalities.
I simply like to see what extra features are in wm5, which are not available in SE.
so far we have OS with not 100% working BT, MMS, terrible ActiveSync, poor phone, etc.
I am very grateful to guys workimg on these ROMs, and thank them of course, but my question: is wm5 better than SE at all and what this better stuff is?
COM,
flashing OS takes about 15 mins. So, flash WM5, play with it. U can always go back to WM23.
And Wm5 to Wm2 is not like ME to XP. More like Win2K vs Win2K+service packs.
Well for me its a Me vs XP (My SE kept crashing and crashing, doublesending the same SMS, not sending MMSes at all, freezing when cancelling calls). WM5 drops Bluetooth connections, does strange things with the hw keyboard and works quite slow (I overclocked the CPU to 531MHz, it works... usable). But at least I can use my PHONE as a PHONE.
I agree with TB
I have many problems with 2003SE, 3-4 daily resets, because it hangs, when the battery and backup battery drains out you loose everything(such as in hard reset). I have no such problems with WM5 it is much stable and it is slower than 2003 but in the recent WM5 roms (Ivan's and Tuatara) the speed is improved and stability is much better than 2003SE
I like WM5 because it looks better, and the soft keys are very usefull. and you get to show off the nice and hard work of Mamaich, Tuatara and all others and say that xda-dev kicks ass!!!!
well, from what you are saying: wm5 is more stable !
Thanks, this is an advantage no doubt. let's hope we will soon get the final version from our gurus here.
By the way, should wm5 be a hardware independent OS, like windows XP and portable from one PDA to another?
Better not - due to XP's portability it eats up so much resources :| If you wanna try it yourself - Linux for example compiles (is compiled ) in order to match the HW configuration of the computer, while WindowsXP 'HasItAll, but mostly unusefull for your current hardware' :|
A new OS, which prevents your data from loss even at significant battery discharge, comfortable control without a stylus, improved Office Mobile. Noticeable cosmetic advantages.
...
Will there every be a BA Official WM5 release
no, microsoft made one and distrobuted it to the telecos but it is there decision whether to release it. as far as i can tell they will never do this as it doesn't make buisiness sense, why give a free wm5 update away when if you keep it too yourself people are gonna buy a new phone to get it?
but.. we are keeping our phones anyway hehehehe :twisted:
(that's why we are on this phorum. Anyway..)
Hi,
I am using O2 XDA IIs for more than 8 months. I eagerly waited for the O2 update, as HP had offered to its ipaqs.But it was very disappointing that , instead of giving software updates; o2 started to show new models with Windows Mobile 5.0. I tried even from Microsoft site for upgrades, but that was a futile attempt.Then I finally decided to upgrade from XDA-developres.
You have to understand that major advantafe of WM5 over the Wm2003se is that data is not volatile; so there is no need to backup now and then.Secondly fast and secure.The major problem is that it needs faster processor. I hope it is helpful.
Kalonian said:
Secondly fast and secure.The major problem is that it needs faster processor
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WM5 is slower than WM2003SE. WM5 best offering is persistent storage.
It is because it has NAND based rom. So, it doesnt offer XIP
Yes it is a lil slower than 2003 but it hte rom is properly build (Ivan and Tuatara roms) you will find no diference for speed, bu you will find a lot more stability. The CPU is not so important, we see devices with 200 MHz CPU to run WM5 just fine (Prophet and Wizard), of course they have a lil problems with multitasking but thay have only 200 MHz CPU, so you have to expect some lag. Blueangel have more than enough resources to run and operate WM5, we just need a properly tweaked rom for this device.
Hi all,
Just got myself an O2 XDA(ii). I have heard people banging on about WM5 and how I should upgrade the OS.
However, one question - why do it?
What will I gain by doing the upgrade?
Will it consume more system resources and therefore have an overhead performance?
What woes will be introduced by upgrading - will it break anything?
Is WM5 really as stable as WM3?
I hope I can get answers to these questions!!
Many thanks!
why use windows when dos works fine?
Windows is a GUI, dos is a CLI.
Both human interfaces are radically different.
The questions I posed are reasonable.
Try this..
borrow a WM5 device from someone for a day and dont use ur WM2003 device.
If u like something in that device, install WM5 on your BA and test it, try it
I thought that this was a technical website for developers - I had hoped for some slightly more in depth answers, like contrasting for example:
consumption of system resources
bugs
reliability
speed
new system features
security
power management
etc...
WM5 VS WM3
Hi,
It is a true question,
- I have just used WM5 a week. So I hope my experience will be useful for you.
Fist, the WM5 store all data on it's ROM so you won't lost you data example: instaled program in device, contacts, SMS, MMS... if it run out of energy, hard reset... But, that causes the speed is slower than official WM2003 Version 1.42.
It still remain some bugs example: sometime freeze when you turn it on, BT and wifi sometime need a softreset to turn on.
The energy consumsion is the same (waiting phone mode). Others depend on backlight, % CPU usage.
Certainly WM5 have much more feature. I really don't known what I should advice you now because I still often reset 1-2 time/day like my laptop. But I don't like thing which is the same forever expecialy softwares.
I hope you can have your answer.
Daeljan said:
I thought that this was a technical website for developers - I had hoped for some slightly more in depth answers, like contrasting for example:
consumption of system resources
bugs
reliability
speed
new system features
security
power management
etc...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for that answer!
To be honest, I got the XDA because I need something to keep me organised time-wise, so I'm more interested in stability than eye-candy. I don't want to fall behind the times either, but I may hold out untill WM 5 matures a little more. What you said about hanging when you switch on is off-putting enough - I had heard similar things about WM5 related to connectivity, but I've never had the chance to hear about it first-hand.
If anyone else would like to add something of similar content to this thread, I'd be very happy to read about it.
Cheers.
This is xda-developers so the question of why use WM5 on BA sort of answers itself by the simple fact that M$ has not given it to us in the first place (well this could also not be true as M$ did make a copy but none of the providers gave us a rom so that we all go out and by a new WM5 Device).
So why not? In the long run its more of a matter of taste, some have gone for and stayed with the WM5 on a BA, others have gone back and others have gone and brought a REAL WM5 device.
Its up to you, if you read the threads (of which there are many) you will find reasons to stay away and reasons to install it. Like I say its sort of personal.
Oh yes DOS was and is cool, still to this day I use it.
Dude
why don't you just flash to WM5 try it out
Dude
why don't you just flash to WM5 try it out, and if you don't like it go back 2k3, makes the most sense. You seem like a smart chap i'm sure you can figure it out, no harm to the device, and you'll get all your answers bra
My two cents if you like command line and stability learn linux, bash away!
Daeljan said:
I thought that this was a technical website for developers - I had hoped for some slightly more in depth answers, like contrasting for example:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Daeljan,
Welcome to the community! I'm sorry if some of the guys answered like that, but you have to understand that this question pops in from newbies every couple days "Why shall I do it?", "What's the difference", etc... So some of us just get tired of answering!
I am sure however, that you'll find many extremely interesting, highly technical threads.
So, to answer your question: WM2K+3 vs WM5
- I believe that part of doing it was actually to try to see it could be done, I mean the operators left us with an exceptional device (the BlueAngel) without upgrade, so many of us felt "betrayed" and wanted to get the latest, and greatest despite the lack of official support for a release.
- The LATEST version of WM5 (Helmi v3.2) is much more stable that the early versions, I'm currently running it and never think about downgrading back to WM2K3. Amongst the things I find interesting:
- The OS is almost as fast as WM2K3, in fact I run all most of the new versions of software flawlessly.
- WM5 has flat memory and no sharing between the "Storage" and "Execution" spaces (Which is something you will immediately notice on your old OS), so you get more running memory for your applications.
- Because of the above, WM5 has "resilient" storage, i.e. a reset will not erase your data, that alone is a great advantage.
- Some apps that do not run anymore on WM2K3 are now accessible for our community.
- Some applications are natively available on WM5 (Like Mobile PowerPoint) for example, and are not there on WM2K3.
- Better synchronization with your desktop device (You can, for example see your contact pictures directly synchronized, whereas with WM2K3, you can't).
On the other hand, we have a few issues (That are getting fixed with every new release), like:
- Slightly higher power consumption.
- A very, very ugly bluetooth protocol stack... People are doing an amazing job there, and the problem is almost over.
- Other minor issues that you'll discover while browsing the links.
Hope this helps,
Cheers,
W.
1) click search, type an abbrevieted version of your first post in it.
2) be swamped with a massive amount of posts ABOUT THE SAME THING.
3) repeat in future.
(sorry if im being a bit harsh but i myself have awnserwed this question many times before, just search in future!)
Thank you all for your answers, and sorry for making you repeat yourselves.
I suppose that this is an obvious topic for discussion that many people naturally want to know about.
So why not post a summary of it all somewhere where people can find it without having to mine the forums? I searched the FAQ for WM5, Upgrade, Windows Mobile 5, in various combinations and nothing came up.
The bluetooth problems are a little scary though if the XDA is to be used as a GPS, connected to the antenna via bluetooth.
Anyhow, thanks again.
Hic
You can try, it is easy to downgrade, not compelex as in the instruction.
1. Change to bootloader mode, connect USB run Ship file,
2. After the instaltion procces finished, softreset your BA.
3. The first start maybe get mistake, cause ExtraRom could be changed, softreset again, your BA will run in a pure state, unhide ExtraROM-softreset, copy all files in the ExtraROM of Ship file (extract from Ship file) to the ExtraROM, you can also change ExtraRom as you want.
4. Hardreset---everything is OK.
Wzaatar
Very nice post you did there old chap, thanks. You almost got me to try it all over again.
I use the ROM in my signature and I find it great apart from the odd problem but that could be from the 50+ apps I have on it.
Go for it...
Daeljan said:
Thank you very much for that answer!
To be honest, I got the XDA because I need something to keep me organised time-wise, so I'm more interested in stability than eye-candy. I don't want to fall behind the times either, but I may hold out untill WM 5 matures a little more. What you said about hanging when you switch on is off-putting enough - I had heard similar things about WM5 related to connectivity, but I've never had the chance to hear about it first-hand.
If anyone else would like to add something of similar content to this thread, I'd be very happy to read about it.
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, I'll try to give you a different slant on things....
WM5 utilises persistent storage (as stated above) which means that, should you find yourself in the unfortunate position that your BA has run out of juice you'll retain all your data (even the RAMDisk contents contrary to some other peoples posts). This is not the case in WM2003SE. If you let the battery run down in WM2003SE it's adios amigo! And start all over again.
WM2003SE while quite stable, is not perfect, especially once you have several apps installed and use it aggressively. WM5, while technically only in beta for this device (as they are mostly hacked/patched/ported ROM's) can prove to be a very stable platform. I have used nearly every version of WM5 on this forum to try and find the 'right' one... and I use my BA constantly, for business purposes and satnav guidance.
Comparing the 2 OS's is like comparing Windows XP and Vista... XP is a proven system, Vista is not, so direct comparison would be unfair to either... as for performance, with the tweaks now found in the newer WM5 ROM's I find my BA responds as well, if not better, than with WM2003SE, battery consumption is a little higher but that can be resloved with any of the CPU throttling apps available...
I wholeheartedly recommend the AKU 2.6 version of Helmi's ROM. I went away on business recently with WM2003SE installed and while away flashed this version of the ROM. My reason for being back with WM2003SE prior to this was the sluggishness of my BA after a while of running WM5. During my absence the Page Pool fix reared its head and all seemed to be good in the world. While AKU3.2 is the newest version of WM5 it has inherent compatability issues with much of the software available for WM5, even Microsoft's own such as Voice Command (an app I actually make use of!). The AKU2.6 ROM doesn't have these issues, and with the paging fix does not become sluggish at all.
9 weeks on and my system has only frozen once, and that was with a 'hacked' piece of software so I don't blame the system... I have not had to reflash once, and I honestly don't remember having to soft reset... I have yet to find a WM5 compatible app which doesn't work with it, and I use it day in, day out.
In short, I jumped on the WM5 bandwagon some time agao and was very disillsusioned at one point, so much so that I returned to WM2003SE... However I missed the smoother GUI, the much better handling of popups and alerts, the tighter integration with Outlook, the better operation of ActiveSync and so forth, so I came back to the fold, and I will not be downgrading again...
If you use Push Email anything after AKU2 (or is it 2.3?) is a Godsend, and believe me, the overall feel of the OS is much smoother, it feels like a 'pocket pc', rather than a really gucci phone!!
I use my BA to play media, read newsfeeds, browse the web, check/send email, and all the other stuff my mates do on their laptops, and if you have the right settings for your provider there should be no issues with connectivity... I have A2DP set up as well so I have a stereo BT headset for music/video etc... I run TomTom, Garmin Que, OziExplorer...
Oh! And I use it as a PDA/Organiser, my life is on that brick, and believe me, it gets hammered!!
I also have an XDA Exec now and to be honest I prefer the BA... although I do love my IQ (but Smartphone is a whole different kettle of fish)!!
I hope this gratuitous plug of WM5 helps sway your decision
I personally like WM5. The issue for me, and the reason I bought the SX66 in the first place, was screen size and muscle. Alot of the affordable WM5 devices out have small screens compared to what I am used to in a PDA. I cannot afford and Jasjar (wish I could) so I looked for something with a decent screen size and processing power.
The SX66 was the only choice for me, EXACTLY because I could flash it too WM5 Haven't looked back since. I run my games (Morphgear - SNES), work with my files without having to squint too much, play my music and get phone calls. Coolest thing in the world.
I have compared it side by side with the 8125 and the windows Treo, it kept up easy enough. Out did them in some area's, lost in one (no camera)... but in the end its just as functional as the new ones.
Flash it and see!
Daeljan said:
Thank you very much for that answer!
hi Daeljan,
Just reiterating what people has said before
To be honest, I got the XDA because I need something to keep me organised time-wise, so I'm more interested in stability than eye-candy.
-- if this is what you need, then you definitely need to upgrade to latest WM5 (Helmi, Xplode - both are great). The sole idea of "persistent storage" itself is a must to upgrade. I am using IIs (Helmi's rom) and I actually found my BA is more stable than when I used 2003SE. I had this hard reset issue when I pressed the green button to receive phone call. It annoyed the hell out of me. It happened to me about 3 times... Now this problem is gone. Just imagine yourself is out of town for a business trip and suddenly our "stable 2003SE" hard reset by itself and the back up file is at home in your pc... what a bum huh? it happened to me.
I don't want to fall behind the times either, but I may hold out untill WM 5 matures a little more. What you said about hanging when you switch on is off-putting enough - I had heard similar things about WM5 related to connectivity, but I've never had the chance to hear about it first-hand.
-- This is a subjective comment from me, I think the current version of WM5 out here are good enuf. I dont think it will "mature" too much cause people WILL be busy playing with WM6. As far as I know, more and more developers make new softwares for WM5/6 and less make them for 2003.
Yes, WM5 still has some issues now, but I have not found 1 piece of software that is perfect. even 2003SE had issues. However, these are acceptable issues (for me anyway).
Just a happy user of WM5 and I would never go back to 2003SE (unless I want to sell my beloved BA, then i might have to flash it back to factory rom ).
If you want to wait, dont wait for WM5... wait for a more stable WM6.
Like other happy users, I still have hopes the geniuses from xda-dev would find a way to make WM6 work on BA... whatever solution that is...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WM5 allows me to install apps to my storage cards - very useful! There is also the "device lock" feature which has saved me $$$ in phone bills from calls I didnt make.
Hi all,
Today is the time to depart the formums as an existing Kaiser owner and help out only as a once windows owned device person
I've not contributed THAT much - atleast not using this name but I had another and was forced to change it due to a "run in" with a moderator on here who got kicked out soon after - this was a while ago though so it's been an interesting ride.
So not much of a story - Been a windows device owner since the first Ipaq in B&w screen and slowly moved onto the windows phones as soon as they came out (starting with the XDA). While my main job revolves around business intelligence, I still have a "side job" in repairing phones/electronics and the company I do this for gives me 15% on products hence changing my phone everytime a new one comes out!
I stop at the kaiser purely for a handful of reasons. While the bluetooth issue was somewhat sorted by reg changes, it still was not enough and it was heavily impacting my main job in where consultants require to be mobile on the phone wherever I go. In the car, it became dangerous at high-speeds where I was having to undock the phone and hold it - something now illegal here.
The other reason was purely down to the whole HTC Suit going on and rumours (not one to listen mind you) about HTC stopping production on the kaiser until this blows over.
I thought, while the price is high, get rid of it, migrate to something else and see what the future holds!
What did I get?
Well, last sunday, I was given two N95's to fix, one hardware, one software. The software was easy enough, hardware was interesting as it was my first N95 to rip open to its bare bone (liquid damaged).
Once I got it working, I started to play around with it and before handing it back to the customer, I have to ensure EVERYTHING works - minimum 48 hour testing.
I instantly decided I would want this IF I did not have the Kaiser...a few days later, I had a call in the car and again, could barely hear the person... I decided to use the customer's N95 and it was perfect.
I decided then to buy one and get rid of the Kaiser.
Thats pretty much it! I now have a N95 Nokia in Black (8GB version), loaded what I would use on the kaiser and so far, not had to pick up the kaiser once in 2 days.
Differences?
The biggest is the touch screen... I sometimes get frustrated I cant just select text and have to use keys to do it...something I'll get used to.
The other biggest is the keyboard. I used to be a typical txt'r on the nokia phones when I was a kid and thought it would be fine now - WRONG!
I would say it took me 3 times longer to txt then it would have on the kaiser!
Other than that, phyically, the screen is the same size (2.6") but much sharper and clearer on the N95 (I think the N95 has a much better resolution). And then theres the weight, while size doesnt make that much of a comparison, the weight is very noticable.
Software:
Ok, again biggest is windows vs symbian but speed-wise, no difference at all. It's a bit "noddy" in symbian to have everything in icons almost to spoonfeed even those who know the system but I can live with it.
Bluetooth is excellent, satnav is also good though it cannot handle TomTom unless used with an external reciever (something apparently waiting to be fixed)
Alarms work and is not limited to 3 like Windows. Small things like SMS on rejecting a call, having a delivery reports folder for SMS and so on is default on the N95, something windows still cant seem to grasp (despite numerous requests).
At the same time, you dont have the luxury of the proper Office, you have to go quite deep into symbian to change a theme, windows you dont, then theres the wonderful scrollwheel, something missing in the N95.
Overall, they both are excellent, what windows missed out, symbian got and viceversa. For me, I require bluetooth to work properly and not sound like I'm listening through a glasswindow. As long as this is the case, and GPS/satnav works... I'm happy. The n95 has a lot more features - one of the biggest being the accelometer which is like a motion detector - I can make my phone go landscape simply by moving the phone that way or I could navigate through menus simply by moving the phone in the direction I want to go in.
It's a gimmic but still, its there and its for the consumer to use .. or not to.
Hope this isnt too long and boring you but I didnt want to be like the typical leaver on the forum to say kaiser is crap, nokia is better because on the whole, I still would prefer the windows one if they fixed the issues, but now also if they made it ligher and more ergonomic (not that it already is!)
Based on the closing paragraph above, don't bother replying if all you're going to say kaiser is the best blah blah blah, though constructive comments are also welcome.
WIll pop in now and again and I think I have a few donations to make too!
(I could type the above on the kaiser, but I'll be damned if I have to type that on a normal N95 keypad...another user for the kaiser keyboard )
Yeah. Sorry to say, mine's hitting the road as well, but I'm not a smartphone kind of guy, i need a full-blown mobile office. so I got an E90 instead. Guess Nokia's getting the better side of things, eh?
Im the same mate ! Ive gone back to the Treo 750 and if not anything else , backto a rock solid phone thats works well all the time.
Just carried out HSPDA update on it and the speeds on net is fine . Email collection is spot on .
And on going back ive realised that i should never have jumped from it in the first place .
Still a HTC handset , but one thats working 100% for me
Can't comment on Symbian - never tried it. I used to use Palm OS and switched to PPC a few years ago.
Had a Dell X50v with VGA screen. Going to the Tilt/Kaiser was a step way down on screen resolution, but many steps up in other ways (like it fits better in my pocket and I don't have to carry a separate phone anymore, GPS, HSPDPA, nice keyboard, up to 32 gb memory card, lots of custom roms, ect...).
If I could do it over I would stick with the Tilt. Treo 750 lacks too many features (screen size, screen resolution, keyboard, GPS and doesn't sit nicely on a table for reading, 2GB max storage card). I want a Pocket PC 1st and a phone 2nd. But I'm not a business user. I could care less about talking in the car. Proven dangerous anyway, even when hands free, and those bluetooth headsets make you look like a cyborg.
I just came to the Kaiser from the S620. The Kaiser is really lacking in usability while "on the go". It was much easier to navigate the S620 I could respond to a text message with barley a glance at the phone. The S620 was also faster for most common tasks like making a phone call replying to an email etc... I find that I really like the kaiser as a data device and am very happy with it in that capacity. Surfing the web with opera mini is great much better experience than O-Mini on the S620 The keyboard is nice if you are using it with 2 hands the extra flexibility of WM6 on the PPC vs WM on the SmartPhone is also nice.
I can appreciate why you are peeved with the kaiser, I would be too if I was trying to use it as an all features phone.
However I do not, and I always view windows devices as a PDA with a phone built in, or as an add on in the software. Therefore it will never out perform or match a well specified Nokia mobile phone for example.
My solution is this:
Run the Kaiser as a device, for email internet and controlling your diary, schedule and files etc. Run it on a data only tariff, for example for £15 a month at the moment with vodafone uk you can get 1GB a month.
Then run a well equipped Nokia mobile phone as your phone, you get great call quality, good handsfree support when in the car as well as being able to leave the Kaiser at home if you do not want emails etc.
I do this, I run a Kaiser on data only, it does my gmail via imap as well as outlook email and internet plus in control my diary on it.
I then run an Nokia E65 which does my phone, test messaging etc etc etc. I also run my gmail via the Symbian onboard email client which means if I am out I can check headers and download an email if I need to read it.
I think for the small extra monthly outlay the kaiser is a fantastic device for what its designed for and I am not going to blether on about that.
Food for thought.
Tom
Tom Williams said:
My solution is this:
Run the Kaiser as a device, for email internet and controlling your diary, schedule and files etc. Run it on a data only tariff, for example for £15 a month at the moment with vodafone uk you can get 1GB a month.
Then run a well equipped Nokia mobile phone as your phone, you get great call quality, good handsfree support when in the car as well as being able to leave the Kaiser at home if you do not want emails etc.
I do this, I run a Kaiser on data only, it does my gmail via imap as well as outlook email and internet plus in control my diary on it.
I then run an Nokia E65 which does my phone, test messaging etc etc etc. I also run my gmail via the Symbian onboard email client which means if I am out I can check headers and download an email if I need to read it.
Tom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or you could just get a laptop with a built-in 3g card from whatever provider you want. I heard they have pretty nice qwerty keyboards on those. If that's too expensive, there's always an EEE PC + USB card, especially since those cards are usually free if you sign a contract.
Then you could drop the smartphone and just get your choice of free crappy samsung/motorola flip phone for phone and text.
The point of these devices is convergence. To re-split them is to go backwards in time.
Hmm.. if HTC doesn't fix this soon, I'll get the Meizu M8 (IF it will be released that is..).
Finally a sleek WM phone, 16 million colors baby!
akash_84 said:
Hi all,
Other than that, phyically, the screen is the same size (2.6") but much sharper and clearer on the N95 (I think the N95 has a much better resolution). And then theres the weight, while size doesnt make that much of a comparison, the weight is very noticable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate your story, but just a little note - the N95 has the same 320x240 screen resolution as the Kaiser, and the Kaiser is 2.8 inches of course (same as the latest N95 of course)
I wish the kaiser had a better camera, and proper graphics acceleration, (and that accelerometer seems more and more useful each day) but mostly I appreciate the N95 is more of a phone than the Kaiser.
After years of WM however I find other phones (and especially the N95) completely unintuitive, and cant really see myself switching away from the rich ecosystem soon.
Surur
meorah said:
The point of these devices is convergence. To re-split them is to go backwards in time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldnt have said THAT better myself.
who in their right mind would carry loads devices for music, taking pictures, sat nav, a mobile, a pmp, thats just stupid
I'm sorry that the Kaiser didn't work out for you, but each person is an individual, and what works best for me, may not be good for you. That's why we have hundreds of models of phones available. Personally I love my Kaiser, and I think its far better than my old PDA phone, the HP iPAQ hw6515. The RF reception is just as good as a good regular handset, not like the iPAQ which was only good in urban areas where you were surrounded by plenty of towers. I used to keep a Motorola A845 and a V551 in my truck and when in rural areas I'd have to take my SIM out of the iPAQ and put it into another phone to be able to make a clear call. I haven't had to switch my SIM card once since I bought my Tilt.
Sorry this hasn't worked out for you, and I wish you luck in finding the perfect device for your needs.
-Jay
That was an interesting read. It's a shame that the kaiser isn't all everyone wants it to be. I like my kaiser, sometimes I love it other times I find it incredibly frustrating. For example when sitting in my living room playing around with it, it's great.
But I was out and about over the weekend, standing on a very cold football touchline texting the results to my wife. The kaiser was running like a dog. Sloooowwww to update while entering contacts into the search as you type 'To:' field. Then the text failed to send (despite a full signal). I really started to think about other options such as the N95 or SE P1i - you know, devices that just WORK!
But last night I was traveling on a coach to the Wales v Normay match and decided to play with my google maps and built in GPS on the Kaiser and I fell in love with it again. I arrived at the game and shot some images on the camera and blogged to through Shozu. It all worked well. I then turned to Opera Mini to check the England v Switzerland scores and the thing froze on me. SR later and I couldn't get a data connection on T-Mobile despite my sons' N73 having a full signal and gprs connection. (also on T-Mobile)
I know I am going to have a love/hate relationship with this phone, but hey! Thats Windows Mobile.
Now....... how much is that P1i on Expansys....Hmmm £284
Haven't bitten the bullet yet but seriously considering E-Ten X650. Won't satisfy those wanting a fast data connection or a keyboard, but it does have an FM Radio and VGA screen. My biggesst concern is smaller RAM. Anyway, I am looking to get something a bit smaller with better video and it seems like it will fit the bill. Before the driver thing came up, I was thinking of going to the Touch Cruise, as I don't use the keyboard all that much but I since have vowed to never again buy an HTC device. I think the lack of drivers may have been excusable if handled properly, but the disrespect they have shown their customers and this community is in my opinion deplorable.
Now if we could just get E-Ten devices into this forum. Maybe they would appreciate the awesome support this community provides.
I have to say, I'm surprised that the E-Ten devices don't get much credit around here. I've never used one (maybe that's why I'm surprised!) but on paper it seems like devices like the M800 have the Kaiser pretty much licked. I mean, not only do they appear to have the drivers and performance, but VGA too? Okay, they don't look quite so nice, and maybe the button arrangements aren't so good, but surely they're Kaiser killers apart from that?
I kind of got my Tytn II by accident, and stumbled into the world of Windows Mobile, and on the whole I'm happy with it - but if I was putting serious research into it now I'd definitely have to take a serious look at e-ten.
I left, then came back at the refurb price.
I love the phone, but not worth $400....I'll take $150 tho
Note: for anyone considering E-ten. don't get it. First and foremost, build quality sucks. and it's... I don't even want to go there.
Hey im thinking of leaving the kaiser 2 can any one sugest a few devices that might make a good replacment? checked out the P1i metioned above really im thinking iphone after they give it 3g but will it have hsdpa? xda had to unlock it on the kaiser didnt they?
there may be hope yet:
http://msmobiles.com/news.php/7085.html
I put my Tilt on the shelf for now and picked up a Blackjack II. It works for now, but I still visit the forums hoping for a fix. I am kicking myself for selling the 8525. That thing was really running great with the latest cooked ROM's.
Dave
very interesting comments, I was half expecting immature comments about my own thoughts on why I was leaving windows/kaiser but these were very good constructive comments
So I've been using the N95 for almost a week now.
I've still not had to use the Kaiser once though I have kept it at arms reach just incase.
The only time I used it was for TomTom until I get my Garmin software for the N95.
What do I think so far?
Well after a week of intensive use... I do really prefer it to the Kaiser. Yes I still miss the keyboard which still takes 3 times longer to type an SMS compared to an N95 and I miss the touch-screen time2time but aside from that, I've got used to it and it does everything I need to.
For those who considered the Ericsson P series... I used to be a P series fan a while back having owned a P800, P900, and a P910. I was not however impressed with the P1 at all and found it more of a chore to use than anything.
But each to their own- I've just gone of the UIQ symbian software yet I still like the Nokia s60 symbian software.
If anyone wants more information about the N95, Kaiser or any other phone that exists - do let me know and I can try and answer them.
I work part-time as ahobby in a phone repair place so I get a chance to mess around with a lot of the units!