Pocket PC Thoughts.com http://www.PocketPCThoughts.com Pocket PC Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:41:08 GMT en-us What Sounds Do You Use For Notifications? http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89811/what-sounds-do-you-use-for-notifications.html I was wondering what sounds you use for various notifications on your device. I suspect a few of you leave the default sounds on, but most of you probably customize just about every sound on the device. Here is my listing of key sounds:

  • Ringer - telephone ringer from the show 24. I also have the phone vibrate simultaneously.
  • Email - I use the default Alarm3 sound that comes with the device. Well below the annoying threshold for emails.
  • SMS messages - A sound from the STNG computer - annoying for frequent SMS messages, but great for just a few a day
  • Reminder - TOS Red Alert klaxon - guaranteed to keep you from being late to any meeting. I also use this to wake up.

I pretty much leave the rest on the default settings, except for MMS, which I turn completely off. So, what's on your device?

]]> Ed Hansberry Pocket PC Talk http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89811 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT Samsung Omnia and HTC Touch Diamond In the Ring http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89810/samsung-omnia-and-htc-touch-diamond-in-the-ring.html http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_touch_d...-review-262.php

"It's PocketPC playoffs and HTC are giving Samsung a match at the GSM Arena. With two of the stars of the season arriving in our office all at once, we thought it's a heck of an opportunity for some Diamond-Omnia-Diamond-Omnia-Diamond-Omnia game-set-match with a pinch of iPhone flavor. We got two aces up to the challenge, so sit back and stretch out. Ah well, get that six-pack too and join us for the kick-off."

There's plenty to love about the Samsung Omnia and the HTC Touch Diamond. Both are very capable, but which one trumps the other? GSM Arena attempts to answer that in nine pages. Take a look!

]]> Darius Wey Pocket PC Articles http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89810 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:00:00 GMT Astraware's Big Box of Blox Free This Month http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89809/astraware-s-big-box-of-blox-free-this-month.html http://www.astraware.com/ppc/bigboxofblox/

"Astraware and Digital Eel are excited to announce the release of Big Box of Blox for Symbian® S60® smartphones. This blox-stacking extravaganza is already available for Palm OS® and Windows Mobile® smartphones and PDAs. Big Box of Blox is a blox-stacking game taken to outrageous extremes! Players arrange the three-blox-high stacks as they fall. Match blox in groups of three or more, vertically or horizontally, to eliminate them - but that's not all! Don't just stack the blox. Smash them, blast them, mutate them or explode them in a shower of flames! Use special blox including jokers, bombs, frogs, mushrooms, fireballs and slot machines to clear the board before it reaches the top! As an introduction to this fantastic game, Club Astraware members can get Big Box of Blox FREE during July 2008. Existing Club Astraware members just need to log into their account to get their free copy of the game."

This month only, you can grab Astraware's Big Box of Blox for the wonderful price of 'free'. To download the game, all you have to do is log into your Club Astraware account, or register if you don't have one. It's available for both Windows Mobile Classic/Professional (Pocket PC) and Standard (Smartphone). Enjoy!

]]> Darius Wey Pocket PC Software http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89809 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:30:00 GMT O2 Releases XDA Stellar 6.1 ROM Update http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89808/o2-releases-xda-stellar-6-1-rom-update.html http://www.my-xda.com/software_updates.jsp

When ROM updates rain, they pour... I guess. XDA Stellar users (Those who have devices that eerily look like a HTC TyTN II) may be interested in a Windows 6.1 update now available for their devices. Looks like all those Krazy Kaisers world round will have soon (or have now) 6.1. Anyone throw the Steller update on and have any opinion?

]]> Jon Westfall Pocket PC Software http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89808 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:15:00 GMT Happy 4th of July Everyone! http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89802/happy-4th-of-july-everyone.html
]]> Rocco Augusto Smartphone Talk http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89802 Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:29:00 GMT Canadian Carrier Telus First in North American to Launch HTC Touch Diamond http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89800/canadian-carrier-telus-first-in-north-american-to-launch-htc-touch-diamond.html http://www.telusmobility.com/on/pcs...htc_p3100.shtml

"When we unveiled the HTC Touch Diamond in May, we promised that it would be coming to North America later this year. Today Telus is announcing it will be the first carrier on this side of the pond to carry the HTC Touch Diamond. With this announcement, HTC continues our tradition of creating a family of devices, bringing the HTC Touch Diamond's unique style and exceptional features to a number of form factors and wireless protocols. Telus will launch a CDMA version of the HTC Touch Diamond later this summer for $149.99 with a 3 year contract. To make the HTC Touch Diamond even more attractive, they offer subscribers very affordable unlimited data plans like $15 per month for unlimited email and IM, or $30 for unlimited email, IM and web browsing."



I know many of you were waiting for a CDMA version of the Touch Diamond, but I doubt our American readers thought they'd see it launch in Canada first. I'm frankly just as surprised as you are - first, that they have a CDMA version launched before a North American GSM version, and second that a Canadian carrier is getting it first. We used to be the laggards, but it seems Canadian carriers are pretty anxious to get their hands on these new devices. The fact that Telus, as of January of this year, now has reasonable data rate plans makes this device all the more compelling. ]]> Jason Dunn Pocket PC Hardware http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89800 Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:27:00 GMT TouchPal v3 -- YASK (Yet Another Software Keyboard) or a whole new method of input? http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89795/touchpal-v3-yask-yet-another-software-keyboard-or-a-whole-new-method-of-input.html

Product Category: Soft Input Program (SIP a.k.a. soft keyboard)
Manufacturer: CooTek
Where to Buy: CooTek
Price: $12.98 USD
System Requirements: Windows Mobile Professional 5.0 and above.
Specifications: Requires approx. 1.1Mb of program memory (including help files, etc.) default English QWERTY keyboard included, but other languages and keyboards are available for download.

Pros:

  • Simple and relatively small;
  • Innovative design which maximizes 'finger' friendliness;
  • Lots of documentation (animated!) to get you started;
  • Very configurable.

Cons:

  • Lots of different gestures to remember to get specific features;
  • Predictive Engine overrides what's actually input (unless you set up precise input, which may slow you down);
  • Keyboard sometimes blocks input fields at bottom of screen.

Summary:
As I spend more and more time with a keyboard-enabled smartphone, I appreciate the convenience of direct tactile input for larger messages. There are times though, when I want to look up a contact or record a new appointment quickly without bothering with the keyboard. Then, I need a soft keyboard interface that's quick, easy and predictable. TouchPal has been talked about on the discussion forums for a number of months now, and people seem to either rave about it or diss it. So what's the real story? Can it actually provide 300wpm input? Let's take it out for a spin....

Introduction
Right off the bat, I have to admit that this review took way too long to write, and I apologise to our PPCT readers and CooTek for that. Part of the problem was procrastination; part of it was an overwhelming schedule of deadlines at work; and a good part of it was wanting to give TouchPal a good, lengthy, worthwhile trial. I'd heard about this product on a number of discussion forums and I really wanted see if it could work for me. The demos provided showed a lot of promise and I was intrigued by the combination of tap and slide gestures for selection and the powerful predictive engine.

Installation
CooTek distributes TouchPal v3 as a CAB file which makes it easy to download and install directly onto your Pocket PC. The CAB includes the TouchPal application, associated help files and an animated demo showing off most of the features of the keyboard and the gestures required to activate them.

Although there is no restriction as to where you can install TouchPal (internal memory or SD card), as with all 'daily use' utilities, loading to Program Memory gives the best response time and consistency of operation. Fortunately, TouchPal is a smallish application -- requiring only 1.1Mb, including the Help files (which you can't opt out of installing), so it won't eat up huge amounts of memory.


Figure 1: After you install TouchPal, it will ask what your preferred keyboard is. You can switch this at any time while using the keyboard.


Figure 2: Once installation is complete, TouchPal takes you through an animated demonstration of the major functions (and specifically gestures) used in the keyboards. It's a good idea to take a look through this. You can also review it at any time through TouchPal's Options.

Two versions of TouchPal are available within the same download -- the Standard version and the Professional. The Standard version is provided free of charge, while the Professional version will cost you $12.98 USD. CooTek has been very ingenious in their download packaging. When you first install TouchPal, you get the full-featured and configurable Professional version for 15 days. After that, it automatically reverts back to the Standard version. To re-activate the Professional version, you contact CooTek, pay your money, and they send you a Challenge code, which is based on your Device's internal ID.


Figure 3: TouchPal's Options, available from the Input selection on the Settings menu. Note the Activate button, where you supply the challenge code provided by CooTek to keep the Professional version features avalable after the 15-day trial.

Keyboards
TouchPal provides 3 different keyboards for input -- a standard, QWERTY keyboard layout with one letter per key; another QWERTY keyboard using fewer keys in their T+ technology format; and a standard 9-key phone pad.

The standard QWERTY keyboard is just that -- a standard keyboard with slightly bigger keys that the one normally supplied with Windows Mobile, and similar to keyboards provided by other vendors and most OEM manufacturers when they customize their units. To access the numbers and punctuation marks, you either tap on the number keypad tab or use the keyboard 'slide' gestures (more on this later.)


Figure 4: The full-QWERTY keyboard. The keys are just big enough to be used with smaller fingers. The numbers and punctuation between the keys are activated through tap and slide gestures.

The 9-key phone pad is mis-named, since it's really a 15-key phone pad with the letters arranged alphabetically over each number, like in a regular phone. Unfortunately, they didn't keep the letters on the same numbers as a regular phone pad, so you'll need to watch what you're doing, if you're used to texting using the phone. Personally, I've never enjoyed, nor gotten the hang of, texting with a phone pad, so I didn't spend any significant time playing with or testing this keyboard.


Figure 5: TouchPal's 9 (15) key phone pad.

The T+ keyboard is kind of a combination of the two concepts. It retains the QWERTY character layout, but assigns up to 4 characters to each key, selectable via a tap and slide stroke. Of the three available, I spent most of my test time working with the T+ keyboard, as it showed the greatest promise for improving my input speed.


Figure 6: The T-Pad keyboard. There are fewer actual 'keys' here, but you access the characters, numbers, and punctuation with the same tap and slide gestures. ]]> Don Tolson Pocket PC Software http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89795 Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:00:00 GMT Camera Comparison: HTC Touch Diamond, HTC Touch Pro, Samsung Omnia, Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89790/camera-comparison-htc-touch-diamond-htc-touch-pro-samsung-omnia-sony-ericsson-xperia-x1.html http://www.theunwired.net/?item=rev...mera-comparison



Our pal, Arne, over at the::unwired, has stress tested the cameras of four of the latest and greatest Windows Mobile devices: the HTC Touch Diamond, the HTC Touch Pro, the Samsung Omnia, and Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1. If camera quality means a lot to you, hit the link to see what Arne has to say. ]]> Darius Wey Pocket PC Hardware http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89790 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:00:00 GMT Mobile Tech Addicts Reviews Samsung's Square-Screen SGH-i780 http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89786/mobile-tech-addicts-reviews-samsung-s-square-screen-sgh-i780.html http://www.mobiletechaddicts.com/20...s-mobile-phone/

"Another device turned up in the post for us to take a look at and this one is the Samsung SGH i780 Windows Mobile Professional device. This phone impressed us from the moment we opened the box and switched it on. The form factor is fantastic combined with a great front facing Qwerty keyboard...The major difference with this and other square screen devices is the screen resolution. All previous square screen devices we have seen followed the 240 x 240 resolution but this phone has a 320 x 320 display which makes for a much better viewing experience."



It's good to see vendors Not Named Palm trying the square-screen format, but with a halfway decent resolution. Let's hope we see a North American-frequency-compatible-GSM or CDMA version of it come to this side of the pond. :) ]]> Janak Parekh Pocket PC Hardware http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89786 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:00:00 GMT Touch-Screen Lawsuit Hits Toshiba, Apple, HTC and Many Others http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89783/touch-screen-lawsuit-hits-toshiba-apple-htc-and-many-others.html http://www.betanews.com/article/Tou...hers/1214341924

"Now that the Patent Reform Act (S. 1145) has been pulled from the Senate floor schedule, it looks like business as usual for patent litigants, as a holder of touch screen patents has launched a carpet-bombing assault.Re-tooling a patent infringement suit aimed at Dell from 2007, Typhoon Touch Technology and co-plaintiff Nova Mobility Systems have added Apple, Fujitsu, Toshiba America, Lenovo U.S., Panasonic Corp. of North America, HTC America Inc., Palm Inc., Samsung Electronics America, Nokia Inc, and LG Electronics USA to its list of defendants."

I'd comment on this, but I am busy preparing my lawsuit to sue companies with touch-sensitive keybaords.

]]> Ed Hansberry Pocket PC News http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89783 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:00:00 GMT MetroPCS MetroFlash welcomes Verizon, Sprint customers -- and their devices http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89778/metropcs-metroflash-welcomes-verizon-sprint-customers-and-their-devices.html http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/...stomers-and-th/

"MetroPCS may not have the largest wireless footprint in the States, but they did take a jab at the larger two CDMA carriers by announcing their intention to take on any Verizon and Sprint customers ready to jump ship -- as well as any "compatible" devices they may want to bring along with them. Sprint already supposedly does this (although we've still yet to hear of it actually really happening), but the specifics of MetroPCS's MetroFlash seem equally unclear. It doesn't sound like they'll reprogram just any CDMA device that walks through their doors, though, just the ones they've had a chance to test on their network. Definitely kills the buzz (and the number of devices that can be ported), but a little open is still kind of better than totally closed, right?"

One of the things that have always annoyed be of CDMA devices and carriers is the almost non-existence of openness between them. With my GSM/HSDPA handset I can pop in a SIM card from almost any other GSM network and be up and running with a snap of my fingers. This is something that is almost impossible to do on CDMA networks… heck even switching your current device on the same CDMA network is a hassle. While I give MetroPCS a pat on the back by trying to stand apart from the crowd is it really enough? What benefit is there to being open when the whole process of enabling the handset on the network is so ridiculously cumbersome? ]]> Rocco Augusto Smartphone Talk http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89778 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:02:00 GMT Microsoft Goes Software Subscription With Equipt http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89777/microsoft-goes-software-subscription-with-equipt.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/pos...0-per-year.html

"Microsoft has released more details about its new software subscription bundle that went into testing in mid-April. The bundle has been officially dubbed Microsoft Equipt and will be made available in mid-July 2008 at nearly 700 Circuit City stores in the US. Equipt licenses will cost $70 per year and will include Windows Live OneCare, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, Microsoft Office Live Workspace, and Windows Live tools. Windows Live OneCare and Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 are the only applications in the suite that are not currently offered for free. Microsoft says it created Equipt in response to customer feedback: these are the applications that users wanted the most, and they were frustrated with having to download, install, and keep them all up-to-date, one by one."



Subscription software is a tricky business: most consumers aren't fond of paying for something year after year without good reason. Equipt might do the trick though, because offering Office 2007 Home edition along with virus scanning on three computers for $70 per year isn't very expensive when you consider most consumers are probably spending almost that much on anti-virus software alone for a couple of PCs. What about you? Does Equipt strike the right balance of features and price for you to sign up? If you already have Office 2007, it's probably a moot point mind you... ]]> Jason Dunn Digital Home Software http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89777 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:56:00 GMT HTC Touch Diamond Going Sprint? http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89776/htc-touch-diamond-going-sprint.html http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/01/...-sprint-attire/



As a service to everyone reading this, I'm not going to include the pretty bad photo that accompanied this news throughout the internets. But suffice it to say that Sprint picking up the diamond is a pretty good move and not too unanticipated either - their sales of the Touch seem to be doing pretty well, and they have a high-speed network that can handle the load and make the experience all the better. Any way you cut it, the Diamond seems to be coming up quickly in the world of mobile device. ]]> Jon Westfall Pocket PC Hardware http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89776 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:52:00 GMT Celebrate The 4th of July with Astraware Fireworks! http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89769/celebrate-the-4th-of-july-with-astraware-fireworks.html http://www.astraware.com/fireworks

"Astraware Fireworks is a simple FREE application, showing sequences of fireworks flying and exploding into the air. As 4th July is traditionally a time for fireworks and celebrations in the USA, the features have been created to help our American friends highlight one of their major holidays - Independence Day!"



Now you can enjoy fireworks anytime you want with Astrawares latest offerings for the mobile world. You can download this free application from Astraware's website or by going here. ]]> Rocco Augusto Smartphone Software http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89769 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:29:00 GMT It's Christmas Time at GottaBeMobile http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89768/it-s-christmas-time-at-gottabemobile.html http://www.gottabemobile.com/Ho+Ho+...eMobilecom.aspx

"I get more gadgets and stuff than I can shake a stick at, and frankly, I'm getting run out of my office with it all. So, I'm going to pass them on to you - the GBM reader. I love all of this stuff, but I figured it would be best to spread the love around. Here is the loot: 1 HP TC1100 Tablet PC + Docking Station + rubber flap, 1 Samsung Q1P Ultra-Mobile PC with extended battery and organizer case, 1 BatteryGeek.net Portable Powerstation, 1 HTC Tilt (unlocked), 1 HTC Advantage (unlocked), 1 Vista Ultimate..."



Rob Bushway over at GottaBeMobile has an office full of gear and he's giving much of it away - the complete list of prizes is too long to publish here, so jump over and take a look. The contest is underway, so stop on over and check it out! ]]> Jason Dunn Pocket PC Events http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89768 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT Battle of the Keyboards: XPERIA X1 vs. HTC Touch Pro http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89743/battle-of-the-keyboards-xperia-x1-vs-htc-touch-pro.html "MobileBurn scored an early look at the Touch Pro -- which won't be available at retail for a month or three yet -- and came away impressed with the all-important keyboard, saying that it was "much more" usable than the QWERTY found on Sony Ericsson's rival superphone. Closed, it's said to be virtually indistinguishable from the Touch Diamond (which we'd say is a good thing) other than being a bit thicker to accomodate they keyboard and picking up a matte-finish rear cover."



Two top-notch devices: the HTC Touch Pro and the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1. Both have specs that would make any geek weak at the knees, but when it comes to the keyboard, word on the street is that there's simply no contest - the Touch Pro comes out on top. Check out what MobileBurn has to say, and do take a look at the pics. Engadget has plenty of X1 pics for your perusal, too. ]]> Darius Wey Pocket PC Hardware http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89743 Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:15:00 GMT Pictures and Details on Palm Treo 800w at Sprint http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89742/pictures-and-details-on-palm-treo-800w-at-sprint.html http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/28/...al-details-lac/

"We're not sure where our tipster got these pictures (nor are we going to ask), but they appear to be screens from the Treo 800w's specification and knowledge training documentation. New tidbits include a 333 Mhz processor, 4.4.1 x 2.28 x 0.73-inch dimensions, 320 x 320 pixel screen, and a weight of 4.94 ounces. Windows Mobile 6.1 looks to be in full-force, the camera shoots at 2 MP, and the USB port is 2.0."

Click to embiggenate

Click for larger image

Engadget has a few other images and specs on the device. It has the Sprint logo and should go for around $249.99 with a contract. MMS is missing though. You can of course send pictures via email, but to receive pictures, it seems you'll get an SMS with a link you can click on and view in Pocket IE. I might be upset about that except the MMS clients for Windows Mobile are horrible, so using the MMS client or having to click a link and view in PIE has about the same suckage factor. I am befuddled as to why MS doesn't just write a decent MMS client and ditch the third party client that most carriers are licensing.

]]> Ed Hansberry Pocket PC Hardware http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89742 Sun, 29 Jun 2008 07:00:00 GMT AOL Finally Releases New Beta Windows Mobile AIM Client http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89740/aol-finally-releases-new-beta-windows-mobile-aim-client.html http://beta.aol.com/projects.php?pr...ct=aimwinmobile

"AIM for Windows Mobile brings all of the best features of AIM on your PC to your Windows Mobile smartphone! AIM for Windows Mobile lets you communicate whenever you want, wherever you are, in whatever way suits you best - IM or text. Update your AIM status and information when you're on the go. Change your conversation style, manage your Buddy List, and much more. AIM Windows Mobile Smartphone has many of the same key features and a familiar look-and-feel of the desktop AIM client. This build of AIM Mobile does not have an Update Mechanism available. This means you will have to return to beta.aol.com and check if a new build of AIM for Windows Mobile is available. The Update Mechanism will be included in a future build. AIM for Windows Mobile supports devices with the Windows Mobile 5 and Windows Mobile 6 operating systems."



If you use AOL's instant messenger service, you might want to give the new beta a try. While the eye-candy looks nice, it's a beta so bear that in mind and be sure to give feedback. For those using this on a smartphone, AIM uses your data plan, not SMS. If you use AIM, what IM client are you currently using? ]]> Paul Martin Pocket PC Software http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89740 Sat, 28 Jun 2008 11:55:00 GMT Microsoft to Acquire Mobile-Data Company http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89739/microsoft-to-acquire-mobile-data-company.html http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-9978036-36.html

"Microsoft announced Thursday it has made plans to acquire MobiComp, a mobile-data company founded in 2000. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed... The acquisition will be used to bolster a number of services on the Windows Mobile smartphone platform as well as the Windows Live Web services division. MobiComp has developed an array of products: MobileKeeper Backup & Restore, MobileKeeper Sharing & Communities, and Active mTicker. They're used by companies to back up data stored on mobile phones, submit content from mobile phones to social networks like Facebook, and access news and other mobile media."

It is interesting to see Microsoft suddenly paying more attention than usual to the mobile services market. With their recent purchasing of Sidekick maker Danger and now MobiComp it looks as though Microsoft has plans up their proverbial sleeve to start rolling out more integrated mobile services to their Windows Mobile and Windows Live product lines. Hopefully we will find out more of what Microsoft has planned as the month slowly start ticking down to the release of Windows Mobile 7. ]]> Rocco Augusto Smartphone News http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89739 Sat, 28 Jun 2008 11:49:00 GMT A Look at the HTC Touch Pro http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89736/a-look-at-the-htc-touch-pro.html http://www.slashgear.com/htc-touch-...ges-2712290.php

"I had an opportunity to check out the HTC Touch Pro aka Raphael smartphone at an informal meet up with HTC earlier today. According to HTC, the Touch Pro is the company’s Touch Diamond (but more) and by more it is beefier in thickness due to a slide up 5-row QWERTY keyboard. To an untrained eye, the HTC Touch Pro may look just like the Touch Diamond. Other than the more rounded edges, they’re nearly identical. I found that the keys on the Touch Pro are smaller than those on other HTC QWERTY smartphones like the T-Mobile Wing or the Tilt for AT&T, but they’re still usable and have a good feel to them."



Vincent Nguyen from Slashgear got to spend some hands-on time with the HTC Touch Pro, and has collected some photos and thoughts on it. I'm a bit surprised at how thick it looks - measurement wise, it's basically the same thickness as the HTC TyTn II, but in the photos it looks bigger. Perhaps because it's all black and looks like one thick slab instead of two joined pieces? The HTC Touch Pro is a powerful device, but I have a hard time with the thickness of slider devices like this. I wonder how it feels in the hand? Check out the video after the break.

]]> Jason Dunn Pocket PC Hardware http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=89736 Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:45:00 GMT