[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam General] mackaby007:
WM devices all the way.....

I had read this post previously but decided not to share my opinion as I haven't had the pleasure of evaluating the new P990i. But on reading over some of the posts on this thread I thought it suitable to do so now.

I have previously owned a P800, P900, K750i from SE and an XDAIIi, XDA mini, Universal, Vario, Prophet and now a VarioII. So whilst I have had much experience of owning & using these devices, I am by no means professing to be any kind of expert.

IMHO, based on my personal experiences and frustrations of getting to grips with Windows mobile devices and their buggy ROMs, I still believe that they are the best convergance devices out there. In short:

Cons:

1. Always buggy ROMs/software and incompatibility across avrious applications.

2. Too many releases of newer and better devices, only shortly after everyone has bought in to the current one, leading me to believe that I've been conned, yet I always buy into it again.

3. Lousy support from manufacturers (even worse if bought on contract-network providers branded phones).

4. The frustration of petitioning and waiting for manufacturers and software devlopers to rectify their incomplete software (sometimes a big part of the reason for purchasing certain hardware/phones).

Pros:

1. No other platform offers as much personal customisation, modification and the ability to update your software/ROM as Windows mobile devices.

2. This point really ties in with the first; closest and most compatible format to Windows PC O/S, in my opinion. providing your not a Mac user!!

3. If you have the time (most people don't) to invest in resolving all issues that affect you (not including defective hardware), you will end up with a nigh on perfect device for your purposes (within reason of course).

That said, my list of Pros don't seem to be too extensive do they? That's because, for me, they encompass all I personally need.

For me the TyTN/VarioII is slowly but definately becoming a very reliable and stable device. As a matter of fact, it already is! I just have one gripe about video playback performance using a 3rd party appl, but that is also being resolved by the developers as we speak, but it didn't happen overnight and not without perseverance on my behalf. Hence the reason why WM devices are not for everyone.

If you click on my name and read all of my boring posts (no funny comments please), you will find that there has been a teething period for all my devices and a fair share of frustration and dissapointment on my behalf too, but I stuck with them all until they gave me virtually no problems. Then the next best thing came out and I moved on to the next challenge or toy.

Bottom line for me is: Does my current device meet my immediate needs? Yeah, pretty much most high end phones do that.

But for longevity: Is my current device versatile enough (in terms of features), configurable/modifyable/adaptable and compatible with my PC and my hobbies. Yes Yes Yes. Nothing else even comes close for me. The TyTN, in my opinion, may be a buggy device for many, but not for many others. I have no major issues at all. I use wi-fi everyday without issue. I use HSDPA several times a week and whilst I'm not always able to achieve my highest 1.4 Mbps, I now usually achieve a minimum of over 800kbps in poor reception areas. I have not had any screen alignment issues at all, no sticky keys, no dropped calls or poor quality calls (& I only get one bar signal where I live & work), but I do suffer from occasional lock-ups (mostly due to my impatience when multi-tasking) but no more than 1 or 2 a fortnight. Battery life is pretty good given my wi-fi usage. I charge every night (by choice or habbit) but actually don't need to charge until the end of the next day. TomTom GPS works like a charm as does bluetooth and basically everything else I do with it. Camera is not the best out there, by a long shot, but it is pretty good for day shots.

There's too much to mention. I guess the Pros list just grew!!

Im by no means an advocate or employee of Microsoft either, but they just happen to produce what I want and I'm prepared to take out the time to tweak these things to MY liking.

If like me, you're this way enclined, you won't regret moving back to WM, especially the TyTN, providing you don't get a dodgy one like many seemed to have done.

I put my money where my mouth is;

Wifes Phone: Universal (MDA Pro, not my old JasJar)

Daughter 1's Phone: Hurricane smartphone (poor support from manufacturers though)

Daughter 2's Phone: Prophet (my previous device)

Son 1's PPC: HP iPAQ rx 3715

All devices are running on different ROMs than the ones they were shipped with, and none of them have any issues at all. TyTN beats the Universal hands down (well except for the VGA screen).

Hope this helps.