[Advantage X7500, MDA Ameo General] akhanaix:
Hi, Great forum people, at least you get the chance to write up your thoughts.

My first Post on this site, and my initail thoughts.

I got an Ameo as an upgrade to my "MDA PRO" from T-Mobile. It looks like a UMPC but not quite there. I second all your thoughts on the device. One thing that is "interesting is the motion sensor" i.e. you can move around the web browsers via tilting the machine, but a bit like my PS3 Motion Sensor Games it gets a bit of getting use to so I tend not to use it.

Another useful thing above the MDA was the little 5 way joypad which is useful if you don't feel pulling out the pen. But this is definitely a Two Hands Device.

I always try and get the most techie gadget from my Tmobile as possible, the odd view I know but I dont actually believe this is a useable phone, so I still use my trusty SONYp900 with rubbish battery.

Although I must admit the MDA pro battery is pretty bad, that I upgraded to a larger and thus more bulkier model.

So Far I have been impressed with the Ameo's battery - life and as others have commented that the usb charging takes longer from Laptop/PC than the official adapter included. But alas I think after using it it will only really last a day at most … so I have to carry a charger with me if at work etc.

One thing I am confused about is that T-Mobile - I never had any Composite out / S-VHS output cable - just a VGA cable, not sure if this is standard or misinformation I did however had VGA out - it would have been nice to show family pics when travelling etc on family TV's at times.

For me this is exactly as you said a Filofax that BT headset would be useful for making calls. I use it to do exactly "work" related diarycalendar and massive contact list, and keep documents hat I am working on within for reference, must get a Blue Tooth keyboard that sounds useful.

Use the MDA PRO keypad was actually quite tactile and useable, this Ameo however is a very ZX80 "showing my age". but that being said I did edit my CV quite easily.

I would like to say when I saw the screen size I was impressed but the resolution is a let down, I think its more to do with WM5 rather than the device I presume but not sure of the Technical on this.

This machine is just screaming to be a LINUX machine with Phone and GPS built in, open office and more etc, utilising the screen size to a better effect. Dunno just a thought.

WM5 is not really eye candy in pink, so this is a let down, if not embarrassing, some peopel out there would slap you if you answered the Ameo in public so BT is useful and Hands free a necessity.

It "could" make a useful recorder for meetings. Also useful that it has a 3MP Camera, I took some shots and all were useful, but the device is slow and tedious and simple camera's are better Although it has stretched the boundaries i.e PDA/Phone etc. (noting the Nokia N95)

One thing is that it requires you to have a very steady hand or need to be leaning against something to take a top quality shot that again needs to be Still, I got tried of asking my 3 year old lad to hold still ;-) and did not even try with my fast crawling 9 month baby boy.

My wife thinks its yet another waste of money, but I explained to her that I never actually bought it, and it allowed me not to have to carry a laptop and the Work PC and this would be sufficient. So If you are after saving your back then great.

I am now actually on the look out for a really simple phone which can sync with outlook and preferably pay as you go.

So - now I don’t have to carry my ipod - music, Sony PSP for MP4, Laptop - general work. If I look at it that way all well and good. It does feel a bit odd that one I do pull it out it feels like the daddy of PDAs or an ARCHOS Media Player. Pity that the Linux thought that the USB sync cable could connect it to a further Hard drive? making it a TV recorder? Dreaming now sorry.

I hear HTC have a 7inch Vista Compatible. I think that Microsoft/HTC need to release WM6 on the AMEO with T-Mobile quickly.

Anyone know how to get rid of the T-Mobile customisation I remember that there use to be hack for the MDA PRO.

Also NO Anti Virus - or is it that I have not even opened or read Manual the CD-ROM may contain it? can someone confirm as I have to hide everything from the kids otherwise it becomes pulp in there mouths.

So far my littles ones have some great hand me downs, whilst I try and justify the Apple TV thing that just came through a month or so late ;-) belated Valentines Gift for my wife ;-), Pity I could not get this thing engraved with my wifes name on it, usually helps with the unwrapping.

Oh boy before I forget, I thought it was just me, but the screen is useless outside. it reflects so much that you cannot see anything outside. this is really annoying try to use the GPS. so the Voice and sound need to be loud. Notably I did have the screen protector supplied stuck on the Ameo. One thing it makes it more UNsensitive i.e. need to prod it firmly when utilising one finger and not the pointer, which surprisingly does stay in it hole, and does not fall out when there is a breeze in the air.

Another good thing is that streaming books is great for the Kids. The Speakers (stereo work well) althought they are very spoilt with Beolabs 8000 and 6000's around the house, amazingly they don't touch those.

With all the usb charges cables about the place and prying childrens hands I am a bit wary of the thing being pulled of table.

The leather case is really good quality leather, and I think although I like to keep everything quite new looking it may look even better with age.

BUT the protection it offers is minimal, i.e. its no ipod rubber skin etc, and the Ameo is no Light Bunny. If it was picked up I in a food fight accidentally then this would hurt ;-). Where am I going with this is that Hard Drive, and I have worked within IBM Engineering Manufacturing “Files/DASD or Hard Drives”. Can it take a bump is going to be found out by my toddlers sooner than later and this scares me a tad, Solid State could not arrive quick enough albeit for in flight parking technologies. Come on Samsung bring those prices down for that 64GB device.

That Magnetic Keyboard is definitely a Trick and credit to HTC nice idea and shows the shielding has been well thought out it reminds me of the shielding in Larger drives and Actuator Arms. One thing I would have like was another case which just allowed the Ameo to be used Palm Like.and a carrying strap should had least been an option, as long as it was not as girly as the PSP one.

Thinking Back PSION and HP and Ericson Pocket PC etc, this is that Nokia Communicator type machine. It nearly all there but not just quite.

Yes I will get an I-Phone engraved for my wife of course,. As I got this on a twelve month Contract. It does allow me to surf the web adequately but jave based websites still struggle with WM5. this is annoying if you use BT Yahoo, and even there non java based site there is issues with some very important icons.

Skype –usage with T-Mobile costs extra on top of web-n-walk so bear that in mind. This is a bit of a farce. But it would be ideal for Skype etc. If any hackers out there sort this out I will be impressed, I suppose T-Mobile monitor the Skpe services PORT?

One other thing I maybe correct about is there is no infra red port, as this would have made the best ever remote control. Although I do have an amazing B&O 7000 and beolink 5000 and standard beolink which all have immensely powerful beams. It would have been nice to add to my collection one that I could programme the non B&O kit with.

Hmmmm could add it to the Kitchen that I am thinking of doing up, drop down timer, internet cookbook, bollywood film streamer ;-) I think my wife may allow for it.

Anyways hope this adds to some of the thoughts others have written.

Speed of use and generally moving about I not totally impressed about although I am use to trading floor compute back bones, you can live with it. Thing that annoys me is the start up time to making a phone call quickly if you had to. One of the reasons for not using it as phone apart from looking like a person ready to be mugged.NFL.

More updates later.