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11/09/09
11/09/09
Quote:
"It's not quite ready for stylus-free use, and the HD2's screen doesn't come with—or support—those forsaken almost-pens of yore. "
Is this true?
WinMo can't do without a stylus?
Even fingernails won't do?
If so, it's a dealbreaker. #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
That said I'm sure that any of the bevy of iPhone stylus would work if its really a deal breaker. #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
erm thanks? But I think you're not getting my question.
I read the review on 6.5.
It said that it'd be hard to use, not impossible, without a stylus. (who uses one anyway?)
My point being I like the HD2, and if there are some settings that I'd rarely need to change, but which I could at least still use my fingernail when I need to then, I'm fine. The horror scenario being radio buttons placed so close together that'd require pinpoint accuracy that only a stylus could provide. Cos that's the impression Giz is giving me about WinMo.
Regards to a capacitive screen, am wondering if the fingernail (keratin) is also a conductor? Cos what you're saying is that a stylus won't work cos it doesn't conduct, right?
Hope you now understand better what I'd like to find out (if you're trying to help, that is).
Thanks anyway.
PS. Is being earnest a sin on Giz? #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
You can't use a fingernail. The reason a fingernail worked is the same reason that a stylus worked. It pushes in on the resistive screen and makes the connection that the screen registered as input. Thats not there on a capacitive screen. Your fingernail doesn't "conduct" (at least as far as touch screens are concerned, don't try sticking your fingernail in a light socket) and won't register on the screen.
They really do make iPhone styluses (if that was the part that you thought was a joke). If it really comes down to being an issue its an option. 6.5 is supposed to be more touch friendly but as they mention (and you keyed in on) its not 100% there yet. There are menus and settings where they are pretty close together and a stylus would help. Its not going to be impossible (might take a couple tries) but it could be a hassle, especially if you have large fingers. Like I said though you could get a $2 pen that will work with the screen, throw it in a draw, and pull it out when you find yourself in one of those difficult menus so I wouldn't really think of it as a dealbreaker.
11/09/09
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11/09/09
All that's done is to gloss over the software ("it's all HTC") without saying anything +ve or -ve about it, and the end with "It's still Windows Mobile."
SO FREAKING WHAT? If the fact that the OS is Windows Mobile presents a problem, would it be so hard to point out what that problem is?
Don't point to the 6.5 review, for two reasons. 1) That review was criticizing 6.5 for not being as much as it could/should be at this point, not that much of inspecting what's actually there on its own merit, but more importantly 2) Don't point to that review because you say HTC covers up everything!
This review had very little to say, starts out in biased tone, and ends with the assumption that "it's Windows Mobile" explains everything. #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
But let me ask this one thing John, and I'll ask for something really hard here: if you completely forget HTC Touch HD2 has WinMo running under the UI how bad the software is compared to a similar Android phone or the iPhone?
Because seriously, trolling and fanboyism apart, for someone reading this post alone, there is absolutely no real information that tells us why we should consider the software on the cellphone bad.
Being able to replace all basic functions on a OS could be viewed as "trying to hide it", but it could also be seen as the OS being highly customizable.
Lots of portable devices and computers uses highly customized Linux versions, and that's usually not because the manufacturer is trying to hide something... it's only trying to give it a different look to offer the users a fresh or more adequate UI to fit the hardware.
Now, I'm guessing WinMo 6.5 is worse on benchmark, functions, bugs or whatever to justify that bias. Can't think of nothing else. And I'm really hoping there is a better reason for this review other than pure trolling. #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
How much of an improvement would you say HTC's retelling of WinMo is over the standard version on other phones? #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
11/09/09
Frankly, I'm not all that convinced that Android is really ready to take over in all respects anyway. #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
But I guess thats because Giz writers would rather tell you it sucks over and over rather than have an actual technical discussion of the feature sets of mobile OSs. FUD over FACTS is the M.O. when it comes to these fluffy phone "reviews".
I am starting to get the picture that Giz writers don't really understand the technical differences between the mobile OSs, so its easier to leave little things like "reasons" alone, and just regurgitate the same old FUD over and over. #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
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11/09/09
WinMo is likey the worst example of "user friendly" you could possibly list. Want proof of this? Hand a mobile user a WinMo phone and ask them to find something basic. Lets say they look to change the indicator alerts (ringtones, vibration patterns and what not). I garauntee you it will take them at least 10 time longer to find it on a WinMo phone compared to a Blackberry, iPhone, Palm Pre or even Android device.
@reciprocal: @jackburnt: @Incoherent: @smokee: All you have to do is search Windows Mobile articles on just about any tech website or even go pickup a mobile related magazine at B&N to understand. Just because you guys bought into some garbage doesn't mean that it all of a sudden isn't garbage. [gizmodo.com]
[www.businessinsider.com]
Hell, even Motorola who had basically vanished off the map has dropped support for WinMo. Do you truthfully think that the 4 or 5 of you on this blog make up the difference thats given WinMo the horrible image it has today? #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
In fact it sounds like everything went perfectly smoothly in the actual implementation but the fact that it ran Windows Mobile(which has 0 effect on the actual experience) in the background was used as a negative.
I don't care one way or the other if you don't like WinMo(I use Android myself) but at least give the reasons why it lowers the quality of the phone by stating problems experienced, areas where the UI gets killed, etc. As is, it was made to sound like the god phone that you(the author) hates for no reason whatsoever. #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
11/09/09
That's why. If it has little to no effect on the actual user experience then it means absolutely nothing. I'm not asking him to say why he dislikes winmo, but how and where those facets he does dislike show themselves in this phone. If they don't, then the fact that it has winmo doesn't matter at all and it's back to sounding like it does now: This phone is amazing in every way. #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
This is the first time Windows Mobile has been on hardware this advanced, and HTC has (from all accounts) done a bang-up job of making sure you don't see the underlying operating system, but it seems like the author is pissed that HTC isn't going to do an official Android port, and is taking it out on the device.
I mean, isn't it a net WIN (pardon the pun) when the good things you have to say about the Sense UI include "surprisingly usable", "works surprisingly well" and "impressive", while the only concrete negative (besides vitriol about WinMo in general) about this handset in particular is that the Sense UI is "only marginally effective" at hiding WinMo.
That's not a review of the software, that's just kinda lazy. At least compare the usability of the Sense UI on this hardware to something like Android 2.0 on the Droid. #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
11/09/09
The third paragraph that was added in the "Falling Out of Lust with the HD2" section addressed the bulk of my problems with the review as originally written.
Now I know WHY the Sense UI doesn't particularly cut the mustard. #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
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11/09/09
And leet or "Elite" just means, really really good. #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
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11/09/09
(sorry) #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
Other Windows Mobile phone killer.
the iPhone has had an incredible head start at this point. I'd love to hear the sales pitch to someone who walks into a store to buy an iPhone and they walk out with an HD2.
The HD2 is an amazing piece of hardware... but it's still gonna compete with that pesky iPhone... #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
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11/09/09
Make calls without sucking. #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
Well that's a different argument altogether. Business vs. Consumer.
Companies have their own reasons for choosing either Windows Mobile for Exchange support or BES for enterprise Blackberry support.
But, the iPhone is a consumer device... that plays music, movies, apps, games, etc... and it can *also* check corporate email.
So, again, I still don't think the HD2 will be an iPhone killer. Do you really think there will be 30 million HD2s sold in 3 years? Doubtful. Are there over 30 million Windows Mobile platform devices in the world... in companies who already use Exchange in their corporations? Probably.
But that's not the measure of an iPhone killer... #htctouchhd2review
11/09/09
11/09/09
All I want is for att to invest some capital into its network, but what's the point, they'll have to come up with something faster in the near future.