sethasaurus

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Nice hardware RUINED by Crap OS

Feb 19, 2007

Rating: -
Pros: WiFi, Bluetooth and Quadband All-in-One
Cons: Bogged down with Buggy OS
Opinion:
HP made a nice job of integrating everything.
Microsoft did a great job of making it unusable.

The extra buttons aren't that useful if you have a touch-screen anyway.
Some analog control (e.g. volume) would be nice as personally, I've never found the resolution of most digital volume apps to be satisfactory.
Some people complain about the screen but it looks fine to me. Turn the brightness up or get some specs if you have trouble seeing it.

Usability of the stock PocketPC install is this - it works. Unfortunately, this phone suffers from the all-too-common affliction that desktop PCs have endured for years - the Windows operating system.

Once you've un/installed a few apps, the registry dregs, diminishing memory, random bugs, security issues, missed calls, lost emails and sluggish performance will have you tearing your hair out.

If your needs are simple enough to stick with the basic functions, you might be ok.
On the other hand, most people with half a brain would like to make the most of an expensive device (i.e. ebook reader, mp3 player), but they shouldn't hold their breath.

I'll be reverting to my simple phone for calls, laptop with wi-fi, my mp3 player for music and good old paper books, until I can get my hands on a handheld that will run Linux. Yep, it's a lot to carry, but waaay less trouble.

Don't bother unless you're a 12-o'clock flasher with lots of spare time to bother those poor helpdesk staff.

Overall, a waste of time, money and nice hardware. Too much reliance on a well-marketed but wonky OS.