Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous character, the detective Sherlock Holmes, was able to make startling conclusions from many different, minute observations. It's probably impossible to find a real person as brilliant as this fictional character. But with the power of the Internet, HTCClassAction.org looks like it's pulling an expose on HTC that would make the super sleuth proud.

The story starts from the Xda-developers forum. Some users felt that their TyTN II didn't quite perform as well as it should for one of HTC's most important products. This is specific to videos and other graphics-related tasks. They documented their experiences in forum threads and even YouTube videos which showed the TyTN II struggling in a GPS demo, while a much older HTC Magician breezed through.

The YouTube video comparing the TyTN II's performance to an HTC Magician.

What lies beneath

Now, most people do well to take what they read on the Internet with a pinch of salt, but the Xda-developers forum just happens to be one of the most respected communities among Windows Mobile enthusiasts. Discussions there range from simple device feature discussions to full-blown driver tweaking/coding threads that only full-time programmers and hardware experts should know. In short, the people there have a good reputation for knowing what they are talking about.

According to them, the issue lies not with the hardware, but drivers that appear missing. This lack limits the capabilities of the Qualcomm MSM7xxx processors used in the devices. Those involved in the discussions are convinced that the Qualcomm chipset has an integrated video chip based on an ATI video chip--a feature not put to use in the TyTN II. In fact, they are so serious about it that many members of the Xda-developers forum have pooled together a bounty of US$4000 (and counting) for the first person who is able to create display drivers that solve the problem.

Responding to the many complaints, one of the participants, Chainfire, started the Web site HTCClassAction.org to document this issue and to pressure HTC for a response. And a response they got--the same one we received directly from the Taiwan-based company. Here it is in full:

HTC is committed to delivering a portfolio of devices that offer a wide variety of communication, connectivity and entertainment functionality. HTC does not offer dedicated or optimized multimedia devices and can confirm that its Qualcomm MSM7xxx-based devices do not use ATI's Imageon video acceleration hardware.

Could there be more to the story of the TyTN II than just HTC not providing drivers?

HTC values its customers and the overall online community of mobile device enthusiasts and fans. HTC plans to include video acceleration hardware in future video-centric devices that will enable high-resolution video support.

Blow-by-blow analysis

In its blow-by-blow analysis of the statement, HTCClassAction.org noted that HTC never states that it doesn't have ATI's Imageon video acceleration hardware or that any of the parts are disabled. It just says that its devices "do not use" it. The ambiguous tone employed could really mean there's no ATI hardware at all. Or that it's there, but HTC doesn't use it. Which brings you right back to the premise of HTCClassAction.org--for HTC to release the drivers.

Adding more weight to the site's argument are the various comments from different users who have called HTC's customer support about the issue. There doesn't seem to be a consistent answer, with some customer service staff actually admitting to a problem and claiming that a fix is on the way. HTCClassAction.org's efforts bring together many bits of information to assemble a case against the manufacturer--truly a community effort in action.

In an email response to CNET Asia, Chainfire (creator of HTCClassAction.org) said that his purpose is to "get HTC to support their own products--and let us use our (expensive) devices to their full potential, by any means necessary". He doesn't dismiss the possibility of legal action, but emphasizes that the goal is to get the devices working properly and that they (the community) are not rushing into it.

Perhaps there's more to it than just updating drivers. If so, HTC could save everyone a lot of trouble by speaking plainly on why the TyTN II seems to underperform. Clearly, some have felt that the statement is insufficient, and we, too, have sent HTC a few clarification questions that have yet to be answered.

Business as usual

Truth be told, there's a big group of users who just don't care either way. Video performance is a bonus feature for them, and if it doesn't affect productivity, there's no loss to them. As it is, the TyTN II and some of the latest HTC devices using the Qualcomm processors remain very popular. If there is a problem and HTC fixes it, then fine. If it doesn't do anything more about it, we have a feeling it's just going to be business as usual.

In the end, this is not an open-shut case and probably has levels of complexity unknown to us. As resourceful as the HTCClassAction.org group is, no one will be saying "elementary, my dear Watson" anytime soon.