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Review: Samsung Epix

Jack Cook — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:37:15 +0000

Author: Jack Cook
Vendor: AT&T
Cost: $199.99 (after a mail in rebate)

Back in October I posted a news item about the new Samsung Epix where I said that if you are lusting for a new device and you are an AT&T user then check out the new slim touchscreen Samsung Epix with a full QWERTY keyboard! I liked the looks of the device and was initially impressed with the feature set that included Windows Mobile Professional 6.1, global coverage for those that travel, decent memory stereo Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi. I liked the look of the device and felt that for those that wanted a reasonably powerful device that could be used easily with one hand, this was one to consider.

My thoughts about the device were further bolstered by commentary from others after they had tried it. Chris Leckness indicated in his use of the AT&T Epix that he was about to go 4 days without a charge. That was impressive although he did indicate that his use was moderate. I liked that especially since I generally carry two devices with me so one generally gets used far less that the other so having the ability to have a device last several days without having to charge it was very enticing to me.

Chris Leckness did a 1st Look Video that gave an excellent overview and I walked away with the very strong feeling that I wanted to give this device a try. The biggest reasons were the 1800mah battery , the keyboard and WiFi. Although WiFi is probably not a big factor for many folks here in the US because our data coverage plans are so good, I am in an area half the year that I have little (or no) coverage and so I tend to use WiFi to check my mail and a few feeds. So I got a call the other day and was asked if I would like to take a look and give the Epix a test drive … of course I said yes.

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Have you installed Microsoft’s SMTP Patch?

Jack Cook — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:42:02 +0000

If so, did you have an issue? If not, be aware that there might be an issue where it could delete your email Accounts as it did with Mike Temporale over at Mobile Jaw. The patch was released to fix an issue with sending email on your Windows Mobile 6.1 device but Mike has 3 issues that you might want to read about before you install the patch.

#1 The patch will restart your device without warning.

#2 The device restarts in Flight Mode.

#3 And biggest issue - All of your IMAP or POP accounts could be deleted or inaccessible.

If you are considering installing this patch, check out Mike’s article first before you install. If you have installed, did you have any issues? It so, maybe you can take a moment to add a comment to tell us your experience so others can benefit for it.

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Internet Explorer Mobile 6 - Check it out!

Jack Cook — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:35:07 +0000

There is an emulator and documentation for Internet Explorer Mobile 6 for Windows Mobile that you can check out to see what the experience will be like. Said to be available on new Windows Mobile devices soon, this browser will provide a high-quality browsing experience on your device that more closely resembles a desktop browsing experience.

The Internet Explorer Mobile 6 Emulator is available for download today.

Some of the cool features available with Internet Explorer Mobile 6 are:

Improved fidelity (support for full fidelity desktop rendering)
Layout fixes to accommodate a mobile screen (text wrap)
Enhanced Script and AJAX support (Jscript v5.7 from Internet Explorer 8)
Improved multimedia experience (Adobe Flash Lite 3.1 for Adobe Flash content)
Deeper integration with search
Enhanced cursor navigation model
Touch and gesture support – pan support
Multiple zoom levels
Easy switching between mobile / desktop versions of sites by specifying UA strings.

Windows Mobile Team Blog

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HTC Touch Pro at Sprint

Jack Cook — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:56:14 +0000

If you have been waiting for this great device, it is here and on the Sprint website. A decent price reduction along with a rebate and a 2 year contract can get you one of these very cool devices.

The HTC Touch Pro is the most business-oriented of the popular Touch family of phones. From the slide-out 5-row keyboard, to the security and device management features of Windows Mobile™ 6.1, to the ability to present your company’s PPT presentation using the Video Out capability, this is the touch-screen smartphone that will keep your business humming.
Get free shipping and free activation when you purchase a device with a new line of service online!

You can get your HTC Touch Pro here!

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Does my device have a WM6.1 upgrade available?

Jack Cook — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:39:10 +0000

When someone asks me if a device they have has a Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade available, invariably I go to Jason Langridge’s WebLog by entering this link: Upgrades

Jason has been terrific about publishing what devices have received upgrades and he always adds the “tag” upgrade. So if you want to know if a device has an upgrade available, by clicking on that link you get to see the list of all articles he has done to find all the 6.1 upgrades.

Thanks Jason for making life a bit easier!

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HTC Cruise gets a WM 6.1 ROM Upgrade

Jack Cook — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:43:36 +0000

All you lucky owners of the HTC Touch Cruise can have a BIG smile on your faces now. You are now in that select group of folks that can upgrade your device to Windows Mobile 6.1. This FREE upgrade in available now but just a quick reminder for those that have never completed the process before. Applying the upgrade will wipe all data and software that you installed so if you have anything that you need to save, back it up. Also, just before you perform the upgrade, sync your device just too make sure that anything that is new on your device transfers to your PC. After you establish a new partnership, all that data will sync back to the upgraded device.

You can get your ROM upgrade here at HTC

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Palm Treo Pro Review

Jack Cook — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:08:28 +0000

Dieter Bohn from WMExperts has put together one terrific review of the NEW Palm Treo Pro that is well worth reading if you have a desire for a great Windows Mobile 6.1 device.

In part, Deiter said:

The Treo Pro is easily Palm’s best Treo yet. It finally hits all of the feature checkmarks that users have been clamoring for and does it in a way that’s well-integrated with the hardware. Where other smartphones have a tendency to just throw hardware onto a device and leave out making it easy to use, the Treo Pro rarely feels awkward.

Just as importantly, the Treo Pro is the first Treo in a long time to sport a thin and sexy form factor compared to other devices on the market. From the packaging to the look to build quality to feature set to battery life, the Treo Pro is a real winner and doesn’t feel like it’s a year behind the smartphone curve.

Take the time to click the link and read what Dieter had to say especially if you are looking for a device that has great build quality, ease of use for one handed operation, some very cool hardware design touches and most importantly some great device specs.

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Microsoft has no plans to Build Phones

Chris Leckness — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:34:47 +0000

Wait a second, what about the aquisition of Danger? What about the Zune Phone you promised (I am making that up from all the Zune phone rumors)?

Seriously though, as Rocco said over at Pocket PC Thoughts’, “No Surprise”. 60% of you guys agree that Microsoft will never make a phone too.

“Unlike Apple or RIM, which design both their phones and operating system, Microsoft (MSFT) has been taking a different approach for several years — focusing on the OS and letting partners figure out what the gadget will do and where it’ll sell. This is sort of what Google’s doing with Android and its Open Handset Alliance. Despite having its own gadget design teams — which make the Zune and Xbox — Microsoft has ‘no plans to build our own phone,’ says Scott Rockfeld, group product manager for Windows Mobile. ‘Right now we’re happy to share the limelight,’ he adds.”

Personally, I would love to see Microsoft throw a handset out there, but HTC and Samsung are doing a great job making the outdated Windows Mobile run just fine for most of us on their hardware.

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What Devices Have Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrades?

Jack Cook — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:33:26 +0000

So if you want to know just what devices have Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrades just in case you want a new device or have the need to find out if one of your devices has an available upgrade then check out this list prepared by Jason Langridge.

The following is a list of devices that now have Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrades:

(Click on the individual link to get the upgrade)

Motorola Q9c - Verizon

Samsung Blackjack 2

Tilt - AT&T

UT Starcom XV6800 - Verizon

Motorola Q9h

TyTn 2 - HTC

TyTn 2 - Orange

Mogul - Sprint

Samsung SCH-i760

XDA Stellar - O2

v1615 - Vodafone

XDA Orbit 2 - O2 Germany

Asus P527

Telus S720 - Telus

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Perpetually Connecting ….

Jack Cook — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:00:41 +0000

Jerry Seinfeld convinces Bill Gates to try and connect with everyday people the old fashioned way. And Yes, Bill still has the shoe from Shoe Circus….

http://www.microsoft.com/windows

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There may be hope left James….

Jack Cook — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:55:08 +0000

This morning I saw a post by James Kendrick from jkOnTheRun where he said: It’s official- Tablet PC is just a feature of Windows. James, who BTW, got me excited about getting my first Tablet PC, said this morning that “It is with sadness I have watched Microsoft pull back from the Tablet PC publicly. In the early days the Tablet PC was a viable product that Redmond touted proudly as it was Bill Gates’ baby.”

James was dismayed that as he “trolled through the site looking for any mention of the Tablet PC” and could not find anything and you could tell from his writing that he was definitely disappointed if not starting a bout of depression. It got me to think twice about whether or not I want that new tablet … well I still do and I’m looking for my next tablet. But then as I scanned my feeds I saw this piece by Matt Faulkner from GottaBeMobile where he posted a piece about the Tuscaloosa Academy switching some students over to Tablet PCs for their learning. After 35 years in education I know how a budget is impacted by the price of text books and it makes great sense to have students use tablets for a variety of reasons.

It is an interesting piece so check out the article here. Will they have difficulty? Probably but the issues that they might experience will easily be overcome …. there is still life in Tablets James! This is just ONE AREA that we will see growth in tablets and more will follow.

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Gates, Seinfeld and Ad #1

Jack Cook — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:34:28 +0000

Mary Jo Foley had a post on ZDNet.com entitled “First Microsoft make-over ad airs: $300 million well spent?”. I missed seeing the ad during the NFL Season Opener so given the opportunity to watch it via YouTube the next day was pretty good. Mary Jo said she was “not wowed by the first in what is expected to be a series of star-studded ads designed to reshape Microsoft’s consumer image” and that made me want to click on the video even faster.

Well I’m glad I did … why? Because I laughed. It was well done and my guess is that as the series of ads continues, we will see more that will make us laugh more that will designed to reshape Microsoft’s consumer image. And maybe we will finally see some well done “swipes” at Apple!

via

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A Week With the HTC Touch Pro

Jack Cook — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:40:15 +0000

The folks at CoolSmartPhone.com have chronicled a week of use with the HTC Touch PRO on 7 videos showing their daily experiences. There are lots of great pictures to view along with the videos for you to enjoy. Check it out … you will enjoy it!

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The Surface is in the Lobby

Jack Cook — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:12:02 +0000

Sheraton Hotels in five U.S. cities debut Microsoft Surface, putting a virtual concierge and unique entertainment experiences at guests’ fingertips.

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts and Microsoft Corp. introduced an entirely new hotel guest experience with its debut of Microsoft Surface, Microsoft’s first commercially available surface computer. Featuring easy-to-use technology and a natural way of accessing information, Surface units will be placed in the lobbies of select Sheraton hotels in Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Seattle. Microsoft Surface breaks down the traditional barriers between people and technology, providing simple and instant access to information and entertainment. Sheraton will be the first hotel to offer Microsoft Surface, creating a new Sheraton brand experience that will bring interaction, connectivity and a social setting to the lobby, providing guests with an entirely new way to explore local tourist highlights and enhance their hotel stay.

Microsoft Surface is a 30-inch display in a table-like form factor that several guests can use simultaneously. The intuitive user interface works without a traditional mouse or keyboard, allowing people to interact with content and information in a more natural and familiar way, by using their hands and gestures (WTSTT). Sheraton unveiled Surface at five hotels: Sheraton Boston Hotel, Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, Sheraton Gateway San Francisco Airport Hotel and Sheraton Seattle Hotel.

With each unit, Sheraton is offering a customized version of the Microsoft Surface developed suite of applications to provide entertainment and information about local attractions. Surface, and these unique applications, are designed to serve the needs of the brand’s core guests who are social individuals seeking to share the travel experience with one another. The placement of the Surface units in Sheraton lobbies enables guests to leverage and experience the offerings in a social way.

Three highlighted applications are the following:

(click read more to read the rest of the story)

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Nokia + Zune?? Hmmm….

Jack Cook — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 21:55:48 +0000

So how cool would this be? I like Nokia products and I like my Zune … imagine combining the two. Hmmm, very interesting!

Nokia is currently working with the Zune team on integration of Zune Marketplace content according to a well placed source within Microsoft. The joint development is directed at content delivery rather than a hardware device according to the source. It has long been assumed by many tech followers that Zune content and software would find it’s way onto Windows Mobile devices, thereby offering competition to the unfortunately popular iPhone. The interesting thing about the Nokia Zune partnership is that Nokia does not support Windows Mobile. It appears Microsoft may be developing a two front war against the iPhone, namely Windows based smart phones and more abundant “non-smart” phones.

Check out the rest of the story here at zunescene.com

via PPCT

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