Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Yeah true. I have < set as Write New as is the standard with an SE phone, ^ set as Messages so I have easy access to Inbox, Sent Items or Drafts when I need them, I have > set as calendar, and V set as Phonebook. I don't use the activity menu much except for turning silent mode or bluetooth off and on.
So I'd still see more of the menu than you to get to games or my pictures and music, etc.
Posted by carkitter
Err... don't you press and hold # for silent mode?
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Yeah of course, while on the standby screen. But I'm not always sitting on the standby screen.
Up late carkitter?
Posted by carkitter
Yeah, Vodafone suddenly decided their website didn't need to support Opera anymore and I've been scratching my head trying to work out why I was logged out. The penny dropped today and I've been on the Opera Community site asking for help. Those guys at Opera really are legends. They build an excellent, customisable, easy to use, do everything Browser and then when a website locks you out they add a button where you can open IE7 within Opera...
Is there no end to their talents! I've asked that they do some promotion in NZ/Oz because so few people down here have even heard of Opera Mini and Opera Desktop Browser.
And I had to find an amr to mp3 converter to make use of the audio file I recorded today when our team conducted an interview as part of our first Professional Skills for IT Practioners assignment. Found a really good one here, quick and simple to use.
'bout time I hit the hay actually.
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Did you get your Opera/Vodafone problems sorted out?
Yeah they really need to promote Opera more. I had never heard of it before I came on Esato.
Posted by carkitter
Well the IE button is an easy to use work-around but the problem lies with Vodafone. I have several issues with them actually... what else is new!
A member at Opera Community suggested that perhaps Vodafone haven't conformed to the W3c standards with their changes therfore Opera won't work with the login fields for that reason... imagine that, Vodafone doing things their way and not the common overseas practice... that'll be a first - NOT!!!
I'm gonna investigate this W3c standard and it's use (or not) in NZ and ruffle a few feathers!
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Well speaking of the Vodafone website, whenever I try and go on it at the moment, it says this:
And I doubt their website is actually busy unless they decided to sell the iPhone at half price... So maybe they're doing some maintenance? Maybe thats what your problems stems from?
EDIT: Haha, so now it works...
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[ This Message was edited by: Muhammad-Oli on 2008-08-26 06:55 ]
Posted by yea g
the wap settings were workin for me at 5.00pm
Posted by frankthetank
I have to say i'm enjoying the new casual data rates it's pretty dangerous having trademe at my fingertips 24/7 though! Managed to pick myself up a bricked k800i hopefully it can be revived via davinci if not i'll swap the guts of mine into the newer housing and sell it... The k850i is much improved since a firmware update no more black low light photos, although as usual vodafone is 2 steps behind in terms of updates... Oh well
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[ This Message was edited by: frankthetank on 2008-08-26 23:35 ]
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Yeah that annoyed me with my W910i. I've had only one update available to me, and that was a few months ago and it wasn't even the latest back then. I think Vodafone only releases a couple of updates and then gives up. I don't think there will be many more updates for the W910i or K850i.
But we can only hope.
Posted by carkitter
Update? What update? V-series phones don't get updats as far as I'm aware...
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Man I'm loving having a 5 MP phone camera. I think I've already taken half as many photos with it than I did during the whole of my W910i's 7 months of use! The auto focus is great, and I love taking shots using the macro mode. I can't believe I've avoided an auto focus phone camera for so long!
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
On 2008-08-27 04:28:46, carkitter wrote:
Update? What update? V-series phones don't get updats as far as I'm aware...
I've had one update for my W910i and it made my phone worse to be honest. When was the last time you tried SEUSing your phone? My V630i didn't get any updates either, but I'd expect they'd give the V640i an update due to all the problems with the A2 platform.
I guess you'd need to use one of your V800is for internet to be able to update your V640i right? V, V, V... too many Vs.
Posted by carkitter
V800 as modem, you're Very correct!
But only on IE7 grrr....
Posted by frankthetank
I really only plan to wait out the warranty period then debrand it (Unless I get really impatient and/or someone cracks the camera drivers with XS++...)
SEUS is gay it refuses to work on my computer, so I had to install it and all the K850 drivers on our other machine at home to be able to update - seems that it fails to recognise my install of Shockwave Flash
Anyway to be quite honest the camera may have improved, but the k800i with customised camera drivers takes FAR better shots in more varied conditions, even if they are at lower resolution there is far less noise etc
I guess you're well pleased with the C902? From what I've seen of the photos I would be too...
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Yeah I would do the same if I actually kept my phones long enough for the warranty to run out!
I hate that SEUS doesn't work on a Mac. I suppose I can expect it cause there are a million programs that won't work, but surely a good percentage of SE owners have Macs!
Yeah my C902 has been awesome so far. Coming from the W910i which has an awful camera in comparison, the C902's camera seems to be very impressive! I'll never wait around to buy a Vodafone phone ever again!
Posted by yea g
so ur w910 was vodafone branded and ur c902 wasn't. im starting to get confused lol but anyway about seus not working its because most of the time people install flash for firefox and as far as i know seus only works on the ie flash player.
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Yeah my W910i is Vodafone branded because I bought it from an Vodafone shop a few days after its release here. But I bought my C902 last week from Parallel Imported who bring in phones from overseas, so my C902 is an unbranded import which is much better!
Posted by yea g
yea imo the vodafone icons look shit
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Yeah they're a lot worse than the original SE ones, but I've lived with them so long I'm still used to them. They were worse in the old T610i and Z600i days though. The worst Vodafone icons I've ever seen was on the SE F500i which was a Vodafone exclusive, and a horrible looking one at that.
Posted by yea g
yea on my friends s700i (or is it s200i the one that swivels) the vodafone icons look really horrible. he wants me to debrand it but it has the wrong connector on the bottom and he doesn't have a usb cable
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
That's an S700i. Brilliant phone that. It would be hard to find a USB cable for that I'd imagine. And debranding it won't be the same as with phones with the new connectors... I don't even know if its possible.
Posted by yea g
yea I told him that I think its really hard to find firmware for his phone cause its quite old but if anyone knows if its possible that would be cool
Posted by frankthetank
Yes vodafone has a knack for making the good phones seem cheap with their garish icon set... It's especially noticeable when you've moved from a generic imported phone!
Posted by soane28
vodafone branding is my pet hate. Everytime i see it i cringe and just want to debrand it for the poor person!
Oli - great to know your enjoying your C902. Its really good that SE have given the colours a boost and sharpnened up the photos. I had a look at the C902 in aus and was quite impressed. Although it doesnt have a xenon flash
altho understandable due to its slimness which is great.
Have always been a sucker for cameraphones, dont think i could go back to 2 mp cameras like the W910!
Posted by carkitter
On 2008-08-27 12:06:03, yea g wrote:
yea on my friends s700i (or is it s200i the one that swivels) the vodafone icons look really horrible. he wants me to debrand it but it has the wrong connector on the bottom and he doesn't have a usb cable
DCU-11 cables are still available on TradeMe but the problem is sourcing a DSS-22/25 synchronisation dock. I need one to flash 2 of my V800's which suffer from WSOD. The one from the P900/P910 might work but I not sure and getting a P-series owner to part with a DSS dock is difficult. Phones with the fast port can be updated with only a DCU-60 cable which is much easier. My former boss had a DSS-25 but after his V800 got wet he gave all the bits and pieces to a friend of his...
Posted by yea g
he says he doesn;t mind the vodafone firmware that much and i can see why. the vodafone firmware on that fone dusnt give u all the shit you get on for eg the k610 just mainly the icons
Posted by yea g
so... what do u guys plan to do in the weekend
Posted by carkitter
homework... lots and lots of homework
Posted by yea g
ohh too bad i got a bit of homework but not more than 1.3 hours work
Posted by frankthetank
I have two warrant of fitnesses to get in the morning, my personal car and the company van it turns out expires tomorrow... gutted
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Yeah I've got soccer tomorrow afternoon over in Akaroa, so that's a good hour and a bit's drive from Christchurch. Then work on Sunday and trying to get myself a pay-rise or else I'm quitting. My girlfriend earns more at a supermarket than I do... She works at a supermarket ffs!
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[ This Message was edited by: Muhammad-Oli on 2008-08-29 14:00 ]
Posted by yea g
Hey muhammed-oli how did you know we were second best regional thread, i only see the first best on the esato awards page
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Its on about page 7 or something. Whizkidd put only the first results in the first post, but on the day of the announcement he also posted detailed results as a new post in the thread.
Posted by yea g
Oh right I didn't bother reading all the other posts
Posted by carkitter
Technically we're third behind two others who were 1st equal.
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Yeah but shameful shameful third is not as good as so-so second! So if we can say second, we will.
Posted by yea g
^^lol
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Nice signature by the way!
Posted by yea g
yea I decided the design wasn't new anymore lol
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Well today's "The Box" (which is basically a weekly pull-out technology section that comes in The Press, our Christchurch newspaper) has an interesting looking cover story titled "Mobile Mania: The Hottest Cellphones Put to the Test". This looks like it could be interesting.
On opening it up, we find it is a double-page spread with a tiny introductory paragraph taken from the Dominion, and tiny reviews on 8 mobile phones. Then there's another paragraph named "Office tech tangle" looking at the challenge of integrating employees' mobile devices. Boring.
Anyway, because its short, I'll type out the Mobile Mania introduction and tell you how awful the rest is.
There's a mobile phone out there for everyone, but finding the one that's right for you – and that you can afford – can be a real challenge.
Some people want a built-in MP3 player, others want a nice camera, and some people just want a screen they can read without glasses. (Wow, how insightful! What about people that want all of it? - Oli)
But there are a few universal rules to keep in mind. Like all gadgets, ones with more features cost more, so don't waste your money on extras you won't use.
Always try a phone out in the store before you buy too. You don't want to buy one only to discover the keypad is too small for your thumbs.
If you're a traveller, make sure you get a mobile that supports lots of different frequencies – preferably quad-band – so you can use it in different countries.
Add one final word of warning – Telecom will launch a new cellular network probably next year using the same technology as Vodafone (GSM), and new entrant NZ Communications is also likely to start up its GSM network next year.
That means more competition, and better deals. So be careful about locking yourself into an expensive plan in the meantime.
And after that load of almost useless information come the reviews. And they are crap. There are 8 reviews and they cover some of the worst phones they could have possibly chosen. These 8 reviews are done by a total of 5 people, meaning that you can't use them as a comparison at all. Also, the reviews are only short paragraphs so end up covering almost nothing.
Here are the phones they reviewed, their rating and my reason why it was a stupid choice:
BlackBerry Pearl (3 stars) – Ok this one is alright. Covers business users well. I would have expected it to get 4 stars, but the review wasn't done from a business perspective, stupidly.
Okta Mondo (2.5 stars) – They basically say it has terrible build quality (really shocking) and that it looks horrible, but apparently it has an excellent camera and video recorder. There are better phones in the Telecom range.
Samsung Global (4 stars) – I fail to see how this gets 4 stars. Its a smartphone with only a 1.3MP camera, no Wi-Fi, no GPS. The only good thing the review talks about is that it can be used overseas (it's a Telecom phone). How the hell is that worth 4 stars? Vodafone phones can all do that.
Motorola V9 (4 stars) – Apparently this is a 3G smartphone... What? They say it is classy (then that means all Motorola phones are classy? Aren't they sick of the look yet?) and it has a good music player and HSDPA. Hardly worth 4 stars I'd say.
Nokia 5310 ExpressMusic (2 stars) – They say it fails on being a phone, and the camera is disappointing. Then they say "if you want a device more for music than calls – and can't afford an iPhone – it may be just your thing" I cant believe they chucked the iPhone in there. As if it's the best phone ever.
Nokia Arte 8800 (3 stars) – God the girl who did this review must be either retarded, a Nokia fangirl or has no idea about what else is available. I'm going to even write what she says out:
Sleek and stylish with lots of extras, including specially composed electronica ringtones. If you want it, the phone has it somewhere, even a radio and voice recorder. Small keys are pretty but make texting hard if you've got big thumbs. Terrible battery life too. So it's very sexy, just not so practical.
NOWHERE in her review did she mention the $2299 asking price and why the hell it is so expensive. Then she goes on about features (as if they are amazing) that almost every phone has as standard these days. This phone does not have everything like she implies. I get the feeling she hasn't even seen one in her life.
Nokia 6500c (4 stars) – Ok, 4 stars for a 3G phone with a 2MP camera, 1GB internal memory (no card slot I presume) and apparently poor battery life? Ummm... What? Not for $649 you idiot.
Sony Ericsson W350 (3 stars) – The only SE reviewed. Apparently it looks cool but the camera and screen are mediocre (what do they expect from a low-end phone?) Then they take a jab at the SE PC-Suite, which is probably deserved, but they didn't mock Nokia's did they?
Ok, now go over that list of phones. How good a representation of NZ's current mobile phone supply do you think it is? It's terrible! First up, the only SE phone is a low-ender. They should have a low-ender and a high-ender like maybe the K850i, C902 or P1i. I think they should have put the V640i in there too, as a thoroughly decent mid-end phone.
The three Nokias are hardly a good representation of the Nokia range either. Firstly, one is near unaffordable, especially for an article that's supposed to be aimed at the general consumer. Then the other two are decidedly low/mid end despite their pricing. They should have at least had the Nokia N95 or N95 8GB. I think the 6121 would have been a better bet than the 6500c.
There is only one Samsung and its a Telecom. This is despite the fact that Vodafone sells at least 6 different Samsungs. I think the U900 Soul should have been in there. Also, there is a huge lack of LG which is becoming pretty big in NZ.
I don't get why they include the Motorola, because according to the Vodafone website, they only sell 4 models and one of those is very low-end. Plus they got the price of the V9 at least $150 wrong. Its $600 for the Graphite and $650 for the silver. Not $800, dumbass.
I'm glad that only 2 of 8 phones were Telecom though. Though if people are that attached to Telecom (poor souls), I would advise them not to buy a new phone at all. Not at least until the new network rolls out.
So overall, this article is complete trash and they shouldn't have wasted their time. I should take out an ad in tomorrow's paper telling people to ignore these idiots that think they know about phones. People deserve to know how ill-informed they are becoming by reading this stuff.
Oh and the title was "Mobile Mania: The Hottest Cellphones Put to the Test". How are these the hottest cellphones?!
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[ This Message was edited by: Muhammad-Oli on 2008-09-02 04:08 ]
Posted by carkitter
link to Mobile Mania
'Hottest' is a hard term to pin down and is bandied about by the media all the time.
W350 is a recent arrival and could be termed "hot" but Okta Mondo is crap (I've tried one, the UI is budget and the spec below average) and has been around for ages. 5310 is attractive but I've banned my son from paying $499 for it 'cause it just isn't worth that much when the Warehouse has the V640i for $249 (that's hot!) and the K770 sells for $399 (that's hot too!) Tokenism is the word of the day my friend,
as the 'token' Telecom world phone and 'token' premium phone (8800) make an appearance despite lacking features. I do like the V9, have you ever held one - they are sexy in anodised metal and glass with a heavy feel which oozes style - but I doubt its credentials as a smart phone and it is pricey. The 6500c styling doesn't appeal to me and why pay $650 for it when one can get the E65 with the same spec plus wifi? Hmmm... and all the Nokias suffer from short battery life eh? A legacy of those super-duper screen swe keep being told SE should be using? Which leaves the Blackberry and who in their right minds would get a Pearl when every BB owner knows the Bold is coming?
Perhaps this is the list of phones neither network can get rid of ATM?
cough **advertorial** cough
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Ah you mean I wrote that paragraph out for nothing?!
But yeah, you're quite right. Its funny how people say SE phones are over-priced, but if you look at the pricing of Nokias here, SEs seem like bargains! I was thinking it might be an advertorial too. It just seems really awful for what they were attempting to do.
Posted by carkitter
On 2008-09-02 09:11:04, Muhammad-Oli wrote:
Ah you mean I wrote that paragraph out for nothing?!
.
Actually no, I enjoyed reading that on Opera Mini while eating my dinner!
It's an editorial decision, the reviewers just did what they were asked - try some phones and report back. Just a space filler using a 'hot' topic at the moment and getting shafted by both networks marketing departments I'd say...
Posted by yea g
they need to do more phones the best they could do is copy and paste some shit from here at esato or gsm arena or something, they shouldn't even bother doing it themselves
dam my internets going slow fing telecom
Posted by frankthetank
We are having too much load on the server. Please try again in a short while.
Result of a search this evening.... is the forum becoming a little TOO popular lol
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Nah I get that from time to time. I think its just a random error that comes up, but I always get it during times when Esato isn't that busy so I doubt there is actually too much load on the server or anything.
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
@carkitter: Did you get a chance to try and update your V640i? Was there an update available?
Posted by carkitter
I'll try it now
Edit: It could take a while, it has alot of bandwidth heavy graphics and the Uni internet is particularly slow today.
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[ This Message was edited by: carkitter on 2008-09-03 04:12 ]
Posted by Muhammad-Oli
Alright, I was only wondering because you seemed really disappointed that your V-series phones hadn't had updates before.