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-   -   Coming from Touch Pro to Touch Pro 2? - read/share here (http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=93694)

pesok 10-31-2009 04:35 AM

Coming from Touch Pro to Touch Pro 2? - read/share here
 
There are a lot of reviews of TP2 on the net but i have yet to see any comprehensive review from the actual not-payed-by-anyone-for-review user rather than a pro reviewer. So decided to share mine with fellow ppcgeekrs(sorry for long post just wanted to do honest user review), as always your experience may vary. This will concentrate on my experience coming from TP(1) to TP2

I consider myself a veteran when it comes to HTC devices(calling them phones is just rediculous at this point with latest ones being faster than my mothers current laptop). I fell in love with HTC in 2002 with Wallaby, since then i've experienced most(all?) of them on different networks(both GSM and CDMA) in US, Europe and Asia. Here however i want to talk about switch from Sprint Touch Pro(1) to Sprint Touch Pro 2(Verizon/ATT/T-Mobile versions are different but most points should still apply). I've used TP1 for last 8 month(bought new full price) heavily every single day(both Biz. and pleasure), went through most ROMS here and 2 keyboards. Today was my first full day using TP2(again new) and here is what i found:

Screen: yes its .8" bigger(2cm) and brings the total screen to 3.6"(9cm), however with resolution of 800x480(best on the market i must say) it still looses a bit to the original TP in terms of clarity. Original TP had 285.71 PPI(DPI if you will) with dot pitch of 0.0889. TP2 only comes at 259.15 DPI(higher is better) and 0.098 dot pitch(lower is better). Sure one must say its not a significant difference especially compared to door stoppers such as iPhone(if you have iPhone voluntarily and payed for it but still registered on this forum - i am sure Mac store will sell you iRope) but its still bit less clear. It does however make up for it by sheer size(much easier to see webpages in desktop version). To have the same DPI with its current size TP2 would have to have approx. 910x480 resolution. Still i love the screen just because of size increase(and me and my eyes getting older)

Battery: This one took me by complete suprise. I knew that battery in TP2 was 1500mah as opposed to 1340(higher is better) in TP but i thought the life would be approximatly the same since the screen in TP2 is bigger. Boy was i wrong - my original TP would need to be charged approximatly after 4 hours of heavy use, TP2 went from full charge to about 20% after full work day(8 hours of heavy use), i attribute it to newer cpu(processor) used (7600 vs 7500 in TP1). Battery life is amazing!

Flash: I as most of you here used TP on regular basis as a flashlite (hTorch soft was great), i am not sure which smartass in HTC decided to remove flash completely from TP2, huge dissapointment. Puzzles me, flash in TP1, no flash in TP2, dual flash in HD2? wtf???

Stilys: TP had a very nice stilys that would be pulled in by magnet when it was inserted about 80% in, TP2 does not have a magnet and its much harder to grab it(if you have longer nails would be easier) to pull it out. It does however have the stilys sensor that TP had as well

Keyboard: Here TP2 wins by landslide. While i thought keyboard was nice on TP(especially compared to Nokia N-Series-some may disagree), TP2's keyboard was redesigned to make it the BEST slide out keyboard on the the worlds market hands down. Keys are offset with gaps in between and give a more satisfying click feeling. The dedicated number row was kept(thanks HTC) and while the locations were slightly redesigned from TP it was very easy to get used to.

Tilt: HTS introdiced tilting screen in original Tilt (aka Kaiser/TyTN II/8925). but it was removed in later versions, glad to see it back. I would prefer if while tilting it would make a clicking sound and perhaps go to full 90, but still thank you for bringing it back(nice for watching movies while it sits flat on the table). Now to see how it withstands the test of time and durability.

Memory resourses: While TP2 has the same 288 of ram as TP on the paper, it has less RAM available to you when used with stock ROM(hoping for custom ROMS to resolve this). I was used to seeing under 45% usage on TP, with TP2 its well over 55% mark(currently at 70% after running all day with no resets). Same with available internal storage - on TP with fresh install i usually had over 220mb of available space with stock ROM on TP2 its was less than 170mb. Again hoping for custom ROMS to resolve this
Update: after installing 2 cabs found in this forum i boot up to 37% used only(from 55%), cabs are here:http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=85996&highlight=cabs

Reset button(pin-hole): important button for all of us custom ROMers TP had it easily accesible on the bottom of the device, TP2 moved it inside for some reason so you have to take off battery cover to get to it, dissapointing.
Update: Our handy ppcgeekers have found a way to take care of this here: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=84758

Headphone jack: Yes! finally included on the bottom of the device on TP2(was a no show on TP)

Hardware keys: Love the dedicated Windows key and overall the keys feel right, would love to see a gap between them so its easier to press blind, although some might miss the D-Pad from TP(i am not one of those peeps). Also included a new feature - a dedicated mute button on the back of the phone(for speaker/conf calls)-it works flawlessly i might add
Update: for those missing the D-Pad there is a way to make zoom bar work a bit like it(i like it a lot-quite usefull especially for selecting without actually clicking on the item), info here: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=92360

Sim card: TP2 now includes SIM card so you can use it on GSM network as well as CDMA. Currently its locked to Sprint only worldwide network but i am hoping this will be unlocked so it can be used on any GSM network(with appropriate band) in the nearest future(no more swithing phones when traveling to europe!!!)

Dual microphones: activated when on speaker/conf call - supposedly makes for clearer calls with noise cancelling technology - have yet to test it(anyone?)
Update: tested the mics and the clarity of the call is amazing - in most cases people on the other end do not even know i put them on speakerphone(very helpfull when talking to GF or mother and need to leave for just a sec:))

Speaker: while TP had a decent speaker, the speaker on the back of TP2 is just amazing! Clear and huge. Have yet to test it extensively(anyone?)
Update: after extensive testings - speaker rivals my handheld radio(with stereo speakers), sound is full, clear and crisp and you would never guess its coming from a "cell phone", huge improvement over TP(1) speaker

Slide zoom: new feature - right below the screen, works fine on pictures and webpages, didnt test it thoroughly(anyone?)
Update: make zoom work a bit like RIP D-Pad(lets u select entries without actually clicking on them(click activates function thats sometimes undesired)): http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=92360

Well thats all for my review i purposely left out the software in it since with customs ROMs it will be absolete. Please add your own experience as it would be an interesting read for those that are still thinking about switching whether through free(with fee if through assurion) or regular upgrade.

If it was educational/interesting read for you please consider clicking that thanks button:)


Update: after reading through the forum i have found some things that resolve some of the problematic/annoyance issues with TP2. I take no credit for any of them, all found in our beloved forum. The updated stuff is in this color in the main post and under appropriate sections(with my experience added).

goldenu 10-31-2009 05:10 AM

Re: Coming from Touch Pro to Touch Pro 2? - read/share here
 
I'll go with the "Men of few words" review: the TP2 is superior to my TP1 in every way except size and weight. I would murder a room full of TP1's for a single TP2.

dafuse 10-31-2009 10:23 AM

Re: Coming from Touch Pro to Touch Pro 2? - read/share here
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by goldenu (Post 1282015)
I'll go with the "Men of few words" review: the TP2 is superior to my TP1 in every way except size and weight. I would murder a room full of TP1's for a single TP2.

For me, it's not in "every" way. I was stunned to find less memory on the TP2. I find myself forced to manage memory for the first time in a long time with the TP2. I'm pretty disappointed with that.

Apart from that, after 2 days of using the TP2, having had a TP1 for a year, my thoughts are:

- Battery life is indeed better than TP1. Significantly. It's not on par with my work Blackberry, but it's a lot better than TP1. I got to 7PM before hitting 10% battery level yesterday, after having had 2 hours of phone use, Exchange email "As items arrive" with about 200+ emails, Hotmail same setting but about 20 emails, RSS reading, some browsing, a bit of You Tube, and 20 minutes of music over Bluetooth during the commute home. That would have had my TP1 dead at noon.
- It seems faster, for everything.
- The annoying lags are still there, but they are less annoying because the unit faster. The lag when you press "send" on an email and then switch back to portrait mode, Opera oreintation switches, etc are all still present, but to a significantly lesser degree because of teh improved performance.
- Slider answer. Perfect. I hadn't found an acceptable 3rd party solution with TP. S2U2, Pocket Shield and Sensor Lock all had nasty effects on the phone and were unusable for me.
- I've had no functional issues at all. Connected to Plantronics BT headset, Sony car stereo for both phone and music without any issues or performance impacts.
- I can't explain this, but it's far better than the TP1 at scrolling and navigating non-TF3D screens, like email and the WM settings screen. The finger scrolling is simply great. I can't explain it because essentially, TP1 had the same SW and OS (WM6.1 Sprint). I don't accidentally select Web links when scolling emails anymore. I don't accidentally open articles in RSS. It just works better for that. Maybe the screen size? In any case, this is a pleasant surprise that has made the experience so much better on the TP2. Because of this, I don't miss the D-Pard from the TP1. I was afraid I would.
- The lag when receiving a phone call is shorter. The TP2 rings after two rings in the caller's ears, which used to be 3-4 rings for the caller with the TP1. HUGE improvement for me. This was a major point of disatisfaction for me on the TP1. I was missing inbound calls all the time. 3rd party lockers would make that even worse.
- I prefer the new dialer
- The TF3D enhancements are nice

So, I think all the improvements outweigh the negatives, in my mind. Even though I'm a bit upset at the memory, I will most likely keep the TP2. All in all, I am very satisfied.

Dr.8820 10-31-2009 10:42 AM

Re: Coming from Touch Pro to Touch Pro 2? - read/share here
 
i agree with just about everthing in the 1st post. one thing that bugs me is the running programs tab in the top right corner of the screen. it doesn't show what's running, just the percentage. and that means that if i'm running the media player and hit x, it complete closes and you have to start over. and yes, i do miss the d-pad.

krohnjw 10-31-2009 10:46 AM

Re: Coming from Touch Pro to Touch Pro 2? - read/share here
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by pesok (Post 1281965)
Memory resourses: While TP2 has the same 288 of ram as TP on the paper, it has less RAM available to you when used with stock ROM(hoping for custom ROMS to resolve this). I was used to seeing under 45% usage on TP, with TP2 its well over 55% mark(currently at 70% after running all day with no resets). Same with available internal storage - on TP with fresh install i usually had over 220mb of available space with stock ROM on TP2 its was less than 170mb. Again hoping for custom ROMS to resolve this

As far as available memory (RAM) have you guys thought about disabling ResProxy? This will gobble up memory rather quickly pre-caching files so that the launching of applications seems faster. MightyMike has a good post here as well as info for decreasing the amount of memory it uses to 0

http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showpost.p...32&postcount=6

After setting it to 0 I boot around 40% free and really never have to "manage" the memory any longer (same experience as the TP).

krohnjw 10-31-2009 10:48 AM

Re: Coming from Touch Pro to Touch Pro 2? - read/share here
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr.8820 (Post 1282388)
i agree with just about everthing in the 1st post. one thing that bugs me is the running programs tab in the top right corner of the screen. it doesn't show what's running, just the percentage. and that means that if i'm running the media player and hit x, it complete closes and you have to start over. and yes, i do miss the d-pad.

Correct me if I am wrong here, but this is due to Task Manager being set to "End programs by tapping X" by default. (Settings -> System -> Task Manager)

Change that to either end by tap + hold or disable it entirely for using the X button to end running programs. Then you will once again see the list (great for multi tasking) and be able to kill apps from the task manager.

dafuse 10-31-2009 10:49 AM

Re: Coming from Touch Pro to Touch Pro 2? - read/share here
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by krohnjw (Post 1282396)
As far as available memory (RAM) have you guys thought about disabling ResProxy? This will gobble up memory rather quickly pre-caching files so that the launching of applications seems faster. MightyMike has a good post here as well as info for decreasing the amount of memory it uses to 0

http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showpost.p...32&postcount=6

After setting it to 0 I boot around 40% free and really never have to "manage" the memory any longer (same experience as the TP).

Sorry, I should have been more specific: It's the storage memory that I'm managing, not the program memory. I will be running out of storage memory soon. I'm down to 63 MB now, and I haven't installed everything I normally have. I'll have to make use of the storage card for programs, which I never had to do on the TP1.

krohnjw 10-31-2009 10:52 AM

Re: Coming from Touch Pro to Touch Pro 2? - read/share here
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by dafuse (Post 1282403)
Sorry, I should have been more specific: It's the storage memory that I'm managing, not the program memory. I will be running out of storage memory soon. I'm down to 63 MB now, and I haven't installed everything I normally have. I'll have to make use of the storage card for programs, which I never had to do on the TP1.

Ah, yeah that is a drag. I've offloaded the cache for opera, mail and such and sill sit around 112 MB free, but I can see how this would quickly become an issue for people.

butchwhitt 10-31-2009 12:03 PM

Re: Coming from Touch Pro to Touch Pro 2? - read/share here
 
My TP2 experience so far has been awesome.

I've had three Touch Pro's now (Alltel TP, Verizon TP which really sucked after using the Alltel, and now a Verizon TP2)

The screen is great, just a little bigger but seems a LOT bigger for some reason.

The keyboard is no contest. Verizon put the up arrow key back where it belongs - not between the "n" and "m" keys... never figured that out - it was right on the Alltel.

Battery is great. I can go two days without a charge with a lot of use.. voice, texting, and fairly heavy internet.

Stylus, I don't particularly like but I rarely use it anyway.

Flash, I do miss... mostly for the light capability.

Reset button?????? Who's brilliant idea was that? I drilled a small hole just large enough to fit the stylus.

The speaker phone is great. Even when five feet away from my phone, talking cell to cell, my wife says I am speaking too loud. Mute button works too.

Slide zoom works great although I do kind of miss the D-Pad sometimes.

Memory has never been an issue and I usually have at least 2 or 3 programs running.

Over all... it's just a great phone!!!!

Dr.8820 10-31-2009 12:48 PM

Re: Coming from Touch Pro to Touch Pro 2? - read/share here
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by krohnjw (Post 1282399)
Correct me if I am wrong here, but this is due to Task Manager being set to "End programs by tapping X" by default. (Settings -> System -> Task Manager)

Change that to either end by tap + hold or disable it entirely for using the X button to end running programs. Then you will once again see the list (great for multi tasking) and be able to kill apps from the task manager.

thanks for this! it worked!


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