Thinking of coming back -Hero to Diamond

Sailrace · #1 (**permalink**) 12-31-2009, 01:47 PM

There's a good chance that nobody here cares, but in case anyone has specific questions about moving to a Hero, i might be able to help.

Basically, there are just a couple of things that really bug me with the Hero. First and foremost is the quality control. I'll try to put a succint list of reasons i'm coming back:

1) Dust under the screen. While a lot of people say this is minor, and only visible in bright light, etc. if ind this totally unacceptable for a device of this caliber. There should not be dust forming under the screen, and if after 3 weeks it's already prominent, what will my screen look like in 3 months

2) Email / exchange sync. The email app is very slow to bring up new emails, and furthermore, using folders is all but impossible. While folders do show up within the App, they don't synchronize properly, which means i can't continue using the rules that i had set up on my exchange server.

3) Calendar widgets - while apparently there are some alternatives that work, i would like a simple home screen widget that accurately shows me upcoming appointments. For some reason, the HTC / Android widgets screw up the date for all day events.

Until HTC gets their act together and fixes the dust issue, and / or Android and Sense are updated to 2.1, the Hero just isn't quite up to snuff. While there isn't a lot of good news from Sprint on the upcoming phone front, i'm hopeful we'll see something in the next couple months that will justify my money. For now - i'm coming back to WM and sitting it out with my Diamond.

kwatcha · #2 (**permalink**) 12-31-2009, 02:29 PM

I considered getting the Hero weeks ago when it first came out and changed my mind and got myself a new Diamond and sold the old Diamond only because it's new. The diamond is a phone hard to part with. The hotmail push email is something I don't want to lose and the compactness of the Diamond.

etski · #3 (**permalink**) 01-01-2010, 04:34 PM

I'm on sprint so I was looking at the Hero, but in the store I couldn't get handsfree voicecommand working through a headset, I always had to press a button on the phone to issue a command. I ski a lot and leave my phone in my pocket and when I drive as well I like to be able to hit the button on my headset and just say "dial xxx-yyyy" or "call joe smith on mobile" or "play grateful dead" or "what time is it" and I like that voice notifications reads me my text messages and headers of incoming emails and announces callers name or number so I can answer when I want or just ignore it without ever looking at the phone or taking it out of my pocket. Can you do this on the hero? I didn't see any way to get a number dialed without touching the phone, can you? If not, then it's definitely not for me because handsfree like on windows mobile can.

Sailrace · #4 (**permalink**) 01-02-2010, 03:25 PM

I don't believe, at this point, that there is any way of using voice command directly from a BT headset. I was not able to find one. I think Android 2.1 might have it when it gets released, but i'm not sure.

master4g · #5 (**permalink**) 01-03-2010, 03:47 AM

Hello. I asked this on another thread, but then I saw yours and thought you might be able to answer my question better.:

Personally, Here are the things that are holding me back (from moving over to another OS from WM): I have gotten pretty comfortable with some of the apps which are available for WM, the main ones being:
1. IGo 8 for Text to speech, turn by turn GPS(or any good alternative in that case..like tomtom).
2. WMWifirouter to creat a wireless hotspot
3. Browsers, browsers,and fast browsers (Opera Mobile and Opera Mobile with turbo, and skyfire)
4. A solid SIP keyboard like TouchPal (I think this might be available for android now)
5. Magicall ( so i can train my phone to not ring during certain pre-set times of the day)
6. Don't really play games, but SPB Brain evolution is nice once in a while.

Hardware wise: I small phone with a front facing qwerty would be ideal. I am looking forward to the HTC Trophy which is supposed to come out in 2010.

I think I am ready to move on from WM as the lag really bugs me, but can someone convince me and assure me that the above apps have substitutes on the other side of the river.

Incubated · #6 (**permalink**) 01-03-2010, 06:37 AM

why are you coming back to diamond? why not touch pro- for example. i would go with pre.

**OMJ** · #7 (**permalink**) 01-03-2010, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Incubated

why are you coming back to diamond? why not touch pro- for example. i would go with pre.

TP= brick

pre? lol

**darren.wlsn1** · #8 (**permalink**) 01-03-2010, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OMJ

TP= brick

pre? lol

tell us how you feel omj? lol palm pixi maybe? lol

Sailrace · #9 (**permalink**) 01-03-2010, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by master4g

Hello. I asked this on another thread, but then I saw yours and thought you might be able to answer my question better.:

Personally, Here are the things that are holding me back (from moving over to another OS from WM): I have gotten pretty comfortable with some of the apps which are available for WM, the main ones being:
1. IGo 8 for Text to speech, turn by turn GPS(or any good alternative in that case..like tomtom).
2. WMWifirouter to creat a wireless hotspot
3. Browsers, browsers,and fast browsers (Opera Mobile and Opera Mobile with turbo, and skyfire)
4. A solid SIP keyboard like TouchPal (I think this might be available for android now)
5. Magicall ( so i can train my phone to not ring during certain pre-set times of the day)
6. Don't really play games, but SPB Brain evolution is nice once in a while.

Hardware wise: I small phone with a front facing qwerty would be ideal. I am looking forward to the HTC Trophy which is supposed to come out in 2010.

I think I am ready to move on from WM as the lag really bugs me, but can someone convince me and assure me that the above apps have substitutes on the other side of the river.

I can't speak to all of these as i only had the phone for 3 weeks. But:

1) Until 2.1 comes out with Google Navigation, the best option i found was actually the Sprint Telenav built in, and since you have to be on an everything data plan, it's basically included.
2) There is a WIFI Tether program if you are willing to root your Hero
3) I think that the android browser was excellent, and the pinch to zoom provide much better control than on the diamond's resistive screen.
4) The keyboard on the Hero takes some getting used to. It's excellent, but you need to be pretty accurate with your typing. But once you get it, it's great. And its word prediction is the best i've seen. however, there are some lag issues with it if you have tactile feedback on, or have things running in the background.
5) Not sure...i didn't really look for anything like this, but i would imagine there is an app that would handle this.
6) I don't play games either - for me its a business phone, so i can't be much help here.

Sailrace · #10 (**permalink**) 01-03-2010, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Incubated

why are you coming back to diamond? why not touch pro- for example. i would go with pre.

Mostly because i never got rid of my Diamond, so it's an easy and free switch back. But, i can't stand having a horizontal slide-out keyboard like the TP. I'ts just not my thing.

And while WebOS intrigues me, and seems to run pretty smoothly, the hardware on the Pre just isn't up to snuff with the range of phones coming out soon. I'm not ready to spend money on that form factor and that hardware.

I'm desperately hoping we'll hear something nice from CES or WMC in Jan / Feb about something new for Sprint - I know there is a LG reveal happening on the 6th.

WM or Android - i could go either way, but would really like to see the Dragon / HD2 make its way to Sprint. If we had ever gotten the Imagio like Verizon, I'd be using that now.