HTC Touch Diamond, Touch Pro
In the winter of 2007, I received my Dell Axim x51v. Already by that time Dell had discontinued
the entire Axim family and was selling its remaining stock. The Axim x51v is a Pocket PC, a
type of PDA that runs Windows Mobile. Windows Mobile is like Desktop Windows, but I'm not
here to give you a tutorial on pocket pc basics.
Anyway, I was going to write a review of it but never got around to doing it. I even set up the
page and wrote a few sentences but never finished. Its a really good PDA, but there are some
nagging problems with it such that I usually don't use it daily (I use a Palm for the To-Do List.)
Firstly, its battery life just sucks. This means that usually wherever I take it, I have to bring
along its charger. I know, I can get a higher capacity battery for it, but that will make the unit
physically thicker (the battery bulges out the back and needs a special cover).
the entire Axim family and was selling its remaining stock. The Axim x51v is a Pocket PC, a
type of PDA that runs Windows Mobile. Windows Mobile is like Desktop Windows, but I'm not
here to give you a tutorial on pocket pc basics.
Anyway, I was going to write a review of it but never got around to doing it. I even set up the
page and wrote a few sentences but never finished. Its a really good PDA, but there are some
nagging problems with it such that I usually don't use it daily (I use a Palm for the To-Do List.)
Firstly, its battery life just sucks. This means that usually wherever I take it, I have to bring
along its charger. I know, I can get a higher capacity battery for it, but that will make the unit
physically thicker (the battery bulges out the back and needs a special cover).
When it was released, the Dell Axim x51v was one of the best PDAs out there, just not in the battery department.
For one thing, it has a VGA display. Most Pocket PC's today have a QVGA, or 320 x 240 pixel display. That means
that there are 240 pixels along the short edge of the screen, and 320 along the long edge. The pixels are
organized into rows, like a grid. A VGA screen, however, has 680 rows of pixels one way, and 480 pixels the other
way. That's double the number of pixels on the length and width of the screen, which equates to four times the total
number of pixels! The diagram below compares the two resolutions.
For one thing, it has a VGA display. Most Pocket PC's today have a QVGA, or 320 x 240 pixel display. That means
that there are 240 pixels along the short edge of the screen, and 320 along the long edge. The pixels are
organized into rows, like a grid. A VGA screen, however, has 680 rows of pixels one way, and 480 pixels the other
way. That's double the number of pixels on the length and width of the screen, which equates to four times the total
number of pixels! The diagram below compares the two resolutions.
So, QVGA stands for Quarter VGA, because it has a quarter
of the number of pixels of a VGA screen. Heres some
examples of some device's resolutions:
- Lenovo T61 Notebook computer: 1680 x 1050 pixels
- Palm Lifdrive, Tungsten T3, Tungsten T5 or TX PDAs:
320 x 480 pixels - All other Palm devices: Either 320 x 320 or 160 x 160
- iPhone/iPod Touch: 480 x 320
- PSP: 480 x 272
easily make out each pixel's square shape. On the Dell Axim,
you get none of that, instead texts and images are as clear
as print.
On top of that, the Dell Axim x51v includes superfast 624 mhz Intel processor (for comparison, you computer's
processor is probably about double that), 256 MB storage memory built in, and 64MB of memory to run programs
in. Nowadays, 256MB is simply not enough, and the 64MB of Program memory (RAM) simply isn't enough for the
latest Pocket PC programs such as Opera.
Even so, the Axim adds yet another item seldom found even today in PDA's: A graphics card! Well its more like a
graphics chip, but this PDA has 16MB of dedicated video memory! Every computer had some sort of graphics
card. Most computers today don't even have dedicated video memory, instead they have to cut out a portion of
the computer's program memory to use as display memory.
The Axim also has WiFi so you can browse the internet wirelessly, and Bluetooth so that you can connect it to
your phone or desktop computer.
processor is probably about double that), 256 MB storage memory built in, and 64MB of memory to run programs
in. Nowadays, 256MB is simply not enough, and the 64MB of Program memory (RAM) simply isn't enough for the
latest Pocket PC programs such as Opera.
Even so, the Axim adds yet another item seldom found even today in PDA's: A graphics card! Well its more like a
graphics chip, but this PDA has 16MB of dedicated video memory! Every computer had some sort of graphics
card. Most computers today don't even have dedicated video memory, instead they have to cut out a portion of
the computer's program memory to use as display memory.
The Axim also has WiFi so you can browse the internet wirelessly, and Bluetooth so that you can connect it to
your phone or desktop computer.
Well that took a little longer than I expected, but whatever.
Anyway, I have been asked many times, "Well, with all those features crammed in there, can you use it as a
phone?"
The answer is No, you can't use it with Verizon or T-Mobile or any of those. You can use an online phone
program like Skype, however.
I usually carry a phone and a PDA with me, so wouldn't it be nice to have a phone and a PDA in one device? Well
lots of people thought of that way before me, and so nowadays we have these smartphones (Blackberry, Treo,
iPhone, etc.) which are displacing PDAs.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a smartphone with the capabilities of the Dell Axim x51v, and a phone.
All I really need for the "phone" function is the ability to receive and send calls.
Then I learned about the HTC TyTN II.
WTF? TyTN? What kind of name is that? Yeah, I know, at first i went around referring it as "Tee-Why-Tee-Enn,"
until i saw a Youtube video in which someone called it "Titan." So thats how you pronounce it, "Titan."
The TyTN II is, if you haven't guessed already, the successor to the TyTN, aka the At&t 8525. Likewise, a version
of the TyTN II is sold by At&t as the "Tilt."
And HTC is the company that produced it. HTC, for those of you who don't know, is a Taiwanese company that
has released such things at the HTC Touch series. HTC was also a contract manufacturer that just happened to
make the Dell Axim x51v, as well as one of the Palm Treos. Basically, HTC designed and built the deviced, but
the company (DELL or Palm) had an exclusive contract making sure that they can rebrand it under their own
name and HTC may not release the device under any other brand.
Anyway, I have been asked many times, "Well, with all those features crammed in there, can you use it as a
phone?"
The answer is No, you can't use it with Verizon or T-Mobile or any of those. You can use an online phone
program like Skype, however.
I usually carry a phone and a PDA with me, so wouldn't it be nice to have a phone and a PDA in one device? Well
lots of people thought of that way before me, and so nowadays we have these smartphones (Blackberry, Treo,
iPhone, etc.) which are displacing PDAs.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a smartphone with the capabilities of the Dell Axim x51v, and a phone.
All I really need for the "phone" function is the ability to receive and send calls.
Then I learned about the HTC TyTN II.
WTF? TyTN? What kind of name is that? Yeah, I know, at first i went around referring it as "Tee-Why-Tee-Enn,"
until i saw a Youtube video in which someone called it "Titan." So thats how you pronounce it, "Titan."
The TyTN II is, if you haven't guessed already, the successor to the TyTN, aka the At&t 8525. Likewise, a version
of the TyTN II is sold by At&t as the "Tilt."
And HTC is the company that produced it. HTC, for those of you who don't know, is a Taiwanese company that
has released such things at the HTC Touch series. HTC was also a contract manufacturer that just happened to
make the Dell Axim x51v, as well as one of the Palm Treos. Basically, HTC designed and built the deviced, but
the company (DELL or Palm) had an exclusive contract making sure that they can rebrand it under their own
name and HTC may not release the device under any other brand.
The TyTN II runs Windows Mobile 6, while the Dell Axim
x51v runs Windows Mobile 5. WM6 (guess what that
stands for) looks kinda like Windows Vista.
Anyway, here are some of the specs:
x51v runs Windows Mobile 5. WM6 (guess what that
stands for) looks kinda like Windows Vista.
Anyway, here are some of the specs:
- QVGA Screen (see above), that slides up to reveal
the keyboard. Furthermore, you can tilt the screen
upwards like a laptop. - 128 MB program memory (RAM)
- 3 megapixel camera
- 400mhz dual-core Qualcomm processor
- GPS
- WiFI
- Bluetooth
- Support for numerous different systems of cell
phone transmission
Supposedly, the HTC TyTN has an integrated graphics accelerator (like the video card in the Axim x51v). Its part
of the processor and its associated electronics (chipset). So is the GPS and Wifi. However, for some reason, this
graphics card is not used by the phone, as the drivers required for it to function are not there. Drivers basically
are little pieces of software that enable the entire system to use a certain piece of hardware. For example, when
you plug in a new printer into your computer, a popup may read, "Installing device drivers."
Because the phone is unable to use the graphics card, everything that is to be displayed on the screen must be
handled by the 400 mhz processor itself. This makes everything slow, from opening the Start Menu, rotating the
screen when you slide the screen to reveal the keyboard, playing videos and games, even websites do not scroll
smoothly because of the limited graphics capabilities. In fact, the original TyTN has better graphics.
You can read more at http:www.htcclassaction.org.
I'm probably getting the TyTN this June.
NOW ONTO THE GOOD STUFF:
BLOG POST:
of the processor and its associated electronics (chipset). So is the GPS and Wifi. However, for some reason, this
graphics card is not used by the phone, as the drivers required for it to function are not there. Drivers basically
are little pieces of software that enable the entire system to use a certain piece of hardware. For example, when
you plug in a new printer into your computer, a popup may read, "Installing device drivers."
Because the phone is unable to use the graphics card, everything that is to be displayed on the screen must be
handled by the 400 mhz processor itself. This makes everything slow, from opening the Start Menu, rotating the
screen when you slide the screen to reveal the keyboard, playing videos and games, even websites do not scroll
smoothly because of the limited graphics capabilities. In fact, the original TyTN has better graphics.
You can read more at http:www.htcclassaction.org.
I'm probably getting the TyTN this June.
NOW ONTO THE GOOD STUFF:
BLOG POST:
Well, HTC (which used to be a contract manufatuer, it made my Dell Axim
x51v for example), announced the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro (I don’t
really care for the Titanium/Dual Pro) on May 6th. Its not that I just found
out, in fact I knew it was coming, so I rushed to my computer to see some
high-resolution shots of the Diamond after getting home. Of course, I only
thought about posting this today. The leaked photos don't do it justice!
Well? What do I think, you ask?
THIS THING KICKS THE iPHONE’s PROPRIETARY ASS
just search “htc Touch Diamond” on Google or Yahoo or whatever. you can
even go to htc.com and watch some viedos showing it off.
It even has an accelerometer so that when you flip it, it automatically rotates
the screen. Sound familiar Apple?
Personally, I’d like the Raphael (htc Touch Pro) better. I especially want
something with a keyboard. But then again, I don’t think the Touch Pro has
the 4 gigs of memory that the Touch Diamond has. Whatever, I don’t listen
to that much music anyway.
Unfortunately, my cell phone contract ends in June, when the Touch
Diamond (no mention of the touch pro) comes out in the UK. The Diamond
will hit the US probably around September, and there’s no chance I’ll be
able to get my hands on it. So I’ll probably end up with the Touch Pro’s
predecessor the TyTN II (Titan Two). I can probably live with its missing
video drivers for a year…
x51v for example), announced the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro (I don’t
really care for the Titanium/Dual Pro) on May 6th. Its not that I just found
out, in fact I knew it was coming, so I rushed to my computer to see some
high-resolution shots of the Diamond after getting home. Of course, I only
thought about posting this today. The leaked photos don't do it justice!
Well? What do I think, you ask?
THIS THING KICKS THE iPHONE’s PROPRIETARY ASS
just search “htc Touch Diamond” on Google or Yahoo or whatever. you can
even go to htc.com and watch some viedos showing it off.
It even has an accelerometer so that when you flip it, it automatically rotates
the screen. Sound familiar Apple?
Personally, I’d like the Raphael (htc Touch Pro) better. I especially want
something with a keyboard. But then again, I don’t think the Touch Pro has
the 4 gigs of memory that the Touch Diamond has. Whatever, I don’t listen
to that much music anyway.
Unfortunately, my cell phone contract ends in June, when the Touch
Diamond (no mention of the touch pro) comes out in the UK. The Diamond
will hit the US probably around September, and there’s no chance I’ll be
able to get my hands on it. So I’ll probably end up with the Touch Pro’s
predecessor the TyTN II (Titan Two). I can probably live with its missing
video drivers for a year…
Here's what I meant. HTC is releasing three new phones, all branded with the "Touch" name. The development
codename is given in parentheses.
- HTC Touch Diamond (diamond)
- HTC Touch Pro (Raphael)
- HTC Touch Dual Pro (Titanium)
announced the Touch Pro with it. Also although the Touch Dual Pro sounds like it is a better model than the Touch
pro, it isn't.
It seems that I have found what I've been looking for! The HTC Touch Diamond has a VGA screen, just like the
Axim. On top of that, it has a better processor than the TyTN (528 mhz), and its intergrated graphics card has all
the drivers it needs to operate at full potential. It also has GPS, Bluetooth and Wifi, and contains an Accelerometer
that rotates the display according to the way the device is turned (like the iPhone).
The Diamond only has 4 whole gigabytes of storage to hold lots of music, and it also has a microSD slot in which
you can add up to 16 gigabytes of additional memory!
The other models, Touch Pro and Touch Dual Pro, don't have the 4 G's of memory, but instead have keyboards.
The rest of the specifications remain unchanged. The Touch Pro has a full sliding QWERTY keyboard like the one
on your computer (it does not tilt like the TyTN), and the Touch Dual Pro has a physical numerical numerical
keyboard. The Touch diamond does not have any keyboard, instead it displays the keyboard on its touchscreen.
ON top of all this, all of the devices have an unique user interface called TouchFLO 3D. Its kind of taking your PC's
desktop (what you see when you first turn it on), and adding an interactive desktop image that gives you one click
(or in this case, one-tap) access to your phonebook, music, weather, Messages, email, Youtube and more.
Whew! That took a while to write!
Links:
http://www.htc.com/uploadedimages/Gallery/HTC_Touch_Diamond/Full_presentation.html A video demonstration of
the Touch Diamond by the CEO and CIO. The CEO has a thick accent and the CIO can't stop using the word
"simply." Because the interface is just that. Simple.
You can also Google "HTC touch diamond" for countless articles (though not as good as this one) and information
on it and its siblings. You can also go to htc.com and see some more videos and photos.
