Comments on: The Athena – In the Flesh http://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/ Everyone can understand technology; sometimes it just takes a little translating. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:47:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Judie Hugheshttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/#comment-2428 Judie Hughes Thu, 25 Jan 2007 23:52:07 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=2081#comment-2428 Oh yah, I'll be watching eBay prices, myself. I doubt that I can afford one brand new. ;-) Oh yah, I’ll be watching eBay prices, myself. I doubt that I can afford one brand new. ;-)

]]> By: alesehttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/#comment-2424 alese Thu, 25 Jan 2007 22:07:39 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=2081#comment-2424 500 EUR with contract is nice, but that's Germany... In my country (Slovenia) our biggest operator is still seling HTC Wizard for 500 EUR with contract (1 year) and the Universal is 670 EUR, so when (if) Athena is going to be available here it's going to be expensive... 500 EUR with contract is nice, but that’s Germany…
In my country (Slovenia) our biggest operator is still seling HTC Wizard for 500 EUR with contract (1 year) and the Universal is 670 EUR, so when (if) Athena is going to be available here it’s going to be expensive…

]]> By: Judie Hugheshttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/#comment-2415 Judie Hughes Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:47:11 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=2081#comment-2415 <a href="http://www.t-mobile.net/CDA/t-mobile_deutschland_newsdetails,1705,0,newsid-5344-yearid-5234-monthid-5235,en.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">500 Euros with a 2 year contract in Germany</a>... 500 Euros with a 2 year contract in Germany…

]]> By: Mitchell Okehttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/#comment-2404 Mitchell Oke Thu, 25 Jan 2007 02:46:43 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=2081#comment-2404 Haha, I think I would have to choose the Athena in that situation :P Haha, I think I would have to choose the Athena in that situation :P

]]> By: Judie Hugheshttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/#comment-2403 Judie Hughes Thu, 25 Jan 2007 02:24:09 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=2081#comment-2403 I would buy it for $750 - $800. Today! Any more...I might wait a day or two. :-P Which will probably make Jerry say something snotty since he is trying to convince me to buy a camera that costs the same amount - and I am putting it off. ;-) I have priorities!! ha ha. :lol: I would buy it for $750 – $800. Today! Any more…I might wait a day or two. :-P

Which will probably make Jerry say something snotty since he is trying to convince me to buy a camera that costs the same amount – and I am putting it off. ;-)

I have priorities!! ha ha. :lol:

]]> By: alesehttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/#comment-2400 alese Wed, 24 Jan 2007 21:27:27 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=2081#comment-2400 No the official price hasn't been set yet, but I'm pretty sure that the rumored $1400-1500 is correct. Mainly because the Universal was(is) priced at around $900 and the coming O2 Flame is rumored to be $1100, so compared to them $1500 is just right... And no, the size is not main problem. My main problem with Athena is that I just don't see it's use. Or better yet I don't think there is much of a market for device like that. Like I said in my previous post, for any use I can think of, I can find cheaper and probably better device. Oh, but Judie, don't get me wrong, if it would be like $500 I would buy it just to have it, real use or not... No the official price hasn’t been set yet, but I’m pretty sure that the rumored $1400-1500 is correct.
Mainly because the Universal was(is) priced at around $900 and the coming O2 Flame is rumored to be $1100, so compared to them $1500 is just right…
And no, the size is not main problem.
My main problem with Athena is that I just don’t see it’s use. Or better yet I don’t think there is much of a market for device like that. Like I said in my previous post, for any use I can think of, I can find cheaper and probably better device.
Oh, but Judie, don’t get me wrong, if it would be like $500 I would buy it just to have it, real use or not…

]]> By: Judie Hugheshttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/#comment-2398 Judie Hughes Wed, 24 Jan 2007 20:17:03 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=2081#comment-2398 alese, If I am not mistaken, a firm price hasn't been released - or has it? I may have missed it. ;-) If you haven't heard of a firm price, are you going by the $1700 that was bandied about the internet last month? I don't think that price is correct... So if price is the major consideration, what would be the right mark for you that would make the Athena a serious contender? Or would it's size really be the biggest problem, no matter the price? Just wondering, is all... :-)) alese, If I am not mistaken, a firm price hasn’t been released – or has it? I may have missed it. ;-) If you haven’t heard of a firm price, are you going by the $1700 that was bandied about the internet last month? I don’t think that price is correct…

So if price is the major consideration, what would be the right mark for you that would make the Athena a serious contender? Or would it’s size really be the biggest problem, no matter the price?

Just wondering, is all… :-) )

]]> By: alesehttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/#comment-2385 alese Wed, 24 Jan 2007 12:41:25 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=2081#comment-2385 I'm not really sure what to think about Athena. On one side it's Windows Mobile Geek's dream, with pretty much everything you ever wanted included. But on the other side it's not all that usable. - It's not a usable phone, it's much too big to be used as a phone, even with BT headset. Universal was allready too clunky as a phone and it's smaller. And of course the price is way out of reach for pretty much everybody (even the Flame looks affordable compared to Athena) - It's not really usable as a PDA. While it is the most full featured PDA ever produced, it's also the most expensive one, easily beating even iPaqs sold on E-Bay at the peak of iPAQ craze and it's large for a PDA. Casios were called bricks and they were smaller... - It can't compete with UMPCs. Yes it's smaller than most of them, but it also lacks (VGA only, 8GB only...) much of the features that UMPCs have. Judging by my experience with Universal used as an UMPC, at best Athena can pass as an UMPC replacement for very light work. But the problem is you can get full UMPC capable of real work for less... - What about using it as an internet browsing tablet (like Nokia 800) or as an multimedia player? Againthe price and the limitations of the platform are makin it non competitive. As far as I'm concerned Athena is an 2007 version of HPC. Having the same problems as all the other HPCs before it. It's just either too expensive or too big or both be competitive with pretty much anything. I’m not really sure what to think about Athena. On one side it’s Windows Mobile Geek’s dream, with pretty much everything you ever wanted included. But on the other side it’s not all that usable.
- It’s not a usable phone, it’s much too big to be used as a phone, even with BT headset. Universal was allready too clunky as a phone and it’s smaller. And of course the price is way out of reach for pretty much everybody (even the Flame looks affordable compared to Athena)

- It’s not really usable as a PDA. While it is the most full featured PDA ever produced, it’s also the most expensive one, easily beating even iPaqs sold on E-Bay at the peak of iPAQ craze and it’s large for a PDA. Casios were called bricks and they were smaller…

- It can’t compete with UMPCs. Yes it’s smaller than most of them, but it also lacks (VGA only, 8GB only…) much of the features that UMPCs have. Judging by my experience with Universal used as an UMPC, at best Athena can pass as an UMPC replacement for very light work. But the problem is you can get full UMPC capable of real work for less…

- What about using it as an internet browsing tablet (like Nokia 800) or as an multimedia player? Againthe price and the limitations of the platform are makin it non competitive.

As far as I’m concerned Athena is an 2007 version of HPC. Having the same problems as all the other HPCs before it. It’s just either too expensive or too big or both be competitive with pretty much anything.

]]> By: Mitchell Okehttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/#comment-2383 Mitchell Oke Wed, 24 Jan 2007 12:02:00 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=2081#comment-2383 Yeah and with UMPC prices coming down it will have to get even cheaper. Yeah and with UMPC prices coming down it will have to get even cheaper.

]]> By: Elohttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/#comment-2379 Elo Wed, 24 Jan 2007 06:09:57 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=2081#comment-2379 Don't leave home without a headset either! Wouldn't want to get caught speaking into that thing next to my face! Seriously, the price will have to be aggressively cut because for that size you can have a UMPC. I truly wonder which niche the Athena is aiming for. It looks like a bridge device between a full fledge UMPC and a PDA-first-phone-second designed over enthusiastically. Don’t leave home without a headset either! Wouldn’t want to get caught speaking into that thing next to my face!

Seriously, the price will have to be aggressively cut because for that size you can have a UMPC. I truly wonder which niche the Athena is aiming for. It looks like a bridge device between a full fledge UMPC and a PDA-first-phone-second designed over enthusiastically.

]]> By: Judie Hugheshttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/#comment-2376 Judie Hughes Wed, 24 Jan 2007 04:35:06 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=2081#comment-2376 ((fingers crossed)) :-) ((fingers crossed)) :-)

]]> By: Mitchell Okehttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/#comment-2374 Mitchell Oke Wed, 24 Jan 2007 04:21:52 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=2081#comment-2374 Hope your able to get one when they come out :D Hope your able to get one when they come out :D

]]> By: Judie Hugheshttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/#comment-2371 Judie Hughes Wed, 24 Jan 2007 02:32:07 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=2081#comment-2371 I won't be as bad as everyone thinks...but not cheap, either. I won’t be as bad as everyone thinks…but not cheap, either.

]]> By: Mitchell Okehttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/#comment-2370 Mitchell Oke Wed, 24 Jan 2007 02:15:08 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=2081#comment-2370 Its gonna be expensive too.... Its gonna be expensive too….

]]> By: Judie Hugheshttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/#comment-2368 Judie Hughes Wed, 24 Jan 2007 00:13:23 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=2081#comment-2368 It's definitely not shirt pocket sized - but it's not quite as big as I thought it would be, either... Just as there was a particular market for the HTC Universal, there will be one for the Athena. It will be interesting to see how it does. :-) It’s definitely not shirt pocket sized – but it’s not quite as big as I thought it would be, either…

Just as there was a particular market for the HTC Universal, there will be one for the Athena. It will be interesting to see how it does. :-)

]]> By: Elohttp://www.geardiary.com/2007/01/23/the-athena-in-the-flesh/#comment-2367 Elo Tue, 23 Jan 2007 23:49:02 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=2081#comment-2367 That thing is massive!! Almost the size of a UMPC but with Windows Mobile... I mean errr this one will be an oddity. That thing is massive!! Almost the size of a UMPC but with Windows Mobile… I mean errr this one will be an oddity.

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