I’m only in the US a couple of weeks so we’ll see..

I’ll definitely stay tuned :-O

1. All the radios are available, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, Quadband, GPS

2. the HUGE Screen, I too lament the passing of my HP 4700

3. The adjunct nature of the PPC versus a tablet PC or a UMPC. I don’t have the forbearance to administer yet another PC with software licenses backup etcetera. I need something that synchs with my work PC and extends my work capability as well as does the multimedia stuff.

Judie, if you decide you don’t want the Advantage in the next coupld of weeks let me know

Is it easy to use without setting it on a table?

Absolutely. I plan on doing a series of short videos soon, and that will be one of the topics. I think it will be easier to show than to try to describe.

Obviously, it won’t be as manipulatable as a blackberry, but do you feel it’s awkward to use on the fly?

It is absolutely not a device to use one-handed or what I would consider for “on the fly” use. This is a mini-laptop, there is really no other way to look at it.

Thanks to your review and advice, I’ll probably get one… when it’s price finally cuts in half. $1k is a little too much for a PPC.

If only there were some trade-ins program! I hate Ebay! I need to go change my mind or something before I really decide to sell it.

Darn it, I want to sell my Dopod so bad right about now!

do it do it do it do it

Sorry, I am not helping am I?

Now, to attempt to answer all the other questions:

How is the connectivity with Vista and XP, given that its Windows Mobile 6? I’m guessing the upcoming WMDC update will be necessary to answer that question fairly, though.

Well, it is actually a WM5 device at the moment. I am waiting for the WM6 update, which should hopefully be coming soon. Otherwise, I have had absolutely no issues when syncing with Vista. I don’t have a box running XP anymore, but I suspect it would sync just fine.

I’ve previously owned an HTC Universal and though it had good functionality, it’s performance was rather poor when playing games and movies. I don’t really intend on playing games with this unit (that’s what my NDS is for), but I do have some performance-related questions.

I totally agree about the Universal’s gaming performance, but the Advantage has been surprisingly zippy in that regard. Of course, the difference is the Universal had a 520 mhz Intel Bulverde Processor, and the Advantage has a Intel PXA270 624 MHz with ATU Graphic Chip W2284. Yes, I have a lot of Today screen plug-ins and yet I don’t feel that there is much of a lag. Don’t get me wrong, clicking an icon in Resco’s launcher will still take a moment before the program opens, but it is a few seconds – not the forever it has seemed in the past.

Have you tested the unit with movies? I tend to play decent sized (300Mb) XviD ones using TCPMP (a video player far superior to the default Windows one), and it plays really well on the Axim (crystal clear). With the specs (ATi graphics chip and rather GLOSSY screen) this one has, I’d expect it to do better.

My expectations have been met, and then some. I transferred my 599MB
rip of Jarhead over to the Advantage’s 8GB hard drive, and was impressed by the smooth playback – and the size of the viewing screen. The Advantage is perfect for watching videos, and the device can totally keep up. An added bonus is that it accepts a regular 3.5mm headset, not some crippled mono or proprietary headset size.

I’ve been hankering to get a dependable PPC Phone that I can effectively type with, and not suffer the performance pitfalls other PPC devices have.

Okay, this is the one weaknesses of the device. As much as I want to love it, the Advantage’s keyboard really makes me miss the one that was on my JasJar. Don’t get me wrong – it works, it’s not painful to use, but I don’t like it nearly as much.

Also, does it have WM6 and internal GPS? The HTC site advertises the GPS, but that it had WM5. I’m not sure if there’s a real big difference between them, other than the possibility of WM6 performing better.

As I mentioned above, it comes with WM5 installed, but there is a promised WM6 upgrade. It also has built-in GPS. I think that the Advantage is the device that the HP iPAQ 5915 wanted to be.

If you loved your Axim, you won’t like to downgrade to a smaller screen but you will appreciate more screen space. I think you are a good candidate for the Advantage. I know I would be.

That’s exactly what it boils down to. If you want to be able to read the stuff on your PDA’s screen, to really use it to surf, edit office documents, etc., and have a place to park an extra SIM card, then this is the device for you. If you want a small phone with a little screen, look elsewhere.

I started thinking about the HTC advantage while I was checking my email at a coffee shop this morning on my Dopod… I was thinking that life at 2.8 just doesn’t cut it. I have to admit the Advantage now makes sense to me. I regret buying the Dopod, seriously, and would go for the Advantage if I could. So Solidus, in a way, my comments are also meant to give you my opinion. If you loved your Axim, you won’t like to downgrade to a smaller screen but you will appreciate more screen space. I think you are a good candidate for the Advantage. I know I would be.

I own an Axim x50v, and thus far I am convinced it’s the best performing “Pocket PC” in the world as it doesn’t suffer the pitfalls from WM5. However, this is the first WM5 PPC Phone I’ve seen with a 624Intel. How snappy is the device? Does it experience slow spurts. I’d assume you’ve taxed it quite well with all that on your Today screen.

Have you tested the unit with movies? I tend to play decent sized (300Mb) XviD ones using TCPMP (a video player far superior to the default Windows one), and it plays really well on the Axim (crystal clear). With the specs (ATi graphics chip and rather GLOSSY screen) this one has, I’d expect it to do better.

I’ve been hankering to get a dependable PPC Phone that I can effectively type with, and not suffer the performance pitfalls other PPC devices have. Also, does it have WM6 and internal GPS? The HTC site advertises the GPS, but that it had WM5. I’m not sure if there’s a real big difference between them, other than the possibility of WM6 performing better.

Thanks for your review and advice!

The screensize of the device must make it a dream for OneNote Mobile.

How is the connectivity with Vista and XP, given that its Windows Mobile 6? I’m guessing the upcoming WMDC update will be necessary to answer that question fairly, though.

Thanks again!
Peter

I’m waiting for this or the Dopod U1000 version to hit our fare shores…

Thanks again.

Also, any idea on the differences between the X7500 and the X7501? I compared their individual product details on the HTC mainsite but there doesn’t seem to be much difference, apart from slight cosmetics.

Also, first time posting here. Nice to find a tech review site with informed and interesting reviewers.

In the meantime, here is a quick rundown: HSDPA/UMTS Tri-band 2100 MHz and 850/1900 MHz, GSM/GPRS Quad band 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

I am not in a high-speed area, so my speeds are similar to dial-up (or yes, Verizon’s CDMA) quite frankly – unless I am using WiFi. People in high speed areas should be pretty thrilled.