Q&A: HTC Advantage X7501

Unboxing the HTC Advantage the other day generated some great questions and comments that I'd like to address in a good old-fashioned Q&A session.

Note: Questions have been rephrased for consistency.

Steve Paine from UMPC Portal asks: "How is the browsing experience from a consumer angle?"

Hmm. The price of the Advantage rules it out as a consumer device, as does the "The most powerful mobile office!" tagline plastered all over the box and print materials, but its excellent connectivity options and web access certainly carry a lot of consumer appeal.

Both Internet Explorer Mobile (IEM) and Opera Browser come preinstalled. I haven't done any intensive browsing or looked into any tips and tricks, but so far I'm not impressed. Browsing isn't bad (not at all!), but it's also not enjoyable enough for me to choose it over another device. That's my first impression, anyway.

Out of the box and compared to other mobile browsers I've used, IEM is atrocious. If my tolerance for pain wasn't so low, I would've jabbed myself in the eye. Websites are rendered slowly and in ways I've honestly never seen before. Opera, as usual, is much better, though scrolling in general is a bit choppy and VueFLO (horizontal and vertical scrolling based on physically tilting the device) is a novelty feature that I've already disabled.

How the browsing experience is perceived by consumers depends heavily on what sort of device they're coming from: a smartphone or a UMPC. I can imagine smartphone folk with Treo or BlackBerry backgrounds really enjoying the Advantage's comparatively large screen and high resolution (640 x 480), which translates to much less horizontal scrolling and possibly even the first time they can use the "Desktop" view mode. Great fun, I'm sure.

UMPC folk, on the other hand, typically expect at least a 5-inch screen on their mobile devices and therefore won't be pleased with what then becomes a very low resolution and a lot of horizontal scrolling. I don't know exactly where Nokia N800 and iPhone users would fit between smartphone and UMPC people, but they wouldn't be thrilled either.

Opus asks: "Will the Advantage fit into a front shirt pocket?"

The device is 3.86 inches wide and fits very nicely without the included case into a front shirt pocket. Here it is sitting in my husband's pocket:

I don't know if there's a standard pocket width from men's shirts, but his are all at least 4 inches.

Dominus asks: "Will the magnets destroy all your credit and bank cards?"

This worries me, too. There's a warning section in the user manual that suggests that credit cards, bank cards, audio/video tapes, and magnetic memory devices be kept at least 5 centimeters (about 2 inches!) away from the device and keyboard. Otherwise, "information . . . could be destroyed." The warning goes on to say that magnetic-sensitive devices such as mechanical watches or measuring instruments be kept at "an adequate distance."

I'm assuming that the magnets aren't a problem if the Advantage is in a case, but I'm not 100% sure. Anyone know?

Bruce Wilson has been a happy Advantage user for 2 months and loves the big screen, convenience of the keyboard, and excellent battery life.

You mentioned that you don't use the leather case; do you use a different case or nothing at all? How do the device's casing and screen hold up unprotected?

I applied the included screen protector last night, and I'm not happy. It isn't a perfect fit, first of all, and it's not as clear as other products. I want to remove it and use nothing but am concerned about how scratchable the screen is. Fingerprints are also a bit of a nightmare on the casing. Wiping them off completely seems to require a bit of effort.

Orbitalcomp suggests the LG HBM-700 Style-i Bluetooth remote and a different case.

The accessory currently at the top of my list is the HTC docking station, but I'll definitely look into the Style-i. It looks like a nice way to use the Advantage as a phone while on the go. I really like that it has an OLED screen. Very handy!

The included case does add a bit of bulk to the device, and I was wondering about the long-term effects of the clips that hold the unit in place. Bruno (who mentioned that the case for his Ameo has two loops on it that I can't envision) suggested a Piel Frama case that I like, and I saw a Proporta one that wasn't too bad.

Is the Designio Leather Case the one you got from Boxwave? It looks nice and the price can't be beat!

Bob Russell from MobileRead asks: "Will it fit onto a belt clip holder or into something like Dockers front pants pockets?"

It may be a bit awkward, but I think a belt clip could work. It easily fits into a front pants pocket, even with its leather case. Here it is, uncased, slipping into my husband's pocket.

Men's pants pockets are so deep (compensation for women's purses, I suppose) that a few more Advantages could have probably slipped in, too.

Bob also asked about touch typing. I haven't been using the device long enough to make a fair assessment, but so far, based on about two days of use, I would say no. Too many keys are in the wrong place, and retraining your brain to learn the layout of the punctuation and function keys is way too labor-intensive.

Thumb typing would be quite good if the keyboard could be positioned like those on sliding-display UMPCs, but it's a bit awkward as is. I think it gets better with practice, though, so I still have hope.

Thanks for all your comments and questions!

Comments

[Bruno]

Hi Jenn, sorry to cause some confusion, I can't quite describe the loops on my case. I have taken a few pictures (of very poor quality, I have taken them with the camera in my Excalibur in a rather poor light) but they should give you an idea. I will e-mail you the snapshots.

[orbitalcomp]

Jenn -

Yes, the Designio case that you linked is the one that I have. Just remember, this case will fit perfectly on your 7501, but it has the extra front camera hole for the 7500...dunno if that would bother you or not. There are no hard plastic clips of any kind that will scratch or mar the device over time, and the keyboard is held in with a magnet, just like the original one.

[Steve Paine]

Jenn. Thanks for answering my question. I think the browser element has been overlooked in other reviews. A good browser is worth a thousand apps and that's not the case in the 7500 and 7501.

Regards
Steve.

[Benz145]

Was I dreaming when I heard the Advantage has VGA out? If not, how well does that feature work, and what does it really let you do more effectively than with the regular screen.

As mentioned, the keyboard looks like its in a very strange orientation for typing. Like it would need to be set down on a table, which is a rather silly design for a mobile device if you ask me. If needs to be able to be thumb typed, especially it it doesn't work for full finger typing.

[Tommy Rush]

On a happy note my 7501 just arrived today :) As for the magnetic concerns there are two threads about it over on XDA developers. From what I've read two people have reported breaking their laptop hard drives. Parking passes and hotel keys are apparently vulnerable to the magnet. On the other hand people have said their hard drives have been fine with the magnet on them. No reports of credit cards and a lot of people say there was a mythbusters claiming it wouldn't be possible.

If you want to read here are the links:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=317680
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=327669

[Bruno]

I actually have no problems using the IE on my Advantage, websites I use render well (including some fairly complex ones).
Benz: The keyboard works well for thumb-typing as well, it looks awkward when you look at it but it is actually quite comfortable.

[Bruno]

@Tommy Rush: WHat puzzles me is this: if the magnet in the Advantage affected hard drives, how come the HDD built into the Advantage is fine?

[stevenf]

I bought one of these and returned it a few days later. It was so disappointing.

Almost every web site I tried to view rendered incorrectly, either in IE, Opera, or both. So, I was constantly switching browsers, sometimes with no luck in either.

VueFlo is, at best, a tech demo, which never should have shipped, IMHO.

Despite having so many connectivity options, it isn't smart enough to switch between wireless connections (like falling back to cellular if no WiFi is available, as the iPhone does), and I frequently had connectivity problems, timeouts, etc, that other devices on the same network did not experience.

And then there's WM's brain damage about VGA. You can either have True VGA and a swath of compatibility problems, or pixel-doubling, which means you almost completely lose all the benefit of having VGA resolution.

Outlook is still terrible at handling IMAP accounts (which is all I use).

Everything my iPhone does with ease, the Advantage sort of half-does, limping along the whole time.

It does have a tiny, mushy, hardware keyboard, I guess...

It's a good concept, and a good form-factor, but usability is just not at a level I found to be acceptable. Your mileage may vary!

[Jenn]

Thanks for the pictures, Bruno. Your case is very different from mine! Those loops aren't what I imagined at all - very interesting. Would you mind if I resized and then stitched your pics together to add to this post?

BTW, are you using ActiveSync in XP or Windows Mobile Device Center in Vista?

@ orbitalcomp: Ah, I'm glad you pointed it out because the extra hole is exactly the kind of thing that would bug me. I do like the way the device is held in, though, so I think I'll try to find something similar.

@ Tommy: Like Bruno, I'm confused about the magnet issue. Thanks for the forum links; I'll definitely check them out.

Congratulations on the new arrival! Have fun and let us know how you like it. Do you have previous WM6 experience?

[Jenn]

I appreciate your thoughts, stevenf, and am sorry that the Advantage didn't work out for you. I'm moving at a snail's pace getting to know mine (I still haven't even installed the syncing software!), so there are a lot of features I've yet to try and/or form an opinion about.

I haven't tested the VGA-out function yet, but your comments seem on par with other reviews I've read.

It's very strange how all of our web browsing experiences vary. Bruno has no rendering issues in IE, I have none in Opera, and you had them in both. I'm going to look into Minimo and Deepfish (whenever it becomes available).

So far, in terms of browsing elegance, Safari on the iPhone is the hands-down winner. I don't know about robustness or expandability, though (I still have a lot to learn about WM6). And then of course there's the fact that what can be done with the iPhone browser is relatively limited (no Bluetooth peripherals, no 3G, etc.). A flat-out comparison of the two devices isn't really fair, but it's difficult not to think of the iPhone when any other mobile device is in your hand.

[Dominus]

Thanks for the links to the magnet discussion. I kind of can't believe that credit cards are not affected when hotel keys are.
BUT hard drives are nowadays not that easily busted by a magnet so there is more of a chance that the HTC magnet can not kill hard drives.
But for me that all would be an issue not to use the HTC.

[Opus]

Thanks for the reply, I was interested knowing some would call the HTC Advantage the "OQO 02 killer" as they have with the bigger brother & real UMPC Shift which does not come close to being pocketable.

Even though the HTC is a tad bit wider than the OQO, it's at least 1/4" thinner for a nice pocket fit, looks like it fits better than the OQO. I would never wear either without some form of case, too easy to slip out when leaned over (from experience).

I forgot I had measured my pockets before deciding on the OQO and most were 4". Anyway I found all pockets are not sewn equal, the HTC looks to fit okay but the OQO with the wider clip case is real tight in a Levi jean shirt, just fine in one type of soft felt like shirts I have but tight in others, plus 1 lbs. is heavy enough to sag shirt that is worn as an overshirt.

Anyway, for my use I'd rather keep it all Windows XP or Vista as your experience confirms that. Nice form factor except the magnets, I'd stay more than 2" away from it;) Nice job on the review & pictures, always enjoy your perspective.

[Jenn]

Thanks, Opus. I agree that carrying the Advantage (or any gadget, really) in a front shirt pocket is definitely asking for trouble. When I start searching for cases more seriously, I think I may look into pouches more than covers. I'd like something that completely protects the unit (and protects other things from the unit - damn those magnets!) when I carry it in my purse.

WM6 is really starting to grow on me as the days go by. There are so many nice apps available that can really extend the functionality of the Advantage, especially with its 5" screen.

Off topic: How long have you been using your OQO (Vista or XP?) and what's your experience been like so far? The recent price drop is tempting me a little.

[Bruce Wilson]

I continue to enjoy my Advantage experience -- no rendering problems,at least in Opera, but the display is small, so it's not a comfortable browsing experience -- still it's at least as good as anything else this small. Nevertheless I would agree with all who make the point that the Advantage is NOT a UMPC-killer for any of the UMPCs -- WM6 cannot compare to XP or Vista -- it's just not as capable. For me, the Advantage is (right now) my best choice for a pocketable, nearly full-featured WM-based PC. WM6 gives me all the features/capabilities I really nee for on the go -- it just isn't as good as XP/Vista machines. That's why I use a TZ190N (and I hope to soon try the Portege R500 S5004) -- bigger than a pocketable so not so easy to "use in a crowd" but very light and far more powerful/capable -- so I have my office on the road when I can stop long enough to use it. I guess that's the real plus for something like the Advantage, I can pull it out of my pocket (and I've never even opened the case -- it's design is quite protective -- never dropped it) and do something. None of the UMPC or ultra light notebooks are yet at that point. As for comparing it to an iphone, I don't -- the iphone may be quite good for those who like what it offers but it's too limited and too expensive for me.

[Opus]

I've had my OQO 02 since April, simply amazing experience. All PC's I've dealt with since DOS required tweaking so I have no problems with Vista performance although I notice some lag in various modes like boot up, shutdown, etc but there are too many variables for me to be concerned, especially background services.

Only used XP Tablet 1st couple months until I got my "express" Vista Business and did clean install after upgrade corrupted everything. Still tweaking, apreciate all the blogs & forums but I'm forcing myself to deal with the Vista eye candy and not going classic with desktop, wish Aero glass effects not particular.

I really like the ink experience with MS Office OneNote 2007, nice for discreet note taking in meetings. Keyboard is just incredible with nice tactile feedback.

Anyway I'm happy with mine, would upgrade EVDO to rev A, only upgrade to SSD when 64gb.