Perhaps the loss in speakerphone volume is the change in hardware design?
(Not the speakers, but rather, the vents and holes that cater to allowing the sound to flow from the phone)

Going from a BlackBerry Bold to a HTC Touch Pro 2, hearing all the comments on the exceptional speakerphone and preppy UI, was somewhat of a mistake.

Basic things like switching from program to program takes longer, and much noticeably frustrating, no matter how better the web browsing experience.

However, I like it for the useful applications and programs that I can download in .cab format.

I suppose there are somethings that you have to lose in place of more.. appreciative items.

I went from a BlackBerry Bold 9000 to one of Windows Mobile's premier devices, the HTC Touch Pro 2.

You might say that the Blackberry has outdated software, but it's really ingenious just how it's set up.
Much unlike the Windows Mobile platform that's trying to do everything with a little... too much pazzaz.

I can easily multitask on the BlackBerry Bold, go from application to application and not have any lag.

I can find my GPS location, while listening to my music, before going to the web browser to OpenTable.ca and reserving my spot at one highly acclaimed restaurant (I can select and copy the name of the restaurant), before going back to my music to change the track (I don't even need to return to my music player to do so!), and then the GPS to find the restaurant, who's name I've memorized (C&Ped), and only need to type in or press enter.

With Windows Mobile, I need to install a player called Nitrogen if I want a fast, intuitive and organized music player.

Then I need to hit the home button to scroll through the TouchFlo 3D to get to the internet tab and then open up Opera Mobile which takes some time to load, more than the BlackBerry web browser. I can do the exact same thing with BlackBerry web browser, as I can with Opera Mobile, minus the flash. Then, I have to turn on text selection, select the text, pull up the menu and copy. Press the home button again and then the task manager to go back to Nitrogen, because I HAVE to go back to change a song. Then press the start menu before looking for Google Maps which should be under applications. (Using the new WinMo 6.5 interface) Pull up the menu again, paste and then have it search for my location.


With BlackBerry, sure you have to navigate through the quick menu to get to places, or have the customizable side buttons be your quick access to music.
But with Windows Mobile, navigating through the menus seems like a chore.

Multitasking is a female dog with Windows Mobile.
But great if you're just doing one thing.

This is quite funny.. I mean.. hasn't people been saying this for the past 5 years about these phone brands;

(going back in approximate chronological order)

Apple's iPhone
Samsung's sliding phones
Sony Ericsson's candy bars
Nokia's "portable computers"
Motorola's ENTIRE line

I mean, for some companies, it's made them where they are. Look at Nokia and Apple.
Motorola had quite a good run, but burnt out, and Sony Ericsson was kind of steady in business.
Samsung.. well, they're just there to keep the world turning.

When we get into other brands like HTC and BlackBerry... they're bringing out small innovations based on their success, much like Motorola, just.. without the lack of vowels.

It's nice to see BlackBerry up the ante on what they already have, even if it's just aesthetics.
Hell, I'm dead, darn jealous of the 9700 Bold, and might even get it just because ergonomics (size wise) could be much different from my original Bold 9000 that I have. And that, again, could be a good thing.

Anyways, I'm using a BlackBerry Bold 9000 mainly as my phone, and e-mail device.
It's so much easier to use as an all round device about the HTC Touch Pro 2 that I have.
Maybe it's because I've still got to find the right ROM for my phone, but in short...

Using my bluetooth, GPS, listening to music, accepting a phone call in the midst of that and browsing to find my latest post on a forum that I frequent.. It is the MOST enjoyable experience on the BlackBerry because it's quick and responsive.

Unlike the HTC Touch Pro 2, even when I have a simple and clean WWE ROM installed, it's still quite flashy and requires time to allow the eyecandy to load. Sometimes.. just doing stuff.. you don't need the extra animations.

Plus, whenever I come back to my BlackBerry Bold, I'm quite relieve to know that I have a (remappable) HARDWARE button to quickly access my music, and GPS is only two strokes away, and my phone doesn't have to lag to have to always monitor the g-sensor to switch to landscape mode because I already have a HVGA screen, and with all the eyecandy that has to reload and play on my HTC Touch Pro 2.. just a standard background on my BlackBerry looks even more crisp than what I have on my HTC device.

That's not to say that the HTC Touch Pro 2 is bad... I suppose it's good when you just want to impress people.. but you'd impress people FAR greater when you aren't waiting for your GPS to load.. or your browser to open.. when you get things done quickly, in general.

Hope this answers everyone's feelings about BlackBerry VS HTC.

I like my HTC Touch Pro 2 not because I spent 800 dollars on it.. but because.. it's a fun device to use, and much faster to browse and navigate (GPS) with once the program/app settles down. I suppose I'm just glad I'm patient enough to download, install and setup all the cab files that allow me to do the same things I can do readily on the BlackBerry. :3

One thing I like above the BlackBerry on my TP2, the ability to just simply turn over the phone to ignore a call, once you download a cab file for that. "There's a .cab file for that."

Ah, forgot to add this, but here's the quick summary of my comment above;

If it's not data discrimination, it'll be user discrimination.. based on device.
And I think that is the way to go.

Here's the simple fact, iPhone devices use more data than WinMo devices and by far MORE than BlackBerry devices.
Just charge the according amount of bandwidth used by each party of devices, and problem solved.

iPhone users pay more, for more. It's quite obvious that they have many features available to them, but only through connecting and using data on the network. The AppStore, and it's various apps which use data, youtube, itunes store and even e-mail is quite raw in the data 'compression' that it uses.

WinMo doesn't have a dedicated server for it's data to be packaged in a better way, however it does show, with personal evidence, that it doesn't use as much data as iPhone devices.

And BlackBerry, everyone knows that these devices have dedicated servers to send smaller data packages for requested information, therefore there are the longer wait times for loading, yet very minuscule impact on data billing.

Really, if there needs to be more cell sites to cover what load the iPhones are bringing to the network, then charge specifically the iPhone users more and have them connect through a different access route than WinMo & BlackBerry devices to differentiate the bandwidth available for each.

Not sure if it's limited to certain phones, but I'm on a BlackBerry 9000 here and I've been experiencing GREAT 3G speeds since I got this device when it first came out back in August.

Only thing is, I've replaced it about 20 times because something is always going wrong (screen whiteness quality, occasional bricking, microphone echo/feedback).

Other than that, a day FULL of using e-mail on 3G, making phone calls and all while using bluetooth for 12 hours straight, this guy is still running until I get home, where usually on the way to, I'm playing poker instead of eying the battery icon. (I use the Motorola S9 and SE HBH-DS205 back and forth, depending if I'm in the car or at school)


Also talked with some tier two data technical support representatives and said sim cards and certain devices (BlackBerry BOLD included, and already updated by last spring's OS update) released since last Fall are able to surf on this 21+Mbps network.

I have been seeing faster speeds in getting websites like Engadget Mobile in less than 5 seconds, completely loaded, as opposed to waiting at least a good 15 seconds before I really see anything.. and this is starting from the end of July.

I'm grabbing a Touch Pro 2 from Telstra, already loaded with the 21+Mbps radio tweak from their stock OS, so I'm hoping I'm able to use the same here in Canada.

TP2s are getting cheaper on eBay. Around 600-800 CAD which is the usual price of the Touch HD, but now you can get the Touch Pro 2.
Boycott AT&T of their Touch Pro 2 for 'redesigning' the NORMAL, original keyboard layout. Get the original layout from Telstra AND get a device that works in the US/Canada.

Hopefully.. a headset with quality.

Just like the HBH-DS205 with it's build quality and high standing battery power (9 hours stated, though I usually got a full 12 hours out of it), but with the style and sound quality of the HBH-DS970 / HBH-DS980.

The HBH-IS800 was a beautiful peice.. but really, for the price point, better to get the $50 HBH-DS205 or the $90 HBH-DS980 at the time. Not dropping $300 on a near streamline headset with no audio control, and a single button.

Give us the world's first, proper and widely commercialized Bluetooth 2.1+EDR Stereo Headset, then we'll be happy.
Hopefully, it'll have the 100m range that Bluetooth 2.1+ is alleged to have...

You're possibly right that the AT&T ver will come with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The front facing buttons are in the same fashion as the CDMA units, so the hardware layout may be the same (of course, the big FAT difference lies within the keyboard, which is a very big shame...)

Looks like I'll be passing by the TP2 for either the NOW available Touch HD NAM or the soon to be released HTC Thoth...
I'm sad that AT&T had to put their dirty mitts all over what HTC had long grueled over to perfect.

It also doesn't seem like Rogers is going to pick it up.. because, if they were going to, they would've done so back in July. (in accordance to all their other phones being released once they were available in international markets)
That, or maybe TELUS has an exclusivity thing going on right now. The first Touch Diamond was just like that, where Rogers had to wait a month or two to pick it up.

Hopefully, if they come out with it, they won't mess things up, and they'll keep the keyboard the same, just like TELUS.

I'm guessing the HTC T7377 is the touch pro2... but there's a NONCA ver?

But it's such a hassle to customers...

I'm canadian, so I'm speaking for TELUS, Bell and Rogers.

I think it's easier up here, and we get the devices sooner than you guys in the US, so I'm pretty sure SOMETHING is being done quite differently.

One CDMA network, and one HSPA network, with expectation of a new HSPA+ network coming soon for/from all three giants.
[Read, HSPA+ transition for the CDMA carriers for most of Canada and the new 21Mbps layout for the Greater Toronto Area, both in 2010]