The 81-day experiment

Case study: T-Mobile Dash/HTC Excalibur

In this case study, Kanch from Houston, TX shares his experience with the T-Mobile Dash. The same phone is offered from HTC (the original manufacturer of the Dash) and named Excalibur (by the way, if you would like to contribute your case study, please e-mail it in the same format as shown below to [email protected] with Case Study in the subject line). Here is what Kanch has to say about his T-Mobile Dash.

The Information about the device you are using now:

Manufacturer/Brand? T-Mobile/HTC

Model? Dash/Excalibur

Carrier? T-Mobile

Desktop Operating System? Windows XP

How do you rank the device and the related services in the following areas (rankings are 1 to 5, where 5 is the best)

Overall satisfaction?                                5

Features?                                                5

Usability?                                                5

Compatibility with your desktop?              5

Technical support?                                   Not used/needed

Would you recommend this device to others who have similar needs to yours?

YES!

Your industry, size of your company, and role within your company?

Online e-retailer/15 employees/Software Engineer

What specific things do you like about the device and related services?

Excellent color screen. Built in Bluetooth and WiFi. Sync with Outlook. QWERTY keyboard and the built in XT9 text recognition feature. MicroSD expansion slot (no official specification about the maximum size supported, but can take 2GB), which gives you plenty space for your videos, pictures and MP3s. The Comm Manager Utility lets you turn on/off the different connection options. I thought that going from a touch screen smartphone(Treo) to a non-touch screen(Dash) would take some getting used to, but after a week I rarely miss the touch screen feature. The "Back" Key is also a great addition. Many features on the phone are heavily customizable to suit personal preferences. Lots of third party applications. Gentimer,  John Cody's Alerts, SK Tools to name a few.

What things don't you like or that can be improved and related services?

Volume Touch strip isn't that great, but have read on ways that it can be converted back to the JOGGR strip using registry hacks. Have read about the "Alarm bug" in the OS, which I haven't come across, even when though I have changed the alarm multiple times. Sometimes it can take a fraction of a second longer to switch applications, but nothing major. Apparently the I assume the next version of the Excalibur, Cavalier is supposed to have a faster CPU, among other improvements.

Which devices have you used in the past? Please list them starting with the most recent device

Handspring Treo 180/ T-Mobile, used it for 4 years, and now needed to upgrade the aging Treo

My device selection, BlackBerry Pearl, T-Mobile Dash, or Motorola Q? The selection has been made

Finally, and for those who didn’t get a chance to participate in our Lunch & Learn webinar this week, I have selected the smartphone that I will be using now, knowing that the 81-day-experiment is over. The winning device is the T-Mobile Dash, and Jacob Bohall won the drawing and a smartphone (Jacob was one of many readers who guessed that I will be selecting the Dash, even though more readers were leaning towards the BlackBerry Pearl).

The BlackBerry Pearl was actually my first choice, however, the fact that it doesn’t have a QWERTY keyboard was the showstopper for me. I use e-mail extensively, and typing quickly is a critical need. The SureType™ method is actually quite impressive, but still, when you just have a couple of minutes in between meetings or calls, and you want to respond to an urgent e-mail, every second counts.

In the Webinar on December 5, I reviewed the 9 devices that I used in the 81-day-experiment, highlighted their strengths and weaknesses, and rated them in five different areas. The workbook (PDF format) which includes the presentation slides with the ratings, as well as the methodology for selecting a smartphone,  can be ordered at:
http://www.people-onthego.com/Wrkshps_Handheld.html (scroll down on that page to see the Workbook link).

In addition, we have the following upcoming live events that you will be able to register for soon:

a) A repeat of the 45 minutes complimentary lunch & learn Webinar about the 81-day-experiment and about selecting a smarpthone, which will be scheduled for the January/February 2007 timeframe.

b) A full 90 minute workshop about selecting a smartphone, also presented as a Webinar, which will also be scheduled for the January/February 2007 timeframe.

Meanwhile, the 81-day-experiment blog continues to provide updates on the latest devices, and additional tips and insights on selecting a smartphone, and more case studies from users who want to share their experience with selecting and using a smartphone.

Stay tuned for more!

“How about the HTC Excalibur?“ asked Fred

Question: “I live in Canada, and will attempt to buy an unlocked Dash. If I end up getting an HTC Excalibur version (ie. not the T-MOBILE version), do you expect that the nice touches that you mentioned (like numbered menus) will be in non-T-Mobile version as well?”

Answer: For those who may not be familiar with the HTC S620 Excalibur, it is an identical smartphone to the T-Mobile Dash. HTC is the original manufacturer of the T-Mobile Dash, and HTC is releasing the Excalibur allowing users to get their voice and data plans from a variety of carriers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and other regions.

I expect the HTC S620 Excalibur to have an identical Windows Mobile implementation to that of the T-Mobile Dash, and the Cingular 3125, including the numbered menus. What will be different from provider to provider is likely to be the “extra” services offered such as the T-Zones from T-Mobile and the MEdia Net from Cingular. For those readers who end up getting the HTC S620 Excalibur, your comments will be greatly appreciated.

Two days after the 81-day-experiment, the T-Mobile Dash in summary

As I picked up the packet of material for my friend Dan who is participating in the US Half Marathon in San Francisco tomorrow, I took a picture of the map that was on the wall showing the finish line. This is yet another use of having the T-Mobile Dash with the camera ready to document events and information as they happen.

The T-Mobile Dash in Summary

This may be yet another breakthrough device in the category of business/social devices. Just as thin as the BlackBerry Pearl, slightly wider to accommodate the QWERTY keyboard, and fully loaded with both business and social applications. On the inside (which means navigation and applications) it is almost identical to the Cingular 3125 with two clear advantages, one again being the QWERTY Keyboard, and the other being the Wi-Fi capability.

The T-Mobile Dash is a pleasure to use, and to look at

From a usability standpoint, the T-Mobile Dash has been a pleasure to use. Windows Mobile on the T-Mobile Dash (same implementation on Cingular 3125) has come a long way. Yes, you do have a back button. What a simple yet essential concept. The menus are numbered. Another simple yet important concept. The screens and applications are nicely organized in reasonable chunks that are easy to grasp.

Another interesting aspect of the T-Mobile Dash is that it has virtually no keys or buttons on the side of the device. This is actually a good thing. With devices such as the T-Mobile MDA (which I used earlier in the 81-day-experiment), there was an abundance of side keys which almost seemed like “landmines” that kept going off unexpectedly when I tried to slide the keyboard open or change the device orientation to take a picture.

Windows

Mobile

came a long way, but did it come all the way?

My short answer here would be no! But there could be a much longer discussion on this topic, and I am sure one can argue for both points of views. In essence however, having used many of these mobile devices operating systems and seen them evolve over the last 10+ years, for me Windows Mobile still has the feel of a desktop that is trying to fit and find a home on the little mobile device. This “desktop” feel is more subtle that it used to be, and more related to the minute details of getting in and out screens, and typing text, and navigating places.

The Wi-Fi more useful than what you think

The Wi-Fi is a also pleasure to have. Especially if you are in an area where Wi-Fi is easily available everywhere. Be careful though because Wi-Fi uses more battery power. So if you are going to be out and about using Wi-Fi extensively, you may want to pack the USB cable and maybe even the charger. However, I didn’t run into battery issues in the last 9 days, which is encouraging.

The multi-media capabilities

While I haven’t expanded on the multi-media capabilities in the T-Mobile Dash, they are strong and similar to those I described in the Cingular 3125 (please refer to the Cingular 3125 days earlier in the 81-day-experiment for details).

All in all, a must-consider device

As you can see, the T-Mobile Dash is a powerful business and social device that has been delivered in the form of a small and slick smartphone. I don’t know how, but the T-Mobile Dash even managed to make the space for a full QWERTY keyboard. Taking advantage of the Wi-Fi and the T-Mobile hotspots network gives it a whole new dimension and an added advantage of high-speed connectivity. And with Windows Mobile having come a long way, there is not much to complain about!

The day after the 81-day experiment, the T-Mobile Dash, wifi, drawing update

Wi-Fi was the highlight of today. As I was crossing the street in San Francisco to meet a colleague of mine at this coffee shop, and as I turned on the Wi-Fi on the T-Mobile Dash, I saw a notification on the screen indicating that there were several wireless networks in range. I chose one from the list and there I was connected and in full speed.

In such a wireless network high-density area, you could almost get by without having a data plan (assuming your smpartphone can do wireless which is one of the strength of the T-Mobile Dash).

Smartphones are a must-have tool in the information age

As I waited for my colleague Deborah who was stuck in the Divisadero traffic, I got caught up on e-mail, sent a few messages of my own, and checked several Web resources and got their latest updates. Are you still having some doubt as to whether you need a smartphone? Have no doubt. If you live in today’s information age (which you do) and if you reply on e-mail to communicate with people (which you mostly likely do) and if you don’t want to get back to your desk and have a mountain of e-mail messages waiting for you (which you probably don’t), a smartphone is the answer.

The 81-day-experiment drawing

I got many e-mails today from readers who were waiting for me to choose my smartphone (the smartphone that I will be using after the 81-day-experiment is over). Even though I previously indicated that I would be selecting my smartphone today (on November 3), I would like to take a few days to summarize my findings and reflect back on the 81-day-experiment first.

As you may already know, we will be having a drawing for those who can guess which smartphone I will be selecting. The winner will get, guess what? a smartphone. If you still would like to participate, please send your entry to [email protected]

Tomorrow will be the last day of the T-Mobile Dash, so I will be summarizing my experience with the T-Mobile Dash.

Day #81 of the 81-day experiment, the T-Mobile Dash sound quality, Windows Mobile, and more

Even though it is day #81 of the 81-day-experiment, we still have 2 more days to go with the T-Mobile Dash. It seems that the trip I took to Europe in late September/early October caused this 2-day discrepancy (it may have been the BlackBerry 8700 that got the extra 2 days at that time). I will give the T-Mobile Dash its fare share and take an extra couple of days to work with it and summarize my conclusions.

It seems that some reviews of the T-Mobile Dash indicated that the voice/sound quality of the T-Mobile Dash was not satisfactory, and I got asked to comment on this. My experience with the voice/sound quality has been actually great. I have been mostly using the stereo headset that came with the T-Mobile Dash and the voice quality during phone conversations has been amazingly good. Even when I did not use the stereo headset, I did not notice anything unusual about the voice quality.

More on the Windows Mobile interface with the T-Mobile Dash

T-Mobile Dash uses Windows Mobile, and the interface is actually very similar to the Cingular 3125 Windows Mobile I used earlier in the 81-day-experiment. This means you get the Today screen as your home screen where you can see today’s appointments, date and time, number of messages in your inbox, and other helpful information.  You can also see on top a list of the recently used applications and choose one. Most importantly, from Today’s screen you can also access the Start menu.

When you select the Start menu by pressing the left soft key, you can see all the applications and settings available to you. You can select “More” (by pressing the left soft key again) to quickly scroll to the next screen of icons. You can press the center key in the 5-way navigation key to launch an application or open a folder to see the underlying icons.

Minor inconveniences I encountered in Windows Mobile

I found that the T-Mobile Dash, Cingular 3125, and Motorola Q Windows Mobile interface to be more streamlined and easier to navigate than the Treo 700w and the T-Mobile MDA. For instance, a simple yet critical difference is that the T-Mobile Dash, Cingular 3125, and Motorola Q offer the “back” key (one of the keys next to the 5-way navigation key), which is proving to be instrumental for smooth and quick navigation.

Even with the streamlined navigation of the T-Mobile Dash, Cingular 3125, and Motorola Q, there are still some occasional loose ends. For instance, in some cases I wasn’t able to exit or cancel from certain screens by simply pressing the back button. After I clicked the left soft button to start a new e-mail in the T-Mobile Dash e-mail application, but then decided to quit, the back button wouldn’t let me quit. I had to select the menu, and then select Cancel Message from the menu in order to exit the new e-mail screen. Why not let the back button do its job?

A similar issue I encountered in the Cingular 3125, and not as much in the T-Mobile Dash, is getting almost “stuck” in a browser screen. The back button kept trying to reload the previous page and no longer responded to further back button presses. The stop/cancel button would only stop the reloading. The only way out was to press on the home key to get back to the home screen, and let that webpage stay on-hold in the browser.

Day #80 of the 81-day experiment, the T-Mobile Dash network, e-mail writing

Good news today relating to the T-Mobile network. The T-Mobile Dash was able to sustain my phone conversation as I was going through some of the previously “dead” spots when I used another T-Mobile smartphone a while ago. I would say that in my experience in the last 80 days, many of the spots that were previously “smartphone-unfriendly” for T-Mobile and for Cingular have become friendlier (this is referring to my experience in San Francisco).

Don’t let the network stop you?

So if you are considering one of the T-Mobile or Cingular devices (especially the BlackBerry Pearl by T-Mobile, or the Cingular 3125, or the T-Mobile Dash), and may be hesitating because of the network problems you may have heard about or experienced in the past, you may want to check again on the coverage in your area. It is likely that you will be pleasantly surprised. And knowing that both T-Mobile and Cingular give you the 30 day money back guarantee, your risk is minimal.

A real on-the-go day with the T-Mobil Dash

Having been on the go most of the day, I had the opportunity to use the T-Mobile Dash phone, e-mail, voice notes features, and the voice recorder under accessories. Overall, the T-Mobile Dash continues to behave very nicely and I am impressed with its usability.

Writing an e-mail, you get extra help from the T-Mobile Dash

At first, I thought of it as being an “annoyance”. It reminded me of Microsoft Word when it tries to correct your formatting or your typing when in fact you want it to leave you alone. The T-Mobile Dash has this “typing aid” which automatically tries to guess what you are typing, and presents to you the options so you can choose one. After getting used to it, I found it to extremely helpful when it comes to typing e-mail addresses. It pretty much functions like the Auto-Complete feature in Outlook. However, when it comes to typing regular text, I think the QWERTY keyboard does the job well, and the "typing aid" may be a slight distraction.

Day #79 of the 81-day experiment, the T-Mobile Dash e-mail, locking/unlocking, more pictures

Setting e-mail on the T-Mobile Dash was again an easy task. Within minutes, I was receiving and sending e-mails. I entered my POP account information in the e-mail setup screen and it just worked. It is nice when technology just works. We don’t get to say this too often, or often enough.

Typing on the T-Mobile Dash keyboard continues to be a pleasant experience. The keyboard which may seem a little small when you look at it, actually feels comfortable when you type on it.

Locking/unlocking the T-Mobile Dash keyboard

Knowing that they keyboard of the T-Mobile Dash is “exposed”, putting the device in the pocket or purse can cause accidental dialing of phone numbers (this can be costly, confusing to people on the receiving end, and potentially embarrassing on this end). So locking the keyboard to avoid such mishaps is accomplished by pressing and holding the “Z” key (which has a small lock icon on it). Unlocking the keyboard is accomplished by pressing the left soft key, followed by the “Z” key. I found this easier than the multi-step process it took to lock and unlock the BlackBerry Pearl keyboard.

Silencing the T-Mobile Dash

The numbered menu items (similar to the menus in the Cingular 3125) are easy to navigate. Basically instead of having to scroll up and down, you just use the number key corresponding to the desired menu item.

When I was presenting at an online live workshop today, I needed to mute the T-Mobile Dash. To do so, from the home screen, I selected the Profile item, which took me to the list of profiles, which is a numbered menu (see picture on the left). Pressing “2” enabled the Silent profile. By the way, the profiles can be edited so that you can configure them the way you want.

More pictures of the T-Mobile Dash and Treo 700

I was asked today to compare the T-Mobile Dash to the Treo 700 again (size-wise), so here are some more pictures to show the differences more clearly:

Day #78 of the 81-day experiment, the T-Mobile Dash synchronized

I could almost hear my computer screaming “stop this madness” when I was trying to synchronize today yet with another new device, which in this case is the T-Mobile Dash. Synchronization was easy and my contacts, calendar, and tasks are now with me on the go.

T-Mobile Dash usability

The T-Mobile Dash navigation is actually very similar to the Cingular 3125 and the Motorola Q (see October 26, 2006 and September 9, 2006 in the 81-day-experiment for more details). These devices rely on the Home and Back buttons, combined with the left and right soft keys. In addition, the phone keys provide easy access to the phone as well as disconnecting after a phone call.

How about editing documents?

Just like the Cingular 3125 and the Motorola Q, you cannot edit documents on the T-Mobile Dash. You can view attachments but not edit them. I will be investigating some of the 3^rd party tools at some point to see if they would do the editing job. But if document editing is one of your main needs, you probably want to be considering some of the other devices (such as the Treo 700 and T-Mobile MDA or similar devices).

Tomorrow, I will setup e-mail, and start working with some of the multi-media capabilities such as voice notes, and voice recognition.

Day #77 of the 81-day experiment, the T-Mobile Dash at the Open Studios in San Francisco

The T-Mobile Dash accompanied me to the Open Studios this weekend and it fit in my pocket nicely. In addition, what I discovered today is that I could type on the QWERTY keyboard of the T-Mobile Dash single-handed (the device is small enough that you could pretty much hold it and reach all the keys with one thumb). This is an added advantage because in some of the situations I described earlier in the 81-day-experiment, such as riding the metro during rush hours when there is standing room only, you could still operate a single-handed device and stay productive.

Open Studios pictures

Here are some of the Open Studios pictures from Public Glass (www.publicglass.org) and Yosemite Studios:

 

And some of the glass blowing demonstrations:

And some of the metal sculptures at Yosemite Studios: