M900 owners: Acer needs your help troubleshooting problems!!

[boz]

Acer M900 only:

My contact at Acer is now asking for all the information M900 owners can give concerning the following issues as Acer are taking the issues seen seriously and want to address them as soon as possible, so they are taking note.

Please answer as many questions as accurately as possible to give a clear picture of the problems and circumstances, if there are any you can't answer don't worry just miss that question out. Help them to help us!

Please answer the questions only and keep on topic or posts will be removed, this is to help all M900 users after all.

1. As a user are you using the stock 160 OS or one downloaded from the Acer FTP when you have issues?

2. Has anyone else seen the lost phone signal issue (such as a cell tower crash), after which the M900 doesn't then hunt for a fresh signal and relock?

3. Have you had poor GSM reception at all?

4. Low sound level - Is the sound level low with the speaker or receiver or both, and under what enviroment or circumstances do you see the problem?

5. The blank screen of death issue - describe how it happened, and is there any particular circumstance under which this issue can be seen.

6. Connection settings lost after a reset - Try the following and the settings should stick, let me know the result please:

A. open connections from start--> setting--> connection--> connections

B. Click add new modem connection, select cellular Line (GPRS), press next

C. Put any word in access point name icon

D. Leave user name and password empty the click next to complete setting

E. Select the GPRS setting you just set up , then softreset

F. After system boot up then go to start--> setting--> connection--> connections again, the setting should still exist.

7. Choppy video quality is a known issue, however, if possible please let me know which benchmark phone you compare with.

8. Have you the M900 user considered returning the phone to the supplier because of video quality?

9. I have found video call quality to be fine, have other M900 owners tried it between different makes of handsets, if so how did you get on?

Thanks for helping out, Boz.

[nalim]

Originally Posted by boz

Acer M900 only:

My contact at Acer is now asking for all the information M900 owners can give concerning the following issues as Acer are taking the issues seen seriously and want to address them as soon as possible, so they are taking note.

Please answer as many questions as accurately as possible to give a clear picture of the problems and circumstances, if there are any you can't answer don't worry just miss that question out. Help them to help us!

Please answer the questions only and keep on topic or posts will be removed, this is to help all M900 users after all.

1. As a user are you using the stock 160 OS or one downloaded from the Acer FTP when you have issues?

2. Has anyone else seen the lost phone signal issue (such as a cell tower crash), after which the M900 doesn't then hunt for a fresh signal and relock?

3. Have you had poor GSM reception at all?

4. Low sound level - Is the sound level low with the speaker or receiver or both, and under what enviroment or circumstances do you see the problem?

5. The blank screen of death issue - describe how it happened, and is there any particular circumstance under which this issue can be seen.

6. Connection settings lost after a reset - Try the following and the settings should stick, let me know the result please:

A. open connections from start--> setting--> connection--> connections

B. Click add new modem connection, select cellular Line (GPRS), press next

C. Put any word in access point name icon

D. Leave user name and password empty the click next to complete setting

E. Select the GPRS setting you just set up , then softreset

F. After system boot up then go to start--> setting--> connection--> connections again, the setting should still exist.

7. Choppy video quality is a known issue, however, if possible please let me know which benchmark phone you compare with.

8. Have you the M900 user considered returning the phone to the supplier because of video quality?

9. I have found video call quality to be fine, have other M900 owners tried it between different makes of handsets, if so how did you get on?

Thanks for helping out, Boz.

1. both stock and downloaded
2. I haven't seen this issue
3. yes I have. In comparison with other phones I posses the reception is really poor
4. I have to turn up the speaker level in order to hear the other party while on call
5. it happened only once - pretty normal for WM
6. not exprienced
7. video quality is comparable to other phones I have (even slightly better)
8. No
9. No data

[boz]

Brilliant Nalim, just the sort of feedback we need to help us.

[stuza]

Originally Posted by boz

...1. As a user are you using the stock 160 OS or one downloaded from the Acer FTP when you have issues?

Stock

Originally Posted by boz

2. Has anyone else seen the lost phone signal issue (such as a cell tower crash), after which the M900 doesn't then hunt for a fresh signal and relock?

yes, phone radio switches off. Now returned to retailer for replacement (suspect hardware rather than software)

Originally Posted by boz

3. Have you had poor GSM reception at all?

Not that i've noticed

Originally Posted by boz

4. Low sound level - Is the sound level low with the speaker or receiver or both, and under what enviroment or circumstances do you see the problem?

Headphones very low volume even on max volume. Can't hear under crashhelmet like I can my Omnia.

Originally Posted by boz

5. The blank screen of death issue - describe how it happened, and is there any particular circumstance under which this issue can be seen.

Only seen this once in over a week and I suspect it was actually "busy" downloading a big email. Deleted email from server and phone then responded fine.

Originally Posted by boz

6. Connection settings lost after a reset - Try the following and the settings should stick, let me know the result please:

Not seen

Originally Posted by boz

7. Choppy video quality is a known issue, however, if possible please let me know which benchmark phone you compare with.

Not seen

Originally Posted by boz

8. Have you the M900 user considered returning the phone to the supplier because of video quality?

No, see above

Originally Posted by boz

9. I have found video call quality to be fine, have other M900 owners tried it between different makes of handsets, if so how did you get on?

Not used, does anyone???

Originally Posted by boz

Thanks for helping out, Boz.

Your more than welcome, best of luck to your contacts at Acer!

[Blowfish64]

Originally Posted by boz

Acer M900 only:

My contact at Acer is now asking for all the information M900 owners can give concerning the following issues as Acer are taking the issues seen seriously and want to address them as soon as possible, so they are taking note.

Please answer as many questions as accurately as possible to give a clear picture of the problems and circumstances, if there are any you can't answer don't worry just miss that question out. Help them to help us!

Please answer the questions only and keep on topic or posts will be removed, this is to help all M900 users after all.

1. As a user are you using the stock 160 OS or one downloaded from the Acer FTP when you have issues?

2. Has anyone else seen the lost phone signal issue (such as a cell tower crash), after which the M900 doesn't then hunt for a fresh signal and relock?

3. Have you had poor GSM reception at all?

4. Low sound level - Is the sound level low with the speaker or receiver or both, and under what enviroment or circumstances do you see the problem?

5. The blank screen of death issue - describe how it happened, and is there any particular circumstance under which this issue can be seen.

6. Connection settings lost after a reset - Try the following and the settings should stick, let me know the result please:

A. open connections from start--> setting--> connection--> connections

B. Click add new modem connection, select cellular Line (GPRS), press next

C. Put any word in access point name icon

D. Leave user name and password empty the click next to complete setting

E. Select the GPRS setting you just set up , then softreset

F. After system boot up then go to start--> setting--> connection--> connections again, the setting should still exist.

7. Choppy video quality is a known issue, however, if possible please let me know which benchmark phone you compare with.

8. Have you the M900 user considered returning the phone to the supplier because of video quality?

9. I have found video call quality to be fine, have other M900 owners tried it between different makes of handsets, if so how did you get on?

Thanks for helping out, Boz.

1. I have tried both.
2. No.
3. This is by far the worst reception I have had on any phone I have ever known.
4. I've had problems with the speaker and receiver both. Many people say they think I'm on speakerphone because my voice is not picked up well, and for my end, I have to mash the phone to my ear to hear well in crowded environments. The headphones are also much too low to hear well. I do not know if it is due to the stock headphones or the jack itself.
5. I have noticed that the blank screen of death is increased when using PhoneAlarm and Opera. Also, if I leave my phone on to time out on its own rather than pushing the power button, I've noticed that it occurs more often. Lastly, I've also noticed it tends to happen whenever it times out while connected to Activesync, but that may just be coincidental.
6. Took out Connection Wizard and do not have this problem.
7. Video playback is very choppy. I was extremely disappointed by this. I thought Acer would have learned from HTC's mistake.
8. Yes, I have definitely considered returning the phone due to poor video playback, especially when I compared it to a friend's iPhone.
9. I have not tried video calls.

10. I would like to say that I hope the L-sensor program is flawed and hope this is not ignored either. It should average the ambient light more evenly so the screen brightness does not jump around from second to second.

11. I would also hope Acer addresses the issue of the screen becoming unresponsive for several seconds at a time.

I'm glad to see Acer taking an interest in bettering their product! I certainly hope something comes of it soon.


EDIT 28-6-09
I have narrowed the black screen of death issue to at least 3 programs: Acer Shell, PhoneAlarm, and Wisbar Advance. Any one of these programs running invariably leads to this problem. As I use the latter two constantly and am unwilling the part with them, this situation is unacceptable. Also, considering no other PPC's in existence have this problem with these programs, I think it's fair to say that the burden rests on Acer to fix their ROM rather than the individual program developers to find a way around the issue.

[boz]

Originally Posted by stuza

Your more than welcome, best of luck to your contacts at Acer!

Thanks stuza, all feedback will help.

Originally Posted by Blowfish64

I'm glad to see Acer taking an interest in bettering their product! I certainly hope something comes of it soon.

Yes, let's hope they take note and sort the issues asap.

[jasondeangelo]

1. As a user are you using the stock 160 OS or one downloaded from the Acer FTP when you have issues?
-Using the stock OS.

2. Has anyone else seen the lost phone signal issue (such as a cell tower crash), after which the M900 doesn't then hunt for a fresh signal and relock?
-No.

3. Have you had poor GSM reception at all?
-Yes. Intermitent.

4. Low sound level - Is the sound level low with the speaker or receiver or both, and under what enviroment or circumstances do you see the problem?
-Mine is fine.

5. The blank screen of death issue - describe how it happened, and is there any particular circumstance under which this issue can be seen.
-Yes...Happens all the time, especially when using the GPS. I found that if I don't use the Acer Shell, it doesn't happen.

6. Connection settings lost after a reset - Try the following and the settings should stick, let me know the result please:
-I am in the US on AT&T. Your solution did not help. This is very consistent. Just do you know exactly what is happening, I'm putting my steps below. The cab files on this forum don't help either. Please fix ASAP. Thanks!
1) Go to Connection Wizard.
2) Click "ok" to prompt that pops up telling you it cannot find network.
3) Click the "Back" soft key.
4) Select "United States" from the drop down list. You have to select United States. Selecting "USA" will not work. I have tried them all.
5) Click on "AT&T" under the "Select the carrier name" section.
6) Click "Add"

All set. Obviously, this is a pain.

7. Choppy video quality is a known issue, however, if possible please let me know which benchmark phone you compare with.
-Mine is ok.

8. Have you the M900 user considered returning the phone to the supplier because of video quality?
-No.

9. I have found video call quality to be fine, have other M900 owners tried it between different makes of handsets, if so how did you get on?
-No

One more issue which I have not seen mentioned here is the touch sensitivity of the screen. Most often, when you touch a button, there is no response. You have to hit it "just" right to garner the desired response. I have had a lot of phones, and this one is by far the worst in this area. Don't get me wrong..I love the phone overall, but fixing these few things would make it nearly perfect!

Thanks for all your help Acer!!!

[boz]

Thanks for the feedback Jason, it will hopefully help.

[anosis]

1) Stock 160 Rom with Acer Shell removed from EXTROM
2) NO
3) Yes
4) internal speaker could be a little louder. There is also some ticking backgound noise (it is not static, the pattern of the noise repeats). The external speaker volume is OK, but I don't use it much. The bluetooth volume is also on the lower side.
5) I had a hard crash twice now. First incident was when openeing Google Maps the device shut down and rebooted. Second incident was when reading email and clicking the upper right corner (OK) button. When the screen switched back to the email list there was a short pop up with a error message then the device again booted.
6) Since the device is not configured with ATT settings for the US, I use a CAB file that enteres the specific connection schema to the registry. Never had an issue even after rebooting except for the fact that my phone always thinks it is in a roaming area - and it is not!
7) Never checked video performance. Cannot comment on this yet.
No and not for any other reasons
9) Again, have never tested this.

Some of my own gripes that I would like to add.
10) Already mentioned by other members: The touch screen sensitivity is hit and miss. I need to elaborate a little more on this because it seems to be software specific and not hardware related.
Example: I use Home 2 Pro as my today screen which uses finger guestures to move from screen to screen and to scroll through contact lists and emails. This works 100% flawlessly on my M900.
Yet, when I am inside messaging and I try to scroll down the email list the scrolling either goes way too slow or it scrolls beyond my finger.
Another anoyance is the fact that picking an item on the screen sometimes has no effect at all. It seems to be relational to the area of the press, like the finger tip versus using the finger nail or stylus which works more often. A tap on the screen should not be area depended?!?

11) It would be nice if the cell radio would be modified to correctly use cell tower information that works with google maps and other apps. I am 100% dependend on the GPS to tell me where I am and sometimes it is nice to have the cell tower info triangulate you on the map. Also Live Search uses this feature to locate your current town so you can lookup gas stations and other relevant info.

Thanks.

[stuza]

I think Mr n Mrs Acer, issue 2 was confined to just me.

I am certainly the only thats reported it on this forum so its probably put right at the bottom of the list - as a suspected hardware issue.