Anyone got the new HTC Diamond yet?

[dmr54]

Wondered if someone would anyway back OT.

I do like the Diamond and am very interested in getting my hands on one but will I be able to cope without a keyboard?

[marisa4755]

Yes, I have one now. I will try to answer any questions you have about it. I'm very pleased with it so far. One tiny worry is that the battery seems to get quite warm. I think it correlates with downloading data. That's the only thing ... so far.

Applications:
Right now, apart from the pre loaded apps it's running

AgendaOne, CodeWallet, Newsbreak, SK tools, Memmaid, Schapps Advanced Config, CoPilot, Opera Mini, Live Search, Mobipocket, Spb Backup, Spb Finance. All seem to be running Ok, but it's early days! I've synced around 3gb of music, via wm player and that went OK, except that no album art appears in the HTC music player (yes, I did obtain them legally), the album art appears in WM player on the device.

Mobipocket, Memmaid, Finance, SK tools, Newsbreak, CoPilot and Live Search are all installed to 'Internal Memory' ther rest to main memory (obviously!)

After that lot I have the following memory left:
Storage: 39.12 mb
Program: 40.98 mb

Battery Life:
It's not the best I've ever had (that was the Touch)

We never expected it to be superb, but it's OK really.

Push email on from 7.30am to 11.30 pm
Newsbreak refreshing every 2 hours with about 25 feeds (no podcasts)
Weather on manual refresh (probably every 2-3 hours for 2 cities)

At the end of the day I probably have around 2 of the 10 bars left, so around 20%, having made probably 10 mins of phonecalls and sent around 30 texts, and read a book for an hour or so.

Tonight I have limited it to GSM band to see how much difference that makes.

I think the main battery indicator is a bit strange. it goes from 10 bars to 8 very quicly, but then seems to slow down a lot. the indicator on the top bar of the home screen goes down quite quickly too, but when you then look at the main indicator, there's still plenty left. Weird, but not really a problem.

Lagging issue:
There is a small lag in the Touchflo 3D home plug-in. This is easily remedied if you want to by applying a couple of tweaks from:

[UPDATED 08/06] HTC Diamond Tweak List - xda-developers

I tried these and they really work amazingly well. I personally didn't find that they had an effect on battery life, but they do decrease memory. I've taken them off mine for the moment as I prefer the memory, but they do work with no adverse effects I could find.

Device does not wake on receipt of sms:
I did use the tweak in there which wakes your device when you get a text.

Screen turns off very soon during a call:
Some people are having an issue with the fact that it's very quick indeed. I don't really mind this, you only have to press the power button to get it back on again, but I think there's a tweak in there for that too.

The soft reset button is in a strange place!
You take the stylus out and there is a small hole in there, coloured red and that's the reset button.

I don't know what else to tell you. I think this is NOT a machine for 'power users', the new interface means the average user could go for days without seeing windows mobile, but I know there are peeps out there who won't like the less immediate feel about the device.

Anyways, if you have questions I'll try and answer as best I can. Remember I'm not a techie!

[windows]

Cool. Limiting the signal to 2G will make a lot of difference.

What ROM do you have and what is the total memory available as I belive this can vary from ROM to ROM?

I think it will be a machine for power users as the 3D Flow system saves one having to load a weather applet, a launcher, possibly Pocket Breeze, and a lot of other applets. Still leaves the power of the machine when needed for other apps.

Zoom in the album has also been enhanced as well.

[marisa4755]

Rom version: 1.34.831.1 WWE
Rom date: 05/25/08
Radio version: 0.93.25.NS16
Protocol version: 52.24.25.08H

CPU: QUALCOMM(R) 7201A
Speed 528 MHz
RAM size: 192 MB
Flash size: 256 MB
Internal Storage: 3832.50 MB
Data bus 32 bits
Storage size: 82.94 MB
Display 480 x 640
Colours 65536
Bluetooth version2.0/2.0+EDR

You are partly right on the applets thing, but for example the calendar that appears on the home screen shows a maximum of 1 all day appointments and 2 others.

From what I can see it will only take the first all day appointment and then the next 'proper' appointment. It will only show the second 'proper' appointment when it's approaching. Being used to either Pocket Breeze or Spb Diary, this leaves you a bit short on information.

For me a typical day entry will be:

xxx's birthday
husband in xxx this week

10.00-11.00 weekly meeting
11.00 - 12.00 prepare ppt runthrough
12.00 - 13.00 lunch with Helen
16.00 Remind boss about tomorrow's meeting with xxx
17.00 Pick up xxx from xxx


from those all I get is:

xxx's birthday
10.00-11.00 weekly meeting

then at around 9 I will get :

11.00 - 12.00 prepare ppt runthrough

added.

Also there is no sign of your tasks on the homescreen - makes them very easy to forget (that's my excuse).

As there's no way to have a Breeze or Diary on the today screen as well as the Touchflo, it makes it a bit of a quandary. I can see people installing Breeze or Diary for work, and then using the Touchflo stuff for evenings and weekends.

[windows]

Cheers for that - the same ROM as the one on Xda Devs then. Yeah I know about the calendar limitation, for me the best way around it is to use something like Pocket Informant, as that gives flexibility in all areas.

Heres hoping that HTC can issue an updated ROM with the TouchFlo speeded up a little it has to be possible without eating too much memory.

[firstbuddha]

Hi Marisa,

Have you put Spb Diary onto this device yet? Is that running ok? As I know that is one of your apps you can't live without!

I like the way you describe the applets hiding all of the WM Today, etc.
That is what I'm wanting for my other half. Some way to make the device easy to use as not needing the power-user functionality. Hence why we're waiting for the SE Xperia. But the Raphael is the second choice and if HTC have managed to make the product user friendly this could be a great sign for upgrade time!

It is a little shame though, that you have to apply all the tweaks and the device isn't very friendly straight out of the box.

[marisa4755]

Nope, no Spb Diary on this device - (yet). I may decide to put that on later when I'm sick of the new front end. Mind you, it's surprising, I haven't missed it as much as I thought I would. I use AgendaOne a lot more now though.

I think that for the average user, the device is fine 'out of the box'. It's just that people who have owned a Tytn II or a Cruise will be expecting more in the way of speed, accessibility etc etc. For example, the battery life would be fine for someone who doesn't use push email always on.

I tell you though, the weather app with the little windscreen wiper is really cute! I'd forgotten all about it until I saw it. Very cool. Useless, but cool.

Personally I might try to swap this back for my Cruise from my other half for that very reason. he'd probably think it was amazingly wonderful. We'll see. I'll give it a month or so.

[Windoze9t8]

i got mine last week - now I have the internet at home again - I will post my thoughts later tonight. I am to tired right now.

[Windoze9t8]

Originally Posted by marisa4755

Rom version: 1.34.831.1 WWE
Rom date: 05/25/08
Radio version: 0.93.25.NS16
Protocol version: 52.24.25.08H

CPU: QUALCOMM(R) 7201A
Speed 528 MHz
RAM size: 192 MB
Flash size: 256 MB
Internal Storage: 3832.50 MB
Data bus 32 bits
Storage size: 82.94 MB
Display 480 x 640
Colours 65536
Bluetooth version2.0/2.0+EDR

You are partly right on the applets thing, but for example the calendar that appears on the home screen shows a maximum of 1 all day appointments and 2 others.

From what I can see it will only take the first all day appointment and then the next 'proper' appointment. It will only show the second 'proper' appointment when it's approaching. Being used to either Pocket Breeze or Spb Diary, this leaves you a bit short on information.

For me a typical day entry will be:

xxx's birthday
husband in xxx this week

10.00-11.00 weekly meeting
11.00 - 12.00 prepare ppt runthrough
12.00 - 13.00 lunch with Helen
16.00 Remind boss about tomorrow's meeting with xxx
17.00 Pick up xxx from xxx


from those all I get is:

xxx's birthday
10.00-11.00 weekly meeting

then at around 9 I will get :

11.00 - 12.00 prepare ppt runthrough

added.

Also there is no sign of your tasks on the homescreen - makes them very easy to forget (that's my excuse).

As there's no way to have a Breeze or Diary on the today screen as well as the Touchflo, it makes it a bit of a quandary. I can see people installing Breeze or Diary for work, and then using the Touchflo stuff for evenings and weekends.

My Rom is aloso the same...

I too wish for the ability to add items to the TFL home screen mind you I'm thinking of turning of the TF as for me its just a gimic to show people.

Originally Posted by marisa4755

Nope, no Spb Diary on this device - (yet). I may decide to put that on later when I'm sick of the new front end. Mind you, it's surprising, I haven't missed it as much as I thought I would. I use AgendaOne a lot more now though.

I think that for the average user, the device is fine 'out of the box'. It's just that people who have owned a Tytn II or a Cruise will be expecting more in the way of speed, accessibility etc etc. For example, the battery life would be fine for someone who doesn't use push email always on.

I tell you though, the weather app with the little windscreen wiper is really cute! I'd forgotten all about it until I saw it. Very cool. Useless, but cool.

Personally I might try to swap this back for my Cruise from my other half for that very reason. he'd probably think it was amazingly wonderful. We'll see. I'll give it a month or so.

Windscreen wiper? I've not noticed that yet.

[marisa4755]

Originally Posted by Windoze9t8

Windscreen wiper? I've not noticed that yet.

Are you being serious? You have to find somewhere where it's raining right now. Probably look on Accu weather and find a large city location (or it won't be in the database) where it's raining. Put that in as one of your locations and you will have to grin!