I have moved to Android on my HD2 since last one month. The wonderful guys at XDA-Developers have rooted android and ported it to HD2 from HTC Desire, and now it is in a position to be used as the daily build on the phone. In fact I have not thought once about changing back to Windows Mobile ever since I got my hands on Android.
The first time I actually saw an Android phone was in April 2010, when I had a chance to see the Motorola Droid at AdTech in San Francisco. I found it to be very confusing when compared to my awesome HTC Sense interface on HTC HD2. I have been a die hard fan of Windows Mobile and to think of any other OS was taboo for me. I used the Nokia E71 for some time and I found the stupid Samsung Omnia i900 better. When I compared Android with Windows Mobile, I thought it was still work in progress. Having said that, the adventurer in me still provoked me to try Android but my wallet didn’t allow for a change of the phone in less than 6 months, when we were talking about more than $800!
I was tracking the project on XDA, where the super developers were trying to port Android to the best phone of times, the HD2. I finally learned that a port was available where voice calls weren’t available. I went ahead and downloaded the build and ran android on the phone for the first time. It was not even close to a beta but I searched a bit more to find www.gamesquare.co.uk, where there were usable builds of Android for HD2. I immediately changed the build, which only meant replacing the Android folder on the SD card.
Android has become my choice of OS on the phone now. Initially there have been problems like a robotic voice and high echo to the other party receiving the call, I have even used a tape to cover the mic because the sound was too high. The development of android was faster than one could expect and there was soon a well designed build available for daily use. The only problem was high battery drain, a full charge would last for about 6 hours under normal usage.
SetCPU solved this problem as well. It is a program that sets the clock of CPU according to your usage and requirement, to ensure that you do not waste battery when the phone is idle. The mail application connects to Gmail, Google Apps Accounts and any other company Exchange account with ease. During the time of writing this post, I heard that Microsoft released Exchange ActiveSync for Windows Live Mail (aka Hotmail) but as the website rightly says, there is still an issue with connecting to m.hotmail.com for PUSH updates.
So much for Android at the moment. I will be glad to share more details once I continue using it for a longer period.
I recently received an ipad to use for some time. This is a first generation iPad and therefore it doesn’t have any 3G. I was very sad because I didn’t know how would I use the iPad instead of the laptop at all times. I tried to look for the details online and didn’t really find anything interesting. Apple didn’t allow any Bluetooth tethering on the device which means that I couldn’t connect my phone to the iPad for internet sharing. I couldn’t find a device like MiFi in india, which could work as a 3G wifi router (also because there is only one service provider for 3G). I was wondering how could I make this a more useful device for travel.
After reading about the Mi-Fi, I recalled something really great that my phone has. I recently got an HTC HD2 for myself. This is a Windows Mobile based phone, and has among the best hardware available at the time. The phone is very powerful and the best part of the phone is that despite it being the ‘windows mobile’, it is awesome. I am sure a lot of people may not agree with me on this one but HTC and Windows Mobile are the best possible combination in mobile phone technology!
HTC HD2 has the capability to work as a WiFi router. This means that whenever I wish to connect to the Internet, I only need to start my phone’s wireless router and share my Internet connection. With an unlimited data plan, there is no issue with the download charges and I can browse, mail, chat and blog using the iPad. In fact this blog is also posted using the same connection!
Technology helps, and it always pays to invest in it at the right time.
