vB Easy Archive - My take on the Dash

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My take on the Dash - Annoyances
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Posted by: hilda123

I have had my Dash for just 4 days now. Though I love the form factor and overall it is a good phone, there are a lot of misses as far as I am concerned. These are mostly annoyances rather than completely horrible things.

I have had several PDAS and Smartphones including Palm and Windows. I am limiting my list to things that I believe are common sense and are reasonable. I believe (and knew going in) that it wouldn't edit documents for example. That is reasonable given the size. As I said, I've only had the Dash for 4 days, and some of these things I may have just not found, so let me know if I am missing something.

Many are things that require more keypresses that they should (this is a "smart"phone) and you can be walking, driving, whatever when using. Not a big deal once in a while, but for something you do 20 times a day, 4 keypresses is annoying.

I realize most of these are WM5 issues, not specific just to the Dash (but that is what they chose to run!)

1. When you look at the call log, it shows you the name (if programmed into your contacts). You cannot see a time or date. There is room for it. Further, if you press the center button to open the entry, you still can't see the time! You are presented with another screen that is quite sparse but still no date! Then you have to scroll down several times to finally see the date/time. It should have been on the first screen, or at minimum top of detail screen. Embarrasing.

2. When I compose an email, there is no option to automatically send it (either global or just that time). My Treo had this and it makes sense. I don't want to have to wait for the scheduled sync or manually go click send/receive. It will sit in your outbox until the next send/receive.

3. There is no way to mark all email read. If I look at emails on my home pc and then head to work with my Dash (without syncing), I've already read all the email on there. I want to mark them all read quickly or at least clear the counts on the home screen.

4. There is no copy/paste functions

5. There is no way I could find to quickly delete an entry. For example, if I am in the address bar of explorer and there is a 70 character site in it and I want to type a new one, I have to hold DEL forever to clear it.

6. In email, there is no global option to automatically send a copy to an address. I used this on my Treo to keep a copy of sent mail on my PC. I guess I could enable email syncing and maybe accomplish the same thing (though overkill).

7. When I press Start from the homepage, I see icons. I would expect when I click "C" it would go to the first "C" icon (calendar). If I press "C" again, it would go to the next if there is one. Windows does this. It makes sense. Now I just have to navigate around using arrow keys.

8. I wish there was a find across the whole device. This would search across email, text messages, contacts, and any other 3rd party databases installed.

9. There is no notes program (other than voice). This is pretty basic and sadly lacking. My memos in outlook go nowhere now. I know there are 3rd party programs.

10. There aren't enough assignable dedicated keys (well, there are none really). They needed another button/rocker or 2 on the side instead of the strip.

11. The strip is silly. It should have been a scroll wheel/rocker that could have also been used to go through lists/scroll emails, etc. quickly. On a phone this small, you need double-duty.

12. There is no standard jack for headsets (talking or stereo) or adapter included.

13. The documentation is sorely lacking. Even on the web. For example: I had an icon that looked like the infinity symbol at the top of the home page. Looked in the manual and there are about 30 symbols, but not that one. Also, searched T-Mobile website for "Push email", all I find is a press release.

14. Speed dial. It is good you can assign applications or contacts to speed dial. But numbers aren't so good- you should be able to assign to letters also. It is easier to remember to press and hold J for John rather then 4. When I press and hold a letter on the home page, it doesn't do anything other than enter into the contact screen.

15. The predictive text. You have a full keyboard, so I think it is unnecessary. Haven't found a way to turn it off. Further, instead of giving me that, how about capitalizing the first word of a sentence and inserting apostrophes for me (like on Treo). When I type isnt change that to isn't. That would be really useful.

16. It is good there are "quick lauch" icons on the homepage. However, instead of listing the last applications I used, let me put what I want there. If I use Solitaire 1x per year, I don't need that showing there. Overall, there is a big lack of customizing the user interface and what is there, is mostly cosmetic.

17. When I have a bluetooth headset in range, it doesn't let me turn to another profile. If I hold the # key for silent mode, it doesn't work. Just because I am using a headset, I still may want it to vibrate and not ring.

18. The power button is nice that it lets you quickly access certain things. Why can't I customize the list? There are profiles there that I didn't even create and will never use.

Posted by: JwY

okay, i only had time to skim your list and can help with a few things

4 - use a third party app (stupid i know) like vito
5 - hold the back key (not the del key)
7 - use the qwer,asdf keys, but i put them into folders so i only have 8 icons per screen
11 - you can enable the joggr which works (still prefer wheel of course)
16 - you can change it once you know how to make your homescreen so you can pretty much do anything on it
17 - you can hold # to silent? too bad the s620 doesn't have this, is there a shortcut to vibrate?

Posted by: mariod1269

12. i bought this and LOVE it...
http://www.overlayplus.com/US/dis_p...ash&modeln=S620

15. alt - spacebar will enable you to turn off t9.

Posted by: rocky88

Quote:

Originally Posted by mariod1269

12. i bought this and LOVE it...
http://www.overlayplus.com/US/dis_p...ash&modeln=S620

Too bad you only bought 1! That would make a hot ebay item, fetching 2-3x the price now that the 1 supplier in the world is sold out.

Posted by: rocky88

2 - grab a free Exchange Server account from port88.org. It seems to work great. Send is immediate, but there is no "penalty" for this (like there would be on Palm OS). And you get true push.

Posted by: DrLivingston

i do not use the email function as much but yes the bluetooth no vibrate thing is a hassle...and on the same note a phone from 10 yrs ago could vibrate and ring this one cant? (at the same time) well my question is does anyone have any problems with during texting and your on your home screen when u get a text message if its sending one or recieving and u press a button or sometimes not it will freeze the text portion of your phone and you cant access it? through my start menu or quick home screen i click it and it will not open but all my other apps will i have to power on/off to resume text function....??

Posted by: JwY

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrLivingston

i do not use the email function as much but yes the bluetooth no vibrate thing is a hassle...and on the same note a phone from 10 yrs ago could vibrate and ring this one cant? (at the same time) well my question is does anyone have any problems with during texting and your on your home screen when u get a text message if its sending one or recieving and u press a button or sometimes not it will freeze the text portion of your phone and you cant access it? through my start menu or quick home screen i click it and it will not open but all my other apps will i have to power on/off to resume text function....??

what bluetooth and vibrate, ring and vibrate problem?

Posted by: hilda123

You can have the phone ring and vibrate. Go into settings, profile, select a porfile and hit menu, edit. There is a ring and vibrate or a vibrate then ring option.

The bluetooth problem is that whenever a paired headset is in range, it automaticallly switches to the headset profile, overriding any setting like vibrate. You cannot switch out of the headset profile unless you turn off the headset. We basically just want it to keep what ringer we had before the headset was turned on or be able to easily switch between vibrate/ring with the headset connected.

Posted by: hilda123

Quote:

Originally Posted by mariod1269

12. i bought this and LOVE it...
http://www.overlayplus.com/US/dis_p...ash&modeln=S620

15. alt - spacebar will enable you to turn off t9.

That is only for listening to music, correct? You cannot hook up a standard wired headset with that. I have a bluetooth headset, but sometime it goes dead in the car and it is nice to be able to just plug in a wired one.

The one the Dash came with has one of those dangly mics which I hate.

Posted by: titan703

I am HATING the bluetooth range on this compared to my RAZR right now. I thought coming in that Bluetooth 2.0 would mean better range, better quality and better...EVERYTHING. I can't get more than 15 feet away before the signal goes to crap, and that is with no walls between. With the RAZR, I used to leave it on the charger in my office and sit one floor directly below it in the living room - about 10 feet vertically - and get perfect signal. I could even go into the basement, another floor down and have a good signal. With the DASH, if I am in the same situation with the phone in the office, I get complete static.

Posted by: JwY

Quote:

Originally Posted by titan703

I am HATING the bluetooth range on this compared to my RAZR right now. I thought coming in that Bluetooth 2.0 would mean better range, better quality and better...EVERYTHING. I can't get more than 15 feet away before the signal goes to crap, and that is with no walls between. With the RAZR, I used to leave it on the charger in my office and sit one floor directly below it in the living room - about 10 feet vertically - and get perfect signal. I could even go into the basement, another floor down and have a good signal. With the DASH, if I am in the same situation with the phone in the office, I get complete static.

the razr is bluetooth class 1, the excalibur is class 2.
which means the razr is up to 100m while the dash is up to 10m. that's why.