The past few weeks I have been trying to find a ‘companion’ Tablet PC to go with my work laptop.  The first device I had a look at was this HTC Shift provided by Dynamism.  We have taken a look at the Shift in the past, but this is a different angle.  Will it fill the Tablet PC/UMPC needs as a companion to a ‘regular’ laptop?   I go over the things I like and the things I don’t like about the device as a whole.  To get the final decision you’ll have to watch the InkShow!!

This is a quick video I shot with the HTC Shift I have had for a couple of weeks.   I am looking for a device to complement a regular work issued laptop.  I need something more powerful for daily work, but I don't want to give up the Tablet PC functionality.  This video takes a quick look at some issues with the Shift for me personally and I'll some more detailed information in an InkShow later.

Thanks to Dynamism for the unit - Check out their site to find out more information

According to this post on DigiTimes HTC is re-evaluating their UMPC strategy in light of the popularity of the Asus Eee PC and all those who are following Asus’ lead. No specifics to bank on yet, but early indications are that the devices will be using Intel’s Atom and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipsets.

HTC has to still be reeling a bit from their first foray into the UMPC market with the HTC Shift, and of course it is no surprise that they, like everyone else is looking at the space differently in light of the major disruption that Asus brought to the market. The DigiTimes article suggests that HTCs efforts will be in the MID market, but given the confusion over naming and branding these days we could potentially see anything from a MID to a ultra-net-mini-sub-low cost-notebook once these designs roll out later in the year.

This is about what I have come to over the last few days...  I need (would like/want/ect....) is a HTC Shift sized unit with an active digitizer or a device that is a little bit bigger with a keyboard that I can actually use...  You should see my hands crammed on to that HTC Shift keyboard! 

But really - the size of that is about perfect to keep around whenever I go to a meeting, and it's been with me the past few days just about everywhere I have gone!  But, it's really missing out on the 'note taking' side of things.  I 'think' I could even get past the screen rotation hurdle if I could rest my hand on the screen.  And I really need to rethink that keyboard comment from above... If I had a device a little bigger, it might not make it to the same amount of meetings, or I would be almost back to a larger sized device.

What do you think? I looked on Ebay at the LS800's the other night.  Think that might do it for my companion note taking device if I get a 'regular' laptop as my main work computer? OQO? Something that has an active digitizer...

I've been traveling some since the HTC Shift was delivered so there hasn't been as much time in the first few days as I would have liked.  But that changes today as I go back home.  I did however get a few hours before I left and some more time on the plane to look over the unit.  I will be taking a closer look a the device and also maybe trying to bump up the Snap Vue to be full WM6 :)

I like the device so far, not sure yet if it will be the device for me in the end, but that will take a few more days of testing and really getting the time to add some programs to the device before I can really tell.  Here are a few things from the start I have noticed.

• I really wish the screen would rotate.  I have tried messing around with the drivers some and the INF file, but nothing so far, I will keep trying though. I feel that if I get that rotation working, item 2 might be easier to get over
• I wish the screen wasn't as soft of a touch.  If there is the slightest bit of touch on the screen other than the pen (ie your pinky) it will mess up the digitizer and cause all kinds of bad things to happen...
• The keyboard isn't good for my large hands.  For things to work, I end up using 2 fingers on each hand.  It works, but if the keyboard was just an inch wider I feel that it might be just right.
• The radios worked well, even got my ATT Tilt hooked up with HSDPA going well on there too.  I did get my SIM card in the built in slot and picked up some e-mail on the Snap Vue side of the Shift.  It would be nice to have a browser on that side... maybe sometime later this week :)

More thoughts to come as I test out more things, but these are my few thoughts so far.  I will also be testing out some more over the next week and a half, and I will keep updating as I figure out more! Thanks to Dynamism for the loaner unit.

A couple of weeks ago I had posted that I might be moving to a regular laptop as my main 'work' computer (not personal mind you :) ).  I also said that I wouldn't mind checking out the HTC Shift to maybe use as a 'companion' device to that laptop.  Well, the good folks at Dynamism sent me a Shift to play around with for a few weeks.

I know this is old hat to some as they have been out a while, but it will be a new adventure for me as I am trying to find alternatives if I have to change the way I work and the processes I use.

Any questions you want answered as I investigate this little machine?  Anything you want me to try?

Looks like those Canadians are getting a taste of the Shift now.  Gadgetell is reporting that Rogers Wireless is now bringing the Shift to all the Canadians now.

Interesting to point out is that Rogers is saying they are going to enable the GPS unit within 3 months of release!

I would still REALLY like to test one of these out for a couple of weeks.  It's still up in the air right now, but I might have to fall into the 'corp Dell machine' for work soon.  (Yes, I'll still have my Tablet PC around - and I am trying to talk them into a M700) I think that if I have to go to that (Dell D830) as my 'main' work machine that the HTC Shift might just solve my problems when I go mobile.  So - If anybody has one that is sitting on their shelf not being used - shoot me an e-mail and I'll take good care of it for a couple of weeks so it's not feeling so lonely .

This is just a shame. Apparently the legal battles over the Qualcomm chipset will keep HTC from releasing the new version of the HTC Advantage in the US, unless you’re willing to pay a little extra and get one through an importer. Although I’m not sure how that works given the restrictions. Too bad, as the HTC Advantage X7510 looked like it had the potential to be a very exciting second generation release for a very popular form factor. This was one of those devices that in its first generation impressed me enough that I was thinking of taking the plunge when the second generation arrived. Not now, I guess.

Matt Miller of The Mobile Gadgeteer got his hands on one (or three) at the recent Mobius conference and has a quick and dirty rundown of the device, including some early impressions of the haptic keyboard. He promises a fuller review at some point in the future.

via jkOnTheRun

Tiffany Boggs over on Tablet PC Review gives the HTC Shift a once over - and more!  If you haven't read enough, and you want some input about the Shift from an experienced reviewer of Tablet PC's, then head on over and give it a read. Just make sure you don't expect too much from those benchmark numbers when you get there :)

 After spending a week with the HTC Shift we really got a chance to see what it can do. This tiny tablet is quite the power house. I had no problems surfing the Internet with it or navigating through applications. It sports a Intel A110 800MHz processor and has a 40GB hard drive. The touchscreen was practically flawless and I enjoyed using my finger more then the pen. Although, the pen was helpful for more intricate navigating.

Engadget is running a contest where the prize is an HTC Shift. The contest is for US residents only who are over 18. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post for what you’d use the Shift for to be eligible. All the other rules and regs are in the post.

We posted yesterday about Matt Miller's first-look review of the new Sprint-equipped HTC Shift. In this latest installment, Matt goes in to much more detail about this much anticipated UMPC.

His closing thoughts:

The Shift would really have had to blow me out of the water to come up with US$1500 and it did not. There are definitely some impressive and unique aspects (SnapVUE), but too many issues prevent me from making the commitment and then paying US$60 a month for Sprint’s service (coverage is too spotty in Puget Sound where I work and live). I don’t think ultra portables really have to have huge hard drives since they are companion devices, but they do need to have long battery life or IMHO the device is no longer an ultra portable. This is one reason I got rid of my Samsung Q1 last year and another major reason I love my Fujitsu U810 with 5+ battery life.

Matt Miller has been holding out on us. He's been reviewing the HTC Shift running on Sprint's EVDO network and has just posted his initial first looks review and 140+ images. Based on his first impressions, there doesn't look to be much to get excited about, especially with a $1499 price tag. Matt promises more in a more thorough review to be posted tomorrow. Head over and check it out.

If you’re interested in the HTC Shift you might want to take a look at this. As most know, The HTC Shift comes with SnapVue, a limited version of Windows Mobile that allows you to access some functionality via that platform. Well, if you’d like to ‘liberate’ your Shift from the SnapVue shackles, you might want to check out MoDaCo, and see how Paul O’Brien has put together SHIFTpacks that can restore Windows Mobile functionality to the device. There’s a tutorial video available for those who want to give it a try.

UPDATE: We are checking with some Microsoft folks to see if this hack potentially violates licensing agreements by enabling full Windows Mobile on a device that may not have been licensed for it. HTC might have licensed full Windows Mobile, but only chosen to enable the limited version of it. Until we get clarification, we'll leave the link and post as is.

Via Colin Walker

There are some new patent drawings out for a possible HTC handheld that takes turns the concept of sliding keyboards a bit sideways. Of course this continues the quest for the Holy Grail of finding just the right keyboard. And in reality that is such a personal choice because what works for me may not work for you for so many reason. Intriguingly, in the article about the patents the author says dialing on a touch screen isn’t much fun. Maybe for some. Maybe not for others. In my case on the HTC Mogul, touch screen dialing is pretty much a no brainer and the keyboad is mostly for text entry. But that’s just me.

At least with handhelds, as with the iPhone, users can get into a retail outlet and try things out for themselves before buying. And that certainly helps when making a very personal purchasing decision. I’ll be curious to see if that happens when the MIDs finally make a debut later this year.

Whether or not it is selling (or legal to) in the US, and even though it has dropped off the radar for many, The HTC Shfit still continues to attract interest. The Boy Genius Report has published a full review with some interesting pros and cons about the device now that they have been hands on.

Check it out here.

Just a quick note before I head off to a series of morning meetings. Last night I applied the ROM update to the Sprint Mogul and all is working like a charm. EVDO Rev A is quite an improvement and GPS is working nicely with Google Maps. I’ll report more when I get a chance, but I’m glad this has finally been rolled out.

Ok, those of you who have been waiting for the HTC (Sprint) Mogul ROM update to be released can start your downloads. Word has been popping up all over the place today of the official release, but most of the links point to this site, which isn’t showing the update yet. But here’s a link that takes you straight to the download of the official release of ROM 3.35.651.2. (Downloads are slow, as I imagine the server is being slammed.)

The ROM update promises EVDO Rev A, Bluetooth fixes, and some other bug fixes as well. It has been anticipated since the Mogul went on sale last summer and delayed several times.

The Boy Genius Report got their hands on an HTC Shift and did an unboxing. Now BGR is giving one away if you head here and leave a comment. I hear they are shipping in places in Europe (for real) but still no word here in the US.

Looks like HTC is finally shipping the Shift, at least in Europe. Word is it is now available in Europe for 1119 euros. It also comes with the new Origami Experience 2.0 included and from what I’m reading still only 2 hours of battery life.

Now, when is it going to head to this side of the pond?

Via Gear Diary

And in other HTC news, HTC has released an updated version of the Advantage that includes double the memory (16GB vs 8GB), and improved keyboard with that now uses haptic technology, and TouchFlo software for enhancing the touchscreen usability.

Via jkOnTheRun

This is all being announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona where I’m sure we’ll see much more news popping out today.

GBM reader Gavin Miller sent us a link to Register Hardware, where they claim the HTC Shift will actually go on sale at Expansys.com on Feb 19. Expansys is a UK based retailer who also sells in the US. (The former MobilePlanet.com now links to Expansys USA.)

Checking the US site, it appears the device will actually be $1669.95 for the European version, with an availability date of Feb 21. The "US version" still has no dates attached to it. Could it be that the winner of Warner's InkBlot Award for "The Potentially Most Exciting UMPC We've Ever Seen But The Excitement Is Fading With Each Passing Day" will see the light of day?? Will anyone still care, one year after its announcement, and at that price point?