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> the HTC hardware was slick, but WinMo was useless and incredibly dumb You’re not kidding. I had a HTC HD2 and the hardware was very futuristic-feeling (one o

> the HTC hardware was slick, but WinMo was useless and incredibly dumb You’re not kidding. I had a HTC HD2 and the hardware was very futuristic-feeling (one of the first phones with the original Qualcomm Snapdragon, and a “huge” 4.3” screen that my friends gently mocked for being ridiculously large), but the software experience was leagues behind iOS and Android, despite they themselves being in relative infancy. It would have been pretty nice if it got an update to Windows Phone 7, which was promised but never came. HTC’s own customisations were the worst part. Their flashy animated home screen was very nice, but the iOS-style threaded SMS app couldn’t deal with threads longer than about 300 messages and would routinely lock up the phone for minutes at a time until you deleted your conversation history. In the years after I got rid of it people continued to port newer versions of Android to it, but I just remember it being shit at texting and browsing the web—the only things I actually wanted it for.

ubermonkey 4y ago
My HTC was branded an 8525 by AT&T. I think that means it was a Tytn in other markets. When it was introduced, there was no iOS yet. And even so, it sucked out loud compared to the 800 pound gorillas of the era, Palm and (in full deployments) Blackberry. WinMo was SO DUMB. I remember discovering the hard way that if you left the browser in the foreground, on-page refresh directives (like CNN used to use) would still be honored even if the device's screen was off. Result? Dead battery in no time. WinMo also had no way to deal with IMAP mail natively. It was Exchange or POP unless you bought an aftermarket mail client. True fact: I actually didn't text much until I got an iPhone, so I can't speak to texting on the 8525. I think lots of people my age only came to texting later, whereas if you're like 10 years younger than I am (say, born in 1980 instead of 1970) you probably texted on flip phones in high school or whatever.

ubermonkey 4y ago

My HTC was branded an 8525 by AT&T. I think that means it was a Tytn in other markets. When it was introduced, there was no iOS yet. And even so, it sucked out loud compared to the 800 pound gorillas of the era, Palm and (in full deployments) Blackberry. WinMo was SO DUMB. I remember discovering the hard way that if you left the browser in the foreground, on-page refresh directives (like CNN used to use) would still be honored even if the device's screen was off. Result? Dead battery in no time. WinMo also had no way to deal with IMAP mail natively. It was Exchange or POP unless you bought an aftermarket mail client. True fact: I actually didn't text much until I got an iPhone, so I can't speak to texting on the 8525. I think lots of people my age only came to texting later, whereas if you're like 10 years younger than I am (say, born in 1980 instead of 1970) you probably texted on flip phones in high school or whatever.