Here are my thoughts after a few days of using the HTC Advantage.

With Dell leaving the Pocket PC Market, users are always asking me what they can replace the Axim with. There really hasn't been a stand alone Pocket PC that compares up to this point. The announcement of the new iPAQ Line brings new promise, especially the 200 series iPAQ, but what can you get right now?

How much can you spend? I ask that because the HTC Advantage is a few hundred more dollars than the Dell Axim X51v sold for, but it is a viable replacement option for sure. It has a huge 5" VGA Screen, more memory than you can shake a stick out as well as an internal 8gb drive. A couple years ago, there was a thread in the forums asking what is the perfect Pocket PC, the HTC Advantage meets a lot of what the posters desired at that point. The only real problems I see for those posters are a) Price b) Size and c) the Advantage has phone functions. 

It has a phone?  Yes, the HTC Advantage is the dreaded converged device that so many Aximsite posters say they don't need. Well, for those readers, you don't have to use the phone. Really, you don't and to be 100% honest, the phone on the Advantage works, but it's not the most convenient phone you could use. After 3 days of using it, I have abandoned it as "my phone". I am still carrying the Advantage as a PDA and it's quite amazing in that capacity.

Using Microsoft's Voice Command and a Bluetooth headset allows the Advantage to stay in your bag, briefcase, or purse and make and receive calls just fine.

Multimedia!!! The Advantage has all the advantages. This screen is AWESOME. Video runs very smooth. I could see watching movies on the plane being quite enjoyable.

The 2200mah battery has held up decent too. I put the device through a lot of playing and testing yesterday and the battery low warnings came during a 30 minute call around 8pm last night. This was without any WiFi usage, just Bluetooth and alot of screen on time.

You can buy the HTC Advantage for $856.72 at Amazon.com

Price? Yes, it's more than you want to spend. No defending that.

Size. Really, watch my unboxing. It's not that big. It's not really pocketable in the case, but if you were carrying the HP iPAQ hx4700, you are used to that. haha... It is big. You can't cram 5 inches of VGA goodness in much smaller of a package though. 

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The screen looks gorgeous. The memory is killer! But the price is a BIG dis-Advantage.

My other personal peeve is that I like my PocketPC to actually fit in my pocket. My x51v is still a top all-around performer . . . but my head could be turned by that new iPaq line.........

Sena Cases Dell Axim x50v - Ext. Battery
Spb Brain Evolution
Gomadic Dual Rapid Wall Charger
ExpertShield 30GB iPod Overlay
Spb Mobile Shell
Logitech VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse
Sena iPod 30GB Video Case
Qwest HTC Mogul
Gomadic Quad Charger
PPCTechs WriteSHIELD Protector
Tritton AX Micro Bluetooth Headset
SOLO Vintage Leather Backpack

         

All I'm lacking to make this my primary phone is some kind of integrated beltclip case solution. I found this killer aluminum case that is a step in the right direction but I just don't trust those glue on belt clips.

Don't Panic!
Bobby
42
Soft-reset is our Friend :

    

the 'killer' case.... the keybpard is held in by foam .. so after 2-3 openings, it stays attached to the pda, and the bottom of the case will be empty (unless after each opening you re-seat the keyboard more securely into the foam.

the hinges are plastic.

also ... metal case + radios (gps, wifi, phone) = lower signal strength.

yes, i bought one off ebay, a couple months ago, its been sitting in my desk (empty) after day 3 ... anybody want to give it a try?, cheap?

htc metal case for more photos of the htc in the case, from multiple angles.

Have you used the device in True VGA? e.g. OzVGA etc.

Soli Deo Gloria

"Long my imprisoned spirit lay, Fast bound in sin and nature's night; Thine eye diffused a quickening ray; I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee."
~ Charles Wesley

Thought I would jump in on topic. I'm another Axim X51v user who has purchased an Athena/Advantage and has now had it for about three days.

LOVE-LOVE THE SCREEN--absolutely the best! Not only is the screen 5", but it is noticeably clearer, cleaner, brighter than the Axim's slightly tinted screen. (Tinted you say? I scoffed at old reviews that claimed a tint and that the Axim screen was inferior, caused eyestrain, etc. Nonetheless, the Athena screen is an extreme improvement over the X51v. It's a bigger screen improvement than my Axim was over my old ipaq 4150.

LOVE BATTERY LIFE: As Chris mentioned, the battery life is remarkably improved (except perhaps in wi-fi).

LOVE THE CAMERA: No its not as good as dedicated cameras, but for a converged device, the pictures are actually pretty good. I always wanted a camera/converged. Now I have a camera with me--always. I love that!

HATE THE STORAGE: OK. So its got an 8gig microdrive, which is probably more than enough. However, my Axim has a 12gig CF card that is swappable plus an SD card . . . I'll feel better about the storage situation when I get a mini card for the Athena.

The real issue with memory is the transferring of 1g or so files. Transferring on activesync with windows mobile 6 seems to do alright, and the Athena also has USB 1 capability, AND reports say that windows mobile 6 syncs up blue tooth just fine. But despite all these things, there's nothing like the Axim for storage solution and card swappability.

HATE THE PRICE: Yeah, even at the come-down price of the 7501, the Athena/Advangage is steep--and like the Axim, the price doesn't even include the 4-in-1 cable.

Other reviewers differ with me. However, extras that I could have done without include--the keyboard and the case, which pretty much stayed in the box. How much did those extras cost (hopefully not much). :0

OK PORTABILITY. Until I get a Vaja or Piel Frama case, I'm carrying the Athena in an old Think Outside Keyboard case, which I either stow in my cargo pants or in a hunting style green and khaki "Spec Ops" pouch that I wear on my belt.

Size is not a problem for me at all. Pu-lease--if you carried a bluetooth think-outside keyboard or a bluetooth frogpad keyboard--these are about the same size as the Advantage, though the Athena weighs a slight bit more. If you don't find the thinkoutside or the frogpad "pocketable" then you won't find the Athena/Advantage pocketable either.

Awkwardness is more of a concern, and in my opinion the case that opens up portrait rather than landscape is partly to blame for that(love that the Advantage is a landscape device, but the leather cases so far have opened up in the contrary way from the Axim cases as well).

So the case got lost quick--MO better--so I'm presently using the Athena naked and then putting her away.

THE CONCLUSION: Well. The price is paid and I'll be working around the swappability disadvantage for the Advantage. Overall, I love the Advantage/Athena!

I can't say as I'd die for the screen, but I sure can live with it!
I like the toggle control alot--only wish there were one on each side for better gaming. Best controls ever. Also, she doesn't have an accelorator chip (though how many programs ever used the Axim's? Still, with that great screen the Athena/Advantage comes with and the possibility of vue-flow she falls just short of a gaming machine.

Oh yeah, the big screen makes for a good internet surfing, e-book, word processing experience too.

. Orions the Second Age is just gorgeous on the 'big screen'.

I've had my HTC X7501 Advantage for about a month now but haven't had much time to play with it. On top of that I'm fairly new to cell devices (but an old hand at PCs). So far I like it a lot. Too big for the pocket, but I don't have to squint at it like all those tiny 2.8" displays I keep seeing (8525, Tilt, etc.).

So far I am loving it!

Very capable device. Now I just have to learn how to use it!