WM2003, So what? Nothing but Problems

portmgr198 · 11-12-03, 09:50 AM

OK, so I finally rcvd the WM2003 update. I installed with no issues. So far I see no major benefits to doing this. It took me most of the morning yesterday to reinstall all my software. It was not as simple as PPC2002. I had problems re-installing Thunderhawk and HP Mobile Printing software. I found multiple icons appearing in the Programs folder. Never had that before. I now find that the Dell Tru Mobile WiFi card works differently. It flashes wildly all the time. What a distratcion! ALso I do not get the indicator on the main screen showing signal strength unless I manually start up the Dell Client pgm. Once it is started, it never goes away, even when I disconnect the CF WiFi card!

Another annoying problem is one that started happening this AM. After putting my Axim in the cradle and ActiveSyncing, I find that once every few minutes, The X5 makes the sounds associated with trying to connect to do an Active Sync session and then it stops. What the heck is going on here????? I dont want to revert back to PPC2002, but this is too much. Any suggestions or is this to be expected?

Nancy Stanphill · 11-22-03, 09:48 PM

One way to stop the continuing syncing is to set AS to connect manually only. That way you can charge the battery without syncing, unless you want it to.

portmgr198 · 11-22-03, 09:59 PM

tried that but it doesnt work.

ajabbari · 11-24-03, 03:54 AM

Unfortunately, I can't help you with your problems w/WM2003 since I'm still using PPC 2002. It seems like every time I feel like actually taking the plunge, a thread like this pops up and makes me question the benefits of doing it, especially in light of the potential pitfalls. I also use a Truemobile 1180, so the problems you are describing make me even more hesitant.

The rapidly flashing light on the Truemobile indicates it is in power saving mode. I've heard that it is difficult to disable this setting in WM2003 if you want to have it stay disabled. This would be a bad thing for me since in my experience my Truemobile had trouble communicating with my Linksys AP when in power saving mode (even at close range).

portmgr198 · 11-24-03, 09:46 AM

ajabbari,

You are correct in your fears. If you havent already upgraded DONT! Just say no to WM2003. I made a mistake upgrading. Cant find any benefits to doing this. Absolutely NONE! Nothing but problems, which I have been told by Dell are not problems at all, but specifically designed to be this way. You are correct about WiFi, my 1180 card blinks like crazy and it cant be stopped. I tried... I had problems with Linksys and returned it in favor of Netgear. The Netgear WAP is so much better than Linksys garbage.

So, in summary, take my advice and DO NOT UPGRADE!!!

pswets · 11-24-03, 11:52 AM

Just a comment from the other side: I upgraded, with some trepidation, a couple of months ago, and have been very pleased with WM 2003. No problems during the upgrade, no issues since. I did have to download new drivers for my socket wifi card and the Dell keyboard, but that's to be expected. My programs run faster, and especially PIE is almost bearable now. I'm very pleased with my upgrade.

portmgr198 · 11-24-03, 12:16 PM

pswets:

Never said I had problems with the upgrade process. Programs run well. Just a few design quirks are driving me nuts. I have posted a couple of them. For example, in WM2003, Activesync is constantly being invoked by my Axim to try to sync. Dell techs tell me that this is the way MSFT intended it to be. ANother item that I cant stand is the CONNECTIONS warnings that pop up constantly when not connected to a network. These are minor issues, but they are nuisances that didnt occur under PPC2002. I enjoy upgrades, but this one is has some design flaws (not bugs).

doogald · 11-24-03, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by portmgr198
For example, in WM2003, Activesync is constantly being invoked by my Axim to try to sync. Dell techs tell me that this is the way MSFT intended it to be.

In ActiveSync on the Axim. Tools|Options. On the PC tab, do you have "use mobile schedule to sync with this PC" set? If so, if you go to the "Mobile Schedule" tab, do you have "during peaks times" and "off-peak times" set to anything but "manually"? You might want to either turn off that first setting or change them to "manually".

Quote:

ANother item that I cant stand is the CONNECTIONS warnings that pop up constantly when not connected to a network. These are minor issues, but they are nuisances that didnt occur under PPC2002. I enjoy upgrades, but this one is has some design flaws (not bugs).

I do not have that problem at all, unless I envoke a web page from PIE or try to download e-mail after forgetting to put in my WiFi card. It sounds like it is related to the item above.

portmgr198 · 11-24-03, 12:53 PM

doogald:

Thanks, but I have all that set just as you suggested. Still doesnt help.

11-24-03, 01:10 PM

I have not had any problems with WM2003. My Axim is scheduled to sync only on connect. I also use the truemobile WiFi card with Dell's latest driver and have not experienced the crazy flashing. And I do get the signal strength meter at the bottom of the Today screen.

11-24-03, 01:12 PM

Oh yeah... I never leave ActiveSync running on my Axim; I always terminate it when done.

portmgr198 · 11-24-03, 03:04 PM

Monkey:

I upgraded my 1180 to latest Dell drivers and get the flashing. Cant stop it unless I take off power mgmt. Even then, the setting is only temporary. I only get the signal strength when I run the Dell Client software and I must EXIT it to get rid of the signal strength bars. As for Activesync on Axim, even if I cxl it, the Axim stilll tries to link up.

doogald · 11-24-03, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by portmgr198
doogald:

Thanks, but I have all that set just as you suggested. Still doesnt help.

How about sync with a server setting? Do you have any of those items turned on?

Also, do you have one desktop partner or two? If two, did you check the other partner for the schedule settings, to see if those settings were different?

portmgr198 · 11-24-03, 03:21 PM

doogald:

Checked all that, too. All set correct. Only one partner set up, too. I appreciate all the help.

ajabbari · 11-24-03, 03:33 PM

From what I've heard Socket cards have flawless driver support in WM2003 (guess I should have paid the extra money back when I was buying a wifi card after all). I don't know about the activesync issues, but I have read a lot of posts from people having some sort of trouble with their Truemobile cards. This is not to say they are trouble free in PPC 2002, because they aren't, but at least there are workarounds that work in PPC 2002. In 2003 it sounds like even those are defeated.

It isn't my intention to badmouth the X5 when I say this, because I haven't had any real problems with the PDA itself. However, the next time I am buying a PPC it will definitely have integrated wifi. Dealing with these sorts of issues down the road with add-on cards just isn't worth it.

Back to WM2003, I find myself in a weird position now, because I bought the upgrade (back in June) thinking I would go ahead with it, but then when I finally got it, I started to actually wonder if I should. Now I have a $30 upgrade CD on my hands that I feel compelled to use, and yet at the same time I question the wisdom of doing so. The worst part is that recently I decided to wait to see if there would be a new WM2003 ROM revision that would fix many of these issues, but it just occured to me today that a update like that would be highly unlikely since Dell would have to then mail free CD's out to everyone who bought WM2003 (they wouldn't be able to post any upgrades online for the same reason that they had to pull the A04 -> A05 update). So I have a bad feeling now that the current version of WM2003 may be it for us X5 users.