The Touch Dual Unveiled

[mkhattab]

I got my Touch Dual earlier today and am discovering it bit by bit...
I've already made a few hardware observations which I've posted in another thread and will hopefully merge into this one.

Seven hours into the Touch Dual, one thing that still puzzles me is the ROM. Putting aside the lightning fast speed and the brilliant quality of the actual hardware (casing), there are some tiny itsy little bits that have not been extracted and included in the ROMs that simulate the Dual for the regular Touch- until now [correct me if I'm wrong] I have discovered the different graphical representation of the call lists (Missed, Dialed, Received) and the large buttons to make it finger-friendly.

Other things that still puzzle me are the following:
1. The Touch Dual has only four tabs on HTC Home (Home, Weather, Launcher, Profiles) - until yesterday I was using the 6-tab Home plug on my regular Touch and I always assumed it came from the Touch Dual. A friend of mine has the Kaiser and that doesn't come with the 6 tabs so I'm wondering where it comes from

2. Network Plugin. Again, I have been using this feature for a while and assumed it was extracted from the Touch Dual but it's not on my Dual.

3. The HTC (busy) animation. Where does this come from? I was using this on my Touch (I installed it) and I was expecting to find it on my Dual but the Dual has the regular vista-like busy animation and I had to install the HTC animation myself

I will add more as I discover the device more and anybody please correct me wherever I may be wrong. I am still learning the Dual!

[lukeap69]

how much did you get it?

i remember it was about 2700 dirhams in one big electronic store in Deira.

[mkhattab]

how much did you get it?

i remember it was about 2700 dirhams in one big electronic store in Deira.
Yes - I got it for 2699 AED

[gullum]

I got my Touch Dual earlier today and am discovering it bit by bit...
I've already made a few hardware observations which I've posted in another thread and will hopefully merge into this one.

Seven hours into the Touch Dual, one thing that still puzzles me is the ROM. Putting aside the lightning fast speed and the brilliant quality of the actual hardware (casing), there are some tiny itsy little bits that have not been extracted and included in the ROMs that simulate the Dual for the regular Touch- until now [correct me if I'm wrong] I have discovered the different graphical representation of the call lists (Missed, Dialed, Received) and the large buttons to make it finger-friendly.

Other things that still puzzle me are the following:
1. The Touch Dual has only four tabs on HTC Home (Home, Weather, Launcher, Profiles) - until yesterday I was using the 6-tab Home plug on my regular Touch and I always assumed it came from the Touch Dual. A friend of mine has the Kaiser and that doesn't come with the 6 tabs so I'm wondering where it comes from

2. Network Plugin. Again, I have been using this feature for a while and assumed it was extracted from the Touch Dual but it's not on my Dual.

3. The HTC (busy) animation. Where does this come from? I was using this on my Touch (I installed it) and I was expecting to find it on my Dual but the Dual has the regular vista-like busy animation and I had to install the HTC animation myself

I will add more as I discover the device more and anybody please correct me wherever I may be wrong. I am still learning the Dual!

6 tab homeplug came with the ELF :) you had it from the day you got your Touch... all images were there just not activated.
the reason why there are only 4 tabs .. is because it has the Cube and the cube has a Quick dialer and a Mediaplayer so there is no need for these to be in the home plug too.

[mkhattab]

6 tab homeplug came with the ELF :) you had it from the day you got your Touch... all images were there just not activated.

gullum,
you mean to say that all this time we never needed to download any of the updated Home plug cabs or HTC Home Customiser and all it needed was a simple registry edit??? I was using my regular Touch until this morning when I got the Dual and had always wished I could get the tabs to appear without having to install anything.

[gullum]

gullum,
you mean to say that all this time we never needed to download any of the updated Home plug cabs or HTC Home Customiser and all it needed was a simple registry edit??? I was using my regular Touch until this morning when I got the Dual and had always wished I could get the tabs to appear without having to install anything.

no the images where there but they were not activate and some dll's were needed and thats what the cabs are for.... but the ide of the 6 tab came with the ELF

[guap]

why don't you open your touch dual and see if there is any wifi module? :p

[mkhattab]

why don't you open your touch dual and see if there is any wifi module? :p
Hahahaha - I'm not ready for that yet.
Maybe someone who is more brave than me will do it sooner :cool:

[ori_lavee]

i think it's about time to open a unique FORUM to the Tuoch Dual
what do you think ?

[mkhattab]

i think it's about time to open a unique FORUM to the Tuoch Dual
what do you think ?
I absolutely agree. We need a dedicated Touch Dual forum because it is not identical to the Touch

[guap]

Hahahaha - I'm not ready for that yet.
Maybe someone who is more brave than me will do it sooner :cool:

Ok, nice try for me, isn't it? :D I'm impatient to see if can get unlocked ;)


I absolutely agree. We need a dedicated Touch Dual forum because it is not identical to the Touch

+1

[wimthepimscake]

mkhattab,

where did you get it? I have been waiting a month now to buy one in Dubai?

Thanks

Wim

[mkhattab]

mkhattab,

where did you get it? I have been waiting a month now to buy one in Dubai?

Thanks

Wim
I got it from Sharaf DG in Times Square... I didn't even know it was out- just saw it by chance yesterday when I went to buy something else ;)

[wimthepimscake]

I just got one at Sharaf DG, thanks for the tip man ;-)

[mkhattab]

I just got one at Sharaf DG, thanks for the tip man ;-)
Good stuff man... congrats. Enjoy your BRILLIANT new phone!

[J273]

Have you managed to test to see if there's a GPS hardware present in the dual?

I heard with it having the same chipset as the kaiser its possible its in there but not activated.

I presume if its there its on comm 4.

could anyone test this for me ?...before i go order one.

Thanks

[mkhattab]

Have you managed to test to see if there's a GPS hardware present in the dual?

I heard with it having the same chipset as the kaiser its possible its in there but not activated.

I presume if its there its on comm 4.

could anyone test this for me ?...before i go order one.

Thanks
I also heard the same and read it on another forum- that the Touch Dual's chipset has built in support for Wifi and GPS... Let's hope it's true!

[J273]

I also heard the same and read it on another forum- that the Touch Dual's chipset has built in support for Wifi and GPS... Let's hope it's true!

Yeah its the same with the s730 smartphone...not actually in the specs but present in hardware.

Installing google maps and setting comm 4 found the GPS and signal.

[mkhattab]

Yeah its the same with the s730 smartphone...not actually in the specs but present in hardware.

Installing google maps and setting comm 4 found the GPS and signal.
Little bit different on the Touch Dual. Only COM7 seems to react in some way. Still trying to get somewhere with it though... Any ideas about Wifi?

[J273]

Little bit different on the Touch Dual. Only COM7 seems to react in some way. Still trying to get somewhere with it though... Any ideas about Wifi?

Ahh so theres possibly somthing in there:)

sorry no idea im afraid on wifi.

[surur]

http://www.pocketpc-software-downloads.com/software/t-free-pocketpc-gps-test-download-uykfcoyy.html

Try running this app. It searches for GPS comm ports.

Surur

[mkhattab]

http://www.pocketpc-software-downloads.com/software/t-free-pocketpc-gps-test-download-uykfcoyy.html

Try running this app. It searches for GPS comm ports.

Surur
I tried it and noticed the following to confirm my suspicions.
When the app scans through the COM ports, it passes each one very quickly but then spends much more time on COM7 and and thinks for a while before moving onto COM8... it's as if there is something at COM7- as I suspected yesterday when I ran Google Maps.

[surur]

I tried it and noticed the following to confirm my suspicions.
When the app scans through the COM ports, it passes each one very quickly but then spends much more time on COM7 and and thinks for a while before moving onto COM8... it's as if there is something at COM7- as I suspected yesterday when I ran Google Maps.

It probably means there is a GPS chip, but no GPS antenna. It makes one wonder if some-one could make a business modding HTC phones with the quallcomm chipset for GPS.

Surur

[Noonski]

mkhattab

Have you tried extracting your Rom yet?

IT's part of what some poeple have been missing to glue some apps together.

[mkhattab]

mkhattab

Have you tried extracting your Rom yet?

IT's part of what some poeple have been missing to glue some apps together.
I am trying... The Dual apparently has a different architecture than the Touch because the extraction process isn't running very smooth. I will try again tonight as I haven't given it much time.

[teride]

I got my Touch Dual earlier today and am discovering it bit by bit...
I've already made a few hardware observations which I've posted in another thread and will hopefully merge into this one.

Seven hours into the Touch Dual, one thing that still puzzles me is the ROM. Putting aside the lightning fast speed and the brilliant quality of the actual hardware (casing), there are some tiny itsy little bits that have not been extracted and included in the ROMs that simulate the Dual for the regular Touch- until now [correct me if I'm wrong] I have discovered the different graphical representation of the call lists (Missed, Dialed, Received) and the large buttons to make it finger-friendly.

Other things that still puzzle me are the following:
1. The Touch Dual has only four tabs on HTC Home (Home, Weather, Launcher, Profiles) - until yesterday I was using the 6-tab Home plug on my regular Touch and I always assumed it came from the Touch Dual. A friend of mine has the Kaiser and that doesn't come with the 6 tabs so I'm wondering where it comes from

2. Network Plugin. Again, I have been using this feature for a while and assumed it was extracted from the Touch Dual but it's not on my Dual.

3. The HTC (busy) animation. Where does this come from? I was using this on my Touch (I installed it) and I was expecting to find it on my Dual but the Dual has the regular vista-like busy animation and I had to install the HTC animation myself

I will add more as I discover the device more and anybody please correct me wherever I may be wrong. I am still learning the Dual!

I've had the Touch for a few months now & love the size....I'm missing a keyboard. Since you have both devices what are your thoughts on the keyboard? Do you notice a huge difference in size between the two. Does the Dual come with any type of case? Last but not least can these be purchased on line anywhere (i'm in the US)?

[mkhattab]

I've had the Touch for a few months now & love the size....I'm missing a keyboard. Since you have both devices what are your thoughts on the keyboard? Do you notice a huge difference in size between the two. Does the Dual come with any type of case? Last but not least can these be purchased on line anywhere (i'm in the US)?

teride,
You can buy it online from expansys... go to http://www.expansys.com/p.aspx?i=156005 for more info. As far as I know they will deliver anywhere. THe price is also pretty close to what I paid for it here in Dubai.

About the difference between the two phones, Touch Dual is slightly narrower, longer and thicker. The red and green call buttons are more bezeled upwards so it's much easier to use them than on the Touch (fat finger support I like to call it)

As for the keypad, this is a blessing. The keys are very easy to use and the keypad is definitely an asset to the device. One handed operation is now a breeze for most operations on the Touch Dual.

[teride]

teride,
You can buy it online from expansys... go to http://www.expansys.com/p.aspx?i=156005 for more info. As far as I know they will deliver anywhere. THe price is also pretty close to what I paid for it here in Dubai.

About the difference between the two phones, Touch Dual is slightly narrower, longer and thicker. The red and green call buttons are more bezeled upwards so it's much easier to use them than on the Touch (fat finger support I like to call it)

As for the keypad, this is a blessing. The keys are very easy to use and the keypad is definitely an asset to the device. One handed operation is now a breeze for most operations on the Touch Dual.

I've been told that the device will not operate on 3G systems in North America---is this because it does not support 850??? Dual specs says it supports 3.5G...I assume then this runs on a different frequency...I'm a little confused by it all. I'd hate to miss out on 3G speeds here in MN if the Dual doesn't support. Do you know anything about this?

[mkhattab]

I've been told that the device will not operate on 3G systems in North America---is this because it does not support 850??? Dual specs says it supports 3.5G...I assume then this runs on a different frequency...I'm a little confused by it all. I'd hate to miss out on 3G speeds here in MN if the Dual doesn't support. Do you know anything about this?

Yes the device supports 3.5G. I live in Dubai and sometimes use HSDPA connectivity which is phenomenal. The device specs as quoted by HTC are that it works on the following:
HSDPA/UMTS: 2100 MHz
GSM/GPRS/EDGE: Tri-band 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz

Don't you use 1900 in the US?
If you only have 1900 then I guess you can only get up to Edge but no 3G/3.5G as you said...

[teride]

Yes the device supports 3.5G. I live in Dubai and sometimes use HSDPA connectivity which is phenomenal. The device specs as quoted by HTC are that it works on the following:
HSDPA/UMTS: 2100 MHz
GSM/GPRS/EDGE: Tri-band 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz

Don't you use 1900 in the US?
If you only have 1900 then I guess you can only get up to Edge but no 3G/3.5G as you said...

ATT uses 850 & 1900...bummer....

[J273]

Just got my dual today...likining it very much....loving the hardware keyboard.


I bought the HTC model diret from HTC no carrier branding or anything.

I didnt get a micro sd card with mine is this the case with the HTC model?

Thanks

[mkhattab]

Just got my dual today...likining it very much....loving the hardware keyboard.


I bought the HTC model diret from HTC no carrier branding or anything.

I didnt get a micro sd card with mine is this the case with the HTC model?

Thanks
Yes that is the case. I also got mine direct from HTC and I had to buy my SD (or in my case microSDHC) separately

[J273]

Yes that is the case. I also got mine direct from HTC and I had to buy my SD (or in my case microSDHC) separately

Ahhh thats ok then...i thought with it having the cutout in the box maybe it was missing the SD.

[ballisma]

hey j273

how did you buy it direct from HTC when i checked the website it only offered me resalers in the uk?!

[mkhattab]

hey j273

how did you buy it direct from HTC when i checked the website it only offered me resalers in the uk?!
I got mine from Dubai.

[juju66]

Hi,

Do someone know an app for changing the hard button of the keypad, I would like to assign the internet button for closing apps (X)?? Do someone know a solution??

[mkhattab]

Hi,

Do someone know an app for changing the hard button of the keypad, I would like to assign the internet button for closing apps (X)?? Do someone know a solution??
I use AE Button to assign the Voice Recorder button to the OK/Close function and it works brilliantly. You can assign single press, long press and double press to different functions. It's a great little app that takes up very little system resources.