O2 exec 3G PDA type thingy

[Yas786]

Hi all,

Just phoned up o2 to find out what options i have seeing as im out of contract and they are desperate to get me to sign up again with them.

Anyways they offered the exec 3g pda phone to me free of charge which i guess isnt too bad on a 12mth contract. I didnt say yes or no, told them that i would have a think about it as there are no other phones that remotely interest me from the o2 range.

So was wondering about anyones opinions on this exec 3g, read a few reviews and they seem pretty favourable towards it but id rather hear from you fellas here, if any of you have one that is. I did last yr have an exec model, cant remember which one it was and i absolutely loathed it. Ended up sellling it privately for a good £300 and now im wondering if i will hate this phone should i choose to get it. It would be useful for me as i could do with a mini laptop device when im out of the office etc.

So do any of you guys own such a device and if so how do you find it??, whats the worst bits about it etc and how easy is it get your head around etc.

TIA

 

[Yas786]

If you mean the XDA Exec with the rotating fold out screen then I own one and so does I think GordyR?
Someone did a lot of network admin with it.

some previous discussions on it here :

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17525460&highlight=xda+exec

It is a very capable device but I don't use it much as it is too large for my jeans pocket. I used to let my daughter play films on it while we were at the supermarket.

I am looking forward to the vario 2 as that should be the perfect compromise (o2 mini-s 2).

Yes thats the one, the screen that folds out and swivels somewhat .

Cheers Virii ill have a look through that thread..should have done a search before asking the question lol

 

[Yas786]

Looking at the other thread you say you do a lot of browsing on the net.
If that is the case then the Exec is about as good as it gets with a decent keyboard and very good screen, built in wifi and so on.

Having said that T-Mobiles data tariffs are so much cheaper than O2s and T-mobile do the same phone but in white.

For surfing etc the exec is superb but as a phone it is just that bit too big for me to stick in my pocket.

Have a look at the mini-s on O2 / Vario on T-mob, it has a keyboard (small though) decent screen, wifi and so on. It is the right mix of features for me over the Exec but the exec might be more your cup of tea with a larger keyboard and so on.

Hmmm well im thinking of plumping for it and if it doesnt suit me then ill just send it back via the 14 day guarantee and hold off upgrading my contract till something better comes out etc. The size of it doesnt really bother me as i had the xda2i last year and that was quite bulky.

If anything ill be using it for web surfing etc, not for making calls as its too bulky and probably suffers from crap call quality, i know the xda2i that i had last yr suffered horrendously from that. At the moment im getting quite a good deal from o2 regarding web usage etc, if anything its just for emergency use ie places i wouldnt be able to pull out my laptop for etc.

 

[Yas786]

Well got my o2 exec today, 8am in the morning . I swear these couriers are getting better around my area. Anyways not a bad looking unit if i must admit and quite like it although its very bulky and big.
As for the phone capabilities??, well i had the 02 xda2i last yr and found that to be a terrible phone etc so i dont expect any better from this unit. I definitely wont be using it as a phone thats for sure, i have a 6680 nokia that i use as my normal phone etc.

All in all its quite fast, faster than the xda2i i had before....havent really had a chance to play around with it. Dont know if i will keep it as i have 14 days in which to return it so will give it a few days before deciding to keep it or not.

 

[Yas786]

If you do a hard reset on the phone you can reinstall Windows as a corporate install, rather than an O2 install which speeds the phone up no end apparently. My colleague absolutely adores his. I have an SPV C600 and I love how it syncs seemlessly with Windows - my colleague also hs had good experiences with his XDA Exec on that front.

Yeh i was just going to ask about that, did a hard reset and wanted to do a corp install but for some odd reason it doesnt give me a choice on which install i want. My other xda 2i gave me that option but the exec boots up with the o2 splash screen then asks me to set it up but no option for any type of install .

What do i need to do??, i had a look around and saw that you have to enter a code 0506 or something and that should work but it doesnt give me the option to put in any code.....any ideas???

 

[Yas786]

I'll ask him when he gets back off his lunch break how he does it.

I figured it out in the end dude, if you set it up and wait..it then asks what type of install you want...corp or basic...if its corp then u put in the code 0506.

All in all a very good unit as a pda which is what ill be using it for, ill be ditching my 6680 when i get my hands on the N80 as that will replace 6680 as a phone. But pda wise the exec will do the job just nicely.

 

[Yas786]

The inbuilt microphone and speaker are quite poor but it is crystal over bluetooth.

Indeed with this unit, your much better off using a bluetooth headset or better still get a proper phone and use it as a phone and use the exec as a pda as thats where it excels the most.