$4,000 prize if you can fix HTC’s TyTN II driver issue

If you read my review of the TyTN II, you might be forgiven for thinking the device is god’s gift to business people and professional mobile users everywhere. Unfortunately, a problem has been discovered in all of the newer HTC model range which appears to be caused by broken or mal-engineered device driver software on the devices. Such a problem is technically fixable by a software update.

The site HTCClassAction.org is offering a $4,000 bounty for anyone who can successfully fix the poor graphical software of the TyTN II.

The company, “High Tech Computers” (HTC), a Taiwanese Microsoft Partner who are market leaders for creating the most powerful handheld devices on the marker have been under fire lately from websites and blogs claiming that the manufacturer “neglected to include the necessary drivers needed for the devices to come to their full potential”.

The main complaints surround the poor graphical performance of the HTC TyTN II. Specifically, laggy web page scrolling, choppy 3D rendering in GPS software such as TomTom and the inbuilt camera.

The HTC TyTN II itself is an awesome device, with impressive overall specifications, including (as I reported earlier), a built in graphics chip using the Qualcomm MSM 7200 chip. However, for the hardware to work to its full potential, the software manufacturer (in this case, HTC) first needs to load the correct “drivers” onto the device to handle putting graphics onto your screen. This makes the HTC TyTN II feel, at times, unresponsive.

Ironically, older devices don’t have this problem - as one user demonstrates on a YouTube video:

Magician (left) = old device with proper driver
TyTN II (right) brand new device with inadequate/broken drivers

Business users might not encounter such problems as the device is more than capable of checking email, and light web browsing. However graphical performance is compromised for games and the device doesn’t feel as responsive as it should do.

If you have a TyTN II, consider contacting HTC to let them know that you want updated drivers. Click here for more information.

Confirmed Affected Devices (list copied from HTCClassAction.org)

• HTC TyTN II (MSM7200), also known as:

  • HTC Kaiser

  • T-Mobile MDA Vario III

  • AT&T Tilt

  • Vodafone v1615

• HTC Touch Dual (MSM7200), also known as:

  • HTC Nike

• HTC Touch Cruise (MSM7200), also known as:

  • HTC Polaris

• HTC Wings (MSM7200), also known as:

  • HTC S730

• HTC Titan (MSM7500), also known as:

  • Sprint Mogul PPC-6800

  • Verizon XV6800

• HTC Vogue (MSM7500), also known as:

  • HTC Touch P3050 (this is not the normal HTC Touch)

  • Sprint Touch

  • Verizon Touch XV6900

• HTC Libra (MSM7500), also known as:

  • HTC S720

• HTC Iris (MSM7500), also known as:

  • HTC S640

Further Reading

• HTCClassAction.org - “Because HTC dropped the ball, and it’s about time they pick it up!”

• Engadget - “Driver trouble makes angry mobile owners rush castle HTC with burning torches”

• Wireless Week - “Smartphone Owners Unite Over Performance Issues”

• MSMobiles - “HTC phones have performance issues”

• WMExperts - “Possible HTC Driver Issue Spurs User Activism”

• TheRegister - “Peeved HTC smartphone owners offer bounty for driver fix”

• TheInquirier - “HTC owners up in arms over graphics”

Conclusion

If you’re after a PDA business phone, to check email, browse the internet, play a few ’simple’ games and use as a superfast 3G data modem for your laptop, or to play back wmv or .3gp movies - the TyTN II is still a very good choice. What needs to happen here is that HTC pick up the ball, and release a patch to fix the drivers for the QualComm chipset in the affected PDA’s. Within 12 months of the Apple iPhone launch, the iPhone Safari browser (although slower than a dialup modem) is already responsible for 1% of all web browsing, thanks in part to the sheer usability and strong hardware performance and strong driver support at Apple for their own device. Let’s hope that Microsoft see the problem and have a chat with their hardware partner!

I’m sure Steve Jobs is watching this hardware manufacturer integration fiasco and rubbing his hands with glee!

Is your device underperforming? Please let me know in the comments section.

Comparing the Kaiser (TyTN II/MDA Vario III) with the Hermes (TyTN/MDA Vario II)

Thanks to a friend at T-Mobile, my Kaiser arrived on the day of it’s official launch in the UK. There are many reviews of both these devices, so I will settle for explaining the differences between the two rather than a detailed review of either.

I’m only going to cover the main areas of difference, and those points missed by all the other review sites (and they missed a lot - maybe they all had pre-production reference models?).

Introducing the TyTN II

Both the TyTN and Kaiser are Windows Mobile devices, produced for a large number of resellers under OEM by HTC. This means that although the device might be called something else, their real model names are the “HTC Kaiser” (new) replacing the “HTC TyTN” (old).

The other official names you might know these devices as are the:

HTC Kaiser
HTC TyTN II
T-Mobile MDA Vario III
Vodafone 1615
AT&T Tilt (8900, 8915, 8925)
SFR v1615
Swisscom XPA1615

HTC Hermes
HTC TyTN
T-Mobile MDA Vario II
Vodafone 1605
Vodafone VPA-Compact III
Orange SPV M3100
O2 XDA Trion
AT&T 8525
i-mate JasJam
Dopod 838 Pto
Telus P4000
Qtek 9600
Softbank XO1HT
Cingular 8525

So, what’s changed?

The HTC TyTN was a phenomenal phone/PDA combination. It was the first ever to provide HSDPA (broadband-like speeds) in a mobile phone. It is small, light and powerful. Early editions shipped with Windows Mobile 5.0 - but later editions contain the additional “Messaging and Security Pack” or Windows Mobile 6.0. I won’t go into the software comparison here, that’s another story.

The HTC TyTN II builds on HTC TyTN and makes improvements right across the board. These improvements are:

The Size

You can tell these two devices are related, they’re basically the same size. The TyTN II is slightly smaller than the TyTN, and doesn’t protrude as much. The newer materials and finish feel of a much higher quality, the plastics feel more solid and the metallic sections have a brushed aluminium design. Side by side, the TyTN II has a distinctly upmarket feel.

The buttons are more defined than the TyTN and give a good response when pushed.

Take a look at these pictures (click for a detailed view):

TyTN II (left) and TyTN (right)
TyTN II buttons are all on the lower portion of the device. The D-PAD is 2mm wider and 2mm taller than previously. The enter push-button on the center of the D-PAD is no longer attached to the D-PAD. These are slight attention-to-detail improvements that make the device easier to use, and more attractive

TyTN (left) and TyTN II (right)
TyTN II has a 3.0mp autofocus camera and GPS unit
TyTN has a 2.0mp camera with manual macro mode and flashlight

You’re unlikely to miss not having a flashlight on the TyTN II since neither camera performs particularly well indoors or in low light situations. What you will definately miss on the TyTN II is a graphics accellerator chip. Taking a well timed and clear photograph with an unmodified TyTN II is like trying to thread a needle whilst completely drunk. It’s not going to happen until HTC provide the proper hardware support for this device.

 TyTN (left) and TyTN II (right)
The TyTN II has a cool trick, it can tilt the display so that it operates like a laptop. This is particularly useful as it allows the screen to be visible whilst on any surface, without using a dock. So it can show you your email, allow you to type a document, or just be an expensive alarm clock

It is also worth mentioning that the sliding mechanism is much more elegant than the TyTN. The TyTN just slides on the rails, but the TyTN II springs closed and springs open and feels altogether more solid. It feels like this is done with magnets, but without opening it up, I can’t see how - it must be magic

TyTN (top) and TyTN II (bottom)
Note that the TyTN II is thinner than TyTN
Although it weighs more

TyTN (right) and TyTN II (left)
TyTN does not come with an IR port, but does have a proper stylus (compared to the TyTN collapsable stylus).

There are only two negatives - no IR port and the TyTN II weighs more. Other review sites say the TyTN II weighs less than the TyTN. My kitchen scales show 180gms for the TyTN II, and 160gms for the TyTN. This means that you can more easily fit the PDA into your pocket, but you’ll feel it pulling a bit more. The lack of IR port is no big deal it has been depricated by bluetooth, wireless networking and mobile internet connection technologies.

Beauty is only skin-deep

Because the real changes are under the skin. HTC has done away with the Samsung 400mhz chip and replaced the entire chipset with a Qualcomm 7200 400mhz dual CPU with integrated Imageon hardware 2D/3D graphics accelerator.

What does this mean? Well, the Qualcomm is about 8 times faster at processing according to published benchmarks, and up to 20 times faster at graphical drawing. This makes the device feel fast and responsive when web browsing, composing emails, playing games, using the camera or remote desktop and other business applications. It even gives a substantial boost to TomTom GPS navigation software.

Speaking of GPS - this device has a built in receiver, which can be used as a feed to show your location in Google Maps, Live Search, TomTom or any other GPS software. It comes with a software utility called “QuickGPS” which downloads satellite information from the internet - up to 7 days in advance - which speeds up fix time dramatically. Without any modifications, I was able to get my first satellite fix into Google Maps within 10 seconds, and it was even able to track me around my garden. Very accurate.

Memory is doubled on the TyTN II - it now packs 128 MB RAM and 256 MB ROM. That’s plenty for almost everything, you don’t need to close down pocket internet explorer, opera, email or word to still use a GPS software application and make a phonecall without slowdown. This is a stark contrast to earlier Windows Mobile devices, which made even a simple google search take forever.

USB 2.0 support - the TyTN was just a USB 1.0 device. Faster sync rate means faster web browsing (if you use your TyTN II as a mobile data modem card) and faster ActiveSync.

Improved Camera - In addition to the front mounted VGA camera; It’s now got a 3.0 mp camera with autofocus. But no flash for night shots - this isn’t a big deal, since the device isn’t meant to replace your existing camera. Be aware that there are some press reference early-model TyTN II’s floating around, probably on eBay. These are the model 100, 110, they both are either missing the main camera or both main and front cameras.

.NET Compact Framework 2.0 - This is meant as a benefit for application developers who provide you with all those wonderful life-saving convenient Windows Mobile applications that make your life easier expect to see more software for these devices over time.

HTC TouchFlo - This device came preloaded with the HTC TouchFlo software. It works by allowing finger-style navigation on lists of information. For example, your email can be navigated by running your finger over the emails and “spinning” the list up and down. It takes getting used to, but is a much easier way to navigate when you only have one hand free. Pocket Internet Explorer also supports HTC TouchFlo, allowing website navigation by allowing “flying” around the page using a finger. This has definately been inspired by the iPhone multi-touch interface, and there is a possibility that “Safari Mobile” might make it to Windows Mobile devices in the future. Microsoft are already working on their own mobile device web-browsing technology, “Deepfish” - but this project appears to have stalled as there haven’t been any updates in a while on this..

Better than an iPhone? Better than a Blackberry?

Absolutely! The iPhone doesn’t have 3G. Both TyTN and TyTN II have 3.5G - that’s broadband fast. EDGE is poorly supported and in the UK at least, the alternative to 3G is GPRS - which is slower than a slow dialup modem.

TyTN and TyTN II are both Windows Mobile devices. So you can use them to pick up your email from Exchange (direct Exchange integration). For businesses these devices can be locked down remotely (and even wiped remotely). For others, you can pick up your Hotmail, Yahoo Mail or Gmail directly with this device as it also supports the POP3 and IMAP protocols.

Should you need to work on a Word document, view a PDF, browse the internet, use MSN Messenger or Skype - you can. If you need to use your laptop - simply connect to it via bluetooth or USB cable and you’re instantly connected to the internet at broadband speeds.

What is not to love about these devices? Comments please!

edit: Thanks to jonc and drummer10630 from xda-developers for corrections on the above post!