I "upgraded" the touch pro via insurance a couple weeks ago as they no longer had the 760. I read a few reviews on the touch pro and it looked reasonably comparable to the 760 so I gave it a shot. I use my phone as a phone (of course) but also to manage web servers via remote desktop (rarely) and to listen to audio books via audible (quite often). The latter can be a compared to listening to MP3s or music. This is my experience so far.
Pros (for the Touch Pro):
better screen. Its 640x480 true vga so when doing remote desktop I can see the entire server screen without scrolling…although its itsy bitsy but still useable
gps can be activated at no cost via rom upgrades and such (I have a portable GPS not really useful to me but still neat)
has a 4th row keyboard meaning it has a full set of numerals on the keyboard that don’t share space with letters.
Seems to be pretty responsive (fast) so if you play games, I’m sure its more than capable.
Decent support following with modified roms to swap out the default and limited Verizon stuff on the phone with truly useful apps.
If you buy car mounts from ProClip (as I do) you can get one that includes a “dockable” audio solution so just dropping the phone in their mount will give you audio in your car with the right hookup. Audio is on the USB bus (as it should be) aka iphone.
Cons (for the Touch Pro):
Short battery life. This is number one on my list of issues. I use the phone as my primary phone and cannot get through the day without the battery dying. There is no choice for an “extended” batter as there is for the 760 so you’re stuck with what you got.
I do not have a belt holster for either phone and I am constantly hanging up or hitting the wrong key on the touch pro while reaching for it in my pocket since its very screen touch driven. This, I am sure, I can get past once I’ve had it a while longer.
No front buttons. Kinda painful to try to dial the phone by hand as you’re driving using the on-screen keypad. I’ve hit “55” instead of “5” many times just from the vibrations in the car.
No side buttons. These are useful for those of you (as I do) who now automatically hit the side OK button to close apps and stuff. There is no button at all for this short of the on-screen one. Not to mention menu buttons etc. I actually reprogram these buttons for various apps. The Touch Pro just eliminates that ability entirely.
The Blue Tooth audio is MUCH more “tinny” than the 760. The voices are noticeably less rich.
No headphone jack on the phone. It does come with a USB adapter for a headphone jack but who wants to carry that around too (resolved in the touch pro 2).
Keyboard, while large, has buttons with zero space between them. I find it quite hard to type on and the weird spacing of the M button constantly throws me. There are also no side “menu” buttons to simulate the two right/left bottom button on the screen so even if you do use the keyboard you have to touch the screen to access the app menus. This is somewhat painful when texting. The SEND button is only available on the screen.
I don’t know if you can yet, but I tether my 760 to my laptop for internet now and then and I am not sure if there is a similar solution to the touch pro without paying the tether surcharge from Verizon.
Verizon has some of the 760s still and are willing to get me back to the 760 if I wish. I am seriously considering doing so as so far my experience with the touch pro is less than stellar. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice phone, its just that the 760 is pretty much bullet proof and has shown itself to be a wonderful design. I wish Samsung would simply re-release the 760 with a few of the above pro’s built in, especially the better display.
If I can think of anything else, I’ll add it here. I am looking at the touch pro 2 and scratching my head now but I just love the 760 and the fact that I have many chargers, car mounts, car chargers, usb cables etc.. for the 760 is also motivation for keeping that model.
I just order a new 760 off ebay. You have made me feel good about the purchase. I hope I love mine as much as you do. I wish the community was a little more active though.
I think most of us that are sticking with the i760 have reached a point where we are happy with the way it is or they've moved onto another phone.
I did no much tweaking and tried so many apps, but at this point I'm pretty happy with what I've got and besides trying a new XDA application or the like I just use my i760.
Also, new users are rarer and rarer and MOST questions have already been asked. I check here quite often and I'd love to discuss it more.
There are some topics which for the longest time were considered "completed" that could really use some updating.
__________________ Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur
Can't say, as said, 'Seems this community is slowly dying off'... By now, I've been using my i760 soon as it came out, the i730 before that (again, soon as it came out), somewhere along the line a few Palms, tried apps (many), modded (to the degree a mod really helped my problem), etc, etc. I am much less about trying these dayze than using. That mean 'dying off'? Not to me. Still a lurker and post as I know nuff to reply w/a reasonable answer (other than say to go search). I'm still even using the prior rev of my IG. Them 'forcing' me to have to purch some card as their attempt to lock out software theft if I want to rev ahead means I will NOT purch from them again - but that's another story. This forum is still on my daily reads and will stay there 'til I no longer have the i760 (and I'm still quite happy w/mine).
I just spent 3 calls trying to enter my account number on this touch pro. 9 times i tried to enter the number without a mistake (double entries or watever) and failed. Yep miss the buttons!
The devil is Steve Jobs? Seriously, as cool and fun as capacitive touch screens can be surely people miss the buttons. There's no reason not have at least the side buttons (they can dump the side call/hangup buttons of course).
I have been looking at possible upgrade phones, but I think I'll really miss the i760s buttons and I don't understand why so many manufacturers are following Apple's lead and eliminating them.
__________________ Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur
I agree wholeheartedly on this one... nothing can beat the feedback of the mechanical button. I hate setting up phones for people that have touchscreen only interfaces... (iPhones, Pre's, Omnia's). And now the d-pad is starting to disappear, what are they thinking?!? Alas, the Dial pad on the i760 may be the last of its breed.
Mark
__________________
Luck is where opportunity meets preparation.
What's the reason for having nothing but volume buttons (which are good at least)? Is it purely aesthetics or to avoid accidental presses or does it decrease manufacturing costs?
I, for one, want MORE BUTTONS!
I mean, if I want to take a picture I just hold down the shutter button and ... working .... working ... before you know it after a few (dozen) seconds I am taking a picture. If I had to fight through the UI to just fire up the camera I'd likely just say "screw it".
__________________ Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur
What's the reason for having nothing but volume buttons (which are good at least)? ...
IMHO the lack of buttons on the front are for one purpose only - Screen real estate. Bigger screens are what users seem to want and to put buttons on the front takes away room for a bigger screen.
Seriously, as cool and fun as capacitive touch screens can be surely people miss the buttons. There's no reason not have at least the side buttons (they can dump the side call/hangup buttons of course).
Login
Panel
