From Dream to Magic

[kaput]

I finaly received my new Phone. I tought the keyboard would be the only thing missing and that everything else would be way better with the sense UI, more Ram and all..

Well not really, thin and shiny; I loved the bulk and matte finish of the dream, it felt less like a toy and more like a tool, and it will probably age better for it.
Sense UI; Ok more desktop space nice, but it seems to mess some apps, like ethereal, that one would have been so cool with multitouch
Multitouch let you zoom in and out in dolphin browser; ok nice but what else?

ChompSMS is not available on the Magic but still is, on the Dream. I think there are more like that.

CarMode app; troubles with the bluetooth? i dont care i use the speaker in the car... DOOH! what no speaker on the magic?? really it cant be, i will go read the manual after this post.

I think i will have a hard time to make the switch even if even the dream is not what it used to be, before the ROM hijack. probably move the sim back and forth hoping for a root on the dream soon. My wife would be happy to take the magic off my hands

If you have suggestions to improve the magic experience for ex-dreamers, post them here i will gladly try and comment

 

[mjschmidt]

For those of you who received magics with Sense UI (the Magic +) or who updated, if you find you don't like Sense UI, or that it uses us your battery faster, but that you really want more than 3 home screens, there are some options:

1. Turn off Sense UI: You can change your default "skin" from Sense UI back to the plain vanilla Android by going to Settings > Applications > Manage Applications. Scroll down to "HTC Sense" and press. Uncheck the "Default" to stop Sense UI from being your default skin. Press the Home button on your phone.

You will be asked which skin you want to use as your Home. At this point you can choose either the default Android UI or Sense UI again. There is an option to make your choice the default. If you leave it unchecked, you will be asked each time you press the Home button. if you want to make the vanilla Android skin your default, check the box, and then press the Android UI option.

2. Alternate HOME apps: If you want more than 3 home screens, but don't want to use Sense UI, there are a number of free home replacement apps in the Market that allow you to get extra Home screens.

I am using "Fresh Face" which allows up to 12 home screens I think, I'm only using 7. Unfortunately the Dev upgraded this app so you need android 1.6 or above now to find it in the marketplace.

Panda Home: PandaHome v1.8.6 Application for Android | Communication is a free home replacement that works on 1.5, allows for themes, and lets you have more than 3 home screens, not to mention some cool, "hide-able" icon trays on the main screen.

Otherwise there are some paid ones as well, and though we can't get paid apps in Canada without rooting, some of these devs will sell you the .apk directly.

Reviewing 5 Home Replacement Apps | Android Phone Fans

aHome: mAPPn - aHome - Customizable Android Home Alternative & Themes

There is a free version of aHome, but it is made by the same people who make FreshFace and only works on Android 1.6 and up. I'm not sure if the paid versions work with 1.5. If you want to try FreshFace, ask the dev (same as the dev who makes aHome) if they will give you the old 1.5 .apk for the free version of FreshFace.

 

[KyleB]

I'm definately going to miss the full keyboard too. MJ's suggestion on turning off sense UI is a good one.

I think I'll be switching the SIM card back and forth too.

 

[trigger]

I would emphatically suggest swype. You wont miss you're keyboard for very long. I believe posting a link would be frowned upon, so you'll have to google it yourself, just remember to find the HVGA version that is floating around.

 

[CooL_SpoT]

CarMode app; troubles with the bluetooth? i dont care i use the speaker in the car... DOOH! what no speaker on the magic?? really it cant be, i will go read the manual after this post.

I'm assuming you've figured this out already, but yes, there IS a speaker on the Magic. I've used it frequently and have been told that people haven't even been able to tell they were on speaker. May have to be my standard alternative if Bluetooth is as buggered as people are reporting.

 

[kaput]

DOOH! what no speaker on the magic?? really it cant be.
Well i guess its not a missing feature, but a defective phone its not ringing either. Waited 5 weeks to get and i guess ill have to send it back to get a new one.

Swype looks cool,but is not available in the market. Do you think they will support many languages? French and vietnamese would be great ( not to mention less engrish when i post) .
No multitouch thingies to play with for the weekend? i still can load it before send it back. (maybe ill fill it up with goatsee's to show my appreciation).

 

[Owain]

I'm really enjoying my new Magic. I like that it's smaller and lighter than the Dream, less bulky. I do miss the keyboard, and I liked the rubberized coating on the shell of the Dream better, but the best thing I've noticed so far is that the battery last 2 times longer than my old Dream. I've had it for a week now and with the same usage patterns I'm only needing to recharge every 2 days. With the Dream it was every day.

I'm still evaluating Sense, but it has some features that I like. I'll keep it for a while.

Overall I like it. I'll probably only go back to the Dream if I can eventually root it.

 

[KyleB]

Swype looks amazing and like it would definately help resolve the issue of no longer having the keyboard. It looks faster than using the keyboard anyway. It is really too bad it is not in the marketplace, I'd buy it for sure if it was available there.

 

[trigger]

I don't think swype ever plans to sell direct to consumers via the market. They are selling directly to phone manufactures, to the best of my knowledge.

It really isn't too hard to source and install it yourself.