micrOdOts.org / ramblings [of the ABsurd]

I am an owner of an Omnia for a week already. Purchased it from Singapore at around its introduction price of 1075 SGD. It's the 16Gb (internal memory) version and it also includes a microSD card of 1Gb.

The GPS gave me some trouble initially. The settings that work for me are:

• GPS program port: COM3
• GPS hardware port: COM9, Baud rate: 4800
• Manage GPS automatically: enabled

In order to make Tom Tom Navigator 7 work, I had to install port splitter. Here is the .CAB file of a WM6 version that works in Omnia, or just grab the file attached in the end. Install it in the main memory; it does not work from storage memory. Split port COM3 to COM7 and COM8. Tick the autostart on so the splitter starts at boot before TTN7. Exit port splitter once to save the settings (it does not seem to save them otherwise), and restart it. In TTN7 select "other NMEA GPS receiver", and use COM8 exclusively for TTN7. There is a serious catch, nevertheless. If you run port splitter continuously, the device does not go to sleep. That's OK when navigating, but if not, it just eats your battery. You should just run port splitter before you run TTN7, and exit it after.

The USB Data Cable that comes in the package can only be used for charging when connected to a PC running ActiveSync. You can forget using it for charging e.g. from a car-lighter with USB sockets, it just doesn't work. Also, charging from a PC with the USD Data Cable takes really long and it does not work if the battery is completely empty. McKAL manufactures a USB cable for other Samsung phone models which it has been reported by many other users to work also for Omnia.

The McKAL cable seems to be available only from some bookstore chain in Singapore at around 12 SGD plus huge postage costs to Europe ~35 SGD; a bad deal in my opinion. If you really need to charge in the car (you really want to do that if you are using the Omnia for navigation), just buy a decicated car-charger; I found an eBay store (search for "omnia car charger" on the store's page) that sells a suitable charger for just 5.99 AUD plus another 5.49 AUD for packaging and shipping to Europe.

A firmware update (the current version, per 10-Aug-2008, is DXHG4; my phone came with DXHG2) is online here. The orientation animation is notably improved, the interface is more snappy, and programs seem to start faster.

Other must-have free applications:

• Google search plug-in. Just take it from http://mobile.google.com
• Skype for Windows Mobile 6.1. The .CAB file installs seemlessly, just grab it from: http://www.skype.com/go/getskype-pocketpc-cab

Other useful links:

• how to connect to UvA Wireless (uva or eduroam)
• improving battery life in Windows Mobile devices
• Quick GPS fix without XTRA enabled