Hello, fellow forummers. I'm back after a very hectic & emotionally mixed week. Didn't even've a decent time to go online. But besides that, I'd been thoroughly planning my next move on the P525. I'd made my decision & last Fri., the world witnessed yet another birth of a P525 owner. Yes, my friends. Wait for it, wait for it...

TERRASMARK HAS FINALLY OWNED A P525!!!

Yes, ladies & gents. After 3 months, 3 weeks & 5 days since starting this thread, your neighbourhood threadstarter has finally bought a P525! YAHOO!!! I'm sorry I didn't tell y'all bout' it immediately as I was too tired & busy with some unfinished matters, & of course, too engrossed with my P525.

It has been a bitter sweet journey to this very moment, my friends. After letting go of my Dallab DP900 in Apr., my quest for a new PDA phone took me to countless mobile device stores & websites. The temptations ranged from the E-TEN M600, Dopod 818Pro & HP iPAQ rw6828 before I finally settled for the ASUS P525 & subsequently shared my findings to y'all.

Ironically, the 1st time I laid my eyes on the P525 from an online news covering the CeBIT 2006 in Hannover, Germany back in Mar., I was actually turned on by its 1st impression: its built-in alpha-numeric keypad, but at the same time, turned off by the unconventional placement of its joystick, & believe it / not, I ticked the P525 off my list! That was the time when details of its full spec.s were still vague. But as time passed, its spec. details were slowly unveiled & part of its features that'd made me give it a 2nd look was its processor (818Pro's weakness), powerful camera with macro mode (M600 & rw6828's weakness), WM5, wi-fi, Bluetooth, & decisively, a built-in alpha-numeric keypad! (The biggest plus pt.) The P525's the best PDA phone that satisfies almost all my req.s. The only thing I could've asked for more's the memory card expansion slot. Wished it's SD, not miniSD.

My journey to PDA phone rebirth (whoa... exaggerating... ) started with a trip to K.L. for my final meal of my long wait for the P525 before heading to Low Yat Plaza, Bkt. Bintang. Yes, folks. From forum feedback, I decided to get the P525 from there instead of from my pre-order as I'd found out that 1 of the stores in the plaza offers a better deal. More details bout that later.

As I entered the plaza, I saw standing ad banners of the P525 at stores selling them. Immediately, my excitement lvl. jumped a few notches. Then, I executed my next phase of scouring store by store for the best offer.

It was P525 galore as most mobile phone / device speciality stores carry the P525. I got varied offers from them. The general price of the P525 + Jabra BT150 BT headset + 1GB miniSD card was RM 2588 & the price couldn't change much as it's a brand new device & its a controlled item. There was a store which offered RM 2550 if you pay by cash. The miniSDs offered ranged from Pendrive to Kingston to Silicon Power.

Regarding claims by earlier buyers, a totally brandless miniSD's supposed to be bundled with the P525, but the 1st batch of miniSDs received by Phone Star Communications, the P525's official M'sian distributor, were faulty. Hence, the dealers decided to offer other miniSDs so as to not lose customers.

There were even stores which tried to take advantage of customers by not offering the BT headset, miniSD / both which're supposed to be bundled together with the P525. Instead, they offered a "special add-on price" on top of the RM 2588 for the BT headset & miniSD. Be careful, potential P525 buyers.

After completing the offer-scouring phase, I zeroed in on the store which offered the best offer & it was The Brilliant Gadget Sdn. Bhd. It's a small store located on the ground floor & it's actually easy to miss as it doesn't look as grand & attention-grabbing as other stores. It doesn't even've a big "THE BRILLIANT" signboard on it. Instead, it's predominantly white & has a moderately large Palm logo, store no. & a small statement that says "Dimiliki oleh The Brilliant Gadget Sdn. Bhd." (Owned by The Brilliant Gadget Sdn. Bhd.) as its signboard.

FYI, The Brilliant & PDA Expert, another PDA / PDA phone speciality store, had formed a partnership / merged to improve their sales & better serve their customers. So basically, any stores that carry their name provides the same offer all round'.

The reason I chose this store over the others was its after sales lifetime software support. What that means' that they offer to install any software of your choice (depending on availability though) into your device for free on the spot, anytime, any branch, for as long as you've the device (like, duh... ) & receipt (double duh... ). On purchase, they'll bundle selected software to be pre-installed into your device + any other software you would like to've.

Initially, the (only) staff there (with a tone as if I wasn't a serious customer ) offered the P525 + Transcend 1GB miniSD card & no BT headset for RM 2588. Knowing bout' the supposed bundled BT headset, I went like, "No Bluetooth headset? Are you sure?" He replied, "Yes, sure." "Sure?" "Sure." "...Really sure?" Then, he pause for like, 1 1/2 sec.s & said he'll check 1st. He walked to the phone & called someone regarding the BT headset. Half a min. later, he returned & corrected himself by saying the BT headset does come with the P525. (Yes! )

Pretending to not know bout' the P525, I asked him if it was OK for me to test the device. He said yes & took out a P525 from the display case & handed it to me. While I was medling with the P525, another staff came in, carrying the Jabra BT headset with him. I suppose he was the person whom was called earlier regarding the BT headset. He was much friendlier than the 1st 1.

After I was satisfied, I finally made up my mind & purchase the P525. With an evident smile on their faces, the friendly staff acknowledged me & took out a brand new set, the miniSD & (unexpectedly) a Grab screen protector for the Dopod 818Pro & applied it on the touch-screen (it fitted perfectly! I thought I'd to get a screen protector on my own. This came as a pleasant surprise ), inserted the miniSD into the slot & set it up for me to check. Once done checking, he asked me to wait for bout' half an hour for them to install the bundled software. So, I walked round' the plaza while waiting anxiously for my P525.

After half an hour, I went back to The Brilliant & did a final check to see if the set was complete. Satisfied, I finallized the purchase, filled the warranty card for them to be sent to Phone Star & left Low Yat Plaza with a big sigh of relief. My patience has finally paid off.

MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED

Purchase:-
1) ASUS P525 set (1 year warranty)
2) Jabra BT150 BT headset (1 year warranty)
3) Transcend (80X) 1GB miniSD card (lifetime warranty)
4) Grab screen protector for Dopod 818Pro (applied on the spot)
5) Selected pre-installed software (installed on the spot)
6) Lifetime software support
Price: RM 2588

As I've yet to explore the P525 to its fullest, I can only give y'all a preview of this wonderful device (from my POV, of course).
1) Performance: Straight out of the box, the P525 was fast & responsive. But after pre-installing the software, there's a noticeable lag when getting round' WM5, but it wasn't too much to hinder normal usage. Still speedy.
2) Size: From photos on the net, I though the P525's big. But I was surprised to find out that it was actually smaller than I thought. Even the size of the box surprised me! It looks big due to its width, but it's just a deceptive optical illusion. Its actual dimension (116.8 x 59 x 19mm) & holding it'll give a clear indication of its size. Its nice to hold & grip's firm due to its width & concaved sides.
3) Alpha-numeric keypad & joystick: The keypads're quite small for my thumbs as I needed to actually see what I'm pressing so as to not accidentally press the wrong button / the joystick, but one can get used to it. It could've been worse if it had a QWERTY thumbboard as the buttons would be even smaller! And of couse, the keypad backlight lights up when a button's pressed / the joystick's moved / pressed. The joystick has a rubberred top so as to not slip / provide a firm feel when it's displaced.

Haven't tested the GSM, BT, BT headset, wi-fi, camera, mic, sound & video quality, etc. yet. I'll take me a while to provide a full review, but y'all are free to drop me queries regarding the P525 & I'll attend to them when I've the time. So, please be patient & don't wait for my review before making your decision. Do go to stores carrying the P525 to help you make up your mind.

BTW, for those who've doubts regarding the P525 having screen alignment, 3G SIM card, Bluetooth prob.s, etc., rest assure as ASUSTeK has fixed all the prob.s encountered before its M'sian release. But know this, fellow forummers: It's normal for a new electronic device, especially a PDA phone, to be prone to bugs & any probable prob.s that might occur during its usage. Thus, as the 1st batch of customers, it's the price to pay to own the P525 at the earliest. But those who decided to wait, how long can you wait? Besides, ROM updates're provided from time to time at ASUSTeK's website & its warranty'll put your worries to rest. Therefore, the decision's entirely in your hands.

Now, I thank y'all for the wonderous support you've provided to make this thread a success. I'd never thought it would come this far if it wasn't for YOU!!! Long live this thread & may the P525 achieve legendary stat. as did the O2 Xda II mini. A thunderous applause for everyone!

With that, ladies & gents, I hereby declare the Official LYN's ASUS P525 Club open by being the 1st entry in the official ASUS P525 User List.

ASUS P525 (PPC PHONE. OFFICIAL LYN CLUB)

ASUS P525 User List:-
1) Terrasmark


Photo courtesy of ASUSTeK Computer inc.

This post has been edited by Terrasmark: Sep 17 2006, 09:13 PM

Hello, fellow forumers. I'm back after a very, very hectic week. So hectic that finding time going online & keeping up to date with this thread's a privilege in itself.

OK. Now for the juicy bits... I bring tips & tricks that I'd discovered while getting aquainted to the P525. Some of you might already know some of them, but anyway, they're for the benefit of those who don't know bout' them yet & would like to master the operation of the P525. Without further ado, here it goes...

1) You can completely turn off the P525 just like most WM5 devices out there. All you've to do's to press & hold the "ON" button, like, for about 5 sec. Then, the ASUS shut down animation'll be played & <poof!> it's shut down! To turn it back on, just press & hold the "ON" button again till' the ASUS startup animation appear. Take note that while shutting down the P525 conserves precious power, connectivity such as GSM, wi-fi, Bluetooth, ActiveSync, etc. would also be turned off. So, don't be surprise if you find plenty of missed calls the next time you turn the P525 on.

Shutting down & turning it back on also acts like a soft-reset. So, your P525'll be starting afresh. BTW, here's a bit of glossary for those who're confused between shut down & standby.
a) Standby: A state in which a device's put in an idle state while maintaining any prog.s running in the background & readyness to be used. Connectivity'll be kept on.
b) Shut down: A state in which a device's completely turned off & all its functions cease to operate. All connectivity'll be turned off.

2) We know that the P525's cam. has a macro mode. But seeing that it also comes with auto-focus (AF), the AF could also be an alternative to macro shots. Just place the cam. close enough to an intended target, half-press the shutter to enable AF & snap away!

3) The P525's the device from which I truly learned how to use T9. 1st, if T9's not your current input, press & hold the "T9" key till' the T9 symbol appears at the bottom of the screen. Press & hold the "T9" key again & a menu'll pop up for you to choose between Symbols, 123, Abc & T9 English inputs. Pressing the "T9" key repeatedly cycles between t9, T9, T9, 123, symbols, abc, Abc, ABC, 123, symbols & back again. Using T9 was challenging initially, but it's fairly easy once you get the hang of it.

Anyone knows which key to press for "Enter"?

4) Pressing the "End" key (not during a call) / double-pressing the "Start" key minimizes all active windows & returns to the Today screen.

5) The P525 does've a lanyard eyelet. It's actually located at the bottom below the reset button. Notice 2 tiny holes there? Now, you may ask, how do you actually slip any strap though those extremely tiny holes?! Well, you couldn't, directly anyway. I actually learned it the hard way. You've to actually remove the battery cover 1st. Then, looking at the battery, notice a space on the lower right corner where the holes were? Bingo! You've to very, very carefully slip & tie the strap round' that space in any manner you wish & slowly replace the battery cover back while still holding the strap in its place to prevent it from slipping off. I'd many tries before I finally got the strap placed as I like. It takes a lot of patience though.

I guess that's all for now. I'll post more tips & tricks when I find any. Keep those tips & tricks comin', folks!

Err... You mean, Dopod 818/838Pro?

Yes, only WLAN (wi-fi) IEEE 802.11b. But with the general rate of hotspots around, I don't think we'll be fully utilizing the "g" std. till' a couple of years later. By that time, the trail blazing "n" std.'ll be gaining ground, methinks.

Thank you very much, strongbaby. Can't let you get way ahead of the rest of the potential P525 owners with yours.

Thank you very much, nck_ck. Hmm... really that bad of an experience? Well, all I can say's my condolence to you, if that's appropriate... Just kidding, OK? Hope I didn't offend you.

1) Well, bout the keypad physically, what I can say so far's already on my last post (Post #143, Page 8).

As for T9, I've written a general overview on it in the tips & tricks section above. T9's available as 1 of the data input in virtually any part of WM5 that req.s text input, even in Settings such as owner info., typing the IP address / signing in e-mail, etc.

In Messaging prog., you can choose to type text messages using T9 English / Abc (typing alphabets / no.s 1 by 1) using the keypad. Like I said earlier, it takes patience & a substantial amount of practice to master T9 in the P525, but once you got it, it'll be worth the time.

2) I've yet to come to a conclusion on the battery life as I've yet to use the P525 on various usage conditions long enough. All I know's that it depends on how long's the length of initial charge straight out of the box. It also takes at least 4 charges & discharges for it to reach its rated capacity (approx. 150 h. of standby time & 5 h. of talk time).

All Li. ion/polymer batteries req. const. charging to maximize its lifespan, compared to older Ni-MH batteries which's the opposite: Using them till' they're flat / near flat, then charge them to 100%. The P525 uses Li. ion, so charge it whenever it's not in use.

3) Renowned WM prob.s? Such as...? Well, overall, the phone's not as lagging as some claimed. You just need to "caress it gently". Remember, it's a PDA phone, not a Pentium Dual Core 2 com. So, use it as how it's generally expected to perform, not what you expected it (too much) to be. Take it from Christina Aguilera, "You gotta rub it the right way."

Thank you for being so understanding, nck_ck. This's really the only precious time I've to post this week. Hope you find my answers satisfactory. If you've any enquiries, feel free to ask. That's what forummates're for.

1) Yes. Just press the "Start" key & use the joystick to select Contacts / on the Today screen, press the right soft key ("Contacts") & select the desired person you wish to call.

2) Yes. Just press the "Start" key & use the joystick to select Messaging / on the Today screen, push the joystick down, scroll to the Messaging shortcut (the 1 with an opened envelope icon / a "No unread messages" message) & select it. Once in Messaging, press the left soft key ("New") & type your message. Choose the recipient by pressing the right soft key ("Menu"), select Add Recipient... & your contact list'll appear.

Replying a message as soon as it arrives' even easier. Wnen the sender's message appears on the screen, simply press the left soft key ("Reply") & Messaging'll open for you to type your message.

3) Yes, of course!

For more info, download the P525's Quick Start Guide / User Manual from ASUSTeK's support site (ASUSTeK Computer Inc.-Support-: Download > PDA > P525).

You're most welcome, ryansia.

Bug confirmed. Apparently, Word Suggestion's only applicable to keyboard, not T9. Turning it on / off, T9'll still suggest words. You just've to type the alphabets 1 by 1 while scrolling through suggested words. Takes some practice though.

You're right, digitalkl. When the keyboard's selected as the data input, Word Suggestion should kick in. It worked fine in WM2003 on my Dallab DP900. I think Word Suggestion clashes with other 3rd party data input software. What software you've? I've CE-Star & PenPower. Try a hard-reset. It'll wipe out all possible clashes. But you bought yours straight from the distributor, so there weren't any 3rd party software pre-installed. Therefore, must be a genuine "ASUSian" bug. Hope they can rectify this with a patch / ROM upgrade as soon as possible.

A friendly reminder to all P525 owners, kindly please contribute to the owners list. Thanks.

ASUS P525 User List:-
1) Terrasmark

Don't forget to join ASUS Member & reg. your P525 for special privileges from ASUSTeK!
1) ASUS Member Area: ASUS Member Login

This post has been edited by Terrasmark: Sep 17 2006, 09:03 PM

Hello, fellow forumers. It's sad... It's a sad time for me. A very, very sad birthday & Chinese New Year for me.

Last Mon., my beloved ASUS P525 was unwillingly taken away from me. My P525... was stolen.

Link to my thread of this topic: [STOLEN] ASUS P525.

This post has been edited by Terrasmark: Feb 7 2008, 01:42 AM