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Sat, Nov 21, 2009 - 06:54 PM EST  —  AAPL: 199.92 (-0.59, -0.29%)  |  NASDAQ: 2146.04 (-10.78, -0.5%)

AP reviews HTC Touch: ‘A mess, HTC and Microsoft couldn’t make a decent touch-screen phone’
Saturday, December 01, 2007 - 12:40 AM EST

"If you reach too far, you can lose your balance and fall on your face," Peter Svensson reports for The Associated Press.

"That's what happened with the design process for the 'Touch by HTC,' one of the smart phones fighting for our attention this holiday season," Svensson reports.

"The $249 Touch, carried by Sprint Nextel Corp., overreaches badly in trying to be a touch-screen phone just like the iPhone. The resulting mess is the worst phone I've tried in the last few years," Svensson reports.

MacDailyNews Note: The HTC Touch runs (or tries to, at least) on Microsoft's Windows Mobile software.

"Even with a stylus the Touch is full of problems. When I turned the screen on, I often found it cluttered with inscrutable error messages. The Windows Media music player would skip while playing MP3s, making it useless," Svensson reports.

"With its first phone, Apple got it right, while the combined efforts of two veterans in the business, HTC and Microsoft, couldn't make a decent touch-screen phone," Svensson reports.

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Yet another lovely review for the iPhony HTC Touch and Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS.

HTC Touch vs. Apple iPhone:

Apple's OS X-based iPhone:

Direct link via YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h5-VZoEhi0

HTC's Windows Mobile-based HTC Touch:

Direct link via YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivxGe2znZQI


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Dec 01, 07 - 12:50 am Comment from: Legal Eagle

Apple ought to sue HTC and Microsoft for devaluing the word "touch."

Dec 01, 07 - 01:12 am Comment from: iPhone User

By the time I found where to get the steak with the HTC, I'd have lost my appetite (or died of starvation).

Sent from my iPhone

Dec 01, 07 - 01:33 am Comment from: Jubei

Just like the LG/Verizon and all those other copycats that are now calling all listing their phones as touch screens. Technically correct, but all they are doing is blatantly lying and trying to trick consumers that their phones works just like the iPhone. Sad really.

Dec 01, 07 - 02:05 am Comment from: HD Boy

The only thing missing from this story is news of an equally pathetic Zune Touch. But Microsoft hasn't had enough time to try and copy the iPhone/iPod Touch on that platform just yet...

Dec 01, 07 - 02:09 am Comment from: Petey

Looking at the interface and user experience compared to the iPhone makes you realise how fantastic the interface is on the iPhone.

The HTC phone is a typical example what goes wrong almost everytime when you have more than one company developing a product - a mis-match of hardware and software, bundled together.

This is why I always love anything Apple does, because they design the hardware and software, Apple is in the unique position of controlling the whole user experience.

If HTC wants to make an iPhone killer (fat chance) then they need to get a software development team and not rely on Microsoft who has their own agenda anyway.

Dec 01, 07 - 02:10 am Comment from: TowerTone

I think they should give up their "steak" in this phone....

Dec 01, 07 - 02:11 am Comment from: Jake

The great thing about this review is that, since it is on the AP wire, it will run more or less EVERYWHERE. And just in time for holiday shopping!
Time to buy more AAPL...

Dec 01, 07 - 02:27 am Comment from: g4dualie

I laugh each time I watch that steak commercial. smile

Sent from my Touch...

Dec 01, 07 - 02:57 am Comment from: Jooop

Actually, this is a better commercial for the HTC Touch:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=p1o1piRVsaE

Dec 01, 07 - 03:22 am Comment from: Brau

I don't know what the "H" stands for but I know TC is an acronym for Total Crap!

Dec 01, 07 - 07:44 am Comment from: ken1w

The HTC thing uses a stylus and drop down menus! How quaint...

Dec 01, 07 - 07:49 am Comment from: pastrychef

Reality Check:

I agree, the Xbox 360 can be fun, but even though Microsoft designed both hardware and software it is still plagued with problems. Random freezes. Red rings of death. They had previously set aside $1B to repair all the Xboxes that they think will be returned due to problems and, now, some think that number may not be enough...

Dec 01, 07 - 07:51 am Comment from: ken1w

> Apple ought to sue HTC and Microsoft for devaluing the word "touch."

And for (conversely) implying that the iPhone is just as BAD as the HTC Touch.

Dec 01, 07 - 07:58 am Comment from: Tyk

The 360 is a piece of crap. And it loses Microsoft money hand over fist... spectacular!

Isn't the Wii close to surpassing 360 if it hasn't already?

Dec 01, 07 - 08:10 am Comment from: Kev

To Reality Check -

What exactly makes the Xbox 360 the world's #1 gaming console? It surely can't be by units sold. If it weren't for Halo 3 they wouldn't have sold as many as they have. I was in Walmart the other day just going to check one out for a minute but alas there was a big system error on the screen. I thought to myself "typical".

Dec 01, 07 - 09:28 am Comment from: Reclaimer

Kev, as much as I love Halo Combat Evolved, I will not put Vista on my iMac to play Halo 2 nor will I buy an Xbox 360 to play Halo 3.

And I don't do Windows.

That's how much I hate Microsoft.

However, I did but the Halo 3 soundtrack. That's as close as I'll get.

Dec 01, 07 - 09:48 am Comment from: Hm...

@ Reality Check,

Actually the Wii has outsold both the Xbox and the PS3 together except for about 1 month of seriously reduced prices by M$. The really telling feature is that the Home/Entertainment division of M$ has now lost over $1,000,000,000.00 (US). That's equivalent to paying people to take the Xbox. If it weren't for Windoze and Office lock in to 80+ percent profit margins, M$ would have finished circling the bowl long ago.

Dec 01, 07 - 10:07 am Comment from: gzero

@Reality Check,

We all know you are a MS "fan", but the Wii - NOT the XBox 360 - Is the top selling NEW game console. The OVERALL game console leader is still the PlayStation 2.

Dec 01, 07 - 10:42 am Comment from: James

Hmm . . . unless I'm mistaken, it's pretty much Halo that primarily has driven sales of the Xbox, and unless I am mistaken again, Microsoft didn't have diddly to do with Halo, other than throwing a bunch of money at it. Would the Xbox still even exist if it weren't for this franchise? I mean seriously, with the first console, there were just a couple of titles that were worth playing, nearly everything on it was a port from other systems. I had the first gen one, and I actually bought it for Jet Grind Radio. If you are looking for the company they stole from to make the Xbox a reality at all in the first place it was Sega and the Dreamcast (whom they ha partnered with. I do believe MS loves partners, but only because they are and always have been completely, utterly bereft of their own ideas) . . . Microsoft isn't capable of doing anything well on their own. Sorry, Reality Check! Don't mean to be rude, but your reality may need some checking too . . .

Dec 01, 07 - 11:09 am Comment from: JadisOne

That HTC touch video is just so painful to watch. I can't imagine anyone who would want to put themselves through that misery and waste a good $250 doing so.

Dec 01, 07 - 11:30 am Comment from: LinuxGuyAndMacProdigalSon

Classic cargo cult engineering. Just Google "cargo cult."

Dec 01, 07 - 11:54 am Comment from: Jim

Gee MS bashing on a Mac website... How suprising....
I have a Touch. Works great. I have not seen a single error code or had a single file play improperly. All you sheep following words written on a page go right ahead and be led off the cliff. Those of us smart enough to know not to trust biased reviews by ignorant dolts will continue to use what works properly in our hands based on our OWN personal reviews. Who the f$#ck cares who made it as long as it works, and in my hands the Touch works beautifully. How many of you here bashing the Touch have actually used one???? waiting waiting... I didnt think so.

Dec 01, 07 - 12:05 pm Comment from: @Jim

Sounds like someone is defensive about his Touch purchase because he regrets it. Why come on a MAC WEBSITE and expect any Microsloth loving here? And as a matter of fact, I have actually used both the iPhone and the Touch. The noticeable difference between the two? Speed. That Touch thing is painfully slow compared to the iPhone. Now go crow about your purchase over at Paul Thurrott's site.

Dec 01, 07 - 12:12 pm Comment from: ericdano

Well, I'm sure the ZunePhone will be way better.

Though it is amazing that Apple could come in and make something that totally blows away existing cell phones.

Dec 01, 07 - 12:43 pm Comment from: Drunk Cheney

Now, that's just sad.

It takes a particular mindset to be creative. Most folks just don't understand how it's done. Others - if frightens the crap out of them.

Imagination is the key. There is none in this phone.

Dec 01, 07 - 01:02 pm Comment from: out of context

Though it is amazing that Apple could come in and make something that totally blows away existing cell phones.

Come on people, give MS & HTC a break.

At least they got the "totally blows" part right.

smile

Dec 01, 07 - 01:49 pm Comment from: shen

" It doesn't interest me, but it is the world's #1 gaming console - "

have you used one?

it is even more craptastic than the HTC in the video above.....

PS to Jim, i have used the HTC, and i found the above video to be far better than the reality i experienced. so why does that personal experience not count but yours does?

Dec 01, 07 - 02:13 pm Comment from: Ampar

Garden gnomes, Elvis on velvet, Mona Lisa hand towels . . .
Many people will buy crap. Sad but true.

Dec 01, 07 - 02:21 pm Comment from: MrScrith

I do like how they portray the HTC touch in that video, some highlights:

problems responding to touch commands (had to hit video twice)
poor framerate on the video (almost looks like 5 fps)
Long time to respond (entering and exiting video, maps)
Options buried (5 taps to play video, 3 to call from map)
No sensor for orientation.

Really a winning product.

Dec 01, 07 - 04:39 pm Comment from: LorD1776

I always liked the matador and bull paintings on velvet. They got chicks all hot. Along with a boatload of booze.

Dec 01, 07 - 06:26 pm Comment from: Bogus Jimmy

The HTC video is 1:25. The iPhone video is 0:30 including 4 seconds of branding. At least 3 times longer to achieve the same task.

Dec 01, 07 - 11:29 pm Comment from: shen

and not only 3 times longer, but one is painful to even watch...

heck if you have any compassion at all you feel for the guy having to demo that POS for the video. truly sad.

Dec 02, 07 - 02:06 am Comment from: Ferf Muckmeyer

Had a WM phone. Chucked it for an iPhone. Never looked back.

I can't even count the number of times that piece of shit locked up on me. As for the iPhone? Very few problems (occasional crashes of mail or Safari) but rarely.

Steak anyone? Yeah, horse rump roast.

Dec 02, 07 - 06:40 am Comment from: spyinthesky

My friend has one of these, its hilarious watching him use the stick to try to make it work. Stone age implement
for a stone age phone.

Dec 22, 07 - 12:26 pm Comment from: insight 101

All these opinions are coming from personal standpoints, have u ever tried the HTC touch? Well as an owner of the touch, i would like to say that this is the best phone experience i have had. Through experience working at a telephone store i have seen more i-phones come back defective than HTC touches...
I-PHONE freezing problems? just pop off the battery, oh wait... u CANT! have fun dealing with the headaches of inconveniences webbed with the i-phone.
P.S.-- Sega failed with dreamcast and a product of nintendo not xbox. put that in ur pipe and smoke it

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