... HTC TyTN II ...

I've just gotten myself a new toy in the form of HTC's TyTN II Pocket PC phone :D Just got it second hand a couple of days ago through Malaysia's own auction site Lelong for a pretty good bargain. Prices have been dropping in general and I was actually waiting for the HTC U1000 to drop within RM1,000, but I decided that it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Instead, I started stalking Lelong for a TyTN II that was in good condition while falling within my budget. A quick piece of advice is to take your time and stalk around for a bit if you're hunting for gadgets on Lelong -- I lost a few bids over a one-month period in order not to break the budget I had in mind, but I finally got what I wanted a few hundred Ringgit lower than what I would have had to pay for if I had chased after the bids that I lost.

Anyway, here's the TyTN II:



In a nutshell, the TyTN II runs on a Samsung Qualcomm 400MHz processor that comes with an integrated GPS chip. It operates out of the box on Windows Mobile 6.0 and offers WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G, and GPRS connectivity options. It comes with 128 MB RAM and 256 MB flash memory, and can support one MicroSD Card for additional storage space. Bundled software includes MapKing and World Card Reader, on top of the usual array of productivity programs that typically come with Pocket PCs.

Upgrading the TyTN II's firmware.

The Pocket PC (PPC) runs a little sluggishly according to XDA Developer's forums so I upgraded its firmware to the latest ROM provided by HTC, which also includes an operating system upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1 . I faced a bit of problems here as I couldn't get anything from HTC's website, despite registering with them. It seems that the problem is pretty common amongst HTC users, and you can find the ROM update uploaded by users who had managed to download them. You can download the South East Asian release directly from HERE.

Pasted below are the instructions from HTC on how to upgrade the TyTN II's firmware:

Installation Instructions:

Before you proceed, please confirm that this software upgrade is a newer version than what is currently installed on your device. If it is the same version and your device is operating normally, there is no need to reinstall the software.

To check what version is installed on your device, click Start > Settings > Device Information > Version tab, and note the ROM version, CPU, and Radio version.

Warning!

* This is a generic software update. Any additional software or settings provided by your mobile operator or company will be lost. If you require this customization, please contact your supplier first before upgrading.

* Please note that this upgrade will erase any data stored on the device.

Please back up your data first before upgrading your device. Before you run the ROM Upgrade Utility (RUU), make sure you check and do the following:

* The USB sync cable is connected to your device and PC. If your PC is running Windows XPR, ActiveSyncR will run automatically to establish a connection. If your PC is running Windows VistaTM, then Windows Mobile Device Center will establish the connection between your device and PC.

* All running applications on the device have been closed.

* Make sure that the battery level of the device is least 50% (tap Start > Settings > System tab > Power).

* The update will take up to 30 minutes, DO NOT interrupt the update process, make/receive phone calls, disconnect the device from the PC, or press any buttons until the process has been completed.

Once the RUU is downloaded, launch the application on your PC and follow the instructions.

Hope this helps anyone out there having problems with getting the upgrade!