Great choice! I will come out and say it, I am a HUGE Windows Mobile fan and the touch pro 2 really is one of the best WM has to offer right now.
However may I suggest updating it to Windows Mobile 6.5
The non-carrier one as well as many carrier branded touch pro 2s now have a official WM6.5 update available that will make your phone feel more current
Congratulations on making a WONDERFUL choice

Thank you Tabish!!

I am scared to upgrade to WM6.5, because things are working fine (except for too many Pocket Informant 9.1 crashes…) and I would not like to break anything!!

Can you suggest some “need to have” apps?

I do not like the tilt keyboard and not crazy about ones that slide out from the side. I have an HTC Fuze, the price was right but I might have liked the T-Mobile Dash 3G better but did not want to switch carriers.

@Dave
I prefer the Dash form factor too (this is why I also like i.e. the Treo Pro, BB 9700, Nokia E72, etc.) but a 240×320 screen would be too small for me, as I need something bigger to see what’s on the screen.
However, the software keybaord on the Pro2 does a good job for quickies, and I use the slide one only for longer input session.

@Tabish
In the end I installed WM 6.5. Only Resco Audio Recorder is not working as before. I hope I will gain Pocket Informant stability…

Yes, I have a similar problem with screen but I think Dash might have been better than Samsung Jack, my HTC Fuze is not so much better and I use reading glasses.
I would have got a Blackberry but did not because of usual issues and I like HTML email.

if you’ve discoveredr xda devs then get you some of the new wm 6.5.3+ builds – i use them on my td2 and rhe addition of the new clise/ok buttons at the bottom of the screen basically answers all ui gripes with wm – welll along with sense 2.5

Tim,

thank you for the tip, but my main problem is not with the OS itself, but with 3rd party software.
However, I would like to give WM 6.5.3 a shot. I want to wait the first month and, if I can’t find a reasonable working and stable configuration for the Pro2, I will try WM version higher than the official release..

It’s really a great phone even if you know that it will be replaced but what piece of tech lasts beyond a year these days anyway:) I highly recomend that you try out Swype as a keyboard alternative. I think the TP2s keyboard is the ebst I’ve ever used but Swype is so good that you won’t need it:) The new 6.5.3 ROMs are great too. Don’t wait too long. I waited on my Fuze and I’ve been regretting it since…I lost time when I could ahve had a faster phone with a glossier look that feels a lot more modern

DavidK,

I know, I should go to xda-developers, but would you be so kind to suggest me a link to download WM 6.5.3, in case I feel brave…

I personally hate the start button and other soft key at the bottom on 6.5.3. Looks like an afterthought put on there by someone using paintbrush using the Oval drawing tool! :p

To make the transition to 6.5 (which WILL INDEED give a more glossy, modern feel) I STRONGLY suggest you start with the official update. That way you atleast know everything is working the way it should. You can then try a 6.5.3 ROM if you feel the need.
Windows 6.5 should not break compatibility with 99% apps!

To answer your earlier questions. Some apps I have now are…

1. Navigation Software (Tomtom with Uk and Ireland maps)
2. Resco Explorer (Always the first thing I install. Its GREAT!)
3. Opera Mini 5.2 (in the JVM when I need to browse on my limited data plan, saves bytes)
4. Resco Photo Explorer (Great viewer that gets aassossiated with picture files. Has auto rotation using the g-sensor that HTC for SOME reason removed from their Album software)
5. Meon (Is a puzzle game. You can first try Meon Lite as a free download from Marketplace)
6. Ivy the Kiwi (GREAT game from designer of Sonic the Hedgehog. No trial and 11.99 in Marketplace and TOTALLY worth it in my opinion)

Other than that if you can think of a particular functionality you would like in the phone I can suggest an app for it (been a WM user for about 8 years now)

The start/softkey buttons on 6.5.3+ are skinnable – the oval look hasn’t been seen in custom roms for ages and their inclusion (plus all the other new common controls) makes the OS remarkably finger friendly so don’t be quite so dismissive (tried it?).

As for ‘official’ updates – really, if you’ve been on WM for so long you should know that xda-dev ROMS are far better – they include far more tweaks and software in ROM (= more RAM free) and run better as a result. There’s plenty of good custom 6.5 ROMs if you’re too timid to try 6.5.3+ but really, if you’re using PPCPimBackup (everyone should) then flashing is so trivial as to make trialing ROMs dead easy. None of my apps broke on 6.5.3, period.

I actually cook for (or atleast HAVE cooked for) xda-developers so I am quite well aware of the capabilities of the chefs there! And yeah I have tried 6.5.3! Though some people specially people who are new to WM dont like all the bloatware assossiated with EXTRA apps being installed. They like the option of having a basic installation and choose what to install later.

Another thing, upgrading ROMs is not COMPLETELY harmless! There are known instances atleast in 3 devices, Hermes, Trinity and Blackstone (touch hd) where too frequent unofficial ROM updates have caused Wifi EEPROM to be erased making Wifi unusable (this has STILL not been solved for the Touch HD). You know the disclaimers we chefs have on our Roms ARE for a reason!!

Lastly something that a lot of ROM Flashing addicts FORGET is that Rom updates are only there to give your phone an updated feel/functionality so that you have a stable usable device. If you spend all your time flashing and reflashing new roms and then reinstalling software, readjusting settings, customizing, you dont really get to use your device to its full potential.
Think of it like this, you can always backup your Outlook emails, documents and favourites etc but you dont re install the OS on your desktop (or laptop) every few days do you?
The idea really should be to find a ROM that suits your needs and is current and stick to it till something REALLY NEW comes out that you MUST have on your old phone. Thats where the true strength of xda-developers lies! And thats how the whole ROM cooking thing started!

To nix all that – read before flashing and use clean ROMs if you’re worried about ‘bloat’ (although apps in ROM aren’t really ‘bloat’). Really, it’s common sense..

Tabis,

thank you for your feedback and offer:
“if you can think of a particular functionality you would like in the phone I can suggest an app for it”. I will keep this in mind

I have purchased both Resco Explorer and Resco Photo manager, as I know the developer from my Palm OS experience. I was using Resco Explorer very often in my Palm devices and it was my first purchase for a mobile device, too.

Games… I don’t like them very much, maybe because I never succeed finishng them

I agree on the usefulness of cooked ROM: enhancing your own experience with the device, and this is what I woul like to do with my Pro2. I will give WM 6.5 a chance and cautiously move to less official ROMs in case I am not satisfied.

Tim,

up to now only a Resco Audio Recorder feature is not behaving as before with WM 6.5, so 99% statistis is fully respected

I am already using a backup solutions for my data, but this is not the thing that scares me.
I am mostly scared by therisk to reduce my device to a useless brick (I wasn’t aware of the WiFi problem, brrr!!). This is also due to my lack of experience with the platform, but as soon as I feel more at home with WM I will start looking into this possibility.