Experience using the HTC Magic phone based on the Android OS

Preamble: The author of this post is myshyak , who, in the absence of an invite, asked me to post this review.

People often ask me if I’m satisfied with my new HTC Magic and if I’m not disappointed in it.
I decided to make my observations.

So, I ordered my phone a week after it came out from Spain via ebay
Immediately, I’ve noticed that before that I had been passing for about three years with the HTC Artemis - the Smartphone on VinMobile, and my habits came in from there

• Getting Ruth ... Got it under the guidance of the well-known haykuro , which allowed me to do a lot of everything extra, including reflash the phone
• Firmware. I tried several, but in the end I stopped on the Cyanogen firmware. Fast, convenient + the author updates it several times a week, adding new features and improving it. Stable and quite comfortable. I put various assemblies on Hero several times, but as a result I refused it, as it still slows down and buggy, as well as that for me the bluetooth still does not work on it
• Naturally, the main thing that should be able to phone is to call.
  Not having the experience of using an apple, I got used to being able to dial the numbers I needed (not only it feels good) in 2-3 clicks; quite often you have to use it in the car behind the wheel. The standard means did not suit me at all, I got used to the dialer, which vibrates from a notebook. I must also add that my notebook is in Russian and there are more than 400 contacts. I tried to use an XTC dialer, it is in some firmware, but unfortunately for this I would have had to translate all the contacts into English, which would take a couple of hours. an acceptable option thanks to Yermek Zhurmagulov and his excellent aContacts program . She successfully copes with this task, and besides, at my request, the distinguished author added the Speed ​​Dial, which for some reason was not in the regular dialer. It looks like this:
  
• Speaking of contacts. A month before the transition to android, I used the new Google Tulus- google synchronize . It is available for winmobile, nokia, and for iPhone.
  So, it was enough to log into my gmail account, all contacts were automatically copied to the phone, which saved the conversion and transfer of the address book.
• I use Google a lot on my work calendar. It is perfect in android, immediately works with many calendars, makes it easy to edit and add events
  
• And of course the mail. Integration with gmail is ideal. Simply, conveniently, constant synchronization is what is needed in order to be constantly in touch.
  
• To customize the desktop, I use AHome which allows you to both increase the number of desktops and customize them as much as possible, for example by adding a lower bar, like in an iPhone. Skin China is available to our store in the market.
  For starters, this is how my desktops look like.
  A. Most frequently used programs
  
  b.Utilities and system programs
  
  V.Games (as without them)
  
  
• The main resource for obtaining programs is the Android Market. It allows you to search by category, date, and title description. There are more than 5000 programs available now. So it turned out that I live in a country where all paid applications are not available in the Android Market. Successfully solved this problem using the Market Enable program which simulates for the market that I live, for example in the USA or Germany
  
  
• Basically, I did not want to take a phone with a keyboard, that's why I was waiting for magic. Both Russian Keyboards from the market were much less popular than the regular HTC Touch Input, which is already present in many firmware. comfortable clicks + on-screen dictionary. besides like double clicking on the English keyboard
  
  
  
• SMS Regular program again did not like at all, I use ChompSmS . It reminds iPhone + works fine with Russian contacts.
  

While I miss
Garmina or Aygo - normal full-fledged programs for navigation. Although sygic, Ndrive and CoPilot are already available, unfortunately none of them have normal maps of Ukraine or at least Kiev. We are waiting for Aygo, Garmin, or Navitel.
If the topic is interesting, I am ready to continue and describe other programs that I use. Also ready to answer questions.
PS: The text was originally published on the AndroidFan forum a couple of months ago, but still has not lost its relevance ;-) By this post I have updated screenshots, a lot has changed since then.

UPD: Thank you all, myshyak received an invite and now wakes everyone up with other interesting reviews.