I really believe technology is a great thing, bringing huge benefit to the world. But the pace of improvement and change is so rapid that, at least at the consumer market, manufacturers hardly consider designing their products for reliability and durability. Just take a look at this forum.
What now? Like a sudden lightning strike that follows no warning, my Dopod 818 Pro PDA/phone stops responding. It turns out the GSM transceiver unit is kaput, as each time I power it on the reception icon shows up as having no reception at all. Stay long enough and the entire phone hangs. Nope, it is not the SIM card's problem, as it continues to throw the same tantrums without.
So here we have a faulty transceiver, and in its dire dissatisfaction, brings down the rest of the device along with it. Signs of a need for better modular design here? In the end, I cannot even use it as a stand-alone PDA or music player anymore. 12-month warranties are really a joke, no matter how you look at it.
UPDATE: A couple of hours later I managed to find a way to "break the barrier". By removing the SD card on boot up, the GSM receptor will eventually settle down and work. But, that was only for another few hours. The entire device whited out before my very eyes and has not been able to power up ever since. Doctor has confirmed time of death at 2100hrs and informed me to prepare for funeral arrangements. RIP.