Any 5235 Users Care To Comment?

[MitelInMyBlood]

I know the 5235 set is brand new, but I'd be interested in hearing comments (both pro and con) from anyone who has used it. Thanks.

 

[jneiberger]

Here are the comments I've heard from someone who has had a couple for over a week:

1. Screen text is too small
2. High-gloss display shows fingerprints too well
3. High-gloss display is easily washed out by overhead lights
4. Tilt angle not adjustable enough to fix #3
5. Touch-sensitive display pretty much requires the use of the stylus (included). One concern is that the stylus will be lost easily.
6. Handset (particularly the earpiece) are small and awkward.
7. Display can easily become too busy with clutter

Overall, it sounds like it has some nice features but that it has several negatives. The user I've been speaking with much prefers his old 5140.

 

[TheMitelGuy]

Just wait until the 5496 comes out. Now we are talking. The 5496 will be a complete touch screen phone (very impressive). It will be some time before it is released.

 

[jneiberger]

What do you mean by complete? Will it have no "real" buttons at all? Or will it be more like the Cisco 7970G?

 

[TheMitelGuy]

Design has not been finialized. It will be a executive type phone.

 

[mitelman]

My comments are as follows;

1. Stylus too sharp!
2. Can't import teldir into contacts
3. Can't modify default web page (yet)
4. Don't like the "screen Saver"

I have heard from Mitel that software enhancements and functionality will be coming in the next firmware releases. Hopefully that will address some of my concerns.

Interesting comment about the handset, as it is the "new and improved" version for the 5200 series.

Right now I prefer the 5140 as well, maybe that'll change...

 

[MitelInMyBlood]

The 5140 and 5240 are almost identical. The difference is the 5140 has the full size handset everyone likes and a green display. The 5240 has a chrome trim ring around the speaker, orange display and little handset. The 5240 is a little snazzier looking phone and women like the small handset. But offered a choice men choose the big handset. By the way the NEW handset you speak of is the same small handset only with a little higher arch. I think the comment about the size of the earpice maybe nails it. The large handset on the 5140 is the same handset mitel used on all of their 4000 series supersets and 5000 series IP phones. The baby handset started with the 5200 phones. Rest assured Mitel has heard complaints about the small handest a few times before.

 

[jneiberger]

Rest assured Mitel has heard complaints about the small handest a few times before."

...and yet they don't do much about it. I also really dislike small handsets, particularly if the "small"-ness is located in the earpiece.

 

[MitelInMyBlood]

Not enough of the right people complaining long enough loud enough and often enough. If even half of all their customers bitched at them they might do something. But consider too once the plastic injection-molding dies are made there's a design cost to amortize and they probably committed themselves to a bulk run of a jillion sets. The higher arch on the later 5200 handset was maybe the only change possible (right now) without a production penalty. Make it any longer or earpiece any fatter and it won't fit the cradle.

To get back to the 5235 it looks like the feature load would make it a good set for the teleworker. They are surprisingly cheap compared to Mitel's other upscale sets.

 

[TheMitelGuy]

MitelInMyBlood = I don't agree. There is a guy at Mitel, who has the last name "Matthews." He's an important individual. There is many things that are important to him, primarily the customer. Mitel has listened to customers and dealers about the small handsets. They were fixed without changing the phone (not a possibility in most manufacturing organizations). We have a new series of phones which will be coming out within the next while that will have a completely new handset (yes again).

 

[MitelInMyBlood]

Man that is good news. Unfortunate that we're saddled with many thousands of bucks worth of 5200 series sets that some users whined about from the day we took them out of the boxes. How about a trade-in/trade-up plan?

Matthews?? Matthews.... Hmmm, the only "Matthews" guy I know has to be the one and only Terry Matthews of "Mike & Terry's Lawnmower Service" fame ;-) You see, some of us go back an awfully long way with this organization, back in the good old days when things were at 5400 Broken Sound Blvd in Boca Raton and young engineers were writing code for a really spooky attendant console in COBOL and Lew Barnhouse was training techs on the big black boxes. Gosh, seems now like memories of a prehistoric era.

 

[TheMitelGuy]

What is Boca Raton about? I'm only 26, so it's before my time.

There is a tradein/up plan for the old handsets. I will get you the part no. I know if you call presales they will help you. Also, you need to do 25 at a time....

 

[MitelInMyBlood]

No, I don't want a swap on the handsets, The higher arch doesn't really solve the problem. I was hoping maybe there'd be a program to swap the entire set. I'd even settle for 5020's in exchange for some single mode 5220's.

I'll leave it for one of the other old-timers in the group to explain the lawnmower shop reference. Mitel US headquarters and assembly used to be located in Boca Raton, Florida. They left in late 1980s or early 90s. First Mitel school I ever went to was sx2000 I&M school in Boca. The lab machine was a single cabinet SG running "E" stream. II remember it had a bumper sticker on the front of it that said "PATIENCE"

 

[TheMitelGuy]

Is that now the home of MacroVoice Corporation?

 

[TheMitelGuy]

As for the lawnmower stuff, terry has told me about it.