KBui is a user interface written by KillerBeagle – it is available from our site Instinct-Software.com

This UI for the phone allows complete customization of backgrounds, icons, and layout. Larry (KillerBeagle) has given us the ability to choose from many different “button types” that define what the button will do when pressed.

Some of those are the ability to load the Handmark Pocket Express apps via the phone’s AMS. The Handmark Pocket Express app provides the original Instinct (M800) with News, Sports, Weather, Entertainment News, etc. There are dedicated buttons in the phone’s UI for these on the Web tab.

On the Instinct S30 (M810) – those same dedicated buttons for the Handmark Pocket Express app are present in the phone’s UI, however, Sprint did NOT include the Handmark Pocket Express software with the Instinct S30. Those icons now load pages on the vision.sprintpcs.com website.

If you can find a copy of the Handmark Pocket Express app – you can install it on the S30 – the problem is that it won’t “connect” itself to those dedicated buttons on the S30.

But – if you have a copy of KBui installed – and since it has the ability to load the Pocket Express apps – you get the best of both worlds – access to the Handmark Pocket Express app through the KBui calls – and access to the vision.sprintpcs.com website via the dedicated buttons of the phone’s UI.

Kinda sweet!

So, I had the original Instinct, but my number was eligible for the upgrade to the S30. Despite it being the slower EVDO Rev. 0 versus EVDO Rev. A of the original Instinct, I bit the bullet and did it.

Overall, I’m happy. The difference seem like a lot, but in real life, they don’t seem that important.

1) One battery versus two for the original – who cares, I rarely chagned the battery on the original.
2) no case – never used it on the original
3) no stylus – that I used, but my wife lost hers, so I gave her mine months ago – now i just use whatever is handy – pen, toothpick, fingers (heaven forbid)
4) slower data access – hmmm, really? I don’t even notice that.

The S30 is lighter in weight too – it’s not a major diff, but when I pick up the original Instinct now, it feels like a brick.

We ran some speed tests using the same JAD/JAR file on the original Instinct and the Instinct S30 – this app is a LWUIT Speed test written by the LWUIT guys.

On the original Instinct (M800) – the score was 236 – the Instinct S30 (M810) scored 273 – so the S30 is a faster phone with slower data access – kind of a wash really.

The icons for the Pocket Express software from the original Instinct (M800) are still on the Instinct S30, but the software is not installed. The icons now load web pages from the sprint pcsvision website and for the most part provide the same information.

See my post about KBui and the S30 for more info on the Pocket Express app.

The S30 does come with Opera Mini installed.