I found the Dash's call quality good but marred by an audible background hiss--something we've encountered with other HTC-manufactured T-Mobile phones, such as the T-Mobile Shadow. Voices had ample volume and sounded clear enough. Parties on the other end reported that my voice was a little tinny but otherwise easy to hear.

The Dash runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard edition. On top of that, HTC and T-Mobile have added a simple-to-navigate sliding panel overlay (similar to what we saw on the HTC S743). The home screen delivers one-click access to your calendar, call history, text messages, e-mail, local weather, Internet Explorer, your music library, and your settings. Navigating this interface was straightforward, and I didn't have any trouble finding what I needed. Preloaded on the Dash was the standard complement of Windows Mobile apps, including Microsoft Office Mobile and Windows Media Player.

One key difference between the Dash and the unlocked HTC Snap, and one of the largest disappointments, is that the Dash lacks the Inner Circle feature--the biggest selling point of the Snap. I really liked the Snap's Inner Circle feature, which allows users to bring e-mail from a preselected group to the top of their inbox by pressing a dedicated key. In its place, the Dash features T-Mobile's myFaves service, which lets you make unlimited calls to five specified contacts.

Like all Windows Mobile phones, the Dash comes with Internet Explorer. It was suitable for my Web surfing needs, though it had no Flash support. Setting up Web-based e-mail is easy: You just click the e-mail panel on the home screen, pick which e-mail service you use, and then enter your account name and password. In one nice touch, the e-mail panel displays the subject and sender of the newest message in your inbox, so you have quick access to it.

Windows Media Player is your only option for music (no surprise there). Audio quality was adequate through the included headphones, but a bit flat and tinny played through the external speakers. You get no 3.5mm headphone jack--a regrettable omission we've come to expect with HTC phones. Instead, you must plug in the clunky included adapter to use standard headphones with the Dash. Video quality was quite good, but the 2.4-inch screen is too small to really enjoy anything longer than a few minutes.

At 2 megapixels, the camera is just about what you'd expect: average. The Dash lacks a flash, so snapshots in low-light environments appeared grainy. On the other hand, images taken outside in sunlight looked good, with vivid colors and clean details. I found the camera interface intuitive and easy to use, and I liked that you can easily e-mail or text images directly from the app. The camera has a few advanced features such as brightness control, white balance, and a self-timer.