Palm-Mac

pda 247 Nokia E71 ongoing review and application "cramming"

Part 2 of Shaun's review sees him looking more closely at the software side of things and he has much of a positive nature to say about the comprehensiveness of the bundled software. Having used a few Nokia devices before I wasn't that impressed by what was on board nor by the range of 3rd party alternatives:

• The point of this article is to demonstrate just how much is bundled with the E71 and to evaluate the quality of each individual application. All in all, it is a highly impressive and professional software feature set which I have not seen surpassed in any other phone to date.

I'm not convinced the fact that it has loads of software built in makes it a more viable option for someone like me who, judging by my recent smartphone app useage, would not use three quarters of what is on board. The question then I would pose is this....is it fair to say that Nokia and other smartphone makers tend not to get it and feel the need or feel obliged just to cram on as much freebie stuff as they can, some of it no doubt of a fairly mediocre nature, just to try and please/appease the geek market element?

I look at the E71 and think it looks like a good device but I'm not sure whether the bundled apps that I would be most likely to use regularly would be of a decent enough quality for my needs. The iPhone has spoiled me a bit in this respect. Take the iPod app which is a dream to use for podcast, video and music. An added bonus for me is the out of the box mac syncing to get all that stuff on in the first place. I'd be surprised if Nokia had a mac app, if at all, that would come anywhere near this ease of use syncing facility. If there was a 3rd party app that provided easy syncing with a mac then I'd be interested in the E71.

So, my question is whether it is better to have a device with 50 mediocre apps that cover absolutely everything but 75% of which you would never use or would end up replacing with better 3rd party stuff..jack of all trades style...or is it better to have a device with 10 really first class apps and then you can add on what you need yourself to top things up or plug gaps?

Honey I shrunk the Nokia

Nokia have introduced what looks like the replacement for the original "wide boy" E61, which was their attempt at an Enterprise/email type phone and which received some very good reviews, especially for the keyboard.

Nokia have really squeezed the size specs down and this is now a very slim and lithe looking little beauty, almost tempting in fact.

The chaps at AllAboutSymbian have done a review with pics of the new E71 and point out the good and not so good points although for some reason again, they feel the need to bring in the iPhone for comparison (feeling the heat chaps?).....in fairness, they do point out that they are two different phones...

In some ways the E71 is the iPhone's nemesis - using almost the identical dimensions in a totally different way, for a totally different set of users. The iPhone excels at media consumption (Music/photos/video/web), while the E71's strengths are in media creation (typing documents, Office work, camera, camcorder, and so on - the usual Nokia/S60 strengths). Both devices can do most of what the other does, just not as well. The attempted crossover is evidenced by the iPhone 2 platform adding enterprise features while the E71 now plays DRMed WMA music, etc. Then there are the starkly different form factors. And the different target markets (personal vs company use). Add in the elegantly-simple- but-not-as-deep UI of the iPhone compared to the useable but-you-need-to-be-fairly-tech-savvy-to-find-everything approach for S60 on the E71, and I can only emphasise once again that they're polar opposites.

AllAboutSymbian - N95 v the iPhone

AAS is a good read and obviously it has a bias towards symbian based phones which is what its readers would expect. Readers wouldn't want to go there (or they wouldn't go back again) if they aimed their mobile browser at the url to find them saying "the windows mobile HTC X765 is a vastly superior device to any Nokia smartphone out there"....it's a love-in type of thing, readers need to go there knowing they will be told that basically, whatever Nokia they own it is going to be hugely superior to any other phone now or in the next 5 years. That's the way it works on any fanboy type site and there is nothing wrong with that. Nor is there anything wrong with the review, well perhaps not strictly true....

Thing is, how many people would genuinely be considering choosing between a N95 and an iPhone? It's unlikely to be a huge swathe of mac users who have suffered years of downright neglect and total frustration with Nokia's half-hearted and generally appalling mac syncing options. Compare that to seamless mac integration with the iPhone. Great specs unquestionably,if you don't mind not having a touchscreen which a lot of people might say is an essential smartphone requirement, fantastic camera but a useability/menu experience that at times makes Windows Mobile look like the iPhone sdk version 3.0.

So, you basically have to read these comparison reviews with either a pinch of salt or a very open mind if you don't fall into the symbian or whatever device is being "compared" lovers camp. You see these sort of reviews springing up all the time...on a win mob site it is "let's pick the most feature packed win mob handset and set it against the iPhone knowing full well it will make the latter look under-powered and silly". All a bit pointless really. Perhaps it is some sort of jealousy thing, the iPhone gets all the attention and their little power boxes seem to get ignored in comparison but why that should be a concern escapes me.

Anyway, the point I would like to make is that feature writers are a typical breed and by and large would consider themselves power users. Fair enough, but they need to remember and typically forget, that the vast majority of people out there looking to buy a new phone are not power users and have no intention of ever becoming one. They don't want to have to need a degree in engineering as a requirement to operate a phone. Thus, a whole lot of the power specs of the likes of the N95 will just wash by them except of course the apparantly fab camera on the device. A lot of people have bought the N95 because they got it cheap on a contract deal, it has a fabby camera and their mates have one too. They will never go near 20% of the other features.

Yes, for power users the N95 is without doubt going to be a superior device as it has all the things that somebody who thinks they are a lot more important than they really are will need to keep that delusion going. But hey, if we all wanted the most fully featured packed phone imaginable then the shops wouldn't need to sell anything apart from Nokia N95's or HTC TyTn's, that's all you would see in o2 or Orange or online at eXpansy or Clove or wherever. Luckily, "for the rest of us", there is that choice. I for one don't want a N95 or a TyTn11 anymore, I don't need the frustration of a searing lack of useability to get in the way of doing and getting the basics right and I wouldn't swop all the specs in the world for the ease of use that either the iPhone or any Palm device gives me. I had a Nokia N80 about 2 years ago and it drove me absolutely mad within a few weeks with it's menu system. I know I'd love to have a play around with a N95, I'd undeniably be initially seduced by the features but I know for sure that after a few days there would be too much about it that would have me reaching for my Centro or iPhone and pronto.

On my mobile devices these days I like to handle email, watch videos (not record them), surf a lot, listen to music, read RSS either online or via a native application and fondly remember, in my increasing dotage, bygone holidays via stored photos....that's about it. Oh, and I also want a device to sync easily with my Mac and I also want the manufacturer not to assume that everybody tethers a phone to a PC. I'd argue with any N95 owner until the cows come home that the iPhone does these things, that I need, a heck of a lot better and thus for my needs, the iPhone is a far more appropriate option.

Nokia have nailed it....

Apple get a bit of jip for putting form over function, as if they are the only company trying to inject a bit of style into the mundane world of consumer computing. Nokia try too, with mixed results, as these three show. Putting the "designer" on the advert is a bit naff although I can't think why, it just is., it's like when you see a hairpsray advert and it has a picture of some bouffant-ed mid 40's guy trying to look 15 years younger..."Sebastien La Ponce created Whiff for ladies like you"

What about this piece of insightful corporate speak  though from Nokia as they launch another 3 phones (as if we need another 3 Nokia phones in the first place) that basically look rather similar to the last 25 phones they have launched:

"there is a strong consumer demand for mobile handsets that blend elegant looks with modern features"

You don't say!! I was under the impression that people preferred bricks with 1997 specs.....link from Morning Paper

All About Symbian heavyweight shoot out..

...from the review it seems that one of the devices, quite literally heavyweights, is firing blanks too...but which one? Is it fat boy Nokia E90 or the latest and errrr...greatest iMate Ultimate device? Head on over to AAS to read Steve's review.

I sort of grudgingly liked the E90 when I had it briefly but with no touchscreen navigation was a veritable chore. Twas a pity as the specs were great, the phone was rock solid and speedy but I just found it tricky to move around the menus and find things.

Upon acquiring the i-Mate Ultimate 9502 for review, the first thing I thought of was its similarity to the Nokia E90. Not in terms of exact form factor, but in terms of feel, weight, spec and purpose. Here's my detailed head-to-head analysis...

MC218 update and AudioBay podcast application

I love the big fella, what a super thing it is and what a pity they don't make 'em anymore . An internet/wifi enabled colour screened with lots more apps and still with that great keyboard Psion would be a great device and would give the white paper-weight a run for its money and in a much more pocketable format too. They did make the NetBook which has those features but there are not many up for grabs these days and it's still a few years old. A brand new specced one would be terrific.

Still, that's the way it goes. I keep discovering things about it that I wasn't aware of, an example being the ability to open the Agenda/Calendar in different views. I have it set to open at ToDo's and I now use this in  preference to my smartphones for handling tasks as it gives you more options. I also found this useful free application called PostIt which provides post-it type notes that can be positioned anywhere on the screen and which act as reminders. I use these for my daily reminder schedules. What I like about the app is that it is not too obtrusive so that it gets in the way, it displays discretely.

Fellow Revo user David has been passing on some good tips and like me, has not managed to get a shared internet phone connection going as yet. This doesn't concern me as  have plenty of other devices that have that capability so I'm not going to spend an inordinate amount of what would be more than likely fruitless time trying to get it working. Too often in the past I have lambasted myself and caused mental anguish by trying to get some feature or other working on a mobile device knowing full well it's not actually needed. Rather, it is the challenge aspect more than anything else. All a bit pointless really.

A case in point is AudioBay Podcaster on my HTC S630. Now, I already use Newsbreak RSS reader which is capable of catching and downloading podcasts and it does a decent enough job. It also has the huge advantage of actually working. AudioBay is a dedicated podcast player though and I thought that would be a more appropriate solution as I'm one of these people who likes the idea of "dedicated" apps as I like to waste money on something that never works as opposed to sticking with something that does.

So, here's the sad tale of late un-lamented AudioBay app. When I first loaded it on it worked fine although it takes an eternity to manually load in your podcast feed URL's. I eventually found all the links I needed and managed to download the latest podcast via wifi. Why I thought I needed to do this I'm not quite sure as I already have a device, the iPhone, that does a far better job of this anyway. The next time I tried to update available podcasts the device just hung forcing a battery out job. I then uninstalled it and started again with the same result...and again...and again. I must have gone through this procedure more than 10 times before deciding it was not really worth it.

So it was bye bye AudioBay....and another thing with this silly app that really annoys. On the screen that lists the available podcasts to download, the podcasts are sort of stacked and slightly off to the right of the one above. This means that below the top one, you can't actually read the whole title and if the top entry is a long title then you can't see which number of podcast you are downloading so you don't know if you are downloading the latest or oldest podcast...what a great bit of design thinking by the developer. Not that that matters much as you probably won't be able to download anything anyway...

You can see this problem from the screenshot itself....

Ericsson MC Hammer, sorry MC218

Thanks to fellow Dons supporter David for pointing me in the direction of EpocSync which allows syncing of info between two EPOC devices.

I think I've decided to use the MC218 as my main EPOC device as it has the better keyboard and as 99% of my device useage will be keyboard driven it seems the sensible option. I also had had a problem with the device not recognising the back up battery but that turned out to be the choice of battery (Boots). When I splashed out on a Duracell battery yesterday it was recognised straight away. That issue had been worrying me slightly and detracted from picking the Ericsson. Oddly the Boots battery I bought was a twin pack and neither of them worked.

There still seems to be a lot of interest in these Psion based devices as I have had more comments on them on the site over the past few weeks than anything else...mind you that could well be a reflection on the lack of interesting posts on other subjects.

There's loads of free software out there, it's a bit mind boggling though and most of them seem to have odd names that don't tell you much about the app itself. The syncing app works very well and when you connect the 218 to the laptop via the serial cable it gets detected immediately. Adding word or excel docs from the laptop is a cinch, just a matter or dragging and dropping the files to the window and they get converted o EPOC format quickly and vice versa. There is also a backup programme built in and sync tool for adding contacts and meetings from Outlook there if you need that extra functionality.

I forgot to mention earlier that although the device runs on 2 AA batteries it also has a mains charger that is used to power the device for longer spells, all very useful and it means you can leave the backlight on for better screen viewing. I hate to harp on about the keyboard being so good and all that but it is and it makes composing doc files at home or on the go a breeze. It would never replace my current smartphone but for Office doc stuff it is the business.

I was astonished to find that expansys are still selling some accessories for the Psion 5 range including a usb docking station kit which I might be tempted to get as getting the serial connector on and off is a pain in comparison. A revo serial docking station for less than £3 is decent value.

3Lib website and some free EPOC stuff

EE Thanks to fellow Dons man David Ross for pointing me in the direction of 3lib website for all things smbian, Revo and much much more.

Don't be put off by the picture of Steve, left, who looks like he is auditioning for a lates 70's Buggles video judging by those dodgy specs. Actulally, I'd better be careful as Steve ONCE read this blog and left a comment!

You can check out David's Blog by following the permament link off to the left.

I found this site which has "free" EPOC stuff for Revo's and Psion series 5 stuff.

Revo Plus arrives

My Revo Plus arrived and so far I have had mixed results with PC connectivity. I downloaded the software as there was no software disk with the purchase, the device is "re-conditioned" but still came with a docking cradle and mains charger and it all seems to be working. I tried to install the software that I downloaded but it told me I would have to uninstall the Ericsson software suite (that came with the MC218) first. Unfortunately I cannot do this as our work IT very kindly disabled the Control panel settings and with it the 'remove program" facility...thanks chaps.

Nevertheless, when I attached the cradle via serial connector (how quaint) to my work PC and then stuck the Revo Plus in the dock it did connect via the Ericsson suite and initially I could then synchronise contacts (well some of them anyway), my calender entries from Outlook and I could also drag and drop word and excel files to the Revo for editing there. It converts them first though.

I was pretty elated at first and had visions of being able to use the Revo at home to do some serious document editing without the need to lug the heavy work laptop home. When I was in some meetings with clients today I was even able to use it to make some notes, the keyboard although not as good as that on the MC218, is still eminently useable. Oh yes, I thought, this is looking good as I have always wanted to be able to do that but as regular gadget users will know, things can always turn around, for the worse and leave you floundering. That basically is what happened the next day. I stuck the Revo back in the docking cradle and....nothing, it would not connect at first to the desktop. Eventually, with some frantic and repeated unplugging, it did connect but then I was not able to get the meeting note documents out of the Revo and back on to the laptop PC. Yikes. Yesterday, I could drag'n'drop between the two to my hearts content but the next day...no joy despite having made no alterations to the set up.

My problems with any new device tend to be self inflicted. Invariably, I will buy something for a specific or specific reasons and get it set up working acceptably. Then, for some reason I will start demanding more from the device, searching out apps that I don't need, trying out new features that I know I don't actually need, stretching it to near breaking point. Why?

I will keep trying though to get full syncing, even I don't actually need it, as I do like the Revo. It is much smaller than the MC218 and is more pocketable, it feels like something you could carry about easily whereas the MC218 is quite heavy and bulky. The Revo has no screen backlight but the nicer form factor, mains charging capability and very useable but smaller keyboard make it more attractive to me. Conversel though it does not feel as well made or sturdy and you can see where the cost cuttings were made. Still, if I can get this syncing lark sorted out it will be ideal for fully portable document composing and editing. If only I could find a way to uninstall the Ericsson software and get the Revo Plus stuff on in its' place I'm sure that issue would be resolved.

What a great and gorgeous little device it is though for mobile document editing, it is so much better for getting info into it quickly, certainly compared to any other smartphone or pda I have used,  with that superior keyboard it makes it a relative bargain if that is all you need it for.

Old gadgets....Ericsson MC218

A few months ago I purchased an Ericsson MC218 from the chaps at pda247 in a sort of charity auction. I've no idea how old this thing is but the fact that it uses normal batteries, has a non-colour screen and needs a back-up battery will tell you it ain't exactly cutting edge technology. I used it for a day or so then stuck it back in its case as there were various things I couldn't get it to do...sync with my work pc and open excel and word files I had transferred onto the CF card being two of them. Being  the lazy old so and so that I am I didn't even bother to investigate why that would be the case.

Having a rare fit of enthusiasm the other day I decided to give it a second chance. I think it can only open Office files that are Office 97 based but could be wrong but I will try that and see if that works. If anyone knows differently please let me know.

The MC218 is rather basic compared to todays power-house pda's such as the HP 214 sporting basic tasks, calendar, office docs, memos, contacts and can be linked to older Ericsson phones to give internet and email access. You're not going to pick this thing up and think it is the greatest and latest gadget in the world but you will be hugely impressed by the astonishingly good keyboard. I've used a lot of keyboarded devices down the years but this one is the best by quite a long way, good feedback from the keys and despite them appearing to be too close together, they are in fact ideally placed for fast and accurate typing.

I noticed on ebay there are still quite a few people selling accessories for the MC218 and Psion Revo and as I like the design and keyboard so much I ended up buying a Revo Plus....oops, mainly because it comes with the software I need, mains charger for the internal rechargeable battery, dock cradle for PC syncing and a 6 month warranty...all for £69 and in a smaller from factor than the MC218. It should be arriving shortly and it will be interesting to see how it compares to the MC218, with the smaller size I wonder if the keyboard will be as useable?