Nokia N900 - between internet tablet and smartphone

I've been using my Nokia E71 for around 2 years before I decided to do a tech refresh. But it's not easy to find a replacement for a device that can be considered as "complete", in terms of functionalities. So, I came out with my own "must have" requirements. I will not consider the device that cannot meet these "must have" requirements:
1. Touchscreen - since I browse a lot using my E71, it's time to get a bigger and better screen.
2. Keyboard - I am a fan of the physical keyboard. So, it must have a physical QWERTY keyboard.
3. Powerful - since my E71 can do almost everything, from blogging and tweeting to downloading torrent files (yes, I downloaded torrent files via my E71), so the new device should be able to match the capabilities of my E71. And capable of real multitasking. By the way, this criterion is subjective, depends on how you define "powerful".

After some intensive reading over the net, I shortlisted 3 devices:
1. Nokia N900
2. iPhone 3GS
3. Nokia N97 mini

Later I will list the advantages and disadvantages of each device.

Nokia N900 will be coming to Malaysia soon!

Finally, the wait is almost over. You can pre-order from the Nokia Malaysia website: http://www.nokia.com.my/

 

Below is the response from Nokia Careline:

 

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SR#: 1-10905540449
Dear Mr. Abdullah,

Thank you for emailing Nokia Careline.

In response to your inquiry, the Nokia N900 is expected to begin shipping this month (March 2010).

You may also find it helpful to contact your local authorized Nokia retailer or network service provider as they may be able to provide details as to when they plan to release this phone model for retail.

You may use this link to locate the nearest Nokia Retail Store near your area: http://www.nokia.com.my/find-a-store.
Thank you for your interest in purchasing Nokia product/s and wishing you a pleasant day ahead!

You may like to visit our website at www.nokia.com.my for more information and support for your Nokia device. If you have further enquiries, please write to us again or contact Nokia Careline at 1300 881600. We operate between the hours of 8.00am and 8.00pm, seven days a week.

Kind regards,
Michelle N.
Nokia Careline

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--
G-JoE @ GMAIL

Blogging from Pixelpipe

Isn't cool if you can blog from anywhere, anyhow and anytime? Previously, i've been blogging by sending email to this blog from my trusted Nokia E71. And it works like a charm. And very convenience as I don't need to install any application on my E71. Plus you can attach photos and send it to your blog.

I just discovered a new alternative way to blog, which is using Pixelpipe. Oh by the way, this post is sent via Pixelpipe. I've been actively using Pixelpipe to update my status on Facebook and Twitter from Nokia Contact. Cool huh? Now I just add Pixelpipe in my GoogleTalk contact list, so that I can update my status from my PC anytime I want. Oh I love technology!

Till then....

Sample photo taken with Nokia E71

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sent using nokia e seventy one

My top 10 applications for Nokia E71

Here is the list of my top 10 applications:
1. Roadsync - despite having a free Mfe, I decided to use Roadsync because it supports access to sub-folders.
2. Y-Browser - freeware file management
3. Handy Taskman
4. Handy Shell - replacing the standard home screen.
5. Google Maps
6. Nokia Maps
7. Nimbuzz
8. Fring
9. Gmail client
10. Mobitubia - client for YouTube

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sent using nokia e seventy one

If you free, do NIMBUZZ me.

I like to test applications for my Nokia E71. If I found it useful, I will install it and use it. Well, sometimes I just use it for a couple of time then that's it. But some of it stays in my phone as I find it convenience to have. You know, the feeling to know that you have something although you may not using it frequently but when you want it, it's there.

Enough of craps. For this posting, I wanna share my experience of using one of the freeware instant messaging client, Nimbuzz. Not many people know about Nimbuzz. I've been using it (though not on daily basis) for quite sometimes. Maybe since 2006, during my time with Nokia E70. Since then, it has improved alot.

As you can see on the right side of this posting, I'm one of the ambassadors for Nimbuzz. But don't worry, I'm not going to be biased in my review. Keep on reading and you'll know.

Nimbuzz supports many IM such as Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Live and even Facebook chat to name a few. Cool huh? I like the user interface. Neat and tidy. You can even make a call to any Google Talk id (as long as they are using the client version on their pc). I'm not sure about call to any IM client. It delivers what it is suppose to deliver, instant messaging. No doubt about it. You can configure your SIP account for VoIP service. I haven't tried this feature.

In the early stage, I did tried to make a call to normal telephone using Nimbuzz but to no avail. At that time, we need to call a local number before our call is transferred to the targeted number. So, we can enjoy a local call rate which is cheaper than international.

I don't have to mention all the good things about Nimbuzz as they deliver what they advertise. However, I have a few complaints:
1. Some of the ID's are not grouped accordingly. For example, if I have 10 friends who are on Google Talk. Only 4 of them are listed under Google Talk group. The rest I need to find under the common group. Same goes to YM.
2. Whenever you want to start using Nimbuzz, it takes around 10 seconds to connect. Hopefully they can improve this.

Other than the above, I'm a happy user of Nimbuzz. Btw, they also released a desktop version. But I'm not able to use due to connection error. I reported this matter to the support team and waiting for their response.

Go ahead and give it a try. It's free anyway. Happy Nimbuzzing!

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sent using nokia e seventy one

Nokia E71 - part 3

While the total RAM is 110 MB, do not expect that it will work without any glitches. I did experience some problems with Nokia E71. Sometimes it restart by itself, sometimes the screen will freeze, sometimes the applications won't work until you restart the phone etc. I'm not sure what is the real problem. Maybe due to some of the applications, or maybe due to Symbian OS. But the good outweigh the bad. I can live with it although sometimes it annoys me.

Let's review the built-in cameras. As I mentioned in my previous posting, it comes with 2 cameras, front and back. The front camera is meant for video while the back camera is the main camera. It's a 3.2 MP camera, with auto focus and LED flash. To be frank, the photo quality is sucks most of the time (unless you capture a photo in a bright sunny day). And again, I didn't expect too much on the phone camera. I will use my Nikon D40 whenever I want to capture photos.

Conclusion? Nokia E71 is a phone that has most of the latest technology and yet affordable. It's suitable for those who cannot live without email and internet. The build quality is very good and looks elegant. For those who want something like blackberry but not a blackberry, Nokia E71 is something that they should seriously consider. For those who like to send SMS, they also should consider this phone (I write this post with only one hand). But to fully utilise the phone, you need to subscribe to the unlimited data plan. Then you can push Nokia E71 to the limit. It's your call.

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sent using nokia e seventy one