I recently bought a Nokia E90 Communicator – which is a tool that comes under the category of mobile phone, but I have found it so useful for ‘everything’ that I thought I’d tell you about it.
When you first see it, it looks like a phone from the early ’90s – you know, a bit like a brick. But the great thing about it is that it opens up and you have a small computer that you can keep in your pocket! The actual dimensions are 132mm x 57mm x 20mm, and it weighs in at 210g. You can have a look at the Nokia Web site at http://www.nokia.co.uk/A4353371 to see what it looks like. Internally, it’s running Symbian OS V9.2, S60 R3.1.
So, why do I think it’s so clever? Well, it can scan for wifi networks, and, provided I have a WEP key (or it is open) then I can surf the Internet for free. It’s less easy than on a PC, but it’s certainly doable. I have my Web site (www.eddolls.com), my company Web site (www.itech-ed.com), this blog, Yahoo, Google, and the Virtual IMS Connection (www.virtualims.com) Web sites as Favourites/Bookmarks. So when I am out meeting people, I can show them Web sites or search the net, or whatever.
The other feature I’ve been using a lot is copying files (documents, spreadsheets, and, more recently, presentations) onto the phone’s microSD card, and then taking that with me. I have been able to show Powepoint presentations on my phone! Yes, it was far from ideal, but it worked. It certainly works for minutes and meeting agendas stored as Word documents. It’s also easy to look up budget items in Excel without having large amounts of paper spread all over the place. It can also handle ZIP files and PDFs (I’ve used that a few times as well). So with browsing and accessing documents, it has replaced my little laptop.
The other good thing it has is a media player. I have uploaded lots of songs and now use my phone instead of having to take my mp3 player. It means I have to remember only one piece of technology. I also keep some recent photos of my family on my phone to show old friends when we meet. The screen quality is very good and it’s easy to zoom in. Of course, the phone has a camera, which can be used for stills or video. It can also be used as a bar-code reader! But I’ve not tried that yet.
There is a radio attached, which I’ve only used once. Importantly, all my contact information is on that phone. Everyone’s name, address, and multiple phone numbers – home, office, mobile, fax, etc. Plus the calendar facility has my complete diary on it. If you ask am I free next Wednesday at 10:00, I’ll be able to tell you.
There’s also a GPS facility on the phone that identifies where you are. I need to find time to try out this facility further. It has Bluetooth, and I’ve used that to swap ring tones with friends. In fact I have personalized ring tones so I can recognize who is phoning me. I also have photos associated with some of my contacts.
The battery seems pretty good for such multi-featured device. What else… I have installed a couple of games – just to see whether I could. I have sent and received loads of text messages. Oh, yes, nearly forgot, I have used it to make phone calls!! The volume is very good and the sound quality is very clear.
It is the perfect smartphone/PDA. It is handier than a small laptop for carrying around. If you are planning an upgrade to your PDA or mobile phone, definitely take a look at this device.
In comparison, my new Blackberry 8120 is an absolute nightmare. Any hints and tips about how to do the simplest things on this chocolate teapot will be gratefully received.
And finally, a correction to last week’s blog… Wrongly, I said that Opalis had been bought by CA. This is NOT the case. Opalis and CA have recently signed a partnership agreement, but no-one has been bought. I hope that clarifies the point.
And finally, finally (!), the IMS survey is still running. If you haven’t completed it yet, go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=MCSamiUsmkiBqD74szrX_2fA_3d_3d. Many thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment