AD IDEM

Nokia e61

Just decided on getting a Nokia e61 after looking at the specs it has to offer: GSM ARENA

Basically the idea of using wifi while at home is really appealing to me as i could use agile messenger instead of using my Macbook all the time.

The Operating System of the device is rock solid! I’ve used my share of devices that either reboots randomly or crashes such as my previous nokia ngage qd. I was worried that the Nokia E61 would be such a device but no. The OS is fast and stable. Something very rare in the handheld world. The Operating System in the device is the new Symbian S60 3.0. The device has 64 MB of memory and supports MiniSD for additional storage. (Although I shall get 2 gigs very soon).
The device is the perfect tool for messaging. The keyboard is easy to use and the joystick in the middle makes navigating between different applications or areas of the screen very convenient. If you plan to use it at work you can get your company email through applications such as BlackBerry Connect, Good, Seven, Visto or ActiveSync.

The Browser on the e61 seems to be ok, however opera sounds like a better option to go with. The idea of Mac OS X working seamlessly with the phone is also another great plus – connecting through iSync is devine.

I have compared the phone in good and bad. This way I can outline how I can overcome problems or improve on the phone through customization.

THE GOOD

– great keyboard – (Always wanted a qwerty keyboard on a phone as I text loads)
– great screen -( Great, but some symbian v3 apps are not coded to take advantage of the full sreen)

– fast and responsive
– great Bluetooth implementation (- Always need bluetooth )

– good j2me implementation
– some good apps, both built in and third party
– thinner than the Treo

Setting up gmail should not be a bother

THE BAD

– Symbian isn’t a single platform, it’s more like the Linux command line together with one of half a dozen different, incompatible UIs (Series 60 v1/v2/v3, UIQ, Series 80, Series 90).
– many apps shipping with the device were designed for smaller screens and don’t take full advantage of the screen (as said before)
– the mail client is pretty much unusable, at least with IMAP
– j2me apps have tiny icons in launcher
– web browser doesn’t handle WAP
– no Macintosh support; iSync (for iCal, Address Book) and Apple Bluetooth File Exchange work well, but there are no other conduits (Memos, etc.)
– lousy UI on the launcher
– lousy connection management; the only usable mode is that each app asks for which connection (WiFi network, cellular) to use just after launch
– no camera
– no USB recharging
– nonstandard connector
– doesn’t include any password management, backup-to-miniSD software (essential) although there are 3rd party apps that can do this without a problem)

– include VoIP client doesn’t does work with Skype or other, similar services or else you could make use of soonR

Although I list more bad than good, on balance, the device is quite nice. Many of the problems can be worked around with add-on software. The device is replacing my Sony Ericsson W800i.

I shall be updating this post reguraly as more developments arrive.