Ewan, comments from another lurker. I appreciate your concept of asking your customers (potential or existing) what they want � thank you.
I am more than willing to pay sensible amounts for good software � it doesn�t have to be free although that is very welcome.
I have recently installed a bunch of demo versions on my 9210 for evaluation purposes and am now trying to decide which to keep / discard / register for. I have added my brief comments so far, for what they may be worth:
Task management
a) Switcher � I�m happy using it but there is no option to assign a key (like task manager) that brings it up with a single stroke.
b) Task Manager � I like the idea of being able to hit �Tel� to bring this up, but once closed, I can�t figure out how to activate it without doing a soft reset. When I�m in task manager and hit, say, �office�, I would like to go straight there rather than have office come up in task manager and then have to hit the side button for �switch to�. Another limitation is that too few tasks are shown on the screen at once.
Utilities
c) Restart � useful, but why have to go through extras, control panel, then scroll along to get there? I can�t find a way to add a link to desk.
d) Active Desk � I agree with the comments above on this. One frustration is that I can�t assign another button apart from �desk� to bring this up. Therefore, if I want desk, I have to hit it twice. This might not be so much of a problem if the 9210 ran about 5 times faster!
I have 30-odd task lists in Agenda � I would like an option not to display tasks with no due date in the Active Desk screen � I keep lists here and don�t always want a due date.
e) X-link � I don�t yet understand the point of this one.
f) Extended extras � still trying to get my mind around this, how to get the best out of it and where it fits among all the others.
g) FreeCrypt � not started yet, but I welcome the idea of a secure way to store data. I believe that there is another shareware utility (Data Vault) to store a load of personal data in a database format. I haven�t got to that one yet.
h) NewSMS. No comment yet.
Memory
i) iDisk � I like it and probably should look at iDisk Pro, but haven�t yet.
j) Smart Memory � prefer iDisk
k) Task Manager � limited info, but memory shown available is never the same as Switcher!
Utilities wish list
l) I would like to have a quick way to call up frequently used applications that are not open at present � perhaps a drop down menu to scroll down to launch. This should include applications in control panel. An alternative approach might simply be to have a user defined menu. Concept similar to Task manager/Switcher. At the moment I either overload desk or have to remember where the program I want is located. eExtras may provide the solution but I haven�t got it right yet.
Somewhere in all of this lot there is a feature that allows an autostart utility to be configured. Can't rememdber where it is though. I think this has some promise also.
m) Notes (from Nokia?) � I like it a lot � Desk was getting littered with notes so I couldn�t find the program icons buried in there. Main issue is I can�t see how to close up the line spacing to get more lines on the screen - it seems to default to ~1.5 spacing.
n) Converter (Nokia) � I like this a lot but can�t yet find a way to add user defined conversions, e.g engineering units, either to add to existing categories or create new ones.
o) Calculator - unimpressed � I upgraded from a Revo and, with touch screen, the calculator on that was excellent. I don�t have anything to suggest on how to overcome the limitations of cursor movement.
p) Most utility programs are intended to improve efficiency. Therefore, wherever possible, they have to need only 1 key stroke to bring them forward and one stroke to get out.
Games
q) Rayman
r) Vexed
Other
s) TomTom Route Planner + City Maps + GPS module
I�ve only been playing with all these programs for a few days, so some of the comments / criticisms may be a reflection of my ignorance rather than any real limitations of the software.
Having read the foregoing, I have realised that my primary initial interest is in utilities and efficient use of the capability of the 9210. I have a lot of programs on the 9210 now and easy navigation between them is essential as well as seamless integration. At the moment, to meet all my desires, I seem to need a lot of different programs and there is a lot of overlap as well as gaps between them. I don�t mind a suite of programs to do the jobs, but I do want consistency between them and ease of use.
I have been very surprised to find that the whole lot seem to co-exist OK on the 9210 and I have really had no conflict issues.
If any of these stimulate your interest, get back to me and I�d be happy to try and develop the ideas some more. If nothing else, this exercise has helped me organise my thoughts.