So I buckled and got an original N-Gage. Don't worry, I got a used one, so I didn't get completely raped in the wallet. Anyways, after tinkering around with the system for a few hours, here's my commentary:
- The screen and controls are much better than I expected.
- I tried out a few games: Splinter Cell, Rayman 3, and Sonic N. Not too bad, especially Splinter Cell. The biggest downside? The sound is terrible. Crappy mono stuff, even with headphones on. This took me completely by surprise; there's really no reason that they couldn't have crammed the original GBA music and sounds onto the MMCs. Not cool at all.
- MP3 player's pretty good, though I did get some pops and clicks when starting/quitting the app.
- Fieldstripping the unit to swap out cards got annoying after about 5 minutes.
- PicoDrive, YewNes, and GoBoy kick ass. Gotta love the classics!
- Bluetooth made my life a hell of a lot easier. I used Bluetooth File Exchange on my Macintosh for just about everything!
Final thoughts: I'm likely going to sell this one after the QD comes out here in the US, and use the money towards to the purchase of that model. The radio and MP3 capability of the original are nice, but since the games don't use stereo sound, it's kind of a dealbreaker. It's a shame I didn't know about this earlier, but hey, live and learn. If there's some decent deals going on with the QD release, hopefully I won't take too much of a financial hit.
Comments/suggestions?
I've had mine for about a week now. It is the first phone I've ever purchased. I don't make phonecalls, or play games, only receive calls, use the mp3 player and realone player. The copy of Tony Hawk that came with it is still in it's shrinkwraped plastic. I'm going to pawn it for whatever when I go out tomorrow. I've installed FExplorer and GoBoy (just to see what it was like). I can't see myself installing anthing else - all the other programs seem a bit gimmicky. I bought mine brand new for AUD$190 (with free game) which is roughly US$135. What also handy is how it functions just like a removable storage device - which means no more floppys or usb keys. It is truly and 'all in one' device and I love it.
I really like it and don't see why at this price they don't sell like hotcakes. It seems to have all the features of the Nokia 6600 (except for the camera) at 1/4 of the price. You can get a fantastic camera for $400, why would you pay this much extra for the one on the 6600?
If someone can find me an applet that does the dishes for me, I would be happy to install it 😊
strayan wrote:I've had mine for about a week now. It is the first phone I've ever purchased. I don't make phonecalls, or play games, only receive calls, use the mp3 player and realone player. The copy of Tony Hawk that came with it is still in it's shrinkwraped plastic. I'm going to pawn it for whatever when I go out tomorrow. I've installed FExplorer and GoBoy (just to see what it was like). I can't see myself installing anthing else - all the other programs seem a bit gimmicky. I bought mine brand new for AUD$190 (with free game) which is roughly US$135. What also handy is how it functions just like a removable storage device - which means no more floppys or usb keys. It is truly and 'all in one' device and I love it.I really like it and don't see why at this price they don't sell like hotcakes. It seems to have all the features of the Nokia 6600 (except for the camera) at 1/4 of the price. You can get a fantastic camera for $400, why would you pay this much extra for the one on the 6600?
If someone can find me an applet that does the dishes for me, I would be happy to install it 😊
See, I bought the system primarily for games. I don't have cellular service, nor do I ever plan to get it. This obviously influenced my opinion of the device...I'm sure cellphone-wise, it's fantastic, but those features mean nothing to me. 😊
I also have an original NGage, and rarely use it as a phone. (T-Mobile prepaid)
I absolutely love the mp3 and video functions. Throw an episode or 2 of Aqua Teen Hunger Force on my MMC card, some mp3s, and I'm good to go.
I also have 7 SIS games on my MMC, as well as about 13 Java games. The only commercial release game I own is Red Faction, although I do plan to buy THPS soon, as well as Rayman and Pandemonium.
I think it's the best handheld device I've ever owned, period. The games are fun, but what really does it for me are the multimedia capabilities; being able to watch ACTUAL movies and mp3s.
Also, bluejacking is really fun. 😊
im considering to buy a qd but i live in West Virginia and i heard to play wirelessly u need the phone service and a signal is that true
If Bluetooth wireless gaming with its 10 meters (about 30 feet, I suppose) range is enoughm then you don't need phone service. However, if you only need it for gaming, and not for its other functions (calling, messaging, calendar, network browsing, etc.), a GameBoy would probably be more suitable.
also can u use prepaid phone cards on the n-gage but i want it to message, play games in n-gage arena e-mail and so on but i would not use the phone service that much would i need a phone service or could i use phone cards
Its very interesting to see the range of users here. I'm still using a N-Gage classic as my Series 60 device. I agree that the USB host stuff is one of the handiest features. I've got a lot of third party programs installed (quite a few for testing purposes).
I think the ones I use most are the Opera web browser and Agile Messenger although Headlines (Rss Reader) is getting quite a lot of use. WirelessIRC is great if you use IRC.
I also use quite a few epocware program for things like storing passwords (my memory is crap).
There quite a fe bits of freeware on their too - see: (http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/features/viewarticle.php?id=67)
Glad to see the N-Gage is picking up new fans. I agree for the price its a bargain.
Rafe
if i get one ill use it for e-mail, games,chating,but not the phone and ill need the service to email and the rest rite?
You need phone service for N-Gage arena access, email, and any other activities that are network-dependent.
i use WirelessIRC v1.80 on my N-Gage QD and command /msg won't work! it'll generate "msg unknown command" error. why's that? anyone knows?
i got my n-gage as i lost my 6630 and needed something cheap... and it rules... i wach movies, listen to music, use agile messenger (thru bluetooth) on the toilet and play... it rulez