2nd thoughts about buying/staying with P9xx series

Surely to be 3G it would need to support videocalls, thus the camera would need to rotate to do videocalls. To incorporate this mechanism you would either have to make the unit longer (like the Moto) or the screen smaller.

Not sure either would be acceptible for a limited market!

I don't see any practical reason why a 3G phone has to support video calls (other than the operators wanting them to so that they can get increased revenue from video calls). Personally I can't think of any reason why I would want to make a video call rather than a voice call other than perhaps if I was travelling abroad and wanted to see the family back home. But this is nigh-on impossible anyway, with the current fragmented state of 3G networks. GSM only really took off once the covergae was in place. The same will apply to 3G and video calls.

At the moment, 3G's biggest selling point is data speed so would be a huge bonus for a P1000 or whatever. No need for video calls.

lwongveros wrote:Fellow AAS readers, any opinions/feedback to help me with my purchasing dilemna?

I'm going for the Nokia 9500 as my next phone/PDA. But I did love the P800 and P900, so if the 9500 doesn't suit me, I'll have a look at the P910 or the next in the P-series line. Or a Series 60 SE or Series 90 device, I dunno, lets see what the future brings. But for now the 9500 is the most attractive device for me.

As for the XDA and its equivalent, those device will never be a viable option for me, mainly because of the inferior OS. Give me another OS, any other OS, and I'd consider it.

About 3G, what's the point? EGPRS (EDGE) should be fast enough for most people. Video calls is just a gimmick IMO. The same goes for mobile phone cameras.

Raven wrote:I'm going for the Nokia 9500 as my next phone/PDA. But I did love the P800 and P900, so if the 9500 doesn't suit me, I'll have a look at the P910 or the next in the P-series line. Or a Series 60 SE or Series 90 device, I dunno, lets see what the future brings. But for now the 9500 is the most attractive device for me.

As for the XDA and its equivalent, those device will never be a viable option for me, mainly because of the inferior OS. Give me another OS, any other OS, and I'd consider it.

About 3G, what's the point? EGPRS (EDGE) should be fast enough for most people. Video calls is just a gimmick IMO. The same goes for mobile phone cameras.

Exactly my thoughts!!!

Having owned both the P800 & P900 which I have to admit were both great phones, the constant issues i've had with them have led me elsewhere (To the 6600 for now), as soon as the 9500 is released in the UK i'll be the first in the queue to buy one. For me the addition of Wi-Fi, non spefic memory (Ms Duo), Keyboard and landscape screen is too much to ignore. In all honesty the P910i was never considered as a next phone.

Regarding 3G, this hasn't really taken off in a big way in the UK, people that have adopted it have done so mainly for the cost, they are by far the cheapest Pay Monthly network in the UK. I'd love to be on a 3G network now and even though i've got the oppertunity to do this the phones just don't exist so I stay with GSM. I don't know of any EDGE compatible networks in the UK, if anyone else knows different i'd love to know.

I can see the attraction in the 9500, but the keyboard, for me, is pointless. I can't imagine using a PDA without a stylus now. If it had both, maybe, but by hands are enourmous and small keyboards just don't cut it.

As for the PPC OS, I've always steered well clear having heard so many awful things about it's stability, power consumption etc. If posts on here and other symbian forums are anything to go by, mobile windows (in all flavours) falls over every fifteen minutes, if the battery lasts that long.

But having tried one recently, it's just not true! The battery isn't quite on a par with a P900, but it's good enough (it lasts a full weekend and that's all I need). I had NO stability problems at all, even though I was pushing it as hard as I could.

Sure, it's a PDA first, a phone second. The bluetooth implementation leaves a little to be desired (but so does the P900's) and there are one or two other gripes. But, overall, I would put it on a par with the P900. PLUS it's synch software actually works.

I am getting a little tired with people (yourself included, Raven) who will happily slag off MS based smartphones based on older firmwares and OS's, but if anyone dares criticise anything about the P900 then out coms the "it's been fixed in a new firmware" or "it'll be fixed in the next version of the phone" or "it's not really an issue". There do seem to be huge double standards based purely on one device being symbian and the other MS.

Personally, I couldn't give a crap what's inside my smartphone. I've used symbian (EPOC) for years because, for years, symbian has been on the best devices. But I don't think that is the case anymore. And arguments like "those device will never be a viable option for me, mainly because of the inferior OS" or "Give me another OS, any other OS" without any kind of justification just stink of zealotism.

Seriously Raven, before you go out and spend your hard earned cash on a new smartphone I would seriously take another long hard look at MS based devices. They have come a very long way in the last six to twelve months and have some amazing looking products out both now, in the next few weeks and months from now that, I believe, make most Symbian offerings look under-featured, over-priced or over-sized.

Bassey wrote:I can see the attraction in the 9500, but the keyboard, for me, is pointless. I can't imagine using a PDA without a stylus now. If it had both, maybe, but by hands are enourmous and small keyboards just don't cut it.

I'm concerned about the keyboard as well, but I'll reserve my judgement until I've tried it.

The battery isn't quite on a par with a P900, but it's good enough (it lasts a full weekend and that's all I need).

Did you actually use it during that weekend? 😮

I had NO stability problems at all, even though I was pushing it as hard as I could.

Did you have any 3rd party apps installed? What happens when the battery dies on you, will your data still stay preserved in the system? Can you depend on your calendar? No hangups, slowdowns or reboots at all? What model was it? did it have phone capabilities built-in? How long did you use it, and what made you get rid of it if it was that perfect?

It's not that I don't believe you, but you probably have alot more technical insight than the average PDA user, so you know what to do and what not to do with these devices. Besides, lots of people have reported very different experiences than you using Windows Mobile, even with the latest offerings. I've never claimed that Symbian is perfect, I just find its problems nit-picks compared to PPC.

There do seem to be huge double standards based purely on one device being symbian and the other MS.

This is a Symbian board after all, Bassey, what do you expect? Most people here will be a little bias towards Symbian compared to other mobile OS'. Just visit any PPC or Palm forum and you will see the same bias there. This is also a board to voice opinions/preferences. My preference is Symbian. Do I really have to justify my preference to you? If you prefer MS, then you are just as entitled to voice your opinion, just don't expect too much sympathy on a Symbian board. :tongue:

And arguments like "those device will never be a viable option for me, mainly because of the inferior OS" or "Give me another OS, any other OS" without any kind of justification just stink of zealotism.

I take offence to that comment. I can't stand fanatical people, especially those trying to force their religion on others. Again, why do I have to justify my opinion/preference to you? I dislike everything about MS and Windows. I dislike the company. I dislike the way they do business. And most importantly I dislike their products. I dislike the way the Windows OS looks, and I dislike the way it works. This is my opinion, and I'm entitled to voice it.

Seriously Raven, before you go out and spend your hard earned cash on a new smartphone I would seriously take another long hard look at MS based devices. They have come a very long way in the last six to twelve months and have some amazing looking products out both now, in the next few weeks and months from now that, I believe, make most Symbian offerings look under-featured, over-priced or over-sized.

No doubt their mobile OS has evolved. What doesn't evolve will eventually die. The PC version has also evolved, but I still can't stand it. Symbian too is evolving, version 8 is just around the corner. (Palm OS is a different story though
🙄 )

/MY opinion.

Raven wrote:
Did you actually use it during that weekend? 😮

I did indeed. Internet, e-mail, word, excel, media player etc etc

Raven wrote:

Did you have any 3rd party apps installed? What happens when the battery dies on you, will your data still stay preserved in the system?

I did install plenty of third part apps (largely the same ones I have on my P900) and had no problems. Though, as with the P900, I always stick to legal products (no warex or cracks) with a proven track record. And when the battery dies, there is a three day backup to preserve data though, of course, there is also the option to backup to SD card and restore. Obviously, this is a major weakness. But I find that when I have to turn my P900 off and on I currently loose data (Outlook\Exchange 2003 bug with synch software) so it's actually an improvement!

Raven wrote:
Can you depend on your calendar? No hangups, slowdowns or reboots at all? What model was it? did it have phone capabilities built-in? How long did you use it, and what made you get rid of it if it was that perfect?

I can't depend on the P900 calendar (see above) but yes, there weren't any problems. It was an O2 XDA II with the latest firmware. I didn't get rid of it. My local telco is owned by O2 and are currently pushing the XDA II hard. They have several loan models that contract customers can have for a week or so. I took one of these so I had to give it back. They have my address on file 😊

Raven wrote:
Besides, lots of people have reported very different experiences than you using Windows Mobile, even with the latest offerings.

From the PPC forums I have been looking at lately, an awfull lot of the major problems were to do with early firmware. I'm not saying their aren;t still problems (the usual MS compatability for a start. Will Wi-Fi card A work in device B running OS version C - probably depends on which way the wind is blowing!!) but my point is not that Windows for PPC is perfect or that symbian is useless.

I still maintain that the P900 is the best device out there (I still have one). I was just amazed by how good the XDA II actually is. I took it on loan expecting it to be rubbish, but non of the problems I had been hearing about were there. Okay, it was only a week, but I was determined to break it (I used to do software destruction testing for banks!) and I couldn't.

Raven wrote:
I've never claimed that Symbian is perfect, I just find its problems nit-picks compared to PPC.

I find it incredible that SE have done nothing to sort this out!

Raven wrote:
My preference is Symbian. Do I really have to justify my preference to you?

Surely this is a discussion forum? Yes, it's symbian, but I would argue that if you are to discuss symbains pro's and cons then you have to do so in the context of the current market and competition. If you're expressing an opinion publicly then surely it is entirely right for someone to ask why you have formed that opinion? I'm not saying you are not entitled to have that opinion or that it is invalid. I am merely suggesting that, as one of the most senior members of this particular forum, when you do express a strong opinion about something, perhaps you should explain why?

I also got an XDA2 for a while, it did impress me more than I thought it would, especially the battery life which was one of my main gripes with Pocket PC's of the past, having owned non phone PPC's (Toshiba's & Siemens Loox).

The XDA2 is a big change for my thinking of PPC and MS OS, past devices (SPV chew toy included) left me with the impression that all MS devices were a lost cause.

I'm pretty sure for the time being i'll remain loyal to Symbian, things are starting to get interesting again, especially looking forward to seeing a Series 90 device released.

Although the Motorolla MPx still interests me somewhat.

Yeah, the MPx looks superb on paper, but a 1st generation (for Moto) device, given all their past problems and delays, reeks of hassle. I'd be pleased to be proved wrong, but I think I'd want to read a few long-term reviews before I considered that.

But I suppose that's my point, the smartphone market is beginning to look more interesting than ever, with so many devces out between now and January. I personally think people would be doing themselves a disservice to dismiss MS devices out of hand. Though, for now, I remain a 3rd generation symbian user with nothing that is actually on the market today that would make me change that.