Is it worth upgrading to an E90 from 9300/9500?

Hello,

I've uprade my 9500 to E90 6 months ago.

Briefly:

- faster than the old communicator
- higher screen resolution (800x352)
- 16M colour screen (the best I've ever seen)
- No hardware fax, but supported with 3rd party
- All features accessible through both screens
- More software on the s60 plarform
- Lot of software supports the commmunicator screen
- Most of the s80 apps have s60 version
- More compatible browser
- Select text in browser not supported
- 3.5G
- built in VoIP
- 4GB memcard support
- Full screen video play no problem
..and so on

There are known problems on this forum about the E90. But i still say that it worth it to upgrade.

Cheers,

Definately worth upgrading.

where the 9210i and 9500 were behind the times on the hardware spec. The E90 is just about right for the device. I always felt LARGE dissapointments with the previous communicators, and only small ones with the E90. The e90 does what it says on the tin.

you can browse propper websites, fast, in full flash glory, perfectly, unlike the other 2 phones which always struggled, be it by wifi or dialup...

the camera is reasonable, the case despite the creaky bit is solid.

the 3g/3.5g is fast.

Thirded. Summarised as four steps forward and arguable only one or two backwards.

The main thing is that you're using a currently supported device and platform rather than something increasingly seen as abandoned and obsolete. Nothing wrong with Series 80, but the world's moved on in terms of hardware and interface.

The E90's UI is still far from perfect though and I'd welcome several more firmware versions from Nokia.

Excellente - shall give it a go and see how I get on 😊

swingerman wrote:Hello,

I've uprade my 9500 to E90 6 months ago.

Briefly:

-- No hardware fax, but supported with 3rd party

-,

What do you mean? I used fax with my 9300i and miss it in this phone - with the 9300i it wld show up on the screen, can it work with my e90?

regards

The E90 is a great device. I've upgraded from a 9300, and it's heaven. Playing movies is no problem, the sound is much better, and it's fast. Really fast.

The only thing I'm missing at the moment is scheduled messaging, which seams to have disappeared. One small thing bothers me is the fact that the keyboard seems to touch the screen when you close the device. So when you have dirty fingers, you'll see small prints on the screen next time you open it.

You will have the latest comm out there. I waited 8 months coz of recalls. Couldn't buy E90 in Finland at all! Just test workimg models. Now brick is back and I took the leap of faith. Everything is "dead on balls" 😊

*#0000# shows besides E90-1, also E90(02). Second batch is my guess.

While I agree , the E90 is an improvement , I cannot help but feel a bit sad that the latest Communicator is

1) running the same OS as the 14 year old lad next door's N95

and

2) Not given an 9XXX title

All very petty I know , but having been loyal to the communicator range from the 9110 , there is a sentimental bond to the series (at least for me !)

As I say , don't get me wrong , I love the e90 , and am the first to admit that this is the best communicator EVER ! - But If I am honest I would have loved to have seen an S80/S90 Communicator with all the features we now have
I suppose there are logistical reasons as to why this never happened and we now have an s60 Commie - But TBH I feel sort of "tricked" - It's llike before we were part of a subculture , - now we have been made to "Fall into line" and are smartphone owners like everyone else :frown:

i miss S80 too. Especially the drop-down menu in the upper lefthand corner.

Since he mentioned an N-series (95) for comparison I can say that not all "N" fw's are created equal either. But that's another thread, right? I've got N93 and it's fw and some phone characteristics are more advanced than E90's. And I don't mean Office & such. I mean slideshows/video with music in the background on tv & video projector.. In stereo!

Anyway, I wonder why E90 has the same video (N93-95) & photo (without optical zoom of course..) quality but no "real" gallery display or photo/video editing N93 style. Afterall it's S60 too. And where's tv-out?

Well, tv-out is hopeless on E90. I'll never give up qwerty or beautiful 4" screen or build quality compared to N95 (93 is excellent like E90). But it feels awkward to miss N93's fw.

In the end, I will gladly haul my brick wherever I go but will always need N93 video editing and tv-out for video presentaions on the fly.

Hi everyone,
I am a long time Psion user and still use my Netbook everyday. I also have the 9290, 9300 and now the E90 and a bunch of other Psions. I really only use my phone for business, I don't care about the camera or media devices so I can't comment on them since I just don't have a need for them. GPS is handy but haven't used it enough to comment on it either. But, I have been using my new phone for about a month and overall I like it very much. Here are my personal feelings on what I like and don't like. If anyone knows how to get around some of this please let me know.

I love the Cover part of the phone. I have never been one to input text from the phone keypad but I am now doing that for short messages/email. I also love the Active Standby mode, very handy not to have to open the phone everytime. And being able to view my documents without opening the phone is really nice.

Here are my concerns:
Can't find a way to input alpha or special characters when entering a new contact. Using Outlook they transfer fine. Ie. (800) 123-4567. Can't find a way to input the () and - characters.

In Contacts, you can't just enter a number manually and have it dial on the communicator. It has to be in the Contacts app or you have to close the phone, dial the numbner then open it back up.

In Contacts, if the first and last names are blank and you have a company name then it will search by company. But as we all know once a first or last name is entered it no longer searches for the company field.

The In-Device search is slow when searching using the Contacts only option. I have almost 1200 contacts so maybe that is the problem.

In Calendar when entering a date, you should be able to bring up a calendar in the Date field.?

Is there a way to keep the backlighting on for a longer period of time that what the settings give you. I tried Lights On but that only works for when the phone is on a charger.

In Email, my signiture is included every time I reply to a message.

No email sync with Outlook, that is just crazy.

No spell check in Email?

Of course I miss all the Psion shorcuts...to me that was the best and most stable OS for these handheld devices ever made as far as just a business or productivity tool. Anyone who has every owned a Psion knows what I mean.

Vince

I started using Psion PDA's in 1994, then migrated to the Nokia 9000 series. Currently I am a very happy user of the 9500 (for 3 years now). So happy, in fact that my wife also is using one now! Hardware is getting a bit "used", so I was very excited to get the E90 when my contract came up for renewal. Initially, I was very impressed, but my disappointment grew as I delved deeper into the machine's workings.

Positives:
* Very impressive hardware - big screen, good keyboard, robust clamshell design.
* Good sound quality.
* Vibration mode - great!
* GPS - really neat built-in feature.
* Good to have a high res camera as part of the package.
* FAST internet browsing.

Negatives/ criticisms:
* No ESC key!! To get out of applications without saving/ undoing unintended inputs.
* No Menu key!! The E90 does not have the pull down menu system known from the Series 80 platform. This is MUCH slower - more key strokes & takes a lot of getting used to.
* I HATE the forced "Abc" mode. In Contact, Calendar, QuickOffice. Why not stay with cap on even when shift key is pressed? This is one I don't think I'll be able to get used to. Also different to the way my Laptop works.
* No Caps lock!! How difficult can this be?
* No delayed SMS/ Text messgae sending, which is so useful for other time zones.
* Menus & other apps - don't recognise typing 1st letter & then hopping to that option, e.g. long list of file names. NOW I HAVE TO SCROLL DOWN LONG LISTS GETTING TO THE RIGHT OPTION.
* Search functions only on "Name" field in Contacts. HOW LIMITING! Even if 9500 is slow, it gives me the options I need, like even searching on the Notes field! I have susequently read that the E90 Search function does it, but really should be built in to Contacts.
* Custom field "Lables" from Contacts didn't copy on data transfer. I sometimes have up to 10 mobile numbers under 1 contact, each with its own "renamed" field label. I would have to type each one in again & change the whole way I enter contacts. When you have almost 3000 contacts, that can be quite a job!
* Groups from Contacts also didn't copy across.
* I couldn't enter a "space" or "dash" when entering a telephone number
* QuickOffice is TERRIBLE! Shortcuts (Cntr-C, etc.) don't work. No option to exit without saving! What about ESC? No borders in Sheet, etc. etc.
Calendar - no year view, no copy/ cut & paste entries! It is very different & limiting to use.
* I couldn't open more than 1 Office application @ the same time.
* File manager: No tab to hop accross. Have to "drill down" everything. Makes it more cumbersome & slow. Same applies to Calendar.
* Clock also very limiting. Poor World Times, No Map, etc.
* Very basic calculator. No Scientific calc. Come on, I thought this was an advanced tool! Yes, I can do it in a Spreadsheet, but it is more trouble!
* In the communication log, I couldn't find a way to see all in/ out communication on 1 sheet.

New software tried:
* "Office Suite" works well
- All the normal shortcuts work
- Asks for save before exiting
- MS compatible
MUCH better

* "Handy Clock"
Very nice - world map, etc. Also count-down timers, stopwatch. More like an upgrade, not a downgrade

* Contacts:
- Still looking...
- Tried Handy Contacts. Verdict pending.... Search seems better.

* Browser - some quirks in built-in brower (not seeing Std Bank login click). Tried Opera. Sometimes better.

* File Manager: Active File - Much better, but still no 1st key scroll down.

* Didn't find a much better calendar. Tried Handy Calendar - ok, but still no year view, Papyrus - too busy, AquaCalendar - VERY SLOW.

So, the bottom line is, on balance I AM MUCH HAPPIER WITH THE 9500. I HAVE RETURNED THE E90 TO THE DEALER & AM NOW FACED WITH 2 OPTIONS:
WAIT FOR NOKIA/ 3RD PARTIES TO IMPROVE THE SOFTWARE SUBSTANTIALLY, OR
TAKE THE PLUNGE & GO FOR THE HTC TYTN II - SMALLER SCREEN/ KEYBOARD, BUT WHAT THE HECK, BILL GATES' PLATFORM HAS ALL THE SOFTWARE OPTIONS. PERHAPS A TOUCH SCREEN WILL BE A NICE CHANGE.

ANY IDEAS/ HELP??

Steve Litchfield (http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/features/item/Unofficial_E90_Apologetics.php) does offer some ideas, but I am not yet totally convinced...

Viva 9500 Viva! Viva S80 Viva!

Now I'm thinking it's 50/50 on improvements/steps back. Yeah it has a far far superior screen (and lets face it you can't describe the 9500's as bad), but the keys are annoying and I write ~3000 words a week on my phone. It does feel a damn sight faster though and responds quickly to key presses. Another downside is that when using the qwerty keyboard it still tries to react T9 style (auto capitalisation etc, which is really really f*cking annoying in the word processor). The hinges are a vast improvement, the camera quality is great for a phone, and while the ability to use either screen for things while good somehow feels gimmicky. Another thing is the longest you can tell the screen brightness to stay on is 90seconds, which when reading an e-book is an annoyingly short amount of time. The active desk clone thing isn't quite as good but it's passable, just a pain it wastes so much usable space on the main screen.

And now the major complaint... WHERE'S MY F*CKING KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS. I want to reply to a message in my inbox, I can't use ctrl-r, I have to select options then scroll down to reply (not the default option) then select how to reply, FFS! In the calendar you CANNOT copy and paste your meetings etc, so if like me you used the 9210/9500 calendar to keep track of shifts in an irregular pattern you HAVE to retype them for every occurance, very very bloody annoying. Those two are the main ones but there are plenty of others where straight forward functions from S80 have been completely ignored in the E90.

I think I shall be getting an E90 next week.

Does the E90 have the functionality that iDesk had on the 9300/9500?

I guess the progression route from one generation to the next is always a little painful. I still mourn the passing of Active Desk on the 9210 - the ability to just show upcoming events as a sequential list. Does the E90 or any bolt-on application have this capability?

Does the 3G capability alone on the E90 not justify the upgrade? never mind integrated GPS, etc?

Does the E90 have that minor little problem from the 9300 where the times of all the appointments in the calendar change when you change to a different timezone - and you cant disable the bloody function?

The desk thing only shows the next upcoming event and any todos that you have. The integrated GPS is crap, and the navigation functions cost extra if you want to use them. As for 3g, wouldn't know as it's not something I use, I only use it on line through wifi.

I agree with all those annoyances/let downs (well, except auto-capitalisation which I'm used to from the E61i). S60 was designed for a regular phone layout, *not* for a full QWERTY Communicator - that one is obvious. And I've pointed out the shortcomings again and again since the E90 was first announced. Because S80 unfortunately is dead and buried now; what Nokia needs to do for the next Communicator is to implement a keyboard optimised version of Maemo/Linux - as used in their internet tablets - for the next communicator, in my opinion.

Well, that was the rant bit of my post... Now, believe it or not, I still love my E90! And I find it to be a significant upgrade from the 9x00 line in many areas. In my opinion it is more like an 80/20 in the improvement/set back field.

Here is where I think the E90 excels:

• GPS - I find it very useful. Especially since it has A(ssisted)-GPS now, which means a satellite fix in just a few seconds. Is 'Maps' a perfect software for navigation? - Hell, no, but still I find useable.
• One-handed operation - I love being able to utilise ALL the functions when it's closed. That's one of things I really hated about the previous commies - having to open the cover every time for the simplest things like checking my next appointment or setting a new alarm etc. etc...
• Multimedia - I never thought I would get that much into that aspect of the device, but once I did, I just love snapping quick pics and videos when out and about. And the quality is quite good on the huge, true-colour screen. Also playing back videos and listening to music has been a great joy. I bought myself an 8GB memory card which is almost completely filled up now, and I use the E90 all the time to play back my whole MP3 collection through my car stereo.
• Most of the software annoyances can be rectified by third party applications. Here's a tip: try out Handy Taskman. It is a small, easy to use task manager, but it has another very important function. When you hold in the Menu button it will replace the default task manager, and here's the brilliance of it: once you're in the new task manager you can simply type the first or the first couple of letters of any application stored on your commie and it will take you there immediately. It is so great having to avoid diving in to the cluttered mess that is the S60 folder structure I tell ya!!!
• The hardware is pretty great, as is all the communications options - which works flawlessly pretty much every single time.
• A dedicated hardware button to turn on-off the keyboard backlight and even adjust the screen brightness is great.
• The built-in Active Notes can be a really useful application.
• Themes
• - Yes, I love a bit of eye candy, and I get bored quite easily so I find it nice to completely change the appearance of the UI from time to time... 😉
• The active standby screen - Yes it needs a lot more customisation options, but still, I find it very useful.
• And last but not least - S60 has a far better third party software support than S80 ever did. Speaking of which...-Switch, there is a freeware called S60SpotOn that will keep your screen backlight lit for those eBooks sessions 😊 I'm a big eBook reader myself.

Raven wrote:
[*]Multimedia - I never thought I would get that much into that aspect of the device, but once I did, I just love snapping quick pics and videos when out and about. And the quality is quite good on the huge, true-colour screen. Also playing back videos and listening to music has been a great joy. I bought myself an 8GB memory card which is almost completely filled up now, and I use the E90 all the time to play back my whole MP3 collection through my car stereo.

Raven wrote:
[*]A dedicated hardware button to turn on-off the keyboard backlight and even adjust the screen brightness is great.
[*]The built-in Active Notes can be a really useful application.

Raven wrote:
[*]Themes[*] - Yes, I love a bit of eye candy, and I get bored quite easily so I find it nice to completely change the appearance of the UI from time to time... 😉

Raven wrote:
Switch, there is a freeware called S60SpotOn that will keep your screen backlight lit for those eBooks sessions 😊 I'm a big eBook reader myself.

SwitchBlade wrote:Hey, I spent ages going through the 9500 working out and showing people how to make custom skins for it. Not my fault hardly anyone bothered. To be fair it was rather complicated.

Heh, yeah I remember spending countless hours making skins thanks to your guide. 😊 But, still, like you mentioned, it is a hell of a lot easier to change skins now, and you can change almost all parts of the UI now, even the icons. 😉

Raven wrote:once you're in the new task manager you can simply type the first or the first couple of letters of any application stored on your commie and it will take you there immediately.

SkyeQuiKey does a similar thing from the Active Standby screen. Type in a few characters and it'll should find any contacts, apps or bookmarks that match.

(If you're using the front keypad, it will find contact matched who's phone number contains the number you've type and contacts who's name matches the Alphabetical equivalent of the number)

It sounds a little complicated but it's actually pretty simple once you start using it and works really well (much like the vaguely similar Quicksilver for OS X)

Hi - I've just joined the forums, after being a Psioneer and Communicator user since 1990. I've had all of the Psions and all of the Communicators.

I received an E90 as an upgrade on O2 in November, and it was eagerly anticipated, but a big let-down. I agree with the need to move to a new platform and keep moving forward, but Nokia have created a poor marriage of hardware and software here.

Speficially, the keyboard is usless and very poor for desk-based usage. The SatNav is worse than useless given lock-on, cost of extras etc, and the software available is pretty grim.

I sold my E90 on ebay, and if you look at how many are available I think you'll see lots of people who've bought or received it as an upgrade and dumped it.

I may get another when it gets to Version 10, but for now I'm back with my 9500, 9300 and 9300i. They have the better business-focused applications, I have Tom Tom 5 loaded - which is superior, and the range of software available is more limited, but far more useful, and better written.

I travel a lot on planes and trains...so the 9500 keyboard...which is 100 times better than the e90 is perfect away from the office, and I actually find the 9500 screen better than the e90 - but that again is the marriage of DOCS to Go versus Quickoffice - which is dire.

Admittedly, I cheat - I have an N95 for Pictures and Video, and for Music...but as an all-in-one device I don't think Nokia are listening with the E90.......and I think there was always room for a new Communicator based on a faster version of series 80.

I would wait, or pick one up cheap...there is a long, long ay to go before the E90 lives up to the hype.