- Nokia 9500, SE P910i, Qtek 9100 and Palm Treo 650

- future of digest

- Questions for future

- T-Mobile MDA~

- Re: Digest Future

- Re: Future of The Digest

Date: 28 Dec 2006 21:16:58 +0100
From: "Fergus Flanagan" <address truncated>
Subject: Nokia 9500, SE P910i, Qtek 9100 and Palm Treo 650

First of all I would like to thank Anthony Cartmell and Thomas VAN DER ZIJDEN for their detailed and informative feedback on my query about the 9500 many months ago, during last summer actually. Eeek! Took me this long to reply, embarrassment!!!

Well I have been through 3 PDAs since last writing to this list starting with the Qtek 9100. The Qtek made by HTC and is available in many guises has a nifty slide out keyboard which initially won me over along with a pretty decent screen. The advantage of quiet a selection of software that I feel now outstrips Palm is a definite advantage. I have to say I have never been totally comfortable with Windows in a mobile guise it's a bit like someone trying to stuff Win XP into a matchbox, it works but reminds me of my desktop and this I could do without, I want a difference experience when I reach for my pda. For people who use computers on a daily basis for work purposes its great as it's a friendly environment and familiar for the most part. The 9100 is a really good machine and they've done a great job fitting in so much functionality, I 've used mine for web surfing, watching the odd movie, studying, taking notes, etc. In the end though I did let it go and this was due to a somewhat sluggish processor and as a phone it wasn't very robust, it really is difficult to beat a hard keyboard. Touching the screen with fingers to dial a number is not something I want to do and the Qtek often demanded two handed operation esp to slide out the keyboard.

I subsequently bought a P910i and my relationship with this pda/phone was the most shortlived of any device I have ever owned. The OS and the ergonomics of this phone wass very satisfying but the real let down was the downright awful synchronisation software which I never got to work fully and actually got progressively worse whereby it simply would not sync my calendar anymore. On top of this it was excrutiatingly slow. It did remind me of the sync problems I used to periodically experience with my Psion 5s where the sync program would display a small window containing a computer and a psion 5 exchanging pages and if I let it, it would be doing so till the cows came home. After 3 weeks I nearly flung it out the window, needless to say I gave up completely. I don't see why I should spend countless evenings and afternoons in frustration trying to sort out something which should work out of the box. It gets really disheartening when you go the forums and come across so many others with exactly the same problems and users do seem to have been left out in the cold by Sony Ericsson. My sychronisation experience with this device was put to shame by my current pda/phone, thankfully.

I now own the Palm Treo 650 which has been a revelation. I used to be a Palm user courtesy of the sexy Sony Clies before moving over to the Win mobile devices via a revisit to the psions again. I can't quiet remember why I left the Palm pdas behind perhaps restlessness and the fact the future of Palm seemed uncertain at the time. I knew I had grown tired of the Windows interface, had held high hopes for the symbian platform and really felt let down by the instability of the sync software, and was not impressed by the array of symbian platforms, they really need to get their act together on this. Anyone buying into one platform will invariably find themselves having to abandon it/or re buy their software when they upgrade their phone. I won't go on about the Treo as I have only had it a couple of weeks but in this short time it has seamlessly and effortlessly synced with Outlook beautifully, has one of the best screens I have ever used, can almost do everything the Qtek 9100 did (no wifi) and does what it say on the tin with absolutely no fuss.

I don't want to come across as anti-symbian as I still believe that it is probably still the best PIM system out there though I'm speaking more from the Psion 5mx days than of current. If a treo like Symbian phone was released with the functionality of the 5mx.. I won't go on its been said too many times!

Fergus

Date: 28 Dec 2006 22:32:21 +0100
From: ealasaidandsimon <address truncated>
Subject: future of digest

It's great just as it is

Simon & Ealasaid
2 x 5mx, 1 x netBook
still going strong

Date: 28 Dec 2006 22:54:55 +0100
From: Mike Isaacs <address truncated>
Subject: Questions for future

In message <address truncated>, The Digest <address truncated> writes
>Date: 28 Dec 2006 01:31:45 +0100
>From: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated>
>Subject: Question of the future

>Dear All,

>With 26 answers received the "score" is 22 in favour of making changes
>and 4 against. Some people answered they would like to discuss only
>Symbian matters. Please note that over a year ago it was already
>decided to widen the scope of the digest to include all Symbian
>machines so if you have any questions about ANY Symbian phone or
>machine, don't hesitate to post them on the digest !!

>With over 700 subscribers 29 answers is only 4% and we would like to
>receive more answers in order to make a decision based on a larger
>percentage to avoid a situation where a silent majority is against a
>decision but did not cast their vote ... and thanks a lot to those who >already answered.

>Best regards,
>Itamar Engelsman
>London, UK

Dear Itamar

I'd be happy for the scope to be enlarged.  I have an s3 (defunct) s3a,
3mx and 5mx, plus a Netbook. I use most of them for specific tasks, and
also as backups for each other.

I also have a Palm T3, which is superb as a photo viewer, but isn't used
for much else - Oh, but how nice the screen is!

Regards
--
Mike Isaacs

Date: 29 Dec 2006 00:24:46 +0100
From: Jim Watson-Gove <address truncated>
Subject: T-Mobile MDA~

Itamar et al,

The "T-Mobile MDA for T-Mobile" has caught my wife's eye (she was browsing Overstock.com).

Looking over the specs on the internet, it uses Windows Mobile for the operating system and has what looks to be a usable keyboard (not an issue for her but it is for me if I overcome my dislike for smartphones an follow in her footsteps).

Can anyone on the list share info on this machine.

After writing the above, I ran into a website that indicates that the T-Mobile is the same phone as the Qtek 9100 which I believe Itamar has and has talked about.  If I remember correctly, you were very positive on the machine?

What is an unlocked phone?  If I buy one unlocked does that mean I can take it to a provider and have it configured to my T-mobile phone number?

On another website, I read a review that said bad things about the unit as a telephone. Said low sensitivity and low audio receive.  Does that ring true, Itamar?

The review says nothing about Agenda or Calendar.

jim - port townsend - wa - usa

Date: 29 Dec 2006 08:03:17 +0100
From: Bob <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Digest Future

I have been using the Digest since in came out for my 5mx, MC218, Netbook
and 7book, and have had answers to many questions and have answered many
also.  Have also asked questions about my N-gage QD and my 9290.  I have two
9300s and see very little info about them and have asked questions with no
response.  It seems like there is very little interest in some machines and
more in others.  I don’t know what the answer is and I obviously support
anything Symbian, but it might take more branching out to keep the Digest
going.

Thanks,
Bobby

Date: 30 Dec 2006 03:18:52 +0100
From: Bruce A.Knox <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Future of The Digest

Bowing to circumstances, I reluctantly vote for the suggested change.

I would be very sorry indeed if The Digest were to be swamped by mere 
telephone/camera PDA matters. We Psioneers have less to ask or tell 
about our machines than used to be the case and it is true that they 
(Psions) will gradually collapse - though not for quite a while I 
hope. Still, new PDA-type machines are being adopted by Psion owners 
and the rate of transfer will increase. Let them therefore have 
access to The Digest. I agree with the suggestion made recently that 
the present name would cover any new content.

Bruce Knox
Melbourne