Nokia E71-2

This is a very special day when I have done the most unthinkable thing I could ever do this day in age: I have returned the HP 910 after all and replaced it with the Nokia E71-2 NAM! I have come to a point where Windows Mobile 6.1 just became too much of a hassle to deal with on a daily basis along with the quirks of the HP model. Low speaker volume paired with weak vibrations and glitchy interface applications simply irritated me to the point of no return, and I was no longer willing to remain loyal to Windows Mobile. I must admit that I was inspired to make this decision when I received an email from Mark/Space speaking of the new Missing Sync for Symbian being recently released. No matter how devoted I became to the WM brand, there was honestly a bit of boredom going on with me and my smartphone usage. In addition to this boredom there was a yearning for the much more simpler layout of the Symbian interface of Nokia's S60, but without the bulk of the E90 Communicator. There was always a superior feeling gained from operating such complex menus and commands in WM just to do simple tasks, but I guess I grew tired of all the extra energy to manage it all every day. When I had first tested the E71 it was the version optimized for European 3G, so I never got an opportunity to see S60 in action with AT&T's high speed network...until now! I purchased the E71-2 from ExpansysUSA, packaged the HP 910, downloaded Missing Sync for Symbian and uninstalled the WM version and never looked back!

In the everyday use of my HP 910 I had to deal with the bad quirks along with the good quality elements of the device such as the wide form factor, lackluster speaker, mediocre web browser, marginal call quality, cumbersome voice command software and horrible video recording for a potentially good mobile camera. I only put up with these issues for mainly two reasons: the great qwerty performance and the lack of Mac sync software for my Nokia phones. At one point I did think that a touchscreen was another benefit, but often times with WM it was nothing more than a fragile liability for something to malfunction. This is especially true considering the plastic screen surface versus the optical glass of the iPhone. I just wanted a small and compact model that offered the best in what I need, data and messaging support. The 910 was too wide and sometimes felt like I was holding a graham cracker to my face while talking on a voice call. It seemed that there was too much trouble to do the simplest things like profile changing and voice dialing. The HP Voice Command software is not bad but needs more improvement overall. There were too many rules with how a command had to be said to the device to even bother with it, so I completely ignored it without a problem...and didn't miss using it AT ALL! The only phone that I can honestly say surpasses Nokia in call quality is the Motorola Q Global a.k.a. the Q9h. With its Crystal Talk technology there is absolutely no doubt that it is the most amazing handset to carry a phone conversation with no reception or volume issues whatsoever, but Nokia isn't too far behind with its sound quality either. I wish the HP 910 was at least a level below where the Nokia is in this regard, but this isn't possible since it was plagued by the same volume issues as most WM phones. Even when I did my best to find a perfect position for the earpiece there was always a need to increase the volume past the maximum limit, especially in noisy surroundings. My E71-2 so far has had no problems in giving me the most promising volume feedback in voice calls and speakerphone usage! Callers sound very clear and for a change I don't have to struggle to find a perfect listening spot for the earpiece. The Internet Explorer web browser was ultimately a sufficient browser, but in comparison to Opera Mobile 8.65 there was no contest for which had the best user interface. Lack of tabbed browsing and flash support posed a problem, but a major and most shocking problem was when it didn't support Bank of America mobile. This still is an enigma to me since my Treo 750's IE to this day doesn't have any trouble in accessing my bank accounts at all. The S60 browser is by no means perfect either, but it performs well for what I need and the enabling of flash makes it even more of a joy to use (it can at least access my mobile banking). The multimedia experience with an average WM device is always destined to be faced with compromises and tolerances for the sake of holding on to the amazing office app and messaging functions. Unless a smartphone owner was strictly focused on only messaging and voice calls there was definitely a yearning for a speaker and camera that was at least enough for good quality media content. Even though a WM device could boast a 3 megapixel lens, it was commonplace to find that it only matched the 2 megapixel units in the grade of its pictures. Video recording with WM is not even worth mentioning at this point since it is such an unfulfilled endeavor. Nokia has been and always will the champion in this field, even with the E71-2 camera that is slightly lesser than the N95s, N82s and the E90.

Even though I did have high aspirations to write the next best poetry anthology from a mobile office app, I was only kidding myself. Whether it be with this E71-2, my E90 or Treo 750, a smaller screen is not the place to try and write a research paper. I have learned that emails are the extent of my madness when it comes to writing on the dimensions of a smartphone screen, and that anything more should be reserved for my MacBook Pro...or Toshiba Satellite P305. As marvelous as it is to type for lengthy periods on the HP's qwerty, this huge benefit was overwhelmed by the inconvenience of unstable performance and cumbersome handling.

To now have this Nokia E71-2 is definitely a wish come true for me. I first thought about the greatness of a 3G enabled Nokia device when I first purchased the E90 a while back, but it seemed that Nokia had its focus on the overseas market instead of the US. As AT&T's 3G network started to be unveiled in different metropolitan areas including my own hometown area of Hampton Roads, the WM devices immediately took the advantage of this new fast data capability. Sliding qwerty models and WM enabled Treos suddenly all seemed to be having the last laugh over the multitudes of competing handsets damned to linger in EDGE forever and ever. I wonder if this was a factor in my decision to adopt WM as my main brand with the AT&T Tilt purchase. On this day it surely feels good to have the combination of high quality Nokia engineering paired with my high speed network and impressive word prediction software...FINALLY!! It would have been just as great to have the 3G enabled on my old E90, but this new E71-2 simply adds portability as icing on top of a most delectable cake...and I am looking to stuff my face with all the Nokia goodness!! Not to mention the new Missing Sync for Symbian that has finally solidified a reliable sync partnership with my Mac!!! It is refreshing to be able to have a device that FEELS like a phone and operates like my E90. To have voice dialing that ONLY requires a long press of the voice button and a contact name as it is entered in the listings, this beats having memorize a damn script like "Call so and so at mobile/work". To have this simplicity in even changing the active profile as well as other functions is such a welcomed and worthwhile feature from that unwieldy Windows Mobile interface. Nokia just works and it does so in a way that is most productive in a marriage of pristine hardware engineering and stable software implementing. As a leading producer of worthwhile products that embrace the good points of both multimedia AND office features, Nokia at this moment is number one at the top of my list once again!

TRENT
Sent from my Nokia E71-2

HP 910 Business Messenger stays

The HP 910 Business Messenger is actually one of the best Windows Mobile Professional models that I have ever used despite my issues with it. The camera still isn't good for Windows Mobile, speaker volume for alerts is not loud enough, vibrate isn't strong enough and the speed has rare sluggishness on few occasions. Even after these few pet peeves that I have listed, I still like using this device as my daily communicator/pda especially with the qwerty keypad. For the first time in a long while I can finally speed type on this phone and not have to worry about certain letters or marks being ignored after a key press, which is still a huge problem for my Treo 750. For the first time on a qwerty bar Windows Mobile Professional unit I can have a bigger screen for better internet surfing and still retain a touchscreen, American 3G, GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth! The multimedia features will never be great on any Windows Mobile Professional device and I have accepted that, but they are nonetheless sufficient. Reception is good and call quality is good enough for acceptable conversations, and the messaging client of Outlook Mobile still reigns supreme as an ideal app for managing texts, emails and MMS. Overall I simply love the feedback and response time of the qwerty keypad! For the qwerty alone I am right now more than willing to hang on to this HP 910 Business Messenger.

I know that previously I did get critical of the HP's faults and declared that I was returning this to ExpansysUSA, but I have had a change of heart. Even after my most recent meltdown with this model during my weekend in New Jersey, I am still willing to hold on to the good qualities this 910 has to offer me in my daily smartphone usage. My recent incident involved my Gmail account not being able to properly send or receive emails one evening. This sometimes occurs when Outlook decides to alter the password and is usually solved with a quick editing of the password. This didn't work and neither did resetting the device or taking out the battery!!! In a fit of rage I quickly snatched out the battery again and then the SIM card which I shoved back into my trusty (but less featured) Treo 750 and did a Master Reset on the 910.

As of this morning I have resynced the 910 with my MacBook Pro via Missing Sync and re-installed the SIM only to have flawless performance...so far. If I have to go through more difficulties that warrant another factory reset I believe I will continue to hold to this device. At this point the good points so far outweigh the bad and I am hopeful that this will remain even more valuable to me than my Treo 750. There will never be a perfect Windows Mobile Professional unit, but this comes pretty close for me in the meantime.

TRENT
Sent from my HP 910 Business Messenger

HP 910 Potential Dealbreakers

After about a week of using the HP 910 full time I have to say that I am not entirely impressed with its capabilities.

The battery life is definitely not long-lasting and I will even go as far to say that a charger should be on you at ALL times for this thing...otherwise you will end up being screwed without power.

I had a few moments when the OS would freeze in the midst of operation and call for a reset. This misfortune at least showed me the convenience of a reset button at the top of the device instead of inside the SD card slot like the Tre750.

I could not find a way to customize the soft keys on the Today screen.

The speaker has the WORST volume that I have ever experienced with any mobile device!
It is virtually impossible to hear any sound alerts other than my typical ring tone or alarm clock if I am not in complete silence. I believe that a part of the problem has to do with the flat backing of the 910 causing the speaker to become muffled. The vibrate function is surely not strong at all and cannot be sensed even when the HP 910 is in my beltclip holster!!

The HP Voice Command application is not efficient as the one built in to my Treo 750. Even after training it to recognize my voice it still has trouble interpreting my speech and botches a lot of my vocal commands on a regular basis. I have ceased to use it entirely and resumed using the voice app on my Treo 750.

As much as I would like to wait out the HP for future updates to improve these problems, I am still more impressed by the simple functionality of my Treo 750 and may plan to return the 910 altogether. Its landscape screen is great for web surfing and video and the built-in GPS and Wifi are good features, but not worth missing out on incoming text messages, calls, or voicemail alerts.

If I do decide to return this 910 I may exchange it for a Redfly Mobile Companion. I am borrowing one from a friend and am amazed at how much more use I can get out of the Treo 750. The HP 910 may not be the saving grace for Windows Mobile that I thought it would be.

TRENT
Sent from my Treo 750 via Redfly Mobile Companion

HP 910 Business Messenger arrives

It has finally come to that moment when I have opened the box of a brand new HP 910 Business Messenger device which will be my new permanent phone...and I am drawing promising conclusions upon comparing it to the Nokia E71 review unit from WomWorld.

Immediately I notice that while the Nokia has more metal in its overall build, this HP takes more to plastics. The front panel is dominated by glossy high-grade plastic with a chrome-like bordering on sides and top while the back panel has a soft touch texture. The margins are of regular black plastic with a scroll wheel, rubber flaps for external GPS antenna/miniUSB/microSD ports, a reset button and chrome control buttons for volume, voice, power, OK and camera. While I don't really mind the plastics of the HP 910, I am a bit bothered by a creaking sound on the lower left corner when it is pressed. This is neither a major concern or a dealbreaker, but in an age where solid build quality is near commonplace (E71, E90, E51, iPhone) it is nonetheless disappointing.

The glossy qwerty keyboard buttons are simply amazing on this device with their curved tops and are as great as the Treo 750 to type on if not better! The closest resemblance to the way these buttons are made is the keypad on the Motorola Q9 Global from AT&T..the HP buttons only seem to have a little less height. The feedback is just right since there is a balance between the subtle clicking sound and the right amount of softness in tactile feeling when pressing each button. Qwerty dimensions that aren't too overreaching make this HP very sufficient for one-handed use like my old Treo 750, so navigating menus can be a breeze. On the other hand, the HP 910's d-pad is not as pronounced as the Treo's but still has a slightly protruding 4 point ring around a chrome selector key which provides more sensing area than the flat d-pad on the Motorola Q9. Home buttons surrounding this navigation pad are the usual soft keys on either side with the Start menu and OK keys. At the left margin are the Call and Calendar keys while the right margin holds the End and Messaging keys. These home buttons are glossy and flat and have a vertical seam separating them from one another as well as a horizontal chrome bar running along the front face of the phone. This of course is a perfect segway! On the front face of the HP 910 there are five horizontal chrome bars positioned parallel to each other. While the uppermost bar provides bordering for the home keys the lower four provide the same for the qwerty keys. I think that this is a very nice design element that really complements the chrome bordering of the front panel and adds an upscale flair to the glossy black. Backlighting is of a bright white illumination that is enough for dark environments. The function key along with its symbols are all accented by a cool blue color which once again seems to be inspired by the Motorola Q9.

In regards to the ergonomics of this phone I must be honest and declare that that it isn't the most comfortable to be held in one hand due to its width. Unlke the Treo 750 with its curved and tapered shaping, there is an awkward brick-like feeling in holding the 910 to my ears in the middle of a voice call. But this width, which harkens back to the old days of when I owned the Nokia E62 and E61i, provides a great foundation for efficient qwerty typing for extended periods of time. Unlike the E71 there is no fiddling from my supporting fingers at the back of this HP to try and find a comfortable position.

I shall provide some more entries telling of my life will soon benefit from the feature set of this very promising device. In the meantime I have already planned to soon ship off my Nokia E71 review unit to WomWorld.

TRENT
Sent from my HP 510 Business Messenger

A quick look at the HP iPAQ 910 Business Messenger

Nokia E71 impressions

A few days with this slimlined E71 has brought me to a startling realization that I am indeed a huge fan of the E90 Communicator. This is not necessarily a bad thing in the least bit for devout Nokia fans out there, because I still believe that this E71 is truly a solidly built device. It just isn't the right kind of Nokia device for my needs and wants in a converged smartphone. The thin profile is a welcomed departure from the previous E61i for new found portability and the word prediction is amazing, but I personally cannot find much satisfaction with the rest of what it's got to offer. For my day to day usage on a Symbian S60 device I am definitely more partial to the E90's advanced offerings in multimedia potential, and the Nokia E71's feature package is not really doing anything for me at this point.

Another factor is the qwerty keypad being so compact. With not much room for my fingers to move around, word prediction becomes so much more important to have than on the full size qwerty of the E90. One must be careful and aware when typing with the E71's keyboard whereas the E90 grants more freedom with its wide form, larger buttons, number row and dedicated Control key. I guess I just feel more comfortable with the bigger E90 and the comparable qwertys of my Windows Mobile Professional devices. While the keypads of my Windows Mobile devices are just as small as the E71 if not smaller, I prefer the operating system much more than that of Nokia's Symbian S60. I believe the typing experience to be more fully featured on my Treo 750 and my TyTN 2 than on the E71, so I shall not be looking to buy my own Nokia E71 any time soon.

The aging operating system of S60 is also beginning to feel lackluster with everyday use, but the E90 makes up for this with its unique form and enhanced capabilities over the average smartphone. So in lieu of this it is best that I remain with my E90 and my other Windows Mobile devices. It is probable that I am expecting a bit too much from every new phone that is released into the market, and as a result end up being easily unimpressed with nearly everything. It really seems that Nokia has really hit a plateau with the innovation of its S60 platform that may not be eradicated until the arrival of its first touch UI device. Either way, it is beginning to take much more to gain my interest as far as non-touchscreen devices are concerned and Nokia is starting to get concern from me, In the midst of my getting accustomed to Windows Mobile Professional I begin to feel hindered by any non-touchscreen phone that I use. A qwerty keypad with a touchscreen and a candy bar form factor with a PC-like operating system, this E71 almost got it but came up short.

For the remaining Nokia fans, I will not hesitate to declare this E71 as a high quality qwerty device for reliable multimedia and communication management. The build quality which is dominated by sleek metal feels light years away from cheap and plasticky and there is a good balance of weight as well.
It is not light enough to evoke feelings of low cost craftsmanship but it hefty enough to ensure mechanical longevity that is worthy of every dollar spent on its retail price. The loud speaker at the top of the phone gives great sound and will be sufficient in multimedia playback whether it be digital music files or videos. The built-in GPS is plenty fast for a secure signal lock when under open skies and I even received a lock about 5 feet from a window in my house within a couple minutes. Though the same S60 OS still resides even in this recent model there are a few aesthetic tweaks made in the menu interface for good measure. Icons seem to pop with more vivid coloring to the point where they almost seem cartoonish and take away from the business nature of an ESeries device, but there are worse things in life. I especially like the new fading transitions of the calendar events, for it really gives a professional and impressive look to the interface all around. The autofocus camera will be more than sufficient for the average smartphone user with its resolution of 3.2 megapixels and LED flash, but the movie recording capability, though acceptable, will pale in comparison to the E90. The smaller screen of the E71 does take some getting used to, especially for previous E90 users, but one can only hope that the charm of this device can override any lingering doubts.

Basically without a shadow of a doubt I am still attached to the glory of my trusty E90, and the E71 unfortunately loses out in this round. Even though the E71 doesn't work for me cannot mean than there aren't countless people out there who will find this to be useful and worthwhile.

TRENT
Sent from my Nokia E71

Nokia E71 review

It has been a couple days with this new device shipped to me by WomWorld, and I am particularly impressed with a some features. At the same time, however, I was equally unimpressed with others.

Let's begin with the negatives of this qwerty bar device. Flash is enabled on the S60 web browser and allows for the playback of YouTube videos directly from the website, but after one day I have run into this feature no longer working. Whenever I access a YouTube page online the area for the uploading video feed remains blank, and there is no apparent solution.

Though not considered to be too big of a drawback, the solitary speaker at the top of the phone doesn't share the same stereo glory as the E90. Music tracks can sometimes sound like there is a lack of bass feedback as well as slight distortion in the upper levels. Nonetheless it is sufficient in providing ample amounts of volume for the speakerphone and multimedia playback. I personally liked playing back audio podcast episodes from a few subscriptions in the Podcasting application.

The word prediction feature can be quite helpful, but also a nuisance since it doesn't always seem to work as flawlessly as Windows Mobile. There is no way to complete a word without typing only the space bar, and normally this wouldn't be a problem...unless the word happens to be before a punctuation mark. In Windows Mobile one can complete a word by pressing the punctuation key to continue on...but not in Symbian S60. I have to press the space bar to complete the the word and then press the backspace key to then input the following punctuation mark. A couple of unnecessary steps aren't really all that bad, but it can take away from one's typing speed. Speaking of typing efficiently, there are a few symbols that aren't located on the qwerty for access and have to be looked for in an alternate symbol listing by pressing the "Chr" button in the lower right corner.

After a welcomed facelift to the interface menus for this E71 I guess it would have been too much to expect the same for the Messaging application, especially the native email client. Being spoiled with the full HTML support from Windows Mobile's Outlook and even the iPhone's email client has left me troubled as to why emails continue to be uploaded without HTML being supported on Nokia devices. As most Nokia owners already know, HTML can be accessed by clicking the corresponding attachment. Once again here is yet another extra step that can be avoided in the daily usage of this phone. This also brings up the calendar and its lack of support for categories. Setting up appointments just seems to be more amateurish than the Outlook alternative on Windows Mobile smartphones. While the calendar is sufficient in its own right, I wish that it could exhibit more seamless compatibility with my computer's functions.

There are some occasions when I write papers for school and sometimes like to use my smartphone to edit them on the go or on a break. The monkey wrench thrown into this arrangement is that the mobile office suite of Quickoffice version 4 is not compatible with Office 2007 files. While my Windows Mobile devices offer native support right out of the box, I would have to pay extra money for the Quickoffice 5 upgrade. Since I primarily have been using my WM smartphones there was really no urgent need to update the E90 and this E71 is no different. All in all it really is a drawback to not have any functionality in accessing documents and presentations created in Office 2007, but I am just not willing to spend the additional money.

A major issue that I have been enduring with Nokia phones is the lack of a reliable sync utility and data tethering method for my Mac. While the Nokia PC Suite is the best thing going it is not Mac compatible and there is simply too much hassle in using a Mac/PC setup via Boot Camp or Parallels. There is a plug-in available for Apple iSync with individual Nokia models and I have used one for my E90 Communicator that was downloaded from the Nokia website. Things had worked well for a while, but then I began to notice bugs in regards to duplicate calendar entries and contact information errors. Stability for this software eventually was thrown out the window so I uninstalled the iSync plug-in and vowed to never use it again. Since then I had been updating the PIM data on my Mac and my E90 separately which is an utter inconvenience to say the least. This E71 is no different since a viable syncing option is still not available for my Mac, but there is a promising prospect from the Missing Sync software made by mark/space. I have tested a public beta for the Missing Sync Symbian version with my E90, but it had only the capability to sync contacts and not calendar entries. Worst of all, I did experience some bugs involving the accuracy of the contact data when it was ported to the E90. Hopefully this will be just as reliable as Missing Sync for Windows Mobile after a few growing pains, otherwise I shall continue to update my Nokias and my Mac separately. Tethering my Nokias to my Mac has always been a huge endeavor without the Nokia PC Suite and I have yet to be consistently successful. There was one point a couple years ago when I happened to come across a fluke when I entered settings that just happened to work...for only 2 days!! Since then my Mac hasn't been able to effectively link to any of my Nokias for any kind of tethering and the E71 is no different.

If I had to be picky about something it would have to be the manner in which the Gallery is implemented. While having a basic menu layout with preview thumbnails is okay for a business device, there can at least be a slide show feature added for the pictures! However, as long as the d-pad continues to work to move from one picture to the next then I guess this isn't a big bone to pick at this point.

Next is the video camera for the E71 and its ability to shoot video only up to 15 frames per second. At the very least I would have expected a duplicate of the E90's camera which can shot TV quality footage at 30 frames, but I guess there has to be a way to keep manufacturing. costs to a minimum. Honestly, I do think that the camera will be more than enough for the average E71 user. One more thing is the placement of the microphone to only on one side of the device. Watching video footage recorded by the E71 can cause some concern with the audio sounding unbalanced and out of sync. Having either stereo audio recording like my old N93 or a mic on the bottom may prove to be the solution to this.

Lastly there is the case of the battery door. Past models provide access to the battery with the pressing of one button to slide the door open, but not the E71. There are two small buttons toward the bottom on either side of the device that are to be pressed in at the same time to allow for the door to be lifted open. While this isn't a tedious task, it does seem to be more cumbersome than the one button alternative.

Now I will finally get into the good aspects of this device:
Hands down from the start my most favorite features would have to be the compact qwerty keypad and the added word prediction. Using my E90 was often a chore whenever I had to write on the run without word prediction to help speed things along, but nonetheless I still enjoyed using the full qwerty keypad. To finally have this element on a Nokia qwerty device really places this E71 in same league as my Windows Mobile devices in regards to text entry and document editing. The slimmer qwerty layout is much more attractive than the wider E61i model with no spaces between the keys, but one has to be more careful to maintain accuracy and avoid typos. At my current typing speed, I wouldn't be surprised if a couple misspelled words appeared in this blog entry. The keys themselves are of a good size with rounded tops that are easily detected by my fingertips, and the backlighting is very adequate in dark conditions. I have read online about concerns with the "Z" key being placed below the "A", but this hasn't affected my typing at all so far.

In addition to the qwerty keys there are other tactile keys such as the app shortcuts on either side of the ubiquitous silver d-pad ring. Designated for Home, Calendar, Contacts and Messaging mailbox, these buttons are sizable enough to be pressed by my fingertips with no trouble. When on the Home screen the Home key also doubles as the Menu key which will take you to the various settings of the device. The reliable d-pad ring with the central select button is the same as the one I have used on the E90, E61i and E51.
One brand new addition to this d-pad ring on the E71 is a notification light that illuminates the entire perimeter of the select button! Whenever activated by either a missed call or new message (SMS, MMS, email) this light repeatedly fades in and out for a certain period of time that can be set from 5 minutes up to 2 hours. At the top of the phone is the red power button with good tactile feedback and then there are the volume controls and voice command key on the right side. What makes the volume and voice keys different on the E71 is that they are of glossy black plastic and are backlit in white light. A far cry from the rubber keys on the E51 which were very difficult to press, these keys have excellent feedback and are easily distinguished from one another by their shaping.

Voice dialing is still competent with the use of the voice key and I very much enjoy the feature of my Nokia saying aloud the contact name of known callers in between rings.

The quality of voice calls is nothing short of outstanding on the E71 with its clarity and ample earpiece volume! Reception is great, but I think that the limitations of the network on AT&T can pose a bit of a challenge in this aspect. I may notice a change in this if I ever get the model that is compatible with AT&T North American 3G, the E71-2. Speakerphone volume is plenty loud and quality is good even though there are some moments when volume tends to fluctuate, but once again this could be a fault of my carrier service.

The still pictures from the 3.2 megapixel camera can be very adequate provided they are taken in well-lit settings, otherwise one is liable to have graininess on the image. Pictures taken in total darkness with the LED flash have a lot of graininess in Auto and seem to be worse off than those taken with the E90 camera. Overall the camera on the E71 is not too bad for occasional snapshots.

Although I am critical of the calendar's capabilities, I am still impressed by its overall interface revamping. It appears to have graphics that are much smoother and the E90-like split screen view is a welcomed feature as always. I especially like the way that events fade into view on the right side of the split screen when dates are selected.

When on standby the E71 has a new feature that basically shows the date and time in large font when the d-pad button is held down. There are also new notification icons that appear as cartoon bubbles at the bottom of the Home screen to announce new messages, voicemails and missed calls. These icons can be selected by the d-pad button on the Home screen to go directly to the message itself or simply hovered over to reveal a short preview of its information.

The screen still looks impressive with all of its vibrant colors and its resolution appears sufficient for everyday. Even though it is smaller than the E61i, I figure if I can tolerate the Treo 750 then anything else would be a welcomed luxury. Surfing the web on it is manageable as I try my hardest to not think of the E90's widescreen. :-)

The accompanying leather pouch lined in red suede-like material is a great addition for protection while holding the E71 in my pocket.

In comparison to the previous E61i there is no doubt that the E71 has gone through a slimming down of its outer dimensions. This new compact sizing basically places this Nokia in the same measurement class as the old iPhone with a slightly thinner profile. As a result the E71 is a pocketable mobile office for any consumer or business person alike and I am truly impressed with it!

Though a part of me is experiencing Windows Mobile touchscreen withdrawal, I am intrigued by the charm this E71 and how it operates. Whether I will consider this to be a future device of my own remains to be seen as the reviewing days go on.

TRENT
Sent from my Nokia E71

Nokia E71 impression: QWERTY

I really am liking everything about this device so far, but one aspect that has caught me by surprise is its qwerty keypad. The overall sizing of this qwerty is by far on the same level of the Treo if not better. The E71's individual buttons are more lengthy and a bit wider than the Treo's rounded nubs, providing more surface area for my fingertips. Tactile feedback has been outstanding and I might even dare say absolutely perfect! The E71 buttons offer a resounding "click" feeling with just the right amount of softness so that there is a balance between the spongy keys of the E61i and the harder keys of the E90. The clicking sound of the buttons themselves hasn't been noticeable at all which makes good for quiet surroundings.

Typing quickly and efficiently has not been a problem at all in the midst of my smartphone usage, especially with the new feature of the word prediction activated on my text entries! The word prediction feature is truly remarkable and I sincerely hope that Nokia provides an update to the E90 to enable it if it already hasn't done so. While typing the first letters of a word, I can either wait for the E71 to guess the remaining letters of a word in faded view and press the space bar to continue or press up or down on the d-pad to show a listing of possible words!! This feature can also be activated for any underlined word in onscreen text as you are typing. This is basically word completion AND word prediction working together at their best potential and I am definitely finding them to be EXTREMELY useful.

For the longest time I didn't really like typing on Nokia devices due to lack of word prediction and preferred Windows Mobile devices instead, but I am here to say that this E71 has proved me wrong without a shadow of a doubt! Writing on this small qwerty has become a great and worthwhile user experience for me, has measured up to being an efficient everyday benefit for businesses and consumers alike and has truly changed my impression of Nokia's qwerty devices from now on.

TRENT
Sent from my Nokia E71

TyTN 2 Gone Away/Nokia E71 trial

As much as I had hoped for a happy ending with the TyTN 2 returning after its WM6.1 ROM update, it didn't take long before it ended up in the computer backpack once again for good. The compact Treo 750 looked better as the day went on and the HTC became slower in its performance. I had also forgotten about the battery life and how pitiful it was whenever I had automatic email downloads enabled.

My primary pet-peeves were the extra steps of having to do certain functions. sliding open the screen to gain access to the qwerty and tapping the screen to silence the phone just didn't prove to be quick enough. Using the camera for a simple snapshot was a very lacking experience, not to mention too long. I had been spoiled by the qwerty bar form factor of my Treo 750 and missed it terribly as I would fiddle with the TyTN 2. With the slider opened in full form I suddenly felt as if I was holding a brick, and the sluggish spells of the OS soon turned me off. Finally having threaded SMS on WM6.1 was a welcomed addition, but the absence of the graphical emoticons was slightly annoying.

It could have been something to do with only my individual device, but either way I had a feeling that the Treo was coming back.


I may now have the Treo once again, but even this isn't due to last for long..but for very good reason!

Nokia WomWorld had sent me an email yesterday morning asking me to review the new Nokia E71 qwerty phone!!! I should have this shipped to my home by the end of this week and I will be sure to post more information at that time.

TRENT
Sent from my Treo 750