Nokia E71 is FIXED!

My E71 has been fixed without being sent out for repairs. It turns out that a YouTube member had gone through exact same problem with his Nokia; he had also chose to save incoming SMS to his memory card instead of the phone memory. Over time the memory on the microSD card became somewhat out of order and needed to repaired on a computer. I took my 16GB microSD and used a card reader to access it via the Disk Utility on my laptop. I simply chose to repair the memory volumes and then reinstalled it to my Nokia. I also have chosen to use the phone's internal memory instead of the card storage for saving incoming SMS messages from now on.

So far after having resynced the personal information and reinstalling certain apps, my device is in fine working order!

I did consider checking to see if I could update the firmware via Nokia Software Updater, but I don't have access to a reliable PC right now. A friend of mine has a desktop PC, but it has been acting very strange with a number of problems of its own. The last thing I would want to do is subject myself to damaging the E71 in the middle of an update if the PC decided to suddenly crash. As a matter of fact, I seriously doubt that this PC is stable enough to even handle the downloading of the Nokia Software Updater package.

Nonetheless, I am definitely pleased to see that my phone has returned to normal.

TRENT
Sent from my Nokia E71

Nokia E71 glitch

Right now I am completely shocked as to what has occurred since yesterday. After downloading the Quickoffice version 5 app to my E71 device, I began to experience a glitch. My SMS messages cannot be accessed at all! Whether I press the select key or the Open command on the drop down options menu, I am prevented from being able to read them.

At first, I had figured it was by fault of the Quickoffice 5 application. The solution to this would have been a hard reset so that the E71 could revert to version 4. After a hard reset and having verified the presence of Quickoffice 4, I sent a bluetooth test transfer to the Nokia from my laptop. When I attempted to open this message, I was shocked to see that the glitch had returned!

After another reset the glitch appeared to be gone, but I ran into problems with downloading Nokia Email. On several attempts to setup my Nokia Email service, there was always a prompt for the Nokia Messaging app instead! Upon remaining calm, I simply shot and edited a YouTube video to document this incident. Soon after that I performed one more hard reset and turned off my E71.

I am right now using my Treo 750 until further notice. I have plans to try and update the firmware before I consider the last resort of shipping to a Nokia repair facility. I am hopeful that this problem can be rectified soon, for I still like my E71 as a permanent device.

TRENT
Sent from my Treo 750

Money Well Spent

After my brief 5 seconds of fame from the PC commercial I recently became a part of on national TV, I finally have my payment in the mail. Upon landing back on earth after the initial shock of the amount I really have to be smart about how to put it all to good use.

Of course there is an impulse to rush out into the city and lay to waste every tech store in sight, but I must maintain a clear train of thought. Needless to say, I would be doing myself no good if I waste this entire income on material things. At this point I think it best to allocate the funds to my debt reduction and leave a small portion for leisure in the amount of $500.

Anyone familiar with expensive tech toys knows that this amount of money can hardly be a drop in the bucket. Many items today seem to easily push the envelope closer to twice that amount, so it is very tempting to take more than my fair share. Many gadgets with multiple uses saturate today's market with promises of making me feel somewhat complete in my everyday life. Marketing tricks of the trade constantly bombard my senses until I am essentially convinced that a certain item will surely grant me some sought after satisfaction. As if I cannot find this satisfaction through other means, I can immediately find myself on a mission to obtain this random material thing at any cost. Now that I have been made somewhat wiser from my past experience with credit spending, it may be smart to limit my buying potential at this moment.

I could do more with this money than simply buy myself a gadget, but I am at least being honest with myself in my desire for this kind of fulfillment. With all of that said, I am already set on not buying another smartphone and will remain devoted to my E71. As reliable and versatile this Nokia model has been for me over the past months, anything else would truly be a downgrade and an utter waste of this money.

So far I have narrowed my choices down to two items: a second generation iPod Touch 32GB and a camcorder. Both of these gadgets are indeed a want and not a need, but they both definitely have their own useful qualities. Right from the start it is clear to me that the iPod Touch would be the best choice for me. I can take part in the flawless user experience of the touch interface and the App Store without having to get an iPhone, and not to mention have the Nike Sport Kit integration. However, with my 2GB second generation nano I am already well off for my Nike Sport Kit use. While the App Store, iTunes integration and touch UI are definitely strong candidates, do they really seem worth it when I already have an 80GB iPod Classic? A new camcorder would be harder to decide on since it requires a bit more homework in determining the best model for the cost. While I may not get as much daily use out of the camcorder since it is such a dedicated item, it could potentially lead to future video editing projects. At one point I had a plan to make a demo for a TV show with a script and my old Panasonic GS300, but laziness got the best of me. While I am all about pursuing this again I don't want to end up in the same situation as before. It's like buying a treadmill at the beginning of the year and then being surprised when it becomes a coat rack by Thanksgiving.

At this point I am still going back and forth with this decision and will even consult a friend of mine on which camcorder would be a great buy. Who knows, maybe the money will end up staying in my savings account as a result of my indecision.

TRENT
Sent from my Nokia E71

Palm Pre thoughts

I saw the entire video debut of the Palm Pre device at CES and also read a quick review from Gizmodo.com on its initial impressions.

I have to honestly say that the Pre is definitely a choice I would be willing to consider as a backup device to my Nokia E71. In fact, I would even have the audacity to claim that I may prefer owning the Pre over the N97. My reasoning behind this is simply in regard to affordable pricing and interface simplicity from Palm's new smartphone entry as well as my reservations about the N97's execution of an efficient user experience. There is no doubt that this Sprint exclusive model will soon be made into a GSM device and I am really eager to see one in person. While I am certain the N97's chance in the spotlight will be a great one, I am not looking forward to the high price point nor am I running to be the first guinea pig to test out Nokia's touch interface. Seeing the XpressMusic touch model in action really didn't impress me, and a part of me is not able to invest about $800 on a high end NSeries that may or may not be an improvement. While Nokias do have the upper hand over Pre's limited multimedia features (it can't even shoot video footage right now according to Gizmodo.com), those aren't my primary uses in a phone. I prefer a tactile qwerty on a compact form factor with exceptional screen, build and sound quality converged with reliable messaging and Internet access. Any extra features are always a luxury, and I don't mind taking advantage of those on a great model when the opportunity arises. The E71 still continues to give this to me every day that I choose to use it, and I am often surprised with how long I have been devoted to this ESeries phone. Extra luxuries are the Nokia Sports Tracker, GPS, music player, 16GB microSD support, acceptable camera quality for movies and stills, easy PDA access and efficient multitasking and North American 3G support. There is no other device out there that can measure up to this like the E71 can, locked or unlocked. For the first time in a long time, the Pre has awakened a strong interest from my frugal side that likes to pinch pennies, for I truly believe that the Pre will be no more than $500. For the first time I can honestly see myself being able to at least AFFORD a new device that can be just as reliable as my E71.

The new Web OS from Palm is truly a marvel after what the company has gone through with so many customers losing faith in its innovation. I should know since I was one of those customers. The Foleo disaster and the archaic Garnet OS had disgusted me to no end and I was more than happy to focus on other smartphone brands. Needless to say, that has all changed with the Pre announcement and I am once again a fan of Palm. Witnessing such a flawless demonstration of a refined interface on a compact model with a tactile qwerty is more than what I could've asked for from Palm, so kudos to the company. In addition to the interface, the Pre's Internet browser is another homerun with multi-touch gestures. Built from Webkit like the iPhone and Nokia browsers, I didn't see if this has any support for flash video and will assume that it doesn't (I guess you can't have everything). Though its UI looks to be just as polished as the iPhone, I am really pleased to see it paired with a TACTILE qwerty keypad that slides vertically. For daily usage I can really see the Pre fitting into my routine, even if it doesn't measure up to the E71. While the Pre cannot beat my E71 to become my main phone, it is truly a practical equal to the iPhone in my opinion.

After years of being familiar with the Garnet OS from my past Palm Tungsten E, Z22 and TX PDAs and my Treo 680, it is wonderful to see such a fitting modernization...even if it is long overdue.

As for my feelings for Windows Mobile, I am basically over it and have no more vested interest in it whatsoever. After many, many months of putting up with the same sluggishness of the OS, I got fed up with my Treo 750 when it failed to perform reliably during an emergency I had a while back. If I could have thrown that Treo out of the window I wouldn't have been surprised one bit, for I was that frustrated. At that point I vowed to never actively seek out any more Windows Mobile devices EVER, and I currently keep my backup Treo 750 only out of necessity. The overhyped and overpriced Xperia X1 doesn't interest me anymore, and this should be of no surprise since Sony Ericsson had been sadly lethargic in releasing this device promptly to the market. Whether it is on the sliding qwerty of a HTC Touch Pro or the keypad of a Treo Pro, Windows Mobile will always remain a clunky, overgrown mobile OS that is too big and much too complex for its own good. There is much truth that rings in the saying, "less is more".

TRENT
Sent from my Nokia E71

Palm Pre debut.

At this very moment my mouth is wide open along with my bewildered eyes as I lay in bed with my laptop and watch a video download of the Palm Pre's debut.

The Palm Pre: the messiah to the company's long and dreaded period of a complete lack of innovation for an aging operating system. The Garnet OS on the current Centro model is nothing more than a pitiful throwback to an antiquated interface made popular through the years via a number of Treos and PDAs. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this Pre is destined to be a great comeback story for Palm if there ever was one. What makes this occurrence so much MORE sweeter is that it also involves a total revamping of the hardware form factor! Right now the downloaded video presentation for the Pre is paused halfway through as I write this blog entry on my E71. I tried to watch the entire thing before writing my opinion on this matter, but I am honestly too excited to wait any longer. Those techies who may have lost faith in Palm after the Foleo flop certainly understand how groundbreaking this could be for the company's comeback.

So far I am extremely impressed with the polished appearance of the new OS as well as the curved design of the new handset and its offered feature set. On paper, the Pre's features appear to be a direct challenge to my own E71 with GPS, Wi-Fi, 320x240 resolution, a bigger 3.1inch display, a multi-touch capable touchscreen, 3 megapixel camera with LED flash, microUSB with mass storage support, a 3.5mm headphone jack, bluetooth, EvDO, 8GB internal storage, fast processor and the ubiquitous ringer switch.

While I am excited right now, I somehow have skepticism as to how well the Pre can perform in regards to its multimedia features such as the speaker and camera quality for videos and stills. While megapixel count doesn't make a difference in a grand user experience when a camera may have a subpar lens and mediocre flash, the same goes for terrible sounding speakers.

Even thought I may have missed it by not viewing the entire video, I also believe that I didn't hear of any microSD card slot being available on the form factor. This is a considerable dealbreaker from the first instance due to my E71's support for a massive 16GB card right now. Having a limitation on storage capacity is a bonafide shame in my opinion, which happens to be one of the reasons as to why the iPhone didn't work for me.

When I get back to watching this video I will be eager to see the Pre's performance on the web as well as find out if it has support for playing flash videos online. I imagine that the web surfing experience may remind the average user of the iPhone, but in all honesty I think this may be applicable to the overall UI as well. Watching the narrator smoothly navigate the menus with his finger is definitely a bit of a far cry from what I had seen on the N97 premier which seemed more like a shrunken N810 tablet. The clean and polished appearance of contacts and calendars on a great screen echoes the iPhone to me at every glance.

Another concern right now is also the slider qwerty on the Pre. As small as it is, this qwerty may be very similar to that of the Treo Pro...and I still can recall how horrible that device had been for me.

At the end of the day I am wondering if the Pre is only a semi-suitable competitor to my E71, but I will take a look at the remainder of the video presentation for now and make further judgments. Despite whether it measures up to my reliable E71, it is nonetheless commendable that Palm has finally placed their effort into the right direction.

TRENT
Sent from my Nokia E71

Black Nokia E90 impressions

As I sit here with both my E71 and the black E90 from WomWorld I am all the more certain that this will have to be the final farewell. There is no doubt that I would love to continue this steadfast devotion to the E90 that has been a part of my smartphone activity for such a long time, but circumstances have caused me to think differently. After a couple days of limited Internet speeds via quad-band access to an EDGE-only network, my smartphone usage (or my patience) simply began to outgrow the E90's potential. Slow updating of my email in the Messenger app along with poor call performance within my home wrought with structural two dead zones have proved to be too much of an inconvenience for me to tolerate. After the initial smartphone shock of dealing with these issues, I moved my SIM card back to the E71 and only used the E90 sporadically (if at all).

After spending so much time with the faster, more reliable and MUCH more portable E71 with its 3G connectivity, I am no longer as smitten with the E90 as I used to be when I had received my first red model a long while ago. This is really a shame since the E90 is not really a bad device at all for average use, but my hunger for faster 3G speed and better qwerty accessibility has prevailed and solidified my allegiance to the E71. Even if Nokia had provided an update that would have allowed for the E90 to adopt 3G support, there is still the issue of the Communicator's bulk and form factor to deal with in my everyday use. I have found the OS on the E90 to be a bit slower than the E71 in regards to responsiveness with operating applications, and the PRICELESS feature of bluetooth tethering with the E71 has also been another considerable factor against this grand clamshell device. While I never had to deal with these issues many months ago while owning my first E90, times have changed for the mobile phone market as well as the cellular carriers that support it. At this point it is only wise to admit that the capabilities of the E90 are no longer able to meet my demands in a smartphone, and I must move on with the E71 in the meantime.

The times when I did use the E90 seemed to be perfectly fine for typical texting and voice calls when outside of my home. Additional uses such as YouTube viewing, email managing and Internet surfing are great on wifi and somewhat tolerable on the EDGE network for AT&T, especially on that amazing widescreen display! Listening to over 2000 audio tracks in the Music Player via the stereo speakers is always a grand pleasure to experience on the Communicator during prolonged periods of writing with the full qwerty. This now brings me to that expanse of alphanumeric, shortcut and directional keys that consistently proves to be unmatched by ANY other smartphone device on the market right now. The feedback on the qwerty and numeric keys upon unboxing the device don't seem to be as spongy and soft as the previous red and mocca models I had owned and almost reflects that of the HTC Touch Pro and TyTN 2. I do notice an initial difference in the qwerty since it appears to be much flatter than the previous generation and has no raised keys to encourage remnants of key prints on the screen display. The glossy black appearance of this phone really adds a classic and professional look that I wholeheartedly welcome and prefer over the mocca and red versions. Aside from these noticeable elements everthing else about this device basically acts in the same way that I can remember from the my previous versions. The navigation of the UI and the performance of the camera are all the standard fare in high-end Nokia ESeries models.

One software addition that really impresses me happens to be an app called SkyeQuiKey. This appears to be a way to efficiently access contacts and apps depending on certain keys being pressed on a numerical keypad and reminds me of a similar feature on my E71 and Treo 750. This greatly increases the ease of use when the E90 is in closed mode and keeps me from wanting to automatically open the flip to the full keypad.

Even when coming to terms that this E90 no longer has any use for my personal needs, there is still a bit of charm that strikes the heart of me from its benefits. This is why I have mixed feelings about doing away with the Communicator to remain with my E71 and anticipate the arrival of the N97. As the new year of 2009 comes into full effect and I prepare to end a lengthy holiday weekend and return to night classes, I now rebox this black E90 to send it on its way back to WomWorld. It has been a great ride while it lasted, and I will still have the memories from the many pictures and movies that I had created with this device.

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Trentonn Smith
Blogger, TRENT SENSE
trentonnsmith.blogspot.com