My first Nokia was the 6255i flip back in early 2000, and my first qwerty Nokia was the E62 on what used to be Cingular. As much as I understand people standing behind Nokia, I got so turned off by the N97 that I simply had to call BS on it.
This is the first Nokia model that I consider to be a pariah of mobile technology, and the fact that HoFo users continue to defend it is not shocking at all. Its usability seems to be a polarizing topic of discussion, and I question why certain users would start to settle for its horrific shortcomings and ridicule those who refuse to do so. Fanboyism could be a valid reason. It's as if Nokia fans want so badly to make the N97 more than what it was meant to be in the first place: a half-a**ed, last-minute "flagship" offering before the N900 arrival. In a way, that is even more disappointing. Where is the logic in wasting time on an OS that may be dying by the wayside? Why waste resources in creating a device that is so lacking on a number of levels, AND THEN MAKE A MINI VERSION OF THAT SAME DEVICE?! To make matters worse, it seems that if one word of negativity is mentioned about the N97, the fanboy brigade comes into full effect with its mob mentality. I was going to post the video unboxing of the second N97 I purchased and do a follow-up as to why I detest it, but I decided against it.
Honestly, I have always been curious about the Omnia HD despite its lack of a hardware qwerty. Since a friend recently got his iPhone 3G and is loving the heck out of it, I began to wonder how the S60 5th edition OS would fare with a capacitive touchscreen. True, there may be some sacrifices, but the chance of being able to have US 3G support in my area is tempting. AT&T uses the 850 and 1900 bands in my area for 3G, and the Omnia HD has the 1900 band supported. I remember experiencing this same exact phenomenon with the Nokia Euro E75 from WomWorld a while back. I was definitely shocked to see 3G support on it out of the box, but it all made sense when I read the specs. If this is a possibility with the Omnia HD, then it may be worth a shot to take advantage of its features.
As long as I can continue to use Nokia Sport Tracker, have 3G and be able to use the OS MORE reliably than on the N97, I may be ready to accept it as an iPhone-like back up to my TP2. I have come to the conclusion that no other qwerty may ever surpass the layout on my Euro TP2, and the AT&T version looks like it will be a let down (I won't even begin to pretend that the lack of a number row and Control key are acceptable). I can probably limit use of the Quickoffice editor since that virtual keyboard may be unrealistic for productive typing. That camera, capacitive touch, sound, and huge AMOLED screen are what draws me to want to try this model. In addition to feeding my iPhone jealousy, I guess there is also a need for me to see if the S60 5th edition OS can be salvalged via a Samsung device running capacitive touch. If this is the case, then the N97 is much worse off than what I thought.
The upcoming N900 does seem promising, but I am currently cautious of Nokia's potential in screwing that up as well. After all, the N97 was marketed as a mini computer...(insert hysterical laughter HERE) Another thing to consider is Maemo's compatibility with apps previously made for S60 5th edition. I certainly look forward to mark/space possibly making a Missing Sync version for Maemo.
We will see what happens, I guess.
TRENT
Sent from my HTC Touch Pro 2
TRENT SENSE blogger/netcast host
trentsense.com
youtube.com/absolon3
4 comments:
Wow, Trent! As much as I admire you, I think the real issue is that your needs from a device are too focused on word processing. I happen to hate QWERTY, but liked the N97 nonetheless. Not LOVED, but liked. It could use more RAM, but wasn't the N95 the same way out of the door. I don't want to spill any beans, but adjustments and optimizations are coming. The OmniaHD is alot snappier because of more RAM, not necessarily the screen, but it helps as well.
Knowing your taste, just wait for the N900. You're a power user, and the N97 is a B grade device, and is only the Symbian Flagship, not the Nokia Flagship, and not even for very long.
Feel free to come say a few words in the Symbian Freak forums. You have plenty of followers there, including me, and we all respect your hustle and opinion, no matter what device you prefer.
I bet I can type faster on T9 than you can on QWERTY. But that's a challenge for a later day.
I am hopeful for the N900, but I can't help but be a little apprehensive about how it will perform in the real world. However, its Maemo OS is truly refreshing.
You make a REALLY good point about the N97 being only the Symbian flagship, and maybe I am too focused on word processing. Maybe relaxing a bit on my views and expectations is what I need to do, even if the N97 still has its faults. Only time will tell as upgrades and improvements are applied to the device.
Thanks so much for the support.
Hey, I love your site! And its okay to be personally centered in your choice. Like me, many people want to know how YOU feel about the device, and you always deliver. But you must see the device for what it is. In many countries, an N97 is the only web connection anyone has, and many place are commonly households that have never had a PC or used the web on one. They need the device to do the most things possible, and allow them to create custom software for easy homebrew apps via Python and Qt, and other free open source or publicly available tools, something many devices just can't do.
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