I have switched my SIM card to the Touch Pro 2 device for TMobile since I grew bored with using the Nokia N900. Just recently I found out that a new N900 firmware update has been released after my doing this, but it turns out to be a minor one with only a few fixes. After over a couple months of using the Internet tablet device as my main phone, I am at a crossroads concerning my usage once again. Even though the N900 has LOTS of potential with desktop web browsing and social network connectivity, it can certainly be so much more in regards to its qwerty keypad performance.
While my thumbs type on this Touch Pro 2 in wild abandon, I am instantly reminded of what drew me to this sliding qwerty in the first place. The writing experience on this HTC device is equaled by no other, and I will continue to stand by this opinion for as long as possible. The tactile feedback and spacing of the keys is absolutely perfect, and long periods of time can pass being spent on writing out my thoughts. After using my terribly-missed Missing Sync software to update PIM data on the TP2, I am back at home with its advanced qwerty and non-Maemo5 OS. Five rows of characters printed onto tactile keys spaced in a most generous manner simply bring joy to the gadget addict from within, and I cannot help but wonder how I could transplant this to my N900.
There is no doubt that the Touch Pro 2 lacks many features that make the N900 stand apart from it, but it may be good for me to adopt some simplicity in my usage for right now. Nokia's newest device keeps me connected to all of my social networks from Skype and GoogleTalk in addition to my phone contacts. As a matter of fact, EVERY single point of contact is automatically included into my N900 contacts whenever I have some type of correspondence. Scrolling through the entire listing can be a chore when I see that email addresses have been incorporated with Skype and GoogleTalk screen names. True, I can (and have) consolidate bits of this data into one contact file, but this can be tedious over time as I come across new people. This new expansion of constant connectivity has been very different for me to get accustomed to, for I had been used to being offline from my social networks when using my previous smartphones. With N900, I can be surfing the web and suddenly get an IM message from GoogleTalk AND Skype along with the usual email and SMS alerts. While this was interesting at first, I have to admit that it began to feel challenging at certain times. I was in search of a device that could keep me connected in a multiple number of ways and I got it with the N900, I just was not sure if I wanted it. Only running into friends and contacts on my Mac via Facebook and Twitter and other channels was no longer the name of the game, and I had to adapt accordingly. However, from a positive aspect, the N900 has opened me up to a whole new way to be in touch with new friends over such various networks. Life is made better when it is spent in good company, and I have had nothing but that whenever I have been contacted on my N900 by a friend or even a TRENT SENSE fan.
Being on the Touch Pro 2 at this point does feel refreshing after spending such a long while with the N900's features and Maemo5 interface. In previous years I was hopping from one device to another in short amounts of time, and friends even jokingly stated I changed my phones with my underwear! Now that I have not been purchasing as often as I used to, I still find myself getting bored with just using one model. In all honesty, the N900 is certainly the most advanced Nokia I ever had the pleasure of owning. Its stereo speakers, suitable camera, acceptable qwerty, desktop web experience and connectivity really impresses me to this day. However, there is a void when it comes to GPS tracking applications, office suite support, and Mac syncing...a HUGE one! While the benefits seem to outweigh the negatives, I still encounter occasional boredom with that high-end Nokia. Since I have turned away from excessive spending on new gadgets and am not currently inspired by anything on the market, my Touch Pro 2 for TMobile is the best solution for now.
What is funny is how I end up trading one basket of pros and cons for another in switching devices. My HTC without question has the best qwerty on the market, offers a standard office suite, syncs flawlessly with my Mac, provides send/end keys, CAN BE USED IN PORTRAIT MODE, and reliably uses GPS with Google Maps. However, web browsing on Opera Mobile can only be but so great without flash support, there is a lack of ample internal storage, camera capabilities are suitable for stills but sad for video capture, navigating between multitasked apps can be a chore, and the interface seems stagnant. Updating to the Windows Mobile 6.5 from 6.1 may seem like a possible solution, but I already experienced that with my unlocked Touch Pro 2 with mixed results. As a breath of fresh air it seems to be with this locked Touch Pro 2, I am missing the positive qualities of my N900. When I use the N900 I feel like I am powering a bona-fide communication web machine!! There is a certain sense of superiority to all the average smartphone users when I have this device in its holster, for I know that it is not just any other smartphone. This allure that comes from being an Internet tablet with a phone built-in is the same phenomena I experienced when using the E90 Communicator and iPhone for the first time! As much as it can be a benefit to not be like every other smartphone, it is also a curse at times. Lack of portrait mode is a crucial fault on the part of Maemo5 for a mobile device, and I certainly feel the pain of this on a regular basis. As much as I try to psych myself out in thinking that landscape mode 24/7 can be appealing in its own way, it simply is not...especially not in daily life away from home. Not having the convenience of EFFICIENT one-handed use while on-the-go is a big problem that I hope is rectified soon with updates. Another feature I took for granted on previous smartphone models is the pairing of physical keys for call/end commands. Fooling with the touch-only keys on an iPhone is one thing due to its reliable OS, but Maemo5 is not at that same level to warrant any kind of confidence from me. There are moments when touch inputs are not responded to, and this can sometimes be solved by the presence of a physical button. Going without an office suite and a method of Mac syncing is never a great thing for me to tolerate on any mobile device, but I still believe that the uniqueness of the N900 is well worth it. I have adopted the Notes app as an acceptable workaround to writing my thoughts, even though a fully featured document editor would be preferred sometime in the near future. Not being able to sync PIM data with my Mac is a necessary evil until Missing Sync can develop compatible software for Maemo5. All I can say is that the Nokia N97 mini on trial from WomWorld and the Nokia Sync/Transfer function REALLY saved me from the tedious task of inputting EVERYTHING into my N900 manually!!
With all of that said, there are plenty of possible reasons why I should stay with one mobile device, but one certain reason why I may not: boredom. Even if I put down funds to get a Nexus One or Motorola Milestone delivered to my home, I am sure there will be a time when I pick up that gadget and look forward to the next best thing.
Trent Smith
Sent from my TMobile Touch Pro 2
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TRENT SENSE blogger/netcast host
trentsense.com
youtube.com/absolon3
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