Blackberry Killer?
Tom Keating wanted to know if anyone was using a Blackberry Killer. Well I’ve been using the Nokia 9500 for almost a year now. At the moment, I am currently travelling with a Nokia 9300, which is it’s smaller, slimmer, WiFi and camera-less brother. Both phones are similiar in terms of software as they contain the same office productivity and email software. I do miss the WiFi of the Nokia 9500, though constant use of the WiFi kills the battery life.
The software included with unbranded Communicators don’t do the “always on” email thing that Blackberry does. However, if you team it up with Intellisync Wireless Email, you get the Blackberry-like functionality. I am currently using the technology that Nokia had prior to the Intellisync acquisition, which is called Nokia Business Center, which basically gives similar functionality.
I will say this: typing with either the 9300 or a 9500 is a two-thumbed affair and you definitely need two hands to hold the device. Is that any easier than the Blackberry? No, but the Blackberry isn’t as wide. Of course the Blackberry doesn’t have a wide screen like the 9300 and 9500 have. The phone part of the 9300 and 9500 is superb, as is most every recent Nokia device. Both have great speakerphones as well.
Software on the 9300 and 9500 is fairly decent given the number of Symbian and J2ME apps out there. You may have challenges with some apps as not all Series 60 apps will run correctly on Series 80, but many of them do.
One app I use extensively is the Music Player. It is not the prettiest app out there, but for the task of playing podcasts, it gets the job done The one feature I use extensively, aside from the actual playback, is the delete function. When I am done playing an MP3 file and it moves to the next one, I can go back and delete the file from within the app. I actually use the open-source OggPlay for music.
Anyway, to answer the Blackberry Killer question: it certainly provides the Blackberry-like functionality and will be a worthy competitor in the marketplace. Whether it will “slay” the Blackberry remains to be seen.
