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< Esato Forum Index > Sony Ericsson / Sony > Symbian phones > Palm user about to convert a few questions! Bookmark topic

Hello,

I've used Palm powered handhelds for quite some time now and they've been really useful. However, they are a tad too bulky to haul around everywhere I go, especially since I also need a cellular with me, so I'm investigating the usefulness of smartphones. I'm thinking that perhaps it's worth to downgrade to a smartphone just because it's easy to carry. My handheld isn't of much use sitting in it's cradle. Anyway, here are a few questions.

1) First off, what about the operating system? It's stated that the P900 comes with Symbian OS 7.0, but apparently not Series 60. My question is if programs written for the Symbian-based Series 60 (or Series 40) platform are executeable in the Symbian distribution that
s apparently only called simply 'Symbian 7'. Are they? If not, which Symbian version is the most common one? I reckon Nokia utilizes Series 60 and 40 in all their smartphones.

2) As an attendant question, exactly how advanced are P900 programs? I've played Worms and Wolfenstein clones on my handheld computer, and would like to continue doing so on a smartphone. Also, spreadsheet editing and word processing wouldn't be a bad thing.

3) How does the P900 perform as an MP3 player? My current handheld, the Tungsten T3, doubles as my primary MP3 player, so it's of great importance that my future smartphone will be able to do so as well. What about sound quality and volume? And most importantly, is it stereo?

4) What about Symbian stability? Does it crash a lot? I wouldn't want Windows 98 stability on the road with me.

5) Are there any quality issues with the hardware? Bad digitizers, broken buttons or a lot of dead pixels? Anything else I should be aware of?

6) How's web-browsing with the P900?

7) Is there a possibility to use the MSN Messenger service, ICQ and IRC on the P900?

Lastly, are there any rumours of an upcoming P1000? The forthcoming S700i and K700i both have enhanced imaging capabilities which make the P900 appear as fairly obsolete in that aspect.

That's all for now. I bet I'll come up with more later. Answers to these questions are greatly appreciated. I presume that this forum is the perfect place to ask in.

Thanks in advance!
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Posted: 2004-04-13 20:39:16
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Twin_Pixel

I still have a Clie NR70 but use my P900 all the time now.

Here my thoughts about your questions:

1. The main difference between Series 60 and the P900 is UIQ, the user interface. I think the Series 60 is based on an earlier version of the Symbian OS.

2. Sorry, I'm not a games person.

3. P900 is a wonderful MP3 player. For UIQ you also have the option of OGG as well.

4. Symbian has better virtual file management compared with Palm OS (ie it is possible to store all apps, nearly, on the Duo Card and read / write etc work okay). I also think Symbian is more stable given that it is also performing communications tasks.

5. I've not any problems myself and have not heard about any recalls for faults.

6. Sorry, I don't use IM therefore cannot comment.

You also may not know that QuickOffice and Agendus as available for the P900.



_________________



[ This Message was edited by: Jah on 2004-04-13 20:19 ]
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Posted: 2004-04-13 21:18:01
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one thing to bear in mind coming from a palm is the memory stock the p series can only use up to 128mb you maybe use to using alot bigger on palms
not a huge problem but one worth knowing before spending hard earned cash
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Posted: 2004-04-13 21:52:54
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1). Symbian is the underlying OS (version 6 on most nokias, 7 on the P8/900), whereas Series 60 is a Nokia user interface which sits on top, and UIQ is a Symbian-produced UI which SE (Sony Ericsson) use for their smartphones. The key difference between the two is that Series 60 devices - such as the Nokia 6600, Sendo X etc - are entirely keypad driven, whilst UIQ phones like the P900 have a touchscreen interface, which as a Palm user you'll find a lot more familiar (and useful). Series 60 phones are certainly more popular in sales terms, if only because of the sheer number that Nokia have produced, and hence software companies do tend to write for that UI first - but the vast majority of apps get ported to UIQ shortly after, since they're relatively easy to convert between the two. That said, there are many apps written specifically for UIQ which could only work on that interface, thanks to the touchscreen.

2). On my P800 I have a copy of Lemmings that's indistinguishable from the original, and an advanced 3D racer in the form of V-Rally that amazes everyone that sees or plays it. I'm not sure if the specific games you mention are available, but I'm sure the hardware could support them. Meanwhile, as mentioned, Quickoffice is available and offers word processing and spreadsheet editing functionality. The P series phones also come complete with Word, Excel, Powerpoint and PDF viewers built in.

3). The sound quality of my P800 is excellent, and the P900 builds on that with an improved media player (third party players are also available). They're both stereo, unlike some Series 60 devices.

4). I find Symbian to be very stable. In the five months I've had my phone, I can still count the crashes on one hand.

5). Some P900's squeak when you squeeze them apparently (I've not witnessed this myself). That's the only issue I know of.

6). Opera is a free download for the P900 (or the P800 for that matter) and is an excellent browser, with a "fit to page" function that makes any site a breeze.

7). There are various messenger programs available - some for free - supporting MSN, ICQ, AOL and Yahoo (often all four in one). I use Agilemessenger, and it works just fine.

On your last point - there's always rumours and talk about the next phone, but I don't personally expect the P1000 to turn up anytime soon (certainly not this year). The S700 certainly has a better quality camera, but it's not a smartphone - it doesn't run Symbian (or any other "open" OS) - so it won't be any real replacement for your Palm.
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Posted: 2004-04-13 22:27:11
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umm well considering that you already have a pda i would recommend that you wait for p1000 (i'm 99% sure that they are going to announce it on september (at least that's what i've heard )
and they HAVE t compete with mpx and 9500, plus september is a year from the p900 so it's quite logical to me..
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Posted: 2004-04-13 22:38:41
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Thank you so much for all the input.

About the 128 MB memory stick limit, isn't there any neat work-around? I mean, 128 MB for music or video is nada.
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Posted: 2004-04-13 22:46:48
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No work around, just have to carry a few duo's around. Memory expansion is the only downside for me with my P900, but I can live with it. Bit ironic when you consider my siemens sl45 can take upto 256mb mmc card and its like over 3years old now, still going strong. This message was posted from a Nokia
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Posted: 2004-04-13 22:52:07
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Out of curiosity, why are you not looking at a Treo 600?
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Posted: 2004-04-14 09:08:15
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Out of my own experience i would say go for/stick to PDA..
P900 is a very nice and advanced phone imo. Only gripes I had was that I think it is cumbersome as a phone, a bit slow overall and has the famous memory size limit.
Swiss army knives are neat, but not one of the components are better than their dedicated counterparts.. if you know what I mean
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Posted: 2004-04-14 10:32:04
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Quote:
On 2004-04-14 10:32:04, ThreeX wrote:
Out of my own experience i would say go for/stick to PDA..
P900 is a very nice and advanced phone imo. Only gripes I had was that I think it is cumbersome as a phone, a bit slow overall and has the famous memory size limit.

I agree about the memory limit, but I wouldn't call the P900 slow, or even cumbersome. If you're used to carrying around a PDA and a phone as a matter of course, it's a real space saver - and as the original poster pointed out, a PDA sat on the shelf is worthless.

Quote:Swiss army knives are neat, but not one of the components are better than their dedicated counterparts.. if you know what I mean

I really don't agree with that analogy at all. The P-series phones are far more than just the sum of their parts; these are convergent devices representing an obvious evolutionary step in both the PDA and phone markets. They haven't just welded two different components together, they've made them work together in a better way than they ever did before, as one complete package. One day all PDA's will be made this way; the only question is what we'll call them..
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Posted: 2004-04-14 14:21:25
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