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02.07.08 02:04 PM

Tmobile Wing to Nokia N95?

I'm currently running an experiment to see whether I'd switch from a Windows Mobile 6 phone to a Nokia N95. A few things about the potential transition have already been strange. For one, I've been using QWERTY-based phones for a while now, dating back to the initial release of the Sidekick II. From there I started using the MDA and now the Wing. So that was the initial adjustment I had to make, as predictive text can be a "B" in some cases.

Setting up Mail for Exchange to be able to access work email, calendar, contacts, tasks, etc. was pretty easy. I just set up the bluetooth for the phone to connect to my computer and downloaded the Mail for Exchange app from the Nokia site and then sent it over to the N95. It came in as a message and then loaded itself onto the device as an application. I just had to put in the settings for my work's exchange server, and I was up and running in no time.

And adding the Gmail app (something I was unable to do with the Wing) was also fairly simple. I actually like using the app, as opposed to setting it up in POP or IMAP, or having to access it on the Mobile Web.

Phone calls worked immediately, and my ability to make calls was enhanced once I got my contacts in there. (All of my contacts from work's Exchange server and home's Apple Address Book are already synced through Plaxo so there's no worry over making this Symbian device sync everything with either my work MacBook Pro or home PowerBook G4.)

Right now the main thing I'm experiencing difficulties with is getting SMS to work. Since my test unit came without a SIM card, I've been using my Tmobile SIM. And while I'm receiving text messages, I can't figure out how to send them. On the Nokia N95, you actually have to set your connections, they're not all exactly automatic. For instance, now I have to figure out what the requirements for using Tmobile's message center are.

Since the iPhone and the N95 are two of the most talked about phones nowadays, I've decided to give them both a whirl before I decide whether I really hate being on a Windows phone, just because I hate Windows. The truth is, I've been able to get my Wing to work exactly how I like it. But I suppose if I invest enough time in learning the N95, I could learn to love it too. (Gotta' admit though, I had an iPhone home for about 2 weeks, and barely touched it.)

More to come in this series as I figure out how to set up text messaging, and make real use of the image and video capabilities, and the music capabilities as well. And the follow up posts will contain images and video.

posted by lynne | link to this |