Wish Nokia had done the same in the release of their most recent E-Series flagship, after all, isn’t the E-Series set of phones supposed to be made for efficiency? They did drop the ‘enterprise’ label for ‘efficiency’ recently but with the E75, they fall squarely on their face.

So, I’m three phones in now… (more after the jump) the first E75 was smashed in frustration, the second and third, gifts from contacts that live in the dark underworld of mobile phones. Third time’s a charm, right? Well, I’ve certainly learned to cope, that’s for sure. (more after the jump)

For the many that may be reading this for the first time, I’m not necessarily the average user – I rely heavily on two seperate Microsoft Exchange Servers on different networks to do what I need to do. I prefer push mail and have found that through the years, the Nokia E61, E61i, E51 and E71 have all given me exactly what I need – fast and productive access to two Exchange mailboxes via push.

How, on earth, do I do it? Well, simply put, both Nokia and DataViz have published Exchange connectivity software (Mail for Exchange and RoadSync respectively) for Nokia’s S60v3 phones including the E-Series, N-Series and Communicators. Both programs coexist to a certain extent (I only sync one calendar, tasks, contacts – the other Exchange client is specifically for mail and that’s it) and as a result, I’m a happy camper.

So, back to the E75.

The specs are great – E-Series phone, slider with full keyboard, runs N-Gage, Nokia’s gaming platform, S60v3 feature pack 2 and all the bells and whistles.

I truly think there’s a couple of great features that feature pack 2 phones offer – destinations instead of access points allows you to switch between Wi-Fi and 3G seamlessly for apps that support it (like Nokia Mail and the built in browser), location tagging built into the camera application, user data preservation on firmware updates (not totally stable) and a suite of cool ringtones.

…. but there’s the other side too – the Nokia Mail (which replaces the standard mail app and Mail for Exchange) is slick but it’s slower than molasses running uphill and downright frustrating. The amount of RAM memory to install software is extremely limited and in two cases, I’ve filled the memory of the phone up to the point where mail and SMSes ceased to be received – not cool! The phone isn’t ever eager to respond and the form factor is better fit for a purse than a suit jacket or front pocket on the jeans.

I’ve had much to say about Nokia Mail … simply put, it’s slow, clunky and stinks… more on that, HERE.

In the end, I’ve been far more productive with the E71. It fits better in your pocket, the feature pack 1 software isn’t buggy and there’s plenty of room in the phone’s local memory to install applications.

For that, I give the E75 a 0 out of 10.

Now, since I’ve been stuck with the phone for reviewing purposes, I’ve had to cope – so here’s what I’ve done:

1 – formatted the phone and got rid of N-Gage

2 – installed every possible application to the phone’s external memory – in my case, a reputable 16GB SDHC micro card

3 – installed RoadSync v4 as my primary mail client – even though it has it’s shortcomings, it’s still better than Nokia Mail

4 – used Nokia Mail for my secondary mail client – I don’t have to be as responsive on the phone

5 – upgraded to Ovi Maps and Quickoffice v6

6 – moved the message store of the phone to the external memory

That’s it…  trim the fat and bear with the slowness… and try not to smash yet another phone.

In upcoming Nokia phones, I’ll be sure to be weary of the Nokia Mail application – it’s a piece of garbage. Failing that, I might have to actually carry two phones again, a quick and responsive BlackBerry and maybe something else. As for Nokia, f#%k that!

This item was re-published with permission from raj.jp.

Now, in all fairness to Nokia, I am a Nokia E71 user – it’s a sexy, versatile phone. I monitor two Exchange accounts using Mail for Exchange and Roadsync. I use the VOIP client frequently, the podcasting application is a lifesaver, Widsets keep me up to date and I like viewing rich media with Skyfire. (more after the jump)

… but to have Nokia purport that there are no hidden costs, I think they may have misunderstood the ultimate cost – people’s time. Some comparisons, after the jump.

For the purpose of this test, we’ll talk about connecting the mobile to Microsoft Exchange Server.

Software installation test:

Nokia E71 – you must install either Mail for Exchange or RoadSync
BlackBerry Handheld – software is included on the server

Server configuration test:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange and RoadSync connect to Exchange natively
BlackBerry Handheld – BlackBerry Enterprise Server is required

Cost per unit test:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange, free. RoadSync, $40
BlackBerry Handheld – Built in client, free. BES license, $99

Activation test:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange and RoadSync, must know all the details of your Exchange server, at least five different settings have to be entered into the device
BlackBerry Handheld – User only needs to know their email and activation password

Automatic retrieval test:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange, will automatically retrieve the rest of a message. RoadSync, must manually download the rest of a message
BlackBerry Handheld – Messages automatically retrieve

Server side management test:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange and RoadSync, limited configuration and management of the device from the server
BlackBerry Handheld – dozens of configuration options from access rules to signatures on the server

Subfolder test:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange, no subfolders. RoadSync, only folders below the Inbox
BlackBerry Handheld – Subfolders anywhere and everywhere

Note: when I queries the RoadSync people about this issue, they stated that this is a limitation of the ActiveSync protocol. With the release of the iPhone and it’s ability to connect with subfolders regardless of where they may be (same level as Inbox, for example), I’m calling bullshit.

Search test:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange, built in plugin for internal search. RoadSync, server-based search works only with Exchange 2007
BlackBerry – fast handheld search

Name resolution test:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange, will resolve names in the device’s addressbook, you can use a tool to find names on the server. Roadsync, no automatic resolution, you can use a tool to find names in the device’s addressbook or on the server
BlackBerry – will resolve accounts on the server and the device automatically

Flags, followup, reminders:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange, no dice. RoadSync, flagging and reminders on messages for Exchange 2007 only
BlackBerry – no dice

One button composition:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange, hold down the e-mail key. RoadSync, one button composition broken, you have to go through several menus to compose an email
BlackBerry – Quick composition from the home screen

So in the end, both devices read email, once you get to know your device, you’ll probably get along well with it. The most confounding aspect of the Nokia device is the configuration and management of the device. Not as smooth as the BlackBerry yet and costly as a result. If you count your labour as free, then maybe there’s an ROI justification to look at it. If not, then it’s gotta be BlackBerry.

In all fairness, I haven’t mentioned Nokia’s Intellisync which is supposedly a contender for the BlackBerry Enterprise space. The client which is also the same client used for the free Nokia Email service (similar to BlackBerry’s BIS) is a piece of junk. Slow, clunky and poorly laid out at best.

This item was re-published with permission from raj.jp.

Recently, I decided to bite the bullet and purchase the North American E71-2 which can take advantage of high-speed 3G internet here in Canada. (more after the jump) I was impressed but I also noticed some interesting differences between the first phone I got and the second one. Apparently, the E71-2 I received has an additional feature – quickdial. On the standby screen, you can start typing your intended victim’s name and voila – the E71-2 will try to discern who you’re trying to reach and wil pop up a list of potential callees. No such luck with the E71-1. This, of course, is pre-firmware upgrade. I’ll report once I actually get to that.

For reference, my E71-1 bears a product ID of RM-346. The E71-2 bears a product ID of RM-357. Other than that, they’re both firmware 100.07.76 dated 08-06-2008.

BTW – I also discovered a new shortcut for the phone. If you want to toggle between predictive text and standard entry, hit ALT then press CTRL then hit SPACE. If you’re looking for other shortcuts, check out the E71fanatics page on the topic, HERE.

This item was re-published with permission from raj.jp.

In sequence, the last three phones I’ve used are the Nokia N95 8GB, the Nokia E61i and the Nokia E61. I’m happy to be back with an E-Series phone. If I were to compare the N95 to the E71, I’d say I miss the 5 megapixel camera. The E71 comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera that I would classify more as a toy. (more after the jump)

Features I missed with the N series are back as well – one touch voice dialing – hold down the voice key on the right hand side of the phone and speak the name of your intended victim. It seems that the voice recognition has improved as well. More after the jump.

Buttons – the bane of me

A couple of tidbits for the Nokia E61 and E61i user – the button which allows you to switch tasks on the E71 is now located as the second key on the left of the joystick. I’m so used to the E61i task switch on the key next to the joystick that I frequently push the wrong button and consequently wind up creating a calendar entry – pain in the butt to say the least. Some more ’self training’ will have to go on to unlearn that one.

The other button feature I miss is the ability to program the middle button or voice button as I like to call it on the side of the phone. With the E61i, by tapping this programmable button, you can call up the voice recorder. By holding it down, dial by voice. With the E71, you can’t program a tap – only dial by voice exists.

Transfer your Nokia Maps license to a new device

I am also really happy with Nokia Maps and the built in GPS in the E71. I transfered my CITIES folder from the ‘memory card’ portion of the N95 8GB to the memory card of my E71. I don’t know if this had any effect on my Nokia Maps license but I was able to transfer the remaining time on my license (about 2 years worth) to my new phone. Now, it’s possible that Nokia maps identifies the license by SIM card but by transferring the CITIES folder, I was able to re-use the cache and maps I had already downloaded to my N95.

N-Gage first access installed on the E71?

On the Internet, there’s a copy of the N-Gage first access program that can be used to ‘unethically’ install a preview version of N-Gage to devices like the N95 8GB. You can either extract the file or search for ‘9_n-gage.sisx‘ – this program seems to also install on the E71 although that’s about as far as I got. I didn’t actually test any games, but theoretically, N-Gage with that suite of demos which came out with first access might be possible on the E71. When I tried to upgrade N-Gage to the full version, I ran into an error – same with uninstalling it, so be forewarned – a full wipe of your device will be necessary if you want to get rid of N-Gage. For aspiring S60 hackers, I’d try to see if the release version works on a brand new device in the future. Who knows, I might go out and buy another E71 for my travel phone and will experiment then.

Power User Supremo

Mail is the most important issue for me – I’m really appreciative that Nokia added the ability to monitor two mailboxes on the active standby screen. Two mailboxes means that I can view my corporate account and the critical technical support mailbox quickly. Everything else is just to keep in the loop.

Mail setup:

• Mail for Exchange 2.5.5 – corporate email
• Roadsync 3.003 (399) – technical support mailbox
• IMAP – regional company account #1 (Vancouver)
• IMAP – regional company account #2 (Calgary)
• IMAP – personal email hosted by GMail

One of my gripes in this situation is that the E71 complains that I have too many accounts auto-retrieving messages when I try to set my third IMAP account to auto-retrieve.

It also seems like auto-retrieval at fixed intervals is still broken and intermittent at best so the only reliable way to get email to the E71 is to use push-based systems.

One thing that I miss from the N95, E61 and E61i is the visual feedback on the front screen. The mailbox with the lightning bolt through it would most likely mean that your mailbox is connected. With the E71, the only feedback you get is on the mail accounts screen or by opening Roadsync or Mail for Exchange to see if they’re connected. Roadsync is easy, just switch the task to it. MFE is a bit more painful since you have to launch the application.

On my E61i, I use BlackBerry Connect. Thus far, I have not tested it on the N71 but if I get enough time, who knows.

Bye Bye Mon Cowboy

Well.. or at goodbye least ‘Access Point Groups.’ In the E71, you no longer have the ability for your device to intelligently switch between several WiFi access points, for example – a great feature for the user looking to save some cash. Sadly, now you’re confined to a since access point. Really sad since Devicescape doesn’t allow you to use your 3G or GPRS connection and Birdstep’s Smartroaming went the way of the dodo bird.

VOIP with someone, or if you’ve got cash to burn and like poor customer service, go Vonage

The SIP or Internet phone works great on the E71 as well – as good as it worked on the N95 or E61i and better than on the E61. You can read more about how I connected my E61 to Vonage back in 2006, HERE. Since then, I’ve switched providers but no comment thus far other to say that it’s functional.

The iPod Killer, RSS reader and more

With Nokia’s built in Podcasting client, you can subscribe to podcasts fill the memory card (mine’s 2GB but you can get 8GB and hopefully 16GB soon) without the need for your computer. So long as the program is open, you can use it to find podcasts, manage your subscriptions and download as required. The built in music player is as slick as the music player in the N95. It would be nice for Podcasting to open up on its own when the phone starts, though – makes sense for people on the go.

As for the built in RSS reader which is a subset of the web browser, you can tell it to auto-refresh feeds for you as well – no improvement here – seems to refresh intermittently at best.

The Grand Finale

Overall, the E71 is jam-packed with features. It’s sexy, small, rugged and has more functionality than you can shake a stick at. Some of which needs to be refined for the power user but outside of that, I’d say for the corporate mover and shaker, it’s a really good match.

For the anyone considering a serious telephone, the iPhone whether it’s the original or the iPhone 3G is simply nonsense. Have you ever tried to type on that thing? IMAP is slow on the iPhone and despite having an ‘Exchange’ tab in the original iPhone, there is no support for Calendar, Tasks and Contacts. The 3G model may have these features in but given the dog-like performance of its predecessor, why would anyone subject themself to this?

Final note for the uber geek – the E71 has built in support for SSL certificates from Stargate aka GoDaddy and Facebook, etc. which means you won’t need to deploy CA certs to the phone to access some encrypted sites.

Kudos to Nokia, 9/10 -

This item was re-published with permission from raj.jp.