Today I reinstalled the PC Suite software for the Nokia N73 I got as part of the blogger program. I had issues with no US charger and have been trying to charge and get the basics up an running on an auto adapter until yesterday.

It's also important to define the constraints I have in testing. I'm using a prepaid SIMcard from T-Mobile. No data plan, and that means most of the real functionality I'd want and need isn't going to be available for testing for the moment. What I saw as perhaps the coolest phone feature was the autoposting of photos to Flickr, but I don't think that can be done via MMS (which didn't seem to work earlier). I think a data plan is necessary. But I'll be exploring. My intent is to identify what works well using the N73 and N93 with just a prepaid minutes plan. After that, it's quite likely I'll evolve to a data plan sans contract for some further testing.

I have to say that while I like the phone and its feature set, from a PC connectivity perspective, it's one of the most cumbersome devices I've ever worked with. The PC Suite program absolutely will not synchronize over the cable. I've tried on four different computers, two different cables on each and none even recognize the phone exists. As a result, I fell back to Bluetooth as a synch method. It works well enough, but slowly. I've managed to get Outlook information all synched across. I'll continue some testing and RTFM as I proceed now with basics.

And later today or tomorrow, I'll install the N93 software, configure it for WiFi, and begin doing the same with it. I'll keep you posted as I progress. Initial reaction is quite favorable, and the N93 looks to be very nearly my handheld of choice. Nearly, but not quite. Without a QWERTY keyboard, it's unlikely I'd ever switch fully. But I can see my Treo 700W and the N93 becoming a pair to reckon with. And I'm curious what Bluetooth pairing between those two might accomplish.


Technorati Tags: Nokia, N73, N93