II. SOFTWARE   (Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3)

10. Synchronisation

Tools folder contains two shortcuts to synchronisation clients called Synchronisation and Remote Synchronisation. PC Suite for the 9500 is said to be supporting SyncML and OBEX. Synchronisation client on the 9500 has a "PC Suite profile" configured by default with Host address set to "PC Suite". Connection type can be set to Internet (GPRS or WLAN), Data cable, Bluetooth or Infrared. It is now possible to initiate the synchronisation from the 9500 side. Synchronised contents types can be contacts, calendar and email. One can modify local and remote databases names and paths and choose between sync types: Normal, One-way from phone, One-way into phone. Users can create new profiles in order to sync data with other, remote servers.

You can also synchronise data (Calendar and Contacts) between two Communicators via Bluetooth or Infrated using Data transfer application. Just choose content and connection types and let the device discover the other phone and start synching.

11. Other tools

The Tools folder also contains the following applications: Backup (backup internal drive to memory card), Modem (fax-modem for your desktop via Infrared, Bluetooth or data cable), Connection monitor (information about active connections), Cell Broadcast (reception of network messages) and Help.

Desk also contains shortcuts to Clock (world clock, alarm), Data mover (import data from your old 9200(i) Communicator via Infrared or Memory card), VCalviewer (Calendar message viewer and importer) and Screen Exporter (export pictures and presentations to a beamer).

12. Java MIDP and Personal Java

The new Communicator supports Java MIDP 2.0 and Personal Java. You don't have to install any "MIDP Suites" or "PJava runtimes" as both are included in ROM. This makes the 9500 finally a true Java-enabled PDA. Everything works instantly and runtimes don't take RAM or storage space. MIDlets are treated like native applications, i.e. they appear directly on Desk or its folders and not in a separate "MIDP Suite". With large RAM and storage memories of the 9500 you can forget about all Java-related memory restrictions known from previous models. I only wish MIDlets were also accessible from the Phone side...

13. Camera

Camera is only available from the Phone side. It supports both still images and video recording with audio. Image resolution is VGA (640x480 pixels), video resolution is QCIF and subQCIF. Video recording time is only limited by free storage memory. The camera offers four modes: Standard photo, Portrait photo, Night mode and Video. It supports 2x digital zoom for both still images and video. Users can change brightness and contrast.

14. What's more...

As mentioned earlier, all system applications are now in ROM memory (Z: drive), which means that there are no "All_Nokia_9200_Data.sis" type packages to be installed on the device. Everything is already there by default. This not only makes the system much more stable (applications in ROM cannot be damaged, corrupted or deleted) but also leaves the entire storage space for the user and makes the device work much faster. And if you have to reformat your Communicator at some point, you don't have to spend time on installation of system software as everything is already there.

As opposed to the 9200, all system applications (including Telephone, Messaging, Contacts, Calendar and more) now have an "Exit" button, which means that you can close them if you don't need them. The only application running all the time is Desk. This makes all task managers pretty obsolete.

The 9500 has a new Profile: GSM Offline. It makes it possible to disable the GSM radio part in places where using cell phones is forbidden or may be disturbing but continue using Bluetooth and WLAN.

15. 3rd party software compatibility

Compatibility with 3rd party software written for 9200 series is very good. Most system-friendly programs work OK. Some other programs will require slight changes and will be most probably released as new, updated versions. Compatibility level seems to be better than in case of Nokia 3650 -> 6600 upgrade; even as advanced games as Doom from WildPalm work without any problems, not to mention utility software.

III. SUMMARY

The 9500 is certainly a device every Nokia 9200 Communicator owner has been waiting for for many years. Several times faster processor, 10 times bigger free RAM memory and huge internal storage drive make the phone very fast and allow for creating much more advanced applications. USB 2.0 and Bluetooth connectivity not only make data exchange a breeze but also provide support and compatibility for all kinds of accessories, including wireless headsets and car kits, GPS receivers (especially in connection with built-in system support for GPS and location services), Imaging accessories (Nokia Image Viewer, Observation camera etc.), Bluetooth printers and much more. GPRS and EDGE finally make your Communicator an always connected device while WLAN gives you fast and easy access to wireless networks and Internet hotspots at 11 megabits per second. Two 16-bit high-quality displays, stereo sound, improved keyboard with rocker-key, slightly reduced weight and size, support for large MMC cards, built-in camera with videorecording, exchangeable covers, improved user interface and system applications, much more advanced synchronisation, good battery life even with all these new features, fantastic Opera browser, tri-band phone, PowerPoint-compatible presentations editor, finally a true Java support - these are just examples of what's new in the 9500. Especially that there is even more to come (including the VPN client, business software from IBM and Oracle, security solutions like e.g. personal firewalls and anti-virus software) not yet available in the pre-release unit we tested. All this makes the 9500 a powerful PDA and the only one of its kind.

If we could have a wish and Nokia was a golden fish, we'd only ask Nokia to extend the Phone part of the device so that it gives simplified, quick access to more functions available from the PDA side, very often needed on the move when opening the cover and accessing the PDA part is not convenient or even not possible: voice recorder, calendar, calculator, music player, simplified XHTML/WML browser. Without these features accessible from outside, the simple and austere Phone part is now in way too big contrast with the powerful PDA part. Access to Image viewer (at least to images taken using the built-in camera), video player (clips recorded with the camera), showing contact pictures on incoming calls or possibility of running Java MIDP applications from the Phone side would be also a very nice and highly useful bonus.