Pocket Computers

Laptop and Smartphone

Nokia’s tagline, from desktop to laptop to pocket, is more than a tagline. A recent article featured in allaboutsymbian.com argued that Nokia is the world’s biggest computer manufacturer.  I agree.

I treat my smartphones as laptop alternatives and thus handle them the way I do computers. I install applications only on the phone’s memory, keep all files on memory cards, and backup regularly. I always use screen protectors and keep my phones in protective cases.

Yes, they are phones. But they are pocket computers too.

Mobile Browser Wars

Actually, there’s no war. I think we should stop using “war” to describe things that actually has no connection whatsoever to the tragic reality that is WAR.

Skyfire just got out of beta and, if you haven’t visited get.skyfire.com you should. If the beta was great, this new one is better. No other mobile browser can deliver the multimedia experience on a phone like Skyfire.

For a really cool way to “wow” people with Skyfire, use your phone’s TV-out on a wide-screen television or LCD projector and show them what streaming video on a phone is all about.

For those who want to experience “iphonish” (is that even a word?) mobile browsing, check out Ozone. It was recently reviewed on allaboutsymbian.com. Try GMail or Google Reader using Ozone and you’ll agree with me.

With over 60 million downloads and, according to online sources, the biggest browser in China, UCWeb remains a very good alternative to my all-time favorite, Opera Mini. Try version 6 and you will be amazed by the wealth of options available to you.

I’ve been using Opera for years. And years. For reading and research (which, you already know, I do a lot of), it remains my number one choice. I have dedicated keys on all my phones assigned to Opera Mini.

Try them all out. Having choices is an excellent thing.

Tools for the New School Year

It’s almost June and a lot of people– fellow teachers and students– have asked me for recommendations regarding the best tools for the coming school year.

Netbooks. I always tell folks to get a netbook if they already have a desktop. They are excellent 2nd computers.

Smartphones. Unless you already have a Nokia Wireless Keyboard, Nokia’s E-Series QWERTY Smartphones are very good alternatives to netbooks. I still believe that the E61i is an excellent choice as well as the E63. Mobilepakistan.wordpress.com has an excellent article on how the E61i “outperforms” a laptop. If you can afford an E71, you can afford a low-end netbook.

Among the N-Series, the N-95 remains, for me, the top of the line. It might not have the Xenon flash of the N-82, but the N-95 started the “desktop to laptop to pocket computing” trend that the forthcoming N-97 is riding on. As an over-all device, even the newer N-85 and N-96 fall short of the N-95. If you shop around, you can get an N-95 brand new or used at very nice prices.