Does This Suit You, Sir?
When the Nokia 9300 was announced, a certain group of people pounced on it. Everyone who had clung on desperately to their Psion computers seemed to decide that the 9300 was the perfect replacement for the bulky 5mx and (more importantly) the svelte Psion Revo. Running Symbian OS 5.0 (but in those days it was called EPOC ER5) it looked to be a natural fit.
Well folks, I've news for all you people looking for your Psion replacement. It was unveiled by Nokia at their Mobility Conference in Monaco, and it's called the Nokia 7710.
Function Over Form
Okay, it's not a perfect replacement, because there's no keyboard and you'll be reliant on either the on-screen keyboard or the CIC Jot system (similar to that on UIQ devices) but having used Series 90, it takes only a few minutes to be entering accurate data with ease. What's most surprising is you don't miss the keyboard.
Series 90 has been around for some time - the Nokia 7700 debuted at the NMC last year, and the family lines from that device to the current 7710 are obvious. While initially intended to be with the public sometime in the summer of 2005, it was immediately christened the SuperTaco, and being cursed with the ill fated side talking the N-Gage had pioneered, it was never going to get a fair crack of the whip. So with the N-Gage QD given the all clear in April (and a much nicer, more aggressive shape) the 7700 units were shipped out to developers, media companies, and used as a test bed for what is, now, a much more robust and consumer friendly platform in the 7710.
But what's surprising isn't the design process of the hardware, it's the software. Because while Series 60 is the one-handed smartphone interface that's slowly taking over all of Nokia's high and mid-range phones; and Series 80 on the communicators has its roots in the GeOS system of the original 9000 Communicator; the software of Series 90 feels like it's been lifted straight out of the old Psion machines.
This is something that power users have been asking the manufacturers for since it was clear that Psion was out of the pocket computer game. For first time users coming to the 7710, it's going to be a pretty powerful beast, with more function and flexibility over any other PDA platform currently available. You've got core applications of an Integrated Messaging Client, Agenda, Word Processor, Spreadsheet and Contacts Manager. You've got secondary applications of a Sketch application, Powerpoint viewer, MIDP2 and a Macromedia-supporting xHTML Web Browser.
The UI is well thought out. Look at the messaging application, which has enough menu options for one email account. And for most regular users, that's all they'll need. But when you add in a second email account, the menu system changes and adds in more relevant options. It's not options greyed out that are selectable, it's the fact they are completely hidden away. The Series 90 interface has been designed for the Power User, and then the regular user interface is derived from that (not the other way around).
Look at the file based apps, such as Word and Sheet. There's no file structure, you just have all the files lumped in one folder, ordered by the last date they were opened. If you're a regular user. The power user can switch out to see the full directory structure, organise his files just as he or she wants. Whoever designed this UI has done an exceptional job in accommodating as many levels of user skill as possible.
The proof, of course, isn't in a twenty minute lightning test, it's going to be when the 7710 gets used in anger. But from what we've seen so far, the "wide screen smartphone" could prove to be the silent powerhouse of 2005.