The number of curated archives of working Symbian software continues to grow - in this case a lade called Lilly/'whitemice', with a rather nice 'Nokia 700'-labelled blog full of specially selected Nokia/Symbian Belle apps and games, with comments and links. It's almost all freeware, but with some commercial links and, it seems, the occasional commercial title where it has been abandoned by its developer. Worth bookmarking.

Lilly's blog/directory is also noteworthy for a clear explanation of how to intercept apps and games that you're downloading/buying in the Nokia Store, with a view to archiving off the SIS installer file, for later re-installation if needed:

Download your purchased content from Nokia Store (using the phone):

1. After you buy something from the Nokia Store, you have to wait and look at the progress indicator below the button. When it’s full and says “Installing”, quickly press the red “end call” key.
2. Then open Files and select the drive where you usually install apps, scroll down and find a .sis/.sisx/.dm installation file and copy it to another drive/folder. For purchased themes look in a drive’s “Images” folder. NOTE: if the file has the .part extension, it means that you pressed too soon the red button!
3. After you backup the installer, make sure to install the app/theme/game/whatever by tapping it, so that the next time you open Nokia Store, you won’t get the “Installation failed” error.
4. You can browse your phone’s memory with a computer to get the installation file from where you copied it.

EXPLANATION: When you press the download/buy button, Nokia Store downloads the file on the phone, installs it and then deletes it. What you do is basically interrupting this series of actions, by copying the installation file before it gets deleted.

IMPORTANT: It is illegal to share on the Internet the installers for your purchased items! As long as you keep them to yourself, that’s okay, but DON’T GIVE THEM TO ANYONE ELSE! 

Here's an example of the style of the main blog, with some apps that I hadn't previously heard of:

SKETCHIT

For Nokia Belle/ Nokia Belle FP1/ Nokia Belle FP2

This is a vector-drawing app that allows you to export your sketches to .png and .svg! It recognises many shapes and converts tham into rescalable vectors! You can also write on your sketch!

Nokia Store link: http://store.ovi.com/content/113206

IMPORTANT:

• Your phone may need some components or plugins to run the app, so the smart installer would download them. Make sure you’re connected to the Internet before installing.
• Developer: FRUCT
• Version 1.0 (29.12.2011)
• Size: 200 kB

Download SketchIt

Download SketchIt Installer- online

SketchIt and much more besides is easily downloadable from Lilly's blog entries. She tries to stay the right side of the law and piracy too, with warnings in the appropriate couple of places and with a heavy emphasis on freeware and open source stuff. Worth bookmarking!