However, after much thought, I realized my smartphone usage is more on multi-media (music, video, photo, and paint pad!), social networking (via nimbuzz) and fast surfing (opera mini). I read that most Java apps don’t work with the N900!

And so I’m down to N97 vs N97 mini. I’m gonna buy the N97 due to the 32gb on board memory and larger screen.

I purchased the N97 when it was introduced in July 2009 and it work well until the firmware was updated in mid November 2009, then the N97 stop working when it was mated with a bluetooth headset. The symptoms are that the “contact” list could not be read and calls cannot be made and calls cannot be received with the bluetooth engaged. The N97 also froze up or the unit would blank or black out. So, Nokia was informed and the N97 was sent in for repairs.

The N97 went back and forth to Palco (Nokia’s repair facilities) every week for a month, four times for repairs but to no avail. Nokia’s Palco had even exchanged the unit with another new replacement unit, but the problem still was the same with the new unit as well. This situation was never resolved and the “upper” management of Nokia 97’s technical sector was called in and they were also frustrated as well. Management had given me several options as to resolve the situation. First, as to refund my money “prorated” or to replace it with the “newly” N97 Mini or with the “newly” N900. Since I had ALREADY owned the N900 when introduced in November 2009, that option was out of the equation. The two choices left, were to accept a prorated refund or to accept the Mini. I went with the later because the Mini should be like the N97 for I always liked the N97 workability with my habits of usage when I am in the field. Also the Nokia technicians had believed that the problem that I am having does not exists in the Mini, for they claim there are differences with the two units. Well, I accepted the Mini with reluctance, due to a smaller screen and with only 8G’s. Anyway, upon receiving the Mini, I downloaded the “contact” file’s data and turned on the bluetooth mode to pair it with the headset and only to find the same problem is with the Mini as well. So, with my frustration, called up the person directly that I had dealt with as to inform him that the situation is STILL the same. He and technicians had no clue as what the problem may be.

I then decided to experiment on my own, as to shrink the list by deleting non-essential people in my contact. It took me over 14 hours to manually reviewing and deleting over 600 people. With the deletion, only then did the Mini’s contact with the bluetooth modes do both become operable. Basically, there seems to be a “limited capacity” to the contact list and Nokia and technical staff didn’t know??? Duhhhhh is the word…..

Now about the N900? It had many problems and they had at least three updates since it introduction. The N900 operates differently then the N97 and the Mini, with very few similarities. It is actually a real computer with a phone, then a phone with a computer. There are no searching capabilities as “find.” There is NO voice prompting with the GPS. The fonts are too small and there are no ability to be enlarged them. You will need to keep your glasses with you as to read the small fonts — Not with the N97 or the Mini. In contacts where there should be a field with “fax,” it is replaced, as “another” phone listing so you will have to figure with is which upon transferring the info. One of my habits is that I like to listen to music via a bluetooth (mono) headset as to keep one ear to hear the ambient surroundings in NYC. The N900 only generating a “left” channel signal and there is NO “right” channel signal, which means you are listening to only half of the music through the one ear bluetooth headset. This is not so with the N97 or the Mini, for the two units do generated both channels into a monaural sign for the one ear headset. On another note, unless it is my imagination, the Mini is the best musical sounding unit then the N97 and the N900.

Also In bluetooth mode with the N900, when mated with the Nokia’s car kit that is installed in my car, the radio is CONTINUALLY “muted” even after the phone call is ended. The N900 technician told me that the N900 bluetooth is not supposed to have worked with the car unit and they don’t understand why mine did??? I could not believe my ears…

By the way, the N900 contact does hold my 2,700 plus listing of people in “contacts” with no problems…. So…….

Just trying to weigh up whether to get N97mini or N900