It's game time! Nokia's N-Gage

Nokia N-GageOrganisation and PIM Features

More and more often, a feature that busy folks are asking for is Organizer functionality. While I likely would not be using the N-Gage to keep my day organized, there may well be many N-Gage users who will need this. The N-Gage has 2 of the typical PIM features installed: a calendar app and a to-do list.

The Calendar is organized in a typical fashion with either day, week, or month views available. When creating a new entry, you can select different types of events: weekly, monthly, daily, or one time. A nice added touch is the ability to send a calendar event by email or by Bluetooth. This would be an easy way to share birthday lists for example. To-do lists are just that, a short list of things you have to get done. It is an easy way to see what you have on your plate. Fairly standard fare all in all.

Connectivity and Software

Connectivity is likely the second most important feature of a handheld device. The N-Gage has Bluetooth and GPRS class 6, which should translate to about 16-24Kbps Send - 24-36Kbps Receive. This is a decent speed for casual web surfing or getting and sending email.

In terms of PC connectivity I can not really comment since I didn't have the Nokia Software for the N-Gage. From literature I have found that the PC suite will allow you to synchronize your N-Gage with Outlook and Lotus Notes, transfer files, backup your device – essentially manage your phone from your PC. To connect the N-Gage to the PC, I used a USB cable. The USB cable use came as quite a surprise, I plugged it into my PC, then plugged it into the N-Gage and I suddenly had a removable hard drive icon in Windows Explorer. I could then wander through my N-Gage and download files at will. This was extremely handy.

Sadly, I wanted to give a report on how well the N-Gage worked with my current Bluetooth headset, the Nextlink Bluespoon Chameleon. Unfortunately, while I could pair them, as soon as I attempted to make a call, the link would break. I am not sure what the problem could have been. I can use the Nextlink with a P800 without any issues. The N-Gage does support both handsfree and headset profiles - so compatibility should not have been an issue. I will revisit this in the future if I get a chance. I had no other functionality issues with Bluetooth. The Bluetooth indicator is somewhat hard to see since it is indicated by small dot. File transfers worked perfectly. I was able to send and receive files from several devices without a problem

I am happy to report that I was able to play Agile Fighter with a friend using Bluetooth. He was using a Nokia 3650 and we had absolutely no problems getting connected and playing. Apart from getting an ass-whooping, I really enjoyed it.

In the category of non-connectivity, one of the profiles in the list is "Offline." This turns off the N-Gage's GSM radio so that you can safely use it in a place that does not allow cell phone usage, such as in a hospital or airplane.

Conclusion

Bottom line is, I like it. Is it perfect? Nope. It has a few design flaws, but these don't ruin the experience for me. I got over the strange taco style calling, I wasn't too worried about the access to the game cartridge. These are errors in my opinion, but they are not "deal breakers".

Nokia is on to something here, and I would go as far to say they were pretty brave to even try it. Nokia undoubtedly expected criticisms; many people are quick to point out the why not, but Nokia took a stab at it anyway. The potential for wireless gaming is immense and will likely become a very profitable enterprise in the near future. Can you imagine having games like Diablo in next generation devices? Perhaps even handheld Everquest?

Have fun with your N-Gage, I did.

More photos, videos and screen captures can be found on the following pages.

 

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