Products & Services
The N97 IS a mobile computer
By JBC on 04 June 2009
GLOBAL – 
First let’s look at the facts. 32GB of storage (expandable), 3.5-inch screen, qwerty keyboard and all the connectivity you could want. That’s not to mention the stuff we wouldn’t normally associate with a laptop or netbook, such as GPS and a camera. Oh. and it can make calls too. So, having established it’s credentials, most already well known, why cover old ground? Well, we’ve just got our hands on a couple to play with and I have to say, the device is probably more than I was expecting.
It looks and feels better than I remember (go for the white, if you’re planning to get one). I’m still exploring, as is Mike, but this morning, the device was just taunting me to do an experiment. During the test, conducted in my garden and living room, my little girl came over to find out whether or not I was working. When I told her that despite my laid back posture I was in fact working she took one look at the N97 and asked “is that you’re little computer?”. I told her it was and before running off she remarked on how small it was – “it’s teeny weeny isn’t it”. To many of us, the N97 is another flagship Nokia. That inherently implies that it’s a phone. To a four year old digital native, it’s a computer.
Now, having written this entire post on the N97 i’m fully inclined to agree. That was my experiment. No, it wasn’t as easy as using my desktop, but then my desktop wouldn’t have been able to take the photo of the flowers in my garden. I think the N97 might just have changed my life. How do you think it might change yours?
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June 4th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
How about you send me one James, so that I’ll let you know
if it changes my life 
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June 4th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Great post James. I wrote an article, and published it from an E71 I was trailing for WOM World, but Im guessing on an N97, it would be so much easier.
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June 4th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Thats soo true.
My first PC had 20/40 GB memory. I still havent used the N97, but from what i understand , its trully what we want it to be – revolutionary.
Thanks for the post. You making it hard for people like us who are yet to get it. =)
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June 4th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
So what does the N97 do that my N95 doesn’t? I can’t see much of a difference – got GPS, got a good camera, this note was written on my N95. Ok, so there is no QWERTY keyboard. Touchscreens don’t add anything as far as i can see (unless you are an apple fanboi) – sell the N97 to me…
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June 4th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
James,
Its looks so from the pictures and videos
But would love to check it out myself
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June 4th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
A few notes about this post that should be eye-openers:
Many kids don’t see the difference between a phone and a computer, especially when they are doing the same things.
Why aren’t you (meaning PR @ Nokia) using Nokia device for your day to day postings and work? I know the excuse about software and such, but with each device with TV-Out, Nokia already supports the applications and hardware that you’d need. It would make a lot of sense for the communications folks to be doing communication differently in this respect right?
Lastly, why not more reporting here on the alternative applications of Nokia’s mobile tech for day-to-day tasks. I’m sure that I’m not the only person running the Mobile Web Server from his Nokia mobile devices and has something to say about how life looks different from that angle of using the mobile UI/UX more.
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June 7th, 2009 at 8:04 am
I have used N95, N95 8gb and am currently using N96. Recently I got a chance to use G1 Android phone and I have to say what the G1 offered was far more than any of the nokia phones except the camera ofcourse. I would like to see nokia offering something comparable to the Android market with all its innovative applications. There is a lot of hype about N97 like there was for the iphone, but can N97 really deliver. Time will tell.
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June 9th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I thonk that a real computer even if it’s mobile should:
-read dvix with other application or encodage
-evolve (for example the inter face with several pannel …)
-get more multiplayer games in wifi and with the accelerometer
-read all flash website (like megavideo …)
-offer the choice to get the kinetic virtual keyboard
-and ’cause it’s mobile , exchange document with dlna for example to be faster than the bluetooth …
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July 4th, 2009 at 10:49 am
I’ve been searching the web, with zero satisfaction, to find out exactly what one can do on an N97. Okay, music, video, e-mail, internet… all of which I can do on my N73-ME and my laptop. What about reading and creating common file formats like Ms Office files (.doc, .docx, .xml, .accdb, ppt…) as well as .pdf and e-book files on this new “mobile computer”. Can I perform these most basic of IT tasks on the N97? If it wasn’t fore the storage capacity issue I would definitely go for a Windows Mobile phone, if only to get away from S60. I want a touch-screen/QWERTY phone with large memory capacity and large screen to replace the laptop. Are we there yet?
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August 5th, 2009 at 11:46 am
I think I’ve answered the question myself after owning one for… too long!
Okay, if I’m dumb enough to throw that much money at something based on sales-pitch and internet reviews from blind people, then I should expect no more. Expensive lessons learned! But it will be the last Nokia get out of me. My advice, after trying to deal with Nokia customer care, if you’ve only had yours a few weeks, get it back to the shop and ask for your money back, which is your right when an item is supplied faulty, which this one definitely is.
Irrespective of the faults and malfunctions you get free when you buy it, I think this phone is quite capable of being a ‘mini computer’, but Nokia have locked it down so much to their own software, and that of their corporate collaborators (sound like Apple?), that the freedom of choice we expect from a computer just isn’t available in this thing to warrant the association.
You gotta hand it to them!… taking a leaf out of the Microsoft book of immoral business practices and leaving the beta testing to the market. Why pay a test department when the public will give you loads of money for the privilege of testing your prematurely-released product for you. I think I’ll use it to fill the hole in the garden fence where next door’s cat gets through…. There, you see… not a total waste of money! Another annoying factor is that the N73-ME I had did all I asked of it and I’ve given it away.
What follows is an extract from an E-mail I sent to Nokia. The only response I received, a number of times, was the “Keep your phone up to date…” routine.
———————— message to Nokia —————————–
Hi.
I recently bought a Thai version N97 (RM505. Product code: 0586298), in Thailand, which I immediately updated to firmware version 11.0.021.
Here are some malfunctions which I would like to bring to Nokia’s attention.
Screen backlight: The user Guide says “To turn the screen backlight on, tap the Screen”. This doesn’t happen; I have to press the menu button or open the slide to reactivate the backlight.
To-do Notes: When typing into the ‘Subject’ field of a To-do note, the text disappears after a few seconds.
Messaging: When I call up the Messaging menu, the screen doesn’t render, apart from the scroll-bar, until I use the scroll-bar.
Call Divert: If I go to divert calls to another number the number entry screen appears for less than a second and I am returned to the menu screen.
Video camera: Every video clip I’ve recorded in this phone has long (3-4 second) freezes throughout the recording.
Other issues I would like addressed by Nokia:
Why do I not have the ability to uninstall unwanted, third-party, preinstalled premium service applications, such as Boingo, Joikuspot, Qik, Adobe PDF (as well as unwanted ‘Nokia’ applications), and the freedom to install and fully integrate third-party software of my choice.
I understand the corporate collaborations and public complacency that allows this to happen, which I will not go into at this stage, but I can assure you that I have no intention whatsoever of using these services and I do not want the software installed on MY phone. If this practice is to continue, and not abandoned in future firmware releases, I would like Nokia to supply me with full instructions, or a software fix, to enable the removal of this software. I would have thought the Microsoft Internet Explorer example would have seen an end to these unacceptable business practices.
Inclusion of an Email ‘sending status’ indicator to show when/if messages have finished sending.
When I go to a mail box and I opt to connect to the mail server when prompted, I have to close the internet connection manually when the task is complete. Shouldn’t the connection be closed automatically in this case?
The inclusion of continuous scrolling in menus, so a downward press, when focus is on the bottom menu item, will move the focus to the top menu item.
I would like to be able to change default applications for various file formats. Currently, when I try to change the default web browser to Opera Mini, I’m not given the option in the would-be list of available applications, although Opera Mini has been installed.
I see that firmware update version 11.2.21 is available in North America. Can you tell me when it will be available for my phone (Asia)?
I look forward to a prompt and positive response.
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dave Reply:
October 12th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
OfNoNation dude, you’re funny:-)
Apart from the “ability to uninstall certain apps”, the rest of your post is a waste of internet white-space.
If you don’t like em, don’t use em. Can you uninstall the user interface off windows and load KDE 4? NO YOU CAN’T:-)
It’s your inability to use the product that’s been reflected in your post. It’s your fault, not nokia’s. Nokia expects a lever of “intelligence” from it’s users. If you lack that-Go for a windows mobile.
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OfNoNation Reply:
October 14th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
99.999999…% of what’s on the internet is a waste of “white-space”, so I’m in the majority on that point.
Otherwise, Dave…’Dude’, everything else in my e-mail to Nokia that I reported as faults are indeed just that.
Or perhaps, in your infinite consumer wisdom, you can tell me what, in my ignorance, I’m doing wrong regarding the Back-light, Messaging menu, Call Divert, Video freezing.
I don’t see your point about uninstalling “the user interface off windows and load KDE 4″; I didn’t mention uninstalling the operating system, just unwanted third party, commercial applications that I consider an intrusion and potential security risk … and you clearly support my view on “the public complacency that allows this to happen”.
My remaining comments were merely suggestions to improve the product.
If you have an N97 that does all it’s supposed to do, then I congratulate you, but I can assure you and the world that the one I have certainly doesn’t.
Finally, in the past few days, the first update since 11.0.021 has been released for my model. Perhaps they’ve remedied some of the issues raised… perhaps not!
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September 6th, 2009 at 2:39 am
i have used n97 and i am using it , i love it
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September 15th, 2009 at 11:33 am
On the same basis, my car is a computer.
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October 7th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
well this is ultimate. i am fully satisfied with it. i love my Nokia N97.. without this i am nothing..
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November 16th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
hi!:I’ve used N95.N95 8GB. And currently am using N96. I can’t till now version out any difference between the 3 if not for the storage. Infact my N95 8GB Has RM32 while this N96 is RM247. The most disappointing of all is that my quick message for new message doesn’t open anymore. my device is now to slow. pls what can i do to enjoy more than the past products I’ve used. pls am a student from Nigeria.
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