Linked by Liam Proven on Wed 10th Jan 2007 16:42 UTC
Symbian recently announced that its OS has powered 100 million phones. That's not bad - it's a lot of licences - but then, mobile phones shift around a billion units a year now. But a phone with Symbian isn't any old phone. It's a smartphone. 
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Member since:
2005-06-30
I hear what you say, and although I might not agree 100% with the detail, I totally agree in principle. I started using portable devices (for want of a better name) with the Psion Organiser II (XP first and then the LZ64). Despite the fact that they were the epitome of brick-like and never even dreamt of growing up to be a phone, I really loved them. Believe it or not, I could even do basic word-processing on the LZ64!
As things moved on, and skipping many years, I had the Nokia 9110 followed by the 9210. Again, they served their purposes reasonably well.
Now I start to think again about wanting a device which doesn't do "everything" but does plenty. A phone, yes, enough smarts to be able to run "proper" GPS software in tandem with my little bluetooth GPS receiver, the ability to have a browse of the internet without feeling I am squinting at the web through a letterbox slot, do some email, type a simple document and read a PDF maybe. And then perhaps the ability to add some additional stuff if I want, a couple of games for a long flight, a few MP3 tracks perhaps.
I also agree that these devices should sync seamlessly with a PC (even, one might hope, if that PC happens to run Linux).
I don't need a camera, but if one *must* be included, it has to be at least 2 megapixel to make it worth the waste of space.
And the interface has to be both intuitive and practical for a 40 something with short, stubby fingers.