Sony Ericsson P990i

V3rT|g0 said:
Greetings to all.

You appear to be an intelligent, witty and interesting group of people. Allow me to introduce myself, I am V3rT|g0. Apologies with those who dislike the strange combination of symbols, but I am and always have been "V3rT|g0". However, I don't mind being referred to as Vertigo or just vert should that be easier.

Now, to get to the point. The SE P990 has been around a while and has by become fairly established. My cellphone contract is now due for an upgrade and I am considering getting this promising looking phone within about a week. I have never owned a Smartphone before, but fell in love with SE with the A1018 (which had a clock/alarm, showed when it was charging and could utilise the Short Message Service amongst other "amazing things"!). After drifting a bit to LG, Samsung and Nokia and being frustrated with their absolutely pathetic devices, I returned to the flock from the the SE K700 and have never looked back. Now, before jumping for the P990 with my upgrade, I would like to pose a few short questions to this forum.

1) After using it for a while, would you guys still recommend the P990i? Are you happier for having it or are there other much better options out there.

2) a. If I get my phone next week, 1 June 2007, will it come with the latest Firmware?
b. If not, would you recommend upgrading to the latest Firmware before doing anything else?
c. What is the latest Firmware and how do I get hold of it.

3) Which are the "Essential" Applications/Games to acquire for this phone.
I've heard a lot about Swiss Manager and Tweak Peaks. What happens when their 2 week trial runs out... do the apps just stop working?

4) Which Theme would you recommend as the best (or your favourite) in terms of looks/efficiency etc? (I see the new debate on themes, so was just wondering if there is an old favourite that you enjoyed using for a long time)

5) Lastly is it worth buying extra styluses (styli?), screen protectors and / or cases. Does it come with a case?

Alright that's all I have for now. Hope you can help me. I look forward to your replies to my questions. If you can answer these I have some much more technical and difficult questions to pose and debate. Thank you for the opportunity to join your forum.

Yours truly,
V3rT|g0
Click to expand...

V3rT|g0, welcome to this thread!
 
Bungee Jumping without ropes

Why thank you Gecko.

Do you mind my asking in which sectors you people work? I am involved in computer programming and large power electrical engineering, hence the gadgety appeal of the P990i.

I had one other daft sounding question about the phone. Do you find that it is robust enough? My past phones have tended to enjoy trampolining off a wide variety of low lying surfaces for some reason. I haven't yet experienced a serious suicide jump, but their corners usually become pretty scarred from multiple colisions with the ground. So how hardy is the P990 when it comes to this behaviour? Have any of you had your phones experience a really tragic free-fall injury?
 
Hi V3rT|g0, and a warm welcome!

You can definitely get yourself the P990i, with the latest firmware, my phone has been rock-solid & stable.

The best theme for the P990i is the Vista theme (Google is your friend), when you install the PC Suite software, there is an update feature - simply follow the instructions on the screen to update your phone's firmware.

You've got a lot of questions, but just read through this thread & you'll get all the answers.

Enjoy!
 
Thank you for your welcome and your reply, sovereign one.
I am reading through the posts, but it's quite a long thread!

As yet, I haven't seen anything here about writing our own programs and software for this device. Is it possible, have any of you tried it? I have a little formal programming training, but not with writing apps for mobile phones. Is there any recommended programming tool for writing the programs?

I am also confused about the file type of the program files. The application files seem to be presented as .sis files. How does this refer back to Java?

Anyone with some experience on this topic?
 
Good news for people with Apple Macs & Vista, it looks like SonyEricsson will release a new version of PC Suite/Mac Suite in June, that supports Mac OS & Vista.
2007-05-15

Sony Ericsson has got some criticism because their mobiles are still not supported neither by Winsows Vista nor by Mac OS. But now Sony Ericsson will add synchronization support for such computers as well.

All mobile phones announced last week by Sony Ericsson will have support for synchronization with Windows Vista, says the company. Same goes for phones in future.

But also for present line of phones will a new version of Sony Ericsson's synchronization software be released at 22 of June. At 22 of June will this Vista version of the synchronization software be possible to download from Sony Ericsson's site.

Also the new smartphone Sony Ericsson P1 will have support for Windopws Vista, but in addition Sony Ericsson and Apple have made an agreement about sync support for P1 in Macintosh computers. Synchronization support for P1 will be made available in Apple Isync shortly after the sell has started, according to Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson's latest smartphones P990 and M600 are currently not supported by Apples synchronization software Isync, but that will now change. Sony Ericsson's "dumb" phones like K800 are already supported by Apple's Isync.

Nokia recently released a new version of their PC Suite both for Macintosh and Windows Vista.
Click to expand...
 
*hooray*.....( muted cheer ) :)

and about time too I say

Hello Vertigo and welcome

to reply

1) Yes definitely. I still think there's nothing out there to match this as a phone/PDA with touchscreen ( the closest may be the N95 but no touchscreen and there may be some other issues with it. Google it )

2)a) Possibly - I suppose it depends on where you get the phone from...maybe some supppliers have stock which is a bit 'old'.
b)Definitely ! The latest version is organiser R5A17
c) More on that later , if you need to go that route
( are you getting a crippled sorry I mean branded phone ie from Vodacom ? Or unbranded )?

3)Must have apps - fortunately most are try and buy, the full version works for free for 2 weeks and then...stops working, unless you buy a registration key.
My favourites
Swiss Manager Pro
Documents to Go
Aquacalendar
LCG Jukebox
Projekt
Mobireader (this is free )
ST Puzzles (also free )
Opera Mini (free)

4)Now opinions are divided as to themes. A good selection is found on SE-UIQ.com
Many prefer the vista theme. I personally prefer the VistaAurora version, the iphone theme is also really nice

5) No it doesn't come with a case.
Spare stylus is boxed.
Can highly recommend the Martin Fields screen protectors.
If you're looking for a rugged case Krusell make a nice leather 'glove' which covers almost the entire phone.

*PS anyone noticed the recent spate of re-acquisitions of the P990 on the overseas forums ? Amused to note that even some of those who had plenty of bad things to say are now scrambling to buy another one now that the FW is settling down...:p
 
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Greetings there aqualung.

An excellent and helpful reply. My gratitude is yours.

My confidence in Sony-Ericsson is further reinforced! I can't wait till next week for my new P990 now. I think until it arrives, I shall give my service provider a phonecall every day to remind them not to forget about me.

As to Nokia I don't like the look of the N95. Shiny rubbish is still rubbish... (even a 5MP camera in a heap of rubbish is still a camera covered in ....)

I've already begun downloading some of those apps you mentioned. Maybe I should think about ordering some external accessories soon too. I saw a link on this forum for ordering those screen protectors.

Well, thanks again for the advice and nice to meet you all.

I now eagerly await my P.

Yours,
V3rT|g0
 
Welcome to the club ! Your willingness to trawl through all 158 pages of this thread will be rewarded with many nuggets of wisdom...;)

Do make sure on the organiser version though ( R5A17 ) although many telco's quote the Phone version ( in this case R9F011 ). This is the fastest and most stable version. If you have an earlier version you'll need Tweak Peaks to disable the transition effects.
If you're getting a branded ( vodacom ) phone the FW version is often a amonth or two behind non-branded ( MTN )

Swiss Manager Pro is highly recommended even though it is no longer essential to assist with memory management on the P990i....try it and see ! ( It's perfect for those who want to 'tweak' the phone to the nth degree )
 
Hi V3rT|g0

I agree 100% with aqualung and the King's advice.

Regarding the build quality - up there with the best. The back cover is a bit creaky to my taste, but that might just be my phone, and there is nothing wrong with it (fits very tightly). The P990s are apparently built in France, and is of better built quality and materials than that of the Chinese built phones (i think Nokia is being manufactured there.. could be wrong).
My phone hasn't fallen yet, but it should be OK over short distances.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED is the Screen protectors from DOML. The best, relatively cheap, and shipping from Hong Kong takes about 5 working days.

And then there are the prospects of at least two big Firmware upgrades; apparently in June (R6), and possibly one in September after the P1i's launch. (M600 and P990's FW will be upraded to the new P1's level). Something to look forward to.

Only negative opinion I have for the P990i (and all other Symbian UIQ3 devices), is the lack of a variety of 3rd party software (due to strict Symbian Signing policies). BUT, the available software is usually of top quality.

Regards
 
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Welcome V3rT|g0 Nice to have some new blood on this thread. About two months ago I dropped my phone from hip height on concrete:eek:. It landed on its head, no problems at all. I think my heart was hurt more than the phone:D.
Anyhooo back to the themes the "Black" theme is my favorite, tried all the others but keep on going back to the "Black" Theme. One more thing congrats on bringing Aqualung out of the woodwork:p, she has been so distant for so long. Good to hear from you Aqualung hope you not working too hard.
V3rT|g0 let us know what you think once you have your new baby. Being a gadget freak you will enjoy the business card scanner.
Cheers for now
B
 
dropped my 990 plenty times already.... i dont even flinch anymore :)

try that with a no kia ... phone one way battery another way sim card another way and most likely cracked screen lol
 
Hi Bruce000 it's nice to be back...it was merely chance that I logged on just after vertigo's first post ! ;)

As far as the phone's build quality goes, well mine still looks brand new after almost 9 months ( ! ) but then it does spend it's life cocooned in a crystal case ( and nestled in my handbag ! )...dunno what it is about being in a guy's pockets that takes the shine off a phone ...:p

Never dropped mine either...think I'd have an instant cardiac arrest if I did !
 
Hi aqualung & Bruce, good to see you're still alive & kicking. :)

I dropped my P990i once, but fortunately I had the crystal case on it when it happened. The crystal case is damaged now, but my P990i is still unscratched.

Only thing that I would seriously recommend, is the Martin Field screen protector. I'm already on my second one, but have found a way to prolong it's life - just take the screen protector off, rotate it 180 degrees and stick it back on. ;)

*I had a look at the P1, but it's a damn ugly phone & looks too much like a Nokio. :p

I just love my P990i. :)
 
i dropped my p990 the 1st day i got it. First and last time :)

Also i finally flashed, debranded and updated my fone to WorldOne. What a world of difference and i still have full functionality.

Thanx to all the helpfull posts, Esato and Kulankendi :)
 
Hi kingrob

Yes my screen protector has a few scratches on it ( first SP still ! ) and I've been meaning to rotate it upside down for a while now....must order another one ( they're definitely worth more than their weight in gold ! )

Splashed out on a pair of the SE walkman earphones today ( HPH 60 )....earphone fit is sooo much better and the sound quality is much better than that coming out of the bundled ones ...does justice to LCG jukebox and a Gig of music :)
 
aqualung said:
Hi kingrob

Yes my screen protector has a few scratches on it ( first SP still ! ) and I've been meaning to rotate it upside down for a while now....must order another one ( they're definitely worth more than their weight in gold ! )

Splashed out on a pair of the SE walkman earphones today ( HPH 60 )....earphone fit is sooo much better and the sound quality is much better than that coming out of the bundled ones ...does justice to LCG jukebox and a Gig of music :)
Click to expand...

Hi Aqualung, also did the same thing - very nice (fitting) and of good quality headphones. Worth the money.
 
aqualung said:
Hi kingrob

Yes my screen protector has a few scratches on it ( first SP still ! ) and I've been meaning to rotate it upside down for a while now....must order another one ( they're definitely worth more than their weight in gold ! )

Splashed out on a pair of the SE walkman earphones today ( HPH 60 )....earphone fit is sooo much better and the sound quality is much better than that coming out of the bundled ones ...does justice to LCG jukebox and a Gig of music :)
Click to expand...

Yes, a screen protector is definitely a good investment - I had two P910i screen replacements before I 'saw the light'... think it was R1200 a pop. I think my left hand might be a bit heavy on the screen, but I do write a lot! Don't use the keyboard much. :sick:

Still waiting for the 8GB memory stick duo to come on the market (most probably gonna cost an arm & a leg!), at the moment I've got a 512MB Sandisk - and it's just not enough! :(

*Where did you buy your earphones from?
 
I couldn't help but chuckle at kvi's reply about dropping the phone. Nokias usually go down very dramatically indeed. I've seen some explode in a fountain of eletronic death upon hitting the ground.

A hard protective cover sounds like an excellent idea. Do you just get the crystal case from any old cellphone shop e.g. MTN/Vodashop? The leather one also sounds nice.

I'll probably get a 1gig card to start things off. Should be sufficient for now. 512 might be a little small for me since I might want to put a few video clips and music on it.

The Nokias have some kind of software that transforms videos from your computer to a format that can be played on the phone. Can the P990 also do that? Can it play .avi format movies?
 
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