Time out for Nseries PC Suite 2.0

The Nseries PC Suite 2.0 was released for public beta testing last week and now it has been temporarily removed from Nokia Beta Labs. It just wasn't ready for public release yet.

This was definitely the right decision and hopefully soon we'll have a better version to test. At least I'm looking forward to it.

Nokia Nseries PC-Suite 2.0 Beta

Nokia has released a new beta version of Nseries PC-Suite. It is actually a collections of Nokia Nseries and third-party PC applications, such as Nseries Update Manager, Map Loader, Software Updater, Nokia Music Manager, Nokia PC Sync, Download!, Nokia Photos. In theory it sounds great to integrate all this into one easy to use package. In practice it's not that simple.

First of all, before you download this application make sure you have a fast broadband connection - the installation package is huge, roughly 350 MB. Even though it includes the latest version of .Net framework, it's still huge. And why do I have to download the .Net framework if I already have it installed. It just doesn't make any sense.

Also if you have an older computer with not so much memory, don't even think about installing it. It's a real memory hog. I have a fast computer with 2 GB memory but I still don't want to install and use applications that use a lot of memory for practically nothing. I need the memory available for other applications that I frequently use.

I like the idea of bringing all the applications under one application launcher. However, a lot of software development and optimization is still needed before Nseries PC-Suite will be permanently installed in my computer. I already uninstalled it from my computer.

If you still want to try it visit Nokia Beta Labs.

Nokia Maps

Nokia Maps 1.0 has been made available for most of the S60 N- and E-series devices. With this version you get free 3 day trial of voice guidance. There's also a new version of Nokia Map Loader available for download (version 1.2).

To download Nokia Maps or Nokia Map Loader go to Nokia Maps.

Ovi by Nokia - The door to Nokia's internet services

Nokia has opened a new service called Ovi, which is a door to Nokia's internet services (ovi is the Finnish word for door). Among other things, it's a door to Nokia's new music store and Nokia Maps.

New Nokia N95 8GB released today

Today at the Nokia "Go Play" event, Nokia released new phone models, among them the much anticipated Nokia N95 8GB. As the name suggests, the internal memory has been increased to 8GB. The N95 8GB has also been given a bigger 1200 mAh battery compared to 950 mAh of N95. The 2.8'' display of N95 8GB is slightly bigger than the 2.6'' display of N95. You can download the full spec sheet here.
The new phone model looks really good. There's not too much negative to say about the modifications. The only thing I can think of is the lack of camera lens protection. In order to fit in the bigger battery Nokia had to modify the camera/lens setup slightly. Unfortunately that means no more lens cover.