So i obviously wasn't listening to my friend properly when he was mouthin - with sound (and therefore simply sayin) the words "Java SUCKS" to me.
Although, mostly it was from the perspective of a programmer, but I now have 1st hand experience of its validity for a consumer too. Atleast Sony Ericsson's Java ME platform for sure.
So I was looking for a phone with a 3.2mpx camera, and WiFi or Wlan support. With the WiFi access, and using a VoIP (Voice over internet protocol) software, like fring, I figured I'd be able to make international calls and the like over the internet at practically throw away prices. And phone to computer calls would even be free usin the wi fi at home. Obviously all u'd need is the software to be compatible with the phone, n the phone to have the capability to access wi fi.
So I circled down to 2 phones. The Nokia 5800 Xpress music, and the SE W705. I didn wanna go much above 10k; the price of the nokia was 13.3k n that of the SE was 12k. Both decently priced.
For the camera, along with the 3.2 mpx, I also wanted the presence of a flash, n preferably an auto-focus. The SE didn't have the auto-focus. But It did have an LED flash.
The nokia had both, but being a low range touch phone, I was quite certain bout the quality of the touch interface not bein up to the mark; I'd used it earlier, and knew that over time, it was gonna get very slow and bulky, software-wise. And at the end, the feature of the phone that we do use most frequently is the callin and the textin. Somethin for which you wouldn wanna wait a decade before u can commence.
So apart frm the absence of an auto-focus (which i was told wasn that important anyway) the presence of a 4Gb memory card(as opposed to the 8Gb card that came with nokia) and the tiny difference in the 'class' of gprs and edge stuff(which frankly i didn even know what it meant and which seemed a tiny price to pay for not havin to deal with the bulky slow-poke insensitive to touch symbian OS that nokia was offering) the Sony Ericsson seemed to be an overall better phone. I'd considered the nokia E71 as well, but bein priced at 15k, SE seemed to be offerin a better deal.
To jus be on the safer side, I went to the fring website, n checked if they had the version for SE W705. They did.
So cheaper, faster, snazzier(like definitely good lookin) sony ericsson W705 seemed like the best deal right?
Wel, the first thing i realized was the significance of auto focus. Day light, especially the scattered white light, is like THE best photo suited light. Meanin if you're clickin a pic outside, especially durin evenings or dawn, you can click some brilliantly sharp and well lit snaps even with a VGA cam. I'd forgotten that when the guy sellin the phone had clicked the pics and showed them; Of course they were good quality, they would be. It was in the best photography light after all. And wid the screen being in a better condition, n a prettier operating interface, it looked much better than the pic he clicked on his somewhat dirty E71.
Auto focus was not a feature to be undermined. The lack of auto focus made the pics rather hazy; a slight shake of the hand at the moment of the click completely spoiled the pictures. But what was worse, was the presence of a flash, that didn flash. (the last time i'd wavered frm nokia, to an LG M4410, I'd learnt that presence of a camera doesn imply video capture. This time: Jus cuz there's a flash doesn mean it'll flash? Are u kiddin me?) the flash had to be switched on as a light, and the photo clicked, after which the flash would turn off on its own.
Ah wel, I thought, my nokia N73's camera took so long to load n capture anyway that I'd practically stopped usin it. Even tho it did have an auto focus and a flash that flashed.
SE still had wi fi support right?
Right. Usin that I downloaded and installed fring. I logged onto skype frm fring, and found my contacts there, just like I should.
And I pressed the call button.
Nothing happened.
I pressed options to select call from, except there was no 'Call' option. And strangely, even though I had clicked on download fring, the software that had downloaded was called mini fring. I thot, maybe it'll have some features less, but what I couldn't have anticipated, was that the software was unable to use VOIP. So the calling software, couldn make the effin call.
Sweet. A flash that doesn't flash and a calling software that doesn call. What next, an orange that isn't orange? (oh wait, I think thats already been done right? Most are green anyway)
So I went on Fring's website, and to the page, which had earlier confirmed Fring's compatibility with the SE phone.( Earlier bein, when I hadn't bought it, and therefore could have avoided spendin more than 10k on somethin I didn really want) There, as I selected my phone model, it showed a pic of my phone, in all its beauty, claimin it to be significant enough for them to have made their software compatible with it, but wait... What are those tiny ant like things below the pic?
Why of course. They are letters, grouped into words which are makin a sentence. "Calls not supported". Nice.
So were they thinkin No one really cares if the calling software they plan to download for the sake of calling is capable of callin or not on this handset right? Lets inform them that its not, in 2 pixel big letters. That'll be fun. Ha Ha.
Cuz thats precisely what they did.
So apparently, Java doesn't effin support VOIP. Developers haven't yet made a java compatible VOIP thingy.
They run into too many glitches frm the look of one forum I saw.
Moreover, the thing that i wouldn really care bout in a phone is the music, I prefer the ipod for that.(even though mine just has a 2 Gig capacity) And even for the ipod, I have stupid fussy specifications. Like I dun like the classic, its too big in size. I'd prefer a nano, which I find has the ideally perfect size. And I don't like the new nano with the stupid vga video cam. Its useless, n unnecessarily hikes the price of the thing.
But anyway, the point is that I don't look so much for music in the phone as for a good camera. (Primarily because, I once single-handedly lost this really brilliant new 8.1mpx sony camera, which Dad had bought for bout 20k frm US. After that I never asked for a camera to use. - another story)
This phone is a Walkman series set. With in-ear earphones. I can barely stand normal earphones. I prefer the much larger headphones. More comfy.
But don't get me wrong really. I mean unless, u (like me) expect your phone to jump out of ur hand, pour u a drink, fluff ur pillow, n switch on the AC, you'll really like the phone.
I'm screwed up in the head when it comes to phones, I almost look for substitute hand held computers. For most other people, a phone which looks good, has a pretty, animated screen, lets them click good resolution pics, access the net free of cost, that has motion sensor games(I literally bowl the ball in this bowling game), has a 4 Gig card, costs lesser and is faster is an awesome deal. I'm a bit eccentric.
Oh and the last thing I hate is that since I do most of my bloggin from my phone, the posts are in the form of text files, which when transferred to it, don't remain editable, but only viewable.
Someone, buy me a laptop man.
ps- is it weird that the phone i'm pittin this brand new phone against is held together by rubber bands?
Comments
It's similar to how they read out the crucial part after an investment company ka ad really really fast. :P
Gah! Also, I think I'll mostly stick to nokia.
Can't you use your own earphones though?
Funny post :P And the last line! =D
Bit of a long post tho! I didn realise it was that long! :P
I had to scroll down in the middle to check how much was left. :P
I'm not proud of it. :P
I was talkn bout if you got an email from feedburner telln ki there's a new post.
Btw come on gmail, instead of conversing on the blog. :P