Nokia 9500 experience - a lot of help

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.nokia (More info?)

This summaries all I have learned that does not work (at all/as
expected/differently). I hope you will benefit from this experience !

Michael
.............................................................
RESET
- soft: take out battery, wait 10secs, replace battery and cover (!).
Does not lose data
- hard: then open cover, press ctrl+up arrow+F simultaneously and
repeatedly. Results in blue screen "really reset to factory?"

Web/WAP
- on first web page which initiates connection: if 9500 just stays at
"connected" and doesn't download page then press ESC and re-click
link/re-open URL/re-select bookmark
- see duration/volumes of conection under tools/connection mgr,
internet>menu>tools>log to see past usage log
- "Internet" as Network ID besides GRPS and WLAN when defining new
connection means "either GRPS or WLAN"
- There are two ways of connecting via GPRS (Vodafone live =
wap.vodafone... and Vodafone Web = web.vodafone ...). Only WAP access
ensures that server is aware that 9500 is phone, not PC, hence sends
compact content. Important e.g. for access to Vodafone live portal.
This means that such sites cannot be access in WLAN mode (=Web). Mmost
other sites don't seem to mind access method. bbc.co.uk/mobile still
gets it wrong - shows PC content on 9500 despite WAP access. What a
mess.
- There seems ot be no way of getting wapmail.t-online.de to work (at
best comes up with PC internet version of explanation on how to
configure). Luckily pda.webmail.t-online.de works well - but only
when connected in Web mode (not WAP).
- Browser errors with: Jamba (phone no. not sent, can't send ringtone
etc.), spiegel.de (SMS sent to subscribe does not work),
wap.mapblast.com (opera errors), wap.vrn.de (ignorable error msg on
date entry)
- current date/time not inserted correctly in web forms e.g. bahn
- no way to configure browser to always take newer page from web if
already in cache - have to refresh manually
- no way to mark pic in web, then "right-click" and download image
- EGPRS and EDGE not avail from Vodafone, HSCSD avail but not on 9500
- also slower (28.8), more expensive, new tariff etc
- removing a bookmark stops the scroll down from working. Close
bookmarks and re-open
- bookmarking something in Vodafone live! Never seems to work when you
come back to it
- IP passthrough can be configured on the 9500 but there is no bridge
program on the PC to support it (yet)


WLAN
- disable simultaneous bluetooth (doesn't work even if enabled)
- for encrypted WLAN: choose network in control panel>wireless lan,
then create access point, go to Internet and select this
- for unencrypted WLANs just go to Internet and select Easy WLAN
- see quality of connection/alternate networks under control
panel>wireless lan
- WLAN printers not recognised : print via network means via data cable

FAX
- Sim needs to be enabled to send/receive faxes - you get a 2nd tel.no
for these. There is supposed to be "multi-numbering" from Vodafone
to use tel+fax with one Vodafone number.
- play with My Contact Card and/or preview until fax header is right
- only have one fax no in My Contact Card - that will be the one
displayed on recipient's fax display and printout header
- set fax call diverting to voice mailbox when 9500 not available

Bluetooth
- enable bluetooth (Alt+left arrow) *before* turning on headset
- can't enable bluetooth from front cover
- apparently do not use AVM Bluetooth dongle is you want to sync with
PC. Any other dongle with Profile 1.1 works

Groups (=Folders on Desktop)
- groups arranged first, then shortcuts
- no groups in groups
- must have apps (even those already on buttons) in at least one group
or desktop

Vodafone
- hotline will send you SMS to configure your MMS, Vodafone mail, fax
etc. settings

Sync
- pop-up on PC needs to be confirmed with a "time" - just pressing
Yes will not work
- sync contacts outlook & 9500 not sorted into proper categories
(private/business/normal phone)
- mobical.net works well for syncing contacts and calendar over the
internet
- 9500 even gets it right syncing between several sources (PC, web)

Nokia PC Suite
- the only functions that work for me are Application Installer, Sync
(see above) and Phone Browser - avoid the others
- In Phone Browser (or see My Computer>Nokia) watch out for lots of
folders that look like they are on the 9500 but are not - instead go
to My Computer>Nokia Phone Browser>Nokia 9500>Device Memory>My Files
and ignore all the other folders
- Backup aborted after some time when my 3MB cache was full. I cleaned
it and set it to 1MB now it works again.

MMC required for
- new database for contacts
- tools>backup (not PC backup)
- largest size: official 128MB, inoffical 1GB

Music
- Real Player supposed to understand AAC format (standard ringtone
format!) but can't handle some files (e.g. those ripped of CD via
iTunes, even if renamed from .m4a to .aac)
- But downloading iTunes file (.m4a) does not work: .m4a is not
recognised and renaming it to .aac invokes real player but that then
refuses to play file.
- Pity because if .aac file playing would work, a GB MMC (64€) and a
stereo headset HDS-3 (12€) would give you a mini-mini-iPod !

Word
- opening .doc file in Nokia browser from PC does not work
- converting PC->9500 changes font (highlight/heading) - see this
file

Front phone
- learn to hit cursor button in middle to "select" (difficult!)
- learn to align ear and speaker (else sound quality bad)
- "select", then "*" locks keypad

Mail/MMS/SMS/Contacts
- no folders in contacts (e.g. to separate private from business
contacts) possible
- MMS sending does not work if tel.no contains
blank/slash/hyphen/brackets (no problem with these chars for SMS or
tel/fax call). So use 0-9 and + only
- Yahoo mail seems inaccessible via POP or WAP (only normal web, like
PC). Can't work out how to sync contacts, mail, e-mail with 9500
- incoming SMS's sender sometimes not translated to name - only tel.no
shown
- the screen cleaner that removes the operator logo "vodafone.de"
also removes that rectangle of the desk backrgounds - grrr

MISC
- Menu leftmost icon to switch between open tasks
- Menu rightmost icon to switch phone profile. But switching out of
offline requires front power on
- front power off does not disable inside
- Help is largely useless (quotes obvious) - use hotlines or maybe web
fora instead
- no Page up/down scroll keys for web, doc etc.
- no Pos1 to go to top e.g. to get to My Card quickly in contacts
- no way to change splash screens from shaking hands
- Palm to Nokia is a nightmare. IR doesn't work with Palm, PC.
Tools>data transfer does not work with Palm either. Don't ever, ever,
ever, ever try to import calendar events from a Palm into the 9550.
You will spend hours and dollars and get nowhere. Copy manually.


APPS
- useful: acrobat reader (but slow!), MP3 player, IM+
- fun: Legacy RPG game
- watch inside screen when installing apps - complete dialogues there
before installing next app

LINKS
On PC:
www.allaboutsymbian.com
www.my-symbian.com
http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,1522, [...] hones/9500
http://smartsam.de/
http://www.handango.com/SoftwareCa [...] mbian%20OS
http://www.jamba.de/dew/forwardHan [...] dsetId=566
http://www.expansys.de/
Fora:
alt.cellular.nokia
de.comm.geraete.mobil.nokia
uk.telecom.mobile
http://www.filesaveas.co.uk/cgi-bi [...] d=series80
www.9500communicator.com/forum
On 9500:
http://www.salmony.co.uk/mobile/start.htm

Michael Salmony
20.1.2005