Nokia 9290 communicator: this all-in-one device promises to provide all your mobile communication needs.

The Nokia 9290 Communicator is a fully integrated mobile device featuring phone, fax sending, e-mail, calendar, imaging, HTML browser, and WAP functionality. Application support includes feature-limited, but usable, emulations of Microsoft Word and Excel, as well as a PowerPoint viewer and a variety of applications written for the 9290's Symbian operating system.

My initial response to the half-pound Nokia 9290 was that it seems a bit big for a cell phone. It's true that the device does resemble a phone I might have purchased three or four years ago, but, I quickly discovered this isn't your typical cell phone. Flipping open the clamshell casing reveals a QWERTY keyboard and the 9290's easy-to-read screen, one of the unit's best features.

The best way to fully evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of any device is to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. I'm following my own advice by writing this entire review on the Nokia 9290. (A daring task for me, since the default installation doesn't include spell check!)

This device doesn't quite fit into any standard product category or class of hardware. It's much more than a phone, yet not exactly a PDA either. The 9290 has a unique feel compared to the "take a PDA and add a cellphone" style of the Handspring Treo and Microsoft smartphone devices. First, there's no stylus. Instinctively, I tried to use my finger to tap the icons on the screen (oops!). The 9290 relies on four buttons on the right side of the screen for actions such as "OK," "Open," "Close," "Add Field," etc. The buttons remind me of PC function keys that let you easily navigate through options and menus instead of using a mouse or other pointing device. The buttons are easy to use and I was proficient almost immediately.

The keyboard is also quite usable. Although I wouldn't want to transcribe War and Peace on it, the decently spaced keypad seems appropriate for typical e-mail messages and short writing tasks (although, I must although fingers are beginning to tire).

The operating system is neither Palm OS-based nor a Microsoft Windows variant. Rather, it's a specialized operating system called Symbian. Although it has a standard, well documented application programming interface (API) and it offers a software developer's kit (SDK) to assist in software development, the Symbian platform hasn't been widely accepted by application developers. This means there are fewer software applications available compared to the Palm and Pocket PC alternatives. However, the 9290 does ship with a variety of software, including an integrated telephone contact manager, e-mail client (supporting attachments), an SMS client, Web browser (supporting HTTP, SSL, Flash, and WAP), calculator, alarm clock, image viewer, voice recorder, and calendar. The included CD-ROM also contains Real Player, games, and file viewers for a variety of formats including e books. The 9290 can also synchronize your e-mail, contacts, to-do list, and calendar with Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes.

The phone can also import pictures via the IR port and integrate them into the contact database using the optional Concord Qeye IR Wireless digital camera. You can take a picture, beam it to your 9290, and e-mail it to a friend (if you can tolerate the connection speed).

If you scanned the specs and wondered why the PDA time is so much more than the stand-by time, here's quick word on battery life. The phone and PDA are completely different systems. So, you can have the phone off and the PDA on, and work on a Word document. This means no data connection and no incoming calls. So, if the phone is off, but the PDA is on, the battery could last longer than if the phone is on (in stand-by) and the PDA is off (i.e, the shell is closed).

The biggest shortcoming of the 9290 is the slow speed of its integrated data modem. Depending on your coverage area, the speed of the data transmission is either 9,600bps or 14,400bps (yes, bits per second). Maybe my cable modem has spoiled me, but going back to sub-dialup speeds is barely tolerable. I would much prefer to see Nokia use newer GPRS technology to get 40-60Kbps.

Other design curiosities include the use of a serial port instead of a USB interface and the use of an MMC slot instead of the more modern secure digital slot. (SD is backward-compatible with MMC, but not vice versa).

Overall, I found the Symbian GUI to be relatively straightforward and intuitive. The quality of the integrated speakerphone is remarkable. It even supports a conferencing feature that can bridge up to five callers into a single call. Another bonus that comes with the speakerphone is the ability to talk on the phone and use applications simultaneously--very handy.

At times, I was impressed enough by the Office applications that I would be tempted to use the 9290 as a laptop replacement for certain tasks, making the device worth the price even if the cell phone feature wasn't activated.

Overall, this unique and innovative product will find a sweet spot in the pockets of mobile professionals who require anytime, anywhere access to a personal organizer, basic Office application functionality, e-mail, and light Web browsing.

BUSINESSBENEFITS

Packs a lot of functionality into a small space. Think of it not as an oversized PDA, but a scaled-down laptop.

(+) Keyboard and navigation buttons are easy to use

(+) Office software makes this device a potential laptop replacement for simple tasks

(+) Excellent speakerphone

(+) Phone conferencing features

(-) Slow data connection speeds

(-) Symbian platform has limited software

Nokia Corporation http://www.nokia.com Nokia 9290 Communicator US$599

DIMENSIONS: 6.22" height, 2.20" width, 1.06" depth

WEIGHT: 8.6oz

SCREEN SIZE: 1*4" height, 4.3" width

RESOLUTION: 640x200

DISPLAY: 4,096 colors

BACKLIT SCREEN: Yes

BATTERY LIFE: 10 hours Talk; 9 hours Stand-by; 384 hours PDA

OS: Symbian

BATTERY TYPE: Lithium-Ion

PROCESSOR: 32-bit ARM9 RISC 

RAM: 56MB

EXPANSION SLOT: MMC

PORTS: Serial

INPUT DEVICE: Keyboard

VOICE RECORDER: Yes

INTERNET: E-mail, Web

TEXT MESSAGES: Yes

APPLICATIONS: Microsoft Word/Excel and PowerPoint viewer, contact manager, calculator, image viewer, calendar, to do

SYNC: Serial port

INFRARED: Yes

DATA SPEED: 9600bps-14,400bps

RADIO SYSTEM: GSM 1900Mhz

CALL TIMER: Yes

CALL WAITING: Yes

CALLER ID: Yes

LAST NUMBER RECALL: Yes

MISSED CALL LISTING: Yes

MULTIPLE PHONE BOOKS: No

RING OPTIONS: Ring, vibrate, silent

VOICE DIALING: No

VOICEMAIL: Yes

SPEAKERPHONE: Yes

Lee Barken, CCNA, MCP, has more than 15 years of experience in the IT industry. Lee has worked as an IT consultant and network security specialist for Ernst & Young's Information Technology Risk Management (ITRM) practice, and KPMG's Risk and Advisory Services (RAS) practice. Lee is also the co-founder of the San Diego Wireless Users Group (http://www.sdwug.org) and writes and speaks on the topic of wireless LAN technology and security. He also teaches the "WLAN Deployment and Security" class for University of California at San Diego (UCSD) Extension and is writing a comprehensive book on wireless security, [e-mail].