phone

Nokia now have an official plugin available.

The N97 Mini has been available for about a month now and Nokia still haven’t released an iSync plugin. I had a look into how to make a plugin and found that it looked relatively easily. So I made one. This took me an hour, someone at Nokia could do it in 10 minutes.

And so here’s my unofficial N97 Mini plugin version 0.5 0.9.

Current issues:

• The icon is the N97, not the Mini. Fixed in v0.9 below
• Syncing is Bluetooth only, no USB (yet). Fixed in v0.9 below
• This is the first time I’ve ever made an iSync plugin and I’ve no idea if it’ll work for anyone other than me! As such this is considered development software provided as-is. I take no responsibility for any of loss of data.

Back up your data first!

OK? Then download Stop! New version available below! the plugin, put it in /Library/PhonePlugins and let me know if it works.

The next version will hopefully add USB syncing and have an N97 Mini icon.

I’ve now updated the plugin with an N97 Mini icon and hopefully USB sync. I don’t have my USB cable to hand so will have to rely on someone else to test this for me.

v0.9 is available here and the original download link has also been updated to point to the new version.

I am torn. Needlessly so, but torn nonetheless. Due to the large multinational company I work for deciding to outsource its IT I’ll be working for another large multinational company in less than a month. As part of the great change I have been given a half-yearly bonus just a few short months after last year’s full bonus was paid. Also two shiny and exciting new phones were yesterday released on the street. So add the two together and that means I’m eyeing up my next phone, even though I’m locked in to my current Vodafone contract till November. Doesn’t hurt to look does it? Sadly though both currently fall short of what I really want:

N97

• I already have an N95 8GB so it’s a nice easy upgrade path.
• It has a proper keyboard.
• It has a 5 megapixel camera.
• It has a camera flash.
• Tethering is free.

But:

• It’s only a 5 megapixel camera, my current phone has that.
• It doesn’t have much RAM.
• It’s currently a bit buggy.
• There’s no iSync plugin for it yet.
• It’s not as “nice” as the iPhone.
• I fear Nokia will bring out an “enhanced” version like they did with the N95 and the later 8GB version.

iPhone

• It’s from Apple.
• It would integrate super-well with my Mac (of course).
• I already use MobileMe so would get some extra money’s worth from said service.
• If I got the 32GB one I wouldn’t need my iPod thus meaning I could a) sell it and b) have one less thing to carry round with me.
• It’s from Apple!

But:

• It’s only a 3 megapixel camera.
• It has no camera flash.
• Lower resolution screen than the N97.
• No Bluetooth file transfer.
• You have to pay for (or hack) tethering.
• Nothing like Joikuspot yet.

If I do go for the iPhone I’m leaning towards splashing out on a PAYG or SIM free 32GB iPhone and then jumping on a Simplicity £20 per month deal, that way I won’t be locked in for 18-24 months so could change phones or go on to a new contract on my own terms and the TCO will be less (£780 vs £840).

But (and most importantly of all as my wife would say), I don’t need a new phone yet.