Why struggle for a day like I did trying to set up the Nokia 7610's access points to AT&T's (now Cingular) GSM network and deal with Sylvester the Cingular telephone tech guy who didn't know what Google was and how it could be used...

Use the Nokia's Configuration Tool to get all your email, browser, access points, and bookmarks(!!!!) configured directly from Nokia's easy to use interface and sent to the phone via SMS. Yeah Nokia!

Now that my happy little phone is all configured and working, I discovered that while I asked for a much larger plan the Cingular (formerly AT&T) sales folk only gave me 1 mb of mMode. I blew through that in the first 24 hours, so I called again today to ask for the unlimited plan. The sales lady told me it would take 24 hours to have the request approved?!?!?!?

Nokia = cutting edge cool. Cingular = wormy dog crap.

What I like best about the new phone:

1) The one megapixel camera. Look at the above photo from my garden yesterday. No touch ups needed, just resizing. Last night, as I walked home I did a comparison with my Casio 4 MP camera and the cell phone camera. (see below)

2) The user interface is excellent and easy to use. I like the large screen. I like the inclusion of Opera if I don't want to use the "web" function. I like the layout of the applications and the use once in them.

3) I can download and reply to my earthlink.net mail. Yeah.

4) The log gives running totals of minutes used of received calls, dialed calls, and GRPS used. Very nice.

5) The voice recorder is nifty, I wonder how long I can record for?

6) So far I quite like LifeBlog's interface and how it organzies all my photos, notes, and text messages. It will be even more fun when I get to upload all of the LifeBlog data and pics to the TypePad blog. Now the big question is when will their be a link between LifeBlog and MT??? Calling all MT plugin developers....

Quick comparison of similar photos taken with my Casio Exlim Z-40 camera (left side column) and the Nokia 7610 camera (right side column):

What I don't like about the Nokia 7610:

1) The Clear button for text just below the select button that is most of the time "Exit" and adjacent to the end call button. I have hit end call or exit more times than I have hit clear. ;o(

2) Oh... There is a phone on this fabulous device? Argh... it's ringing... do I have to pick it up? Argh...