Vodafone, Firmware and the E90

When I bought my E90, one of the questions I asked was "is this a "fresh" phone". The guy in the Vodafone shop (a major branch) assured me that it was.

Now, it might have been new stock for them but it certainly wasn't "firmware current". In fact it was running v07.24.03 dated 12th June LAST YEAR. I had taken the guys word for this and hadn't bothered to check until I'd been using the device for a week or so.

It's bad enough that if you have a Nokia E series device on Vodafone, you'll always be at least one version behind the firmware that Nokia has released - but it's adding insult to injury to supply the phone even further backdated. I had strongly considered going "sim free" to avoid this problem (as well as the issue of "network crippling) which was well covered in a feature by Krisse on "All About Symbian" http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/features/item/Its_time_to_buy_SIM-free_phones.php but the upgrade price of the E90 was too tempting.

Having upgraded the firmware, I come to the next issue. Why is updating the firmware on a Nokia such a "hit and miss" affair. It's fair enough that you have to back-up and restore all your personal data (and a big memory card helps here, especially if you always install applications to the card). It's also reasonable that the phone will wake up "factory fresh" - but why do some settings stay and others dissapear, why do some applications re-appear in the correct user defined directory and others go back to the default location, why can't bluetooth pairings be saved as part of a backup... the list goes on.

Worst of all, why do some things simply not work after a firmware upgrade. I am now completely unable to use push e-mail. I am using Emoze and it now will not allow sufficient characters in the OWA server address to connect to the server. I'm sure I will get this worked out eventually - but it shouldn't be this hard.

The Gilera GP800

Here's the demonstrator from Thompsons Scooters http://www.piaggio-center.co.uk/. If you're considering a Gilera, Piaggio or Vespa, John Thompson should be your first port of call.

My K75 is a bit long in the tooth and although I'll be keeping it (and "fettling" it for high days and holidays), it's getting too tired for the daily commute. I loved my X9 500 and when I decided to get a second bike, I didn't look too hard at anything other than scooters (although the Kawasaki Versys and the Suzuki V-Strom did get a quick glance). I rode the Gilera Fugly (Fuoco 500) and although I was convinced by it's stability and general road manners (and general all round cool), I felt it lacked a bit of oomph. Of course it is pretty powerful by scooter standards but compared with a 750 BMW it felt slightly lacking.

When I had the opportunity to test ride the GP800 I was sold immediately. All the advantages of a scooter with the performance of a big bike. If I had to describe it in a single word, it would be effortless.

I've placed an order (in February) but I want a black one and these are going to be in short supply (to be honest, so are the red ones, these are never going to be common sights on our roads) . I'm hoping for delivery in March so with luck it will arrive in the next week or so.

Introduction

I've had my own website for a few years now. It's mostly about my motorcycles - especially, the BMW R1100RS, the BMW K75 and the Gilera X9 500. You can find it here:

http://gibsonfamily.interactivehosting.co.uk/mysite/bmw.html

Like many people, I struggle to find the time to update the site and I've felt for a while now that a blog is the way to go - so here it is.

The "launch" of this blog co-incides with my aquisition of a Nokia E90 Communicatior, probably the best (and certainly the most converged) mobile phone/pda/satnav device available today. I have also placed an order for a shiny new Gilera GP800, definitely the the best scooter available today.

I'm a terminably incurable researcher. I spend days on the net hunting for reviews and information before making any major purchase. Here's my chance to let others see the results of my research, read my opinions & reviews and share my experiences.