Nokia E90 - T9 Predictive Text

Like many people who crave smartphones with QWERTY keyboards, I have always been "sniffy" about predictive text. Even with early predicitve text equipped phones I simply switched if off - or disabled it in settings as soon as possible. However, time has marched on and predictive text in it's latest T9 guise is actually quite clever. I tend to get most of my Symbian related news and info from the very fine All About Symbian website and recently, this thread was posted in the forum http://www.blogger.com/T9%20Thread%20on%20All%20About%20Symbian. So in the spirit of investigation, I turned it on on the E90 and was singularly unimpressed. But I persevered, and it suddenly became clear. Here's my "T9 in easy steps"

1. Press the numeric button which contains the letter you want once for each letter, ignore what's displayed on the screen until you get to the end of your word. If it's correct, press 0 to accept it, put in a space and move to the next word.
2. If when you get to the end of the word it's wrong, press * to cycle through the possiblities. When you get to the right one press 0 to accept it. When the dictionary runs out of alternatives, it will offer you the opportunity to "spell" (in multitap) the word and add it to the dictionary.
3. For words with apostrophes (Don't, her's etc) press the 1 after the "Don" and the screen will display a full stop. Simply enter the t (or s) and the full stop will automatically change to an apostrophe.
4. For numbers press and hold the appropriate button.
5. For other punctuation, press and hole the 1 button
6. That's it. There is a way to do "smileys" but I guess if you're like me, the point is to write gramatically correct English not "txt spk" so smileys aren't really in the picture.

I'll still use the QWERTY for e-mails and longer messages but for short SMS text messages, I'm now converted to T9. I'm sure an eight year old can multitap faster but for me, T9 has made life simpler and given me a new option for entering text.

I'm converted - T9 rocks.

GP800 - The First Week

I've now been riding the GP800 for a week (and covered 350 miles) so here are a few more observations.

It's heavy ! Like most big heavy modern bikes (the Honda ST1100 Pan European springs to mind) it disguises it's bulk very well when moving at any speed but paddling it or pushing it is not for the faint of heart or short of stature.

It's fast ! Not just "a bit quick" or "for a scooter", it's fast period. Not only is it fast, it's deceptively fast. In fact, it's so deceptively fast that if it wasn't for the fact that I'm slowing down to exactly the same speed as everyone else to pass "safety cameras" I'd say the speedo was over-reading by about 20%. I reckon this is down to 2 things. Firstly, the screen is more effective than it looks, even at low speeds and it's hiding a lot of the wind that tells you instinctively how fast you are going. Secondly, the big V-twin is not working too hard even at speed and that "lazy" delivery, helped by the auto transmission means that it never sounds like you're going very quickly.

I think I will go for the "Touring Screen" when it becomes available but it's not going to be an urgent upgrade. When I test rode the demonstrator I felt that there was too much buffeting with the screen up and too much wind blast with it down. In fact there is a "sweet spot" between the two that's just right for motorway work and riding in town.

I'm still trying to get used to a few more things. After 25 years of always putting bikes on centrestands (my Harley Sportster was a singular exception - and even then only because it didn't have a centrestand), I can't get used to the sidestand/handbrake combo. I'm sure I will as it's entirely sold and stable. Having said that I will also have to remember the sidestand safety switch. I did spend a little while stabbing the starter button yesterday wondering why it wouldn't start (a "sidestand warning light" would assist the terminally stupid in this respect). Having a handbrake is indeed a novelty but it might have been better placed on the left side so you could release it at the same time as you twist the throttle to move away.

The other thing that will take time is getting used to using a switch on the left hand controls to indicate to turn right. Most reviewers seem to criticise the biutton on each switchgear system favoured by Harley-Davidson and BMW but I've always found it intuitive and obvious (I even liked the "up for right - down for" left switchgear of the old "airhead" Boxers but I admit that was odd).

So far, still no regrets - a top commuting and distance tool.

GP800 - Motorways and longer distances

Some of the time I work in Ashford, Kent and this involves a round trip of 185 miles using the M25, Dartford Crossing, A2/M2 and M20. The trip yestrerday provided an excellent test of the GP800 as well as starting to rack up running in miles.

At 05:20, the temperature was barely above freezing and the bike fired up first time and settled into a slightly lumpy tickover without a problem. The first few bars of the temperature guage came up quite quickly and the engine settled down to its sweet burble within a mile or so.

I am aiming to keep the revs between 5,000 and 6,000 for the first 500 miles or so and it soon became apparent that this equates to "normal motorway speeds" of 80ish mph.

The GP800 is unmoved by blustery winds, lane markings or the blast when passing trucks and is supremely comfortable. The mirrors are not a problem if you tuck your elbows in when glancing and the only issues (and I make no apologies for banging on about this) is the b****y speedometer. It is appalling that someone at VOSA passed this bike through Type Approval in the UK. The MPH readings are completely unusable and this is simply not acceptable on a six and a half grand bike. It's not as if Piaggio are some kind of niche manufaturer, they are the number three seller of bikes in the UK. Other Piaggio products (which all have KMH biased speedos) manage at least a degree of legibility in the MPH markings. I have tippex "blobs" at the salient speeds (thanks JT) but this is not really a proper solution to the problem. In this speed camera encrusted land of ours, this bike needs a properly legible speedo.

OK, rant over. The real bonus of the GP800 is it's "range to tank" - at least 200 miles. I filled up the moment the light came on at 190 odd miles - I calculate that I could go a further 28 miles until completely empty. This is a major plus point for the bike (easily enough to outweigh the speedo issue). My first tank went through at about 54MPG which is brilliant for a bike of this size and performance. Filling the tank requires care through the narrow filler - the first half of the tank fills quickly then your dribbling for the next 7 or 8 litres which does take time - but that's a small price to pay for that kind of range.

The weather on the way back was variable winds and very short sharp showers but (like most scooters) weather protection was significantly better than most bikes.

It's big, comfy, economical and fast - all in all, another big "tick in the box" for the GP800

GP800 - Commuting In London

Today was the first day commuting on the GP. One thing is immediately clear, the GP800 will make a fine commuting tool. Even allowing for the fact that I'm obviously nervous of scratching my new toy and for keeping the revs down while running in, I still got home in about the same time as I would have done on the K75 - but more relaxed.

Observations:

• At 1/2 mph its very easy to ride, completely stable and controllable. It's almost "MP3/Fugliesque" in it's ability to come to a halt and stay upright for a second or so before you put your feet down.
• If you do need to "paddle" it at any point though it's a lot less "wieldy". The wide seat makes it harder to have both feet comfortably purchased on the ground. I may move the "bumstop" forwards to put me on the narrower part of the seat which might help.
• I last posted that the mirrors weren't well positioned - I might revise that view to to say that the problem is that the handlebars are a touch too wide. They could afford to be an inch shorter on each side and this would bring my elbows in further. The alternative will be to develop a "GP twitch" whereby I tuck my elbows in at the same time as inclining my head for the mirror. This seems to work and may become instinctive over time.
• It almost goes without saying, handling, ride, acceleration (even on limited revs) are all exemplary.

There's two more things that I'll have to get used to. I've always been a centre-stand man. I hate sidestands. However the GP800 has a handbrake and that changes things entirely. It's much more stable on the sidestand than any normal bike - and although it's fairly easy to put the bike on it's centrestand (especially given the weight), I can see that the only times I'll use it are at home when anchored down as I can chain through the centrestand to increase the level of protection and when filling up with petrol to keep the bike level.

The other thing that's a novelty to me (but not to anyone with a large topbox) is the ability to pop into Morrisons on the way home and not have to carry your "lid" round with you. These quick stops are aided by the Oxford BossAlarm disclock (get yours from John at Thompsons Scooters). It's very easy to hook on when you need "quick security" and it also doubles as an alarmed padlock when chaining the bike up fully.

Gilera GP800 - First Impressions

Here it is at last, my GP800. It's everything I want in a bike. There was a time that I thought that the BMW R1100RS was "it" - and I even thought the Harley-Davidson XL1200S Sportster Sport was "it" once. But know I know for sure, the Gilera GP800 is "it" - the best all round bike (Jeremy Clarkson voice) - "in the world".

Now I've only had this half a day so I'll post more after I've commuted in London on it - and on Monday I'm taking the trip to my office in Kent to see how it does on a longer run.

Downsides so far - apart from the limited underseat storage caused by the fact that being powered by an 839cc V-twin means that over 400cc of that is pointing straight up between your legs.

Only two:

The mirrors aren't particularly well positioned - although small, the size isn't the problem - it's just that my elbows take up a fair bit of the rearward view.

The other one is my favourite gripe about Piaggio - a speedo that does not properly display MPH. For now I've got small strips of tape marking the important speeds but long term (and one way or another), I'm going to get a proper MPH speedo for the GP.

GP800 Delivery Date

Well, it's here at last - I collect my black GP800 tomorrow afternoon.

I'll post more with photos as soon as I've ridden it home. There was one minor shock when I phoned Carole Nash. At the end of January, I had been quoted £268 to add it to the K75 on my multibike policy unitl the renewal date in September. When I called them today to update the policy (three month nearer to the renewal date), the price had gone up to £288. They also seem unable to recognise the fact that it has a factory fit transponder immobiliser much like every modern car. Given that this system is on most Piaggios, Vespa and Gileras that's something of a startling ommission - all they can do is call it "generic immobiliser".

I suspect that come September I'll be shopping around again - a pity since I have been a loyal Carole Nash customer for a few years now.

Nokia E90 In the car - Handsfree Issues

I have always preferred a wired "boom" headset for use in the car. Even after Bluetooth became common, I stuck with the Jabra Earwave with my Sony Ericsson P900 and Nokia E70 just as I had with earlier phones.

When combined with an active cradle, it always seemed to me to be the optimim solution - no power issues, no pairing issues, just reliable connectivity. What's more, the boom ensured good quality reception of my voice even in a small car at speed on a motorway (where wind noise is often as intrusive as the sound of a straining engine - small cars do not have the same "serenity" as a large car)

Once I had the E90, I knew that an alternative was required. The port for the supplied stereo headset is not compatible with any 3rd party wired boom headset that I could find and I didn't fancy trying to fabricate something myself given the thinness of the wires involved.

While I was searching for (and getting blank looks in Carphone Warehouse et al) a wired headset, a number of people had pointed me in the direction of a Bluetooth "visor" handsfree so I started researching.

There are a shedload of different types out there but I settled on the Supertooth Light - so far I'm delighted. http://www.supertooth.net/htmls/supertooth_light.html It seems well made, pairs with the E90 first time every time and charges via a mini USB plug which means it can share a charger with my Navman B10 Blutooth GPS receiver.

I always send/end using the phone itself so any fragility in its magnetic attraction to the sunvisor is not a problem. Sound levels are fine and callers seem to be able to hear me perfectly well although the microphone is fairly directional so you need to lower the sunvisor slightly when a call comes it and speak "up" as well as up :-). So far it has only dropped 2 calls on me, which makes it better than the Bluetooth headset that I own - but I'd still prefer a wired connection that NEVER drops a call.

There's only one disadvantage I've found so far. If you're navigating with the Supertooth switched on, the voice directions seem a bit "crackly" which doesn't seem to happen with incoming calls. At the moment, I'm switching the Supertooth off when navigating - which is fine as it's "instant on" if I do get a phone call.

It's not the cheapest visor unit on the market but I wasn't going to start right at the bottom. Best price from MyMemory with their usual prompt delivery. http://www.mymemory.co.uk/Bluetooth-Car-Kits/Generic/Supertooth-Light-Bluetooth-Handsfree-Visor-Kit . It gets my personal seal of approval.

Nokia E90 In the car - Cradle Issues

Because the Nokia E90 has built in GPS and navigation is much more user friendly in "open" mode, I was ideally looking for a cradle that allowed the phone to be used open or closed.

Sadly, such cradles don't seem to exist - but even once you settle for closed mode there isn't an equivalent of the excellent Nokia MBC-13L I used to use with my E70.

I'm a big fan of Brodit products and the "Proclip" is a "first fit" as soon as I have a new car. However, their cradles for the E90 didn't look quite "right" to me (open or closed) so I sourced the Herbert Richter cradle from Expansys.

This does allow you to open the E90 - but only to 90 degrees which means it won't suit navigation in open mode. However, it's a good cradle and when combined with a Brodit "tilt/swivel" mount and the aforementioned Proclip it provides an ideal mount in my Mazda 2 which is the car I use for business. I was pleased to note that it uses the now quite common clip system to fit the cradle to the mount rather than screws. It's a pity that it's a completely passive mount but since I've also given up the search for a wired boom mike for handsfree use and settled on a bluetooth visor handsfree unit at least it's only the 12v power lead I need to plug in each time.

My inital experiences with navigation on the E90 prove that it is perfectly possible to navigate on the small external screen so I'll settle for that at the moment. I know that I do want to use the E90 in open mode for navigation eventually - but I'll do that by sitting the phone on an anti-slip mat in the top glovebox of the Mazda 2 (where the lid acts as a sunshade) - but before I start to do that, I need to find a neat way of getting the 12v power into that top glovebox. That's a Navman B10 external bluetooth receiver sitting just behind the E90. I'll report on that later - but it was certainly a wise buy despite the internal GPS of the E90.