Testing The Mozilla Browser

So, I figured out what hoops I had to jump through to get the Mozilla browser installed on my N800. One of the reasons I wanted to try it out is its support for Ajax, which is needed for Google Notebook. After installing the browser I opened Google Notebook, and it does work, sorta. I can enter something in a notebook, but eventually the browser shuts down with an error, so it isn’t working entirely good enough.

 BTW, it may just be me, but it seems that since I installed the latest version of the Tablet OS software that the device has run slower than previously.

Installing Applications

One of the things I find most frustrating about using the Nokia N800 is the process for installing applications. In short, it seems to never work as described on the web sites. For example, I am trying to install the recently-released Mozilla Browser. The instructions on the web site tell me to click a link with the page open on the N800, then select “Open” from the “File download” dialog. That starts the Application Manager, and what is supposed to happen is that the repository is added and then the application is supposed to install. This is where things break because I keep getting a dialog saying that the application list cannot be refreshed and then nothing happens. The application doesn’t install no matter how many times I try to get it work. What I have to do is manually go into the catalog, which tells me hasn’t been refreshed since April, and manually find the install file which I have to ascertain from the link that I clicked.  I’ve hardly had problems installing applications in Windows Mobile, but almost everytime the process for installing applications on the N800 does not work as instructed.

Updating The N800

Nokia released an update to the N800 late last week and I just installed it on my N800. I was impressed with the install process that went pretty smoothly, prompting me to backup and restore the device so that I don’t lose my data. Unfortunately, the backup does NOT include any applications that were installed on the device so gone are GAIM and Gizmo Project and any other apps that I may have installed, resulting in a disappointing upgrade experience.

Nokia is not alone in this type of thing, every Windows Mobile update results in a complete wipe of the device and you can’t restore, but I don’t understand why these companies find this to be acceptable. How hard can it be to find a way to backup and restore applications as well as data? At the very least it would be nice if the device could store a catalog of the apps that I did have on the device that could be backed up so that it could provide me with guidance on what to install.

Since I just performed the update I haven’t had a chance to check out most of the new features, however I did try Skype, which is probably the main “new” thing included in the update. Well, the update really just includes an icon to the Skype install, which started the app manager but never really kicked off the install. I had to scroll through the app library, find Skype, and install it. Granted, that’s easy enought to do, but still not a very smooth install process. Skype appears to be working, but noone on my contact list is available at the moment so I haven’t head a chance to really try it out.