Mobile Ministry Magazine

This morning, I packed up and sent back the Nokia N95 to Nokia Blogger Relations. I've had it for a number of months, and have been both disappointed and impressed with it. I wanted to write some of my closing thoughts about the device, some of the software that I've used with it, and how devices like the N95 have a bigger place in ministry than we might give them credit for at times.

First, about the N95:
I was very impressed with the device's capabilities. As I spoken about many times, the sheer number of features that the N95 has can really make you sit back and appreciate where technology has come from to this point.

My most frequented feature was the TV-Out. I would set up the N95 as my evening computing device and then play music while browsing the net with either the impressive Nokia Web Browser or Opera Mini.

Doing this though revealed several flaws of the N95 (which are corrected in both the just released N95-3 for the US, and N95 8GB). The worst was battery life. While I could really get out a solid usage run from it, as an all day device it would be dead most times before an 8hr day was done. Then there was the issue of low memory errors that cut off programs in the background. That was frequent on my end and very much frustrating.

Those let downs were not enough to stem my opinion though of the N95. I would heartily recommend the N95-3 to US users in a heartbeat, even given the $700 price tag. It is designed to change your mind about what a mobile can do, and is very successful in doing so.

Software I'd Recommend:
There was not much that I installed, but of what I did, here are my favorites:
- S60 Bible Reader: uses Bible+ bibles, easy to use navigation, and little impact on memory
- Jaiku Mobile Client: the only reason I used Jaiku was because of this mobile client. Integration with the built in addy book was a plus, and the latest client release added more community involvement. I really wish there was a mobile client for my Treo, this app and service is just that good.
- TalkPlus: This application/service enables one to have a second phone number attached to their mobile without the use of swapping SIM cards. Is pretty much like a VoIP solution, but much cleaner n implementation. On the N95, it would run in the background and so I could call it up when needed. For one who recently moved, this was a life saver in some situations.
- Mail for Exchange: enables one to connect to MS Exchange servers for email, contacts, calendar, and tasks. I keep all of my info on an Exchange server and so keeping the Treo and N95 synced was pretty much a breeze with this software. It was the main source of my daily battery drain issues though. With the small battery of the N95, this was probably just a bit much.

There are certainty others out there that could work for many, but for me, these were just the best for me. Because of them, usability of the N95 approached that of my Treo in some areas. For that, I was very impressed.

Consequences of the N95:
Devices such as the N95 prove that while there is a place for computing, that most do not know that place for it in their lives. From those that need the educational window, to those who bank, to those who just want to connect, a computer is personal, communal, and persuasive.

As a Christ-follower, we are called to be examples of Christ not just in the way we talk, but in the way we live. I have seen the N95 as helping to foster in me a sense of humility towards what can be brought to the table. The device does a whole lot, and one should be hard-pressed to use EVERYTHING that it has to offer. Will it be the best in every situation? No. But it will be an example and a teaching point as to what is possible.

I learned that just simply putting yourself in the way of the Spirit of God presents opportunities for Him to use you. A device like the N95 certainly expands the scope of what is possible.

Updated from original post by adding pics, spell-checking, and addition of links

Labels: mobile, N95, Nokia, tech