CNET's quick guide to handheld OS

Symbian Series 60

The Symbian Series60 (S60) operating system appears primarily on cell phones and smart phones, and offers a broad array of personal information management (PIM) features, including contact and calendar management and a robust library of third-party applications. In earlier versions, the operating system was usually tailored to individual hardware (in other words, it can look and act differently depending on the phone that's running it), and can be confusing. With the latest S60 3rd Edition though, the user interface in devices across Nokia's range are generally consistent in look and feel.


Introduction Palm Windows Mobile		BlackBerry Symbian Which OS is right for you?

Ease of use
While Palm OS and Windows Mobile started out with PDAs, S60 was designed specifically for mobile phones. This makes its non-touchscreen interface very much tailored to devices with keypads and a directional pad. Users with any mobile phone experience should have no issues with the S60 UI but depending on the processor used in the handset, you may feel a slight lag because S60 requires quite a bit more processing power compared to regular mobile phone OSs. However, Nokia's newer products like the E71 are equipped with faster chips and are quite responsive.

	The Nokia E71 runs on the Series 60 Symbian platform (click for full review)

Office compatibility
The Symbian operating system incorporates full support for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents, though again the ability to create and edit these documents or just view them depends on your hardware.

E-mail
When it comes to messaging, Symbian is as versatile as any other platform, if not more so. Out of the box, it supports the usual POP3, IMAP4, and Webmail accounts. If you want something a little more robust, you can choose from several push-email solutions, including BlackBerry Connect and Visto. The operating system also supports Lotus Notes and Microsoft Exchange for maximum compatibility in the corporate world.

	The Nokia N85 has a multimedia focus though it is fully capable of smart phone duties. (click for full review)

Multimedia
The Symbian operating system is pretty adept at multimedia, with integrated support for audio and video playback and recording. In fact, Nokia's entire Nseries is dedicated to multimedia performance with strong audio and video capabilities. They are all also equipped with cameras for video and still image capture.

Third-party apps
A recent check of software site Handango revealed thousands of third-party apps for the Symbian operating system, far more than what you'll find on other smart phone operating systems. That's another big point in Symbian's favor, especially if you're weighing it against other phones.

Tags: Symbian Inc., Microsoft Windows Mobile, RIM BlackBerry, Palm Inc., multimedia

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Hemant

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Hemant says...
Surprise to see as why CNET category doesn't include Linux-based devices. As per me that's the future with great potential and lowest ownership cost.

Aug 22, 2008 11:59