The Bad:

I knew this day would come.

It's a new OS, with a new look, new browser and new hardware. This means stuff ain't quite here yet.

First shocker, BT isn't ready. The drivers are there, the protocol and stack is there, but only 7 of the projected 17 protocols are implemented. It supports audio and contact transfer, PBAP. Which is good. It lack OBEX. Which is bad.

By this I mean (if you are not a fan of Bluetooth documentation) that until this is fixed, you can't send files over bluetooth. Yeah.

There are apps out there that allow you to send your contact over, and another that makes QR codes of contacts so you can share this way. No images, videos or documents. You'll have to use mail. Or Skydrive. Or Picasa. Or Photobucket. In fact, it's not really a crime against humanity, heck, iPhones have about the same issue, except nobody is frantically rushing to completion.

UI related to all the new features in Mango is still missing. For example, MS released the SmoothStreaming controls that allow for rtsp streams to play, with support for mp3, h264, wmv and wma (if I'm not mistaken) but nobody wrote those 3 lines yet. For a Linux community, this is status quo - you'll have to grow one yourself. Still, not all menus can be pinned, not all settings are available, not all features are there. But hey, there's a silver lining: someone developed a registry editor. You can set your options like you want. For example not having a lock screen (sleep button wakes up directly to desktop), changing colors to whatever you like and generally crashing your phone.

And I saved the best for last.

There is no local storage for your data. Much like Google does on Androids, the contacts are synchronized with your Live account (use a sturdy password). On the bright side, if you hard reset of flash your phone, you won't even notice. Setup asks for your user/pass and beams you down Scotty. And Jim and Layla and all other contacts, complete with accounts, pictures and names. Also, images and videos from SkyDrive. Also, calendars, complete with all sites' calendars.

So on the bright side, no backup, ever (or always, depending on if you see the glass half full). Phones are discardable (if you call that cash discardable).

On the less-than-bright-side, data is online. Which means that, in spite of a reassuring EULA and privacy terms, you store your data at Microsoft.

Yeah.

This is a big pill to swallow for most. Me, not so much. Google already has my contacts and reads my mail (unlike MS, they are actively doing it, openly), knows what I search, what I view. Facebook tracks me via those little "share" and "like" buttons. At least MS has the decency to pretend it doesn't know who I am when I check out www.microsoft.com. At least they don't serve me ads by name. In fact, they don't serve me ANY ads. It's f*ing refreshing. Android be damned.

Personally, I was a little paranoid, but then I remembered that E7 has online backup. Android has online backup. iPhone users report their farts to Apple. So basically, it's down to who gets your data. And my answer is simple. Not Google. And I kind of dislike Nokia over that cherry thing. And the data collection policy. And Apple isn't getting squat while I draw breath.

I guess it's MS. Heck, I already have My OS registered, if they wanted to know, they'd know. Say what you will, they are among the most professional out there.

Also, I get to ditch Nokia PC suite. I mean OVI Suite. I mean Nokia Suite. You know what, MS can have it. It's a bit like sleeping with the guy who saved you from rape. It's still not love, but it's not mentally scarring. I prefer the smell of roses to that of duct tape.

On the bright side, always backup. Also, online editing of contacts, which is better than PC Suite. Also, import and export to CSV and Outlook. So you can have your local copy. Hey, this isn't so bad. More lube, please.

Unlike the streaming problem, and the browser limitation (Opera said it's considering porting to WP7.5, there is talk of Mozilla) and the bluetooth (they are writing right now), the contact thing is not going away. This is it. Before you buy a WP device, know that your data is on their server. On a less serious note, you can't be that important, right? Who digs through billions of gigabytes to read that Jane is in your contact list? Be grateful you don't own a Blackberry.

And that's the end of the bad, and the good, and the review of the new OS/phone from Nokia. It's a quick little devil, it's speedy, nimble, animated like a SciFi movie computer, has everything other Nokias have, plus a bunch more, fixed a TON of issues Nokia never fixed or said they'll fix.

Phone doesn't have the answer at the bottom or top, the proximity works (it's at the center, no more wakeup when talking), excelent build quality, excellent screen and feel, global contacts, fully integrated <insert your site here>, real mail, real chat, real text and a real phone. And best of all, they actually develop for it because MS doesn't sell phones, they sell software and if software stinks they get booted out.

And Nokia does the hardware, there is no more unique "Nokia feel", no more silly design guidelines that don't change the **** reject button, they are free to focus on design and specs, which is what they can do. And they should do it well, else I buy an LG and just beam Scotty down into that. I won't even notice.

If anyone can do a premium, beautiful, ingenious device, it's Nokia. And if anyone can match up with Google and Apple, it's Microsoft. Software isn't like David and Goliath, if you want to compete, you need resources, manpower, and a few brilliant minds to actually take a chance and rewrite the way we look at devices. And most importantly, to take the risk it's going to be a total flop.

In closing, I strongly recommend that you get your hands on a Lumia 800 and play with it. Like I said in the rant from the first link, youtube videos will not do justice to a big, amoled screen and will not show 60 FPS of animation over a 15 FPS video. Go interact with it, it will not be wasted time.

That's it for Lumia 800 for now. A beautiful device, a combination of form, function, power and new tech.

As always, feel free to ask questions, I'll do my best to respond to your inquiries. Ndi signing out, 4:40 AM.