Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

Posting this in Off Topic for two reasons: a) much of it could apply to any/every new Fancy Widget one might be expecting, and b) I want it to stay extremely basic for us bears of very little brain.

I'm trying hard not to get filled with excitiement about the imminent arrival of my new friend, but it seems like today (when I have a bit of free time) might be a good time to do some of the Basic Things to prepare for the new baby (you know - paint the nursery, knit booties, that kind of things). So I thought we might together compile a very basic Bear's Guide to getting ready.

Help please!

1) Sync data. I'm assuming that the nokia pc software can read contacts and calendar data if I sync my current phone to a clean version of Outlook. Now might also be a good time to clear out my contacts and delete duplicates and the deceased. If n900 cannot sync with Outlook - please let me know! Interesting question: I already have nokia pc suite running (for the n95) - will the n900 need a different version? And will they conflict?

2) Assemble passwords. The password key for the network (on a handy card... if it were only handy) and the passwords for the external network drive. Will n900 detect that? Or will I need to install something to read the extra drives? The passwords for my email accounts.

3) Collect settings. A standard 'phone' will collect all the settings it needs from a sim card. I fear n900 may not: so I shall make a note of internet settings, sms settings, answerphone number etc before I remove the card from my current phone.

4) Sort music and decide which is going on the n900. Separate from DRM stuff. Possibly check cover art is enabled.

5) Applications:

5.1) I shall probably d/l docs-to-go fairly soon, though I'd rather have koffice. Can someone tell me the status of that?

5.2) I also understand there's a newer version of Mauku with greater functionality. Is that available for bears yet? Or still only in the hands of the Wise?

5.3) I fancy Pixelpipe as it claims to have a connection to tumblr. I need to check that out, as tumblr is terribly slow picking up from things like twitter. I may be better off creating a flickr account as I've seen that work very swiftly. I will depend how pixelpipe actually works.

5.4) I've been following the discussion about my Bible very faithfully. Can anyone tell me whether there's a version they'd risk in my bear paws yet? If so, I'm up for testing. :)

5.5) Same as Bible for mirror

5.6) Same as Bible for photo frame.

5.7) Same as Bible for liqtorch

5.8) I was really taken with Lcuk's postcard app - any news on the status for bear users? (I also think he should write Liqphoto as an editing programme on the liqbase platform... if I win the euromillions tonight, I shall sponsor him!)

5.9) I shall probably d/l Bounce just for the hell of it, though I believe n900 comes with Mahjong. Is there a decent pack of cards lying around anywhere for playing patience/solitaire with?


So what else do I need to be doing? (Aside from trying not to hyperventilate).

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

Spamming my own thread: thought of another one.

6) Creating some video material. What should I use to rip a dvd? What settings? And how big a file will I end up with?

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

This depends on the network drive. If it supports FTP or UPnP/DLNA then you will be able to access it. If it appears as a Windows share or a NFS share, then it won't work out of the box.

Don't worry about this. The settings from your SIM card will be used. There's no need to configure the 3G internet access point or the SMS settings.


A good idea.

They should be available in the extras repository soon.

Get some tissue paper ready because the device will make you drool over it. :D

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

More tips here:

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=33506

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHY,.....
Hope it arrives soonnnnnnnnnnn.

make awish

Pippo

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

How old are you? ...or should I not ask such a question :)

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

How the heck do I find out? I've attached an image of what it looks like for advice!

Brilliant. Good to know that. Thanks :)

.
Great news. I look forward to playing with them.

Excellent resource. Thanks!

Thanks. :-) I've had a good day. All that's missing is a shipping email from Amazon. Though they do still say shipping Monday.

http://revdkathy.tumblr.com/post/227761296
;)

Thanks all!

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

Do a last major sync into OL; use the Import/Export funtion (under File) to make a backup of the entire Personal Folder (.pst) including all subfolders (which would grab calendar, contacts, etc.). Save to a USB memory key and your local PC for backup and a restore point.

Then clear out the unneeded contacts and setup PC Suite to sync them to the N900.
The newer version of PC Suite will overwrite the old one, that won't effect your data at all.

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

Hi Kathy,
first: thanks for keeping us all smiling with your posts & glad you are having fun. Happy Birthday! (had to wish you that now don't I?)

Regards your drive: unfortunately Vista wraps up what you have in an icon so we can't tell what you have. If you can see the device itself can you find a make and model maybe to post here so we can check for you?

Fingers crossed for your Monday shipment: definately worth the wait. Make sure you take time out to have fun when it arrives without distraction.

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

Thank you! Great so far.

*Slaps Vista* I do so enjoy doing that

The device is a freecom 500gb network drive. That's all it says, I'm afraid. It came with a 'Freecom network storage' assistant which I installed on two of the computers. I have a feeling I didn't bother with the netbook, and XP just picked it up.

At the end of the day, it's not a huge problem right now: I shall transfer music via usb, and even with docs-to-go won't be trying to edit office files from the drive. That just leaves the odds and ends like the pictures.

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

Happy Birthday Kathy
It might not be quite the day you wished for as Im guessing you were lacking a n900 sized parcel in the post, but I hope you have a good day..

Look on the brightside - you still have a present to come

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

And it's not being here was an excuse to buy a little something for 'on the day' with my birthday money (a bottle of perfume) while Christmas shopping with my sister. :)

Please NokiaAmazonSanta send my n900 soon.

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

i'm pretty sure that's a windows (SMB/CIFS) share.
for that, you'll need a specific package which doesn't exist for fremantle yet AFAIK.
but im pretty sure that will be possible soon. maybe someone even ports the wizard mounter to maemo 5, then you won't have to fiddle around with xterm :)

edit: maybe you can try to change the settings of your external storage, could be that it does support UPnP, in which case access from the n900 would work out of the box.


and, of course, happy b-day!

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

Rats! (and thank you!)
Freecom say this:
http://www.freecom.com/ecproduct_det...sCatID=1147446

Oh well, I'll wait. :)

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

If it has a LAN connection, then you should be able to plug it into your switch, give it an IP and connect via the network share?

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

It's permanently wired into the modem - that's how I connect to it regardless of where in the house or which computer I'm on. None of the systems connect to it directly. So I think in theory you are right. I guess the question is whether that will work in practice....

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

that's what we were talking about, smb/cifs = windows network share. and it currently doesn't work out of the box on the n900.

@kathy
that freecom drive apparently really doesn't support UPnP. the only protocol mentioned in the datasheet is "tcp/ip", which means exactly squad (nearly ANY network nowadays uses tcp/ip...).

i actually had to laugh when i read this sentence:
"Data securely accessible from within and outside your network (via the internet)"
since there is no mention of VPN etc, you yourself would have to set it up properly to be accessible... with the same argument, any USB stick manufacturer could advertise that possibility :D

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

I'd worked that bit out. I've never bothered with access from over the internet partly because I'm not convinced of the security, Partly because it seemed to be amassive hassle, partly because I gather it's a disgustingly slow way of accessing data (quicker to drive home and burn it to a cd) and mostly because I leave it turned off when I'm not around. In fact, it's off right now, until I actually want something.

Presumably if I know I'm going to want data, I can move it around on a memory card. The main reason for wanting to use it is that as part of this blessed research paper, I have to keep all data secured, and that includes not putting it on a mobile device. I was hoping to be able to play audio files streamed onto it reckoning being able to stop a player with a single click while I type was easier than the faff of having both sound and transcript on the same machine. ;)

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

I think the instruction manual says something about boiling some water just in case :D

In any case Happy Birthday

Mike C

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

And towels. Lots of towels.

(Thanks!)

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

Hi Kathy,
well it looks as though you have the same drive as a friend of mine. I do believe that it was SMB shares (Windows so you'd need Wizard mount or SAMBA) and I think it supports FTP as well. I hope to drop by his house in the next day or two so I'll take mine with me and see if it wants to play. Will post you when I know for sure. :)

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

Hi Fargus, and thanks.

However, my n900 has now been set back to December, so I shall be cancelling my pre-order. I may or may not buy one now... but I shan't hang around waiting any longer.

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

According to whom? The only official information so far available was posted here first and it says November.

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

Amazon UK have sent an email to everyone that have preordered a N900 from them (including Katie) that they'll be shipping early December (they say they're sry). I don't know why they'll be getting the device later...

Re: Getting ready: A bear's guide to preparation
 

According to my supplier, Amazon UK. I gather other people who ordered from other places have different dates but I received an email from amazon today telling me that their estimated dispatch is now 1st December. Of course, it's possible they will be able to dispatch it sooner, but for the moment I have no choice but to take their word. I did say my n900 has been set back, Others seem to have a date of 9th November.

Anyway, I'm still here. As I say, I may decide to cancel with Amazon. That doesn't mean I shan't ultimately buy a n900, only that I shall probably take myself out of the preorder loop. I'm locked into a contract with my network for a year yet, so there really is no rush other than that my current phone is dead on its cables. If I end up having to invest money to keep it going, I may not want to spend a pile of money on a new device soon after.

The preparations are good for any new phone though. :)