I've been using NST for sometime now and currently its the only reason I even use a Nokia phone. I was an happy iPhone 2G user earlier. I gave that up to use Nokia because of NST.
Its been about a year that I've been using NST dedicatedly for tracking my MTB rides. I face couple of problems not with NST directly, which ever since the March updates, works exceedingly well. But NST belongs to the ecosystem of Nokia phones and S60 and these limitations is huge obstacle.
My biggest problem is that mountain biking is a very rough environment. I have wrecked (crashed) 2 phones (E71 , N82) and lost 1 ( Navigator 6210) in the period last 9 months! :D
Due to the reliance on GPS means that the phone has to worn externally which invites problems. If there is a fall, jumps or any excessive shaking, the phones somehow have the tendency of falling out of makeshift phone holders. This is also because there are no sports-ready phone holders or cycle mounts available readily available for Nokia N Series and E Series phones.
Nokia phones on S60 platform, for which the NST has been developed, are quite delicate electronic devices and current phones are not really suitable or designed for sporting activities. I was using an older SonyEricsson Sports Armband to hold my current device but rains, mud and reduced bloodflow to my arms meant that it was no solution!
I have recently started using the Nokia LD4W Bluetooth GPS Module so that I can keep my E71 inside my hydra-pack pocket. But this is not the best solution either as I dont have ready access to the phone. Just to look at the information I need to stop and remove the pack. So I have really been wondering if the stronger built S40 devices are better option for sport usage but NST is not compatible with S40 platform.
I am tired of losing expensive phones for my sporting activities. I hope when NST spins off into a different company they will actually build a wider base for NST than just the limited, expensive and delicate Nseries phones. And when they do they would support ANT+ so that NST can work with a variety of HRMs, power and cadence meters.
NST is beautiful piece of software with no parallel in its simplicity and accessibility the its S60 platform gives it tremendous leverage. It means different things to different groups of people. It is without doubt, the best and the most innovative thing that has come out of the Nokia in the past 5-6 years. But Nokia must allow for more integration to suit wider needs otherwise it will be smothered and second fiddled to its phones until it dies out. Really hope that it will not be the case.
Here's hoping that Nokia will build another SPECTACULAR 5100 phone that it released in 2003 to complement the NST!
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