Operation Gadget readers know that I've been beating the drum for the Nokia 6600 for some time. It's great if you want a data-centric mobile phone with an excellent color screen, very good power efficiency, and a traditional Nokia form factor (meaning no flip). Now, I've noticed that it's hit number one on the Amazon.com's Early Adopter List for Mobile Phones.

I think the reason that the Nokia 6600 is number one at this point (ahead of the Motorola V300, the Motorola V600, and the Motorola i830) is because it is a true smartphone with a growing library of third-party utilities and software becoming available, and it is very aggressively priced for a phone with its features. (Remember, the net price at Amazon.com is considerably less than the one shown in the "buy now" box above if you sign a service contract with a U.S. based carrier with which Amazon partners.)

I have been working with the Nokia 6600 for several weeks now, and I am really impressed with it. It's a much more usable phone than my Handspring Treo 180 from both the reliability and power management standpoints. The 6600 feels rock-solid in your hands. It consumes power at a rate that is pretty normal for a mobile phone. Compare that with the PalmOS-based smartphones, and you'll find that if you own a Treo, you absolutely need to make sure you bring your charger with you if you go out for the day or away for the weekend.

Thanks to the Nokia 6600's widespread use in Europe, developers have been building applications for it and its siblings. I'm not planning on ditching my laptop anytime soon, but I could restart an Apache server on one of my Linux boxes in an emergency using a Series 60-compatible ssh client. Try that with a consumer-oriented flip phone.