Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have an E71. It's the best phone I've ever owned. The hardware is superb, and the OS is pretty solid, but Nokia's apps department has repeatedly shown that it can't code its way out of a wet paper bag, so the preinstalled apps are indeed pretty crappy. I use a third-party mail client (ProfiMail) and browser (Opera Mobile 10). The majority of my interaction with the E71 is via third-party apps, and I'm fine with tha…
Hardware wise, I suppose I can't fault the build quality. But the form factor and controls - a tiny screen and a NSEW joystick were very limiting. The keyboard was tiny but worked pretty well. But it was definitely the software that ruined it for me. Opera mobile wasn't terrible but it was really hobbled by the navigation hardware.
So I would agree that if web browsing is more important to you than typing, the E71 is not an ideal device. I do a lot of both, and find it's a great balance.