Phones Getting Harder To Use Than VCR Clocks
from the hey-kid-show-me-how-to-use-this dept
Inevitably, every time a cell phone is released with some new feature, it's met with a backlash of people saying "why would I want that?" It's not too surprising -- after all, the first cell phones were likely met by the same chorus, now they're nearly ubiquitious. But apart from resistance to anything new, technophobia or even just general disinterest, one bigger problem remains for handset manufacturers and mobile operators: the lousy usability of the typical mobile phone, which seems to only get worse when these new features are tacked on. So even if they could convince users to give some of these new features and services a shot, they're bound to be frustrated or disappointed by the experience and unlikely to try again.The latest case in point is the LG "Chocolate" handset Verizon released this week as part of a renewed push to get people interested in its over-the-air (not to mention overpriced) music downloads. Mainstream reviewers have given pretty mixed reviews to the device, focusing on its ease of use, or lack thereof: the WSJ's influential tech writer, Walt Mossberg, says "While the Chocolate may look like an iPod, however, it doesn't work like one. In fact, as a music player, it functions like an iPod designed by a committee. It's burdened by a ham-handed user interface and other failings that would get its designers fired at Apple." USA Today's tech reviewer also notes the phone's similar looks to an iPod, but "that's where the comparison melts: Chocolate is not as simple to use". Mobile phones are never held up like iPods or other electronic devices as hallmarks of usability, something that's not a new issue. But it's one that doesn't get much attention, since it's far easier to just slap on a camera or an MP3 player without thinking about making it -- and all the other functions -- easy to use. There are certainly plenty of other obstacles to widespread adoption of advanced mobile handsets and services, but poor usability is a killer. It's little wonder there's so much interest in an Apple mobile phone.
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Thats right
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Re: Thats right
This is true pretty much across the board with consumer electronics. Usability has largely been abandoned. Cordless telephones are even worse than cell phones.
The software industry suffers from this a lot too. Between high-color and high-res graphics and the Web, software usability has generally _decreased_ in the past 10 years.
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my take:
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Re: my take:
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Re: my take:
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Savvy
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Bah!
They're trying to make cell phones into mini computers, but the problem is, while they can do a lotta stuff, they can't do any of it well! If I want mobile music, videos, pictures, or games, I have my iPod nano (with Linux). If I wanna take pictures, I have my 5.2MP digital camera. If I wanna make a phone call, I pull $0.50 out of my wallet! Sure, all that is a bit bigger than a cell phone, but still easily all fits in one pocket, and it's a hell of a lot cheaper.
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Re: Bah!
I have a cell phone for convenience, not because of the bells and whistles. It is easier for me to get a hold of people and people to get a hold of me, instead of me trying to find a payphone and praying that it works.
Seriously, a cell phone should be just that... a phone.
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Re: Bah!
Where I live, I see very few pay phone. They're going the way of the dinasour.
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Sony
P.s. the cell phone complication is purposeful IMHO. If I as your Cell phone provider can make your phone complicated to use you are more likely to access a pay feature on it. Remember when the download menu was buried in the phone now it’s the big colorful button. They hope we are lost on the phone and turn down a pay road. They can make money from confusion so don’t expect it to get easier. OR you could call your cell phone company and say that you wish never to receive anything but a bloody phone call on your cell PHONE and if you do you will never pay for it, then they will block everything but phone service and you cannot get lost
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there getting there
And to people that still don't have a mobile phone sorry but you are way behind the times.
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haha
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Re: there getting there
not got a clue how to make a call with the thing (joke) but it looks the part.
ok its not the easiet thing in the world to do but at least 'predictive text' was turned off by default on this one. this has a usable phone, very good camera, audio recorder is ok (limited by the mic), video recorder is good too. email works.. pda? depends what you want it for.
all it lacks is a decent keyboard, but then thats going to be true of any device that small.
oh and with 750 texts and 300 anytime/any net minutes for 30ukp a month i'm happy enough.
could it be better? of course it could but it works. best bit. the office *don't* have the number :-)
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Luddite
I just view this latest trend of "let's see how many things we can mash into one device" a way to sell more at a higher $$$ and do it more frequently. I seriously wonder how many people that buy these devices use *all* the features.
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Re: Luddite
I do. I certainly use the MP3 player (for both streaming and miniSD playback), calls, outlook sync, and to records video/ take pictures. Cost? $0 T-Mobile SDA with new contract.
Certainly cheaper than buying separante devices, and of course, fits in my pocket.
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5.2MP Camera: $250 (being generous here)
Total: $450
Cheaper? I think not!
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Re:
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Re:
2 Yearf Contract $960 (24 x $40)
yeah id say it was cheaper
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Nokia N80.. good and bad
It has a sort of Expose` (mac osx) feature that allows you to zoom out a page, then navigate to the portion you want to look at and zoom back in. Then it has a visual history where it cycles through cached pages you have visited in one session. It makes mobile browsing very enjoyable..
Until you realize how Symbain and its browser deal with access points. As far as I can tell, there is no way to set a global default access point for all your phone applications (i.e. Wi-Fi hotspots, UMTS, or GPRS settings for your operator). Every time you have to change access points you not only have to change the access point in EACH individual application.. but in the s60 browser every book marks stores the access point you used when you bookmark it.. that overrides the browsers access point settings. How braind dead stupid is this? Makes mobile browsing completely unmanagable if you want to browse the net for different locations.
I'm a tinker by nature, so I dont mind playing with this stuff, but things like this would definately prevent a casual user from seeing this as worthwhile.
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Bah 2 ...
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Why do I need one?
Sure they are 'convenient' and even 'trendy', but I like to be able to get away from being in 'constant contact' with anyone who would want to call me any time of the day or night...
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No cell phone today has a 5.2MP camera. My current one is 1.3MP, and the highest i've ever seen is a Nokia model that I beta-tested, at 2.0MP.
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Re:
My current Nokia has a 3.0 MP camera, and can take a 2gb memory card. It takes amazing pictures for a phone..
They are working on getting 6 and 7 mp cameras into phones, you'll be seeing that in the near future
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Not enough features
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Re: Not enough features
Sorry I'm kinda a nokia fan boy after my last purchase, this is my last post about them... check out the nSeries phones.. the n71 specifically.. 4 gig built in hard drive w/ capacity for 2g memory card..
Comes with all the features you mentioned:)
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Not enough features
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Revenue
In fact, the Chocolate's multimedia features are really designed mainly to encourage users to buy songs, pictures and videos from Verizon's online download and streaming services... not to let you use your own content. The phone works much better with $2 songs you buy from VCast... than with free songs you load onto it.
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Everyone should quit using cellphones and just switch to PDAs, theyre so much better.
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correction
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I just hope I don't have to start updating my stove, and my microwave, and my shoes, and my car (oh, I already have to do that).
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Re:
:)
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KISS
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The 'Power' and 'Ignore Call' buttons are my friends... Hard to call someone when the phone's off.
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How long before...
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Only if you make
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its simple...
I'm sure people didn't understand or comply with the transition from radio to TV back in the days. "my radio entertains me just fine" =)
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cell phones are not there yet
I think all this all is just part of the maturation process, where a technology tries to be all things to all people and it finds where it fails and where it works, and gets back into the zone where it all make sense and just works right.
The problem is nobody has gotten to the point to take features out, and they just keep on loading them up.
what I need the phone to do (and i can only speak for myself) is:
1. make and receive phone calls (duh),
2. send text message that doesn't need a 2 way communication ( be there in 30 min )
3. load up GPS and Map to find where I made the wrong turn, and how do I get where I think I need to be.
4. remind me when I need to take the dogs to the vets or have yet another meeting scheduled.
5. let me keep lists of contacts and some other post it type lists (rx #'s, passwords, etc...)
The movie stuff I don't think I need but a better camera is sometimes useful ... (take snaps of documents and signs that I want to return to later, instead of writing it down).
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Phone only please
end of rant, please Ill sign a petition for a phone only cell phone like my nokia100 that I had back in the mid 90's it was great till they stoped making batteries for it. it made calls recieved calls and rang like a phone. It was analogue but it sounded the best, better than my wireless phone I used to have back when I had a land line for dialup.
Hell, id buy a phone only cell phone even if they called it the featureless old fogey phone just to have a phone that I can use without spending an hour memorizing a manual.
Also the turn off the phone and watch tv pretending I'm not home to answer the phone rules.
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THICK!
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If you like bells and whistles then drop a couple hundred dollars and RTFM...Read The Effin Manual!
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Complicated phones
My N90 does everything I want but the software & usability is poor (not to mention its weight) but a year is not to long to renew & move on. The added bonus of only carrying one power lead for a multi function device is worth its weight in gold
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Second-System Effect
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phones should be phones
btw i carry a dedicated pda (palm tx), dedicated thumb drive (sandisk cruzer 2 gb), an mp3 player (ipod nano 4GB black), a seperate digital camera (kodak easy share 5MP), and a seperate cell phone (nokia 6820) so i don't want or need an all-in-one device that excels at nothing. if my phone dies, i still have my contacts and music, if my ipod dies i can still make calls or play solitaire, etc..
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PDA Phones rule
I also loaded up a 1 GB SD chip with my favorite MP3s and I can listen to music through the stereo headphones that came with it, all without the hassle of the DRM crap that we all hate so much. Also the tight integration with my Exchange Server is wonderful, if I create or update a contact in my Outlook, it appears on my phone within a few minutes, and my inbox is always with me. The newer models are probably even better.
I always laugh when someone shows me their new "Razr" or "Chocolate" or even the Crackberry, my phone blows them all out of the water. Well worth the $500 I spent for it...
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rolled into one
i got two phones (dont ask y) the razor gets 2 bars while my LG get 5 IN THE SAME PLACE. razor just sucks and i expect this for just about all cool looking phones.
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Struck a chord with this article!
Don't forget the other side of the coin -- those of us who DO buy a phone with all the features intending to use them, and then finding the carrier has crippled those features.
For example, last weekend I bought a Samsung A920 from Bell Mobility, complete with camera, MP3 player, Bluetooth and a USB cable. Now I find that the Bluetooth can only be used to transfer ONE contact at a time, and not for transferring pictures or sound files. And the USB cable is even more useless, it can only be used to connect the phone as a modem. No transfer capability at all. Why? So the customer is forced to transfer pictures and sound through expensive airtime. And there's still no way to transfer contacts or calendar data. The phone goes back this weekend. If Bell can't make it work properly they don't get my business.
Maybe just a plain ol' phone is better after all.
--Bob.
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Time for the Startec to return
As for Verizon, I"ve been a loyal verizon customer since around 1998 (was a company which merged into verizon at that point) ... I'm seriously considering changing providers now, Seems that my buddies are having better luck with Cingular phones now, and they are not so crippled either!
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