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Nokia Buys Symbian, Possible Google Android Delays
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LOL
Keep tellin' yourself that, buddy.
Denile isn't a river, but delusion sure ain't no stream.
Actually he makes a good point. The iPhone isn't perfect and is simply the next step in phone evolution (and in some places it went backwards). The iPhone is by far the worst cell phone I've ever owned. It constantly drops calls, loses signal, and has bad reception. Now, it could be AT&T (I had suncom prior and I always thought they shared the network, but who knows), but I've read that I'm not alone in my analysis of the phone part of the iPhone.
Now, everything else on the iPhone works very well. It's even held up to abuse better than I thought it would. I just hope Apple doesn't screw everything up by making the App store too closed.
The cell industry has been doing nothing but adding feature after feature while letting the software that controls those features languish. User-interfaces before the iPhone were all cumbersome and slow which is why only technical type people used smartphones before the iPhone. The iPhone is a smartphone I'm pretty sure my grandmother could use and that more technical minded people like myself also enjoy using. It appeals to almost everyone except gadget geeks who think a device is all about a spec sheet that lists needless features which all have bad user-interfaces to go with them.
Maybe they can now send out an e-mail to the others using it ... "OK Guys it's free ... now HELP!!!"
i'm getting really tired of hearing about how "innovative" new tech product are by companies that make them...
"hi, i'm a CEO of a tech company. INNOVATIVE, INNOVATION, INNOVATIVE, INNOVATION, INNOVATIVE, INNOVATION"
yeah, and i'm also looking half-eyed at Apple about this too.
"hi, i'm a CEO of a tech company. INNOVATIVE, INNOVATION, INNOVATIVE, INNOVATION, INNOVATIVE, INNOVATION"
yeah, and i'm also looking half-eyed at Apple about this too.
The fact is, Nokia have been selling the same handset in a different plastic case for the past ten years. While the cellphone industry inched forward with email functionality, internet, etc. no one really took a lead and did any of it "properly" (is in, usably). I'm not pointing fingers, since admittedly most of the work was engineering-based, getting the tech to work in the first place. But it wasn't really difficult for Apple to come along and do things "right".
Just look at the email client built-in (read: hidden) in any Sony Ericsson handset, or the 15-clicks-to-launch GMail j2me client (which was great, once it was running!), and then compare it to Mail or Safari on the iPhone.
Nokia took the lead with the most intuitive UI (comparatively), which Sony Ericsson then one-upped with better icons (and animation!). Motorola focused on awesome hardware (solid build, great audio quality) and sadly forgot to get any UI designers at all (hence, good looking, unusable handsets!). Meanwhile Apple worked on iPod and OS X until they were ready to launch (note: not just announce) a product.
The next step in the saga is Google's Android platform (which will be great when it ships, but probably nowhere near as advanced as iPhone 3.0 vaporware is always a beotch to debug).
Here's to seeing more iPhones on the tube (and elsewhere!) because the more people are on the platform, the better it is for all of us!
Just look at the email client built-in (read: hidden) in any Sony Ericsson handset, or the 15-clicks-to-launch GMail j2me client (which was great, once it was running!), and then compare it to Mail or Safari on the iPhone.
Nokia took the lead with the most intuitive UI (comparatively), which Sony Ericsson then one-upped with better icons (and animation!). Motorola focused on awesome hardware (solid build, great audio quality) and sadly forgot to get any UI designers at all (hence, good looking, unusable handsets!). Meanwhile Apple worked on iPod and OS X until they were ready to launch (note: not just announce) a product.
The next step in the saga is Google's Android platform (which will be great when it ships, but probably nowhere near as advanced as iPhone 3.0 vaporware is always a beotch to debug).
Here's to seeing more iPhones on the tube (and elsewhere!) because the more people are on the platform, the better it is for all of us!
That's funny, I asked my wife to try a iPod Touch one day (same interface), she hated it, found it hard to navigate around, and found it to be a very unresponsive interface
I know some will view it as a "desperate ploy", but Nokia's not going anywhere; they're still the #1 brand. Good on 'em. Maybe someone can fix the gaping inadequacies in the Symbian OSes before they turn out like the Palm OSes.
"it will undisputedly be the most attractive platform for mobile innovation."
Undisputedly? How could they say that? So....nobody, in the entire world...not Apple, not Google, not a single person on the MacRumors fora or anywhere else, will dispute their claim that Symbian is/will be "the most attractive platform for mobile innovation?" Hmm.....
Competition is a very good thing. Arrogance is not.
Undisputedly? How could they say that? So....nobody, in the entire world...not Apple, not Google, not a single person on the MacRumors fora or anywhere else, will dispute their claim that Symbian is/will be "the most attractive platform for mobile innovation?" Hmm.....
Competition is a very good thing. Arrogance is not.
Funny how something based on Unix which was first released in 1969 is a "modern OS" Yes it has been under continuous development for 30+ years but the basic design has not changed. Possibly it works because those 30+ year old computers where about as powerful as today's cell phones. It's a good match up.
history of Symbian
RoughlyDrafted did several pieces on the operating systems used in modern cell phones. This piece seems a bit long winded but at least it gives the history of Symbian:
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/855E5843-AF47-47B7-B363-3C1FD2636F43.html
He had another piece with more info on limitations of the operating system, but I can't find it now.
I had a Psion, it was a great device, with a programmable database as well as all the contact information/calendar stuff, and would play games. Rock solid operating system, never crashed. Battery lasted forever. Hated to give it up, but as time went by it became harder and harder to find software to sync with computers. It went out of business, but the operating system was taken over and rebranded as Symbian.
Apparently, the newer version is not nearly as stable however, and I have heard similar suggestions that it is limited in its ability to support modern programs.
Still, a third choice always encourages competition which is a good thing.
RoughlyDrafted did several pieces on the operating systems used in modern cell phones. This piece seems a bit long winded but at least it gives the history of Symbian:
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/855E5843-AF47-47B7-B363-3C1FD2636F43.html
He had another piece with more info on limitations of the operating system, but I can't find it now.
I had a Psion, it was a great device, with a programmable database as well as all the contact information/calendar stuff, and would play games. Rock solid operating system, never crashed. Battery lasted forever. Hated to give it up, but as time went by it became harder and harder to find software to sync with computers. It went out of business, but the operating system was taken over and rebranded as Symbian.
Apparently, the newer version is not nearly as stable however, and I have heard similar suggestions that it is limited in its ability to support modern programs.
Still, a third choice always encourages competition which is a good thing.
Psion5 was a great device, ahead of its time.
Psion didn't go out of business - in fact they are still around. Psion founded Symbian and was a joint owner before selling their stake a few years ago. EPOC 5 became Symbian OS.
Psion pulled out of the PDA market around 2000/2001ish. Tragically.
Psion didn't go out of business - in fact they are still around. Psion founded Symbian and was a joint owner before selling their stake a few years ago. EPOC 5 became Symbian OS.
Psion pulled out of the PDA market around 2000/2001ish. Tragically.
The thing that I've seen time and again from developers either in print, on the 'net or at various videos I've watched is that the iPhone SDK is clearly the best one they've ever used. It's easy to understand, easy to use, powerful and simply, it works. It appears that up until now, most phone developers felt that writing software for cell phones was tedious and just plain hard. Apparently, Apple has changed this.
People who want to piss and moan about features that are still not in the iPhone (video capture, MMS and the like) are not Business. Considering the huge laundry list that Apple wanted to make a reality for Enterprise customers, it's a wonder we even got such a healthy version 2 in the upcoming iPhone 3G. The fact that the Apps store is a reality just one year later, to me, is astounding. Sprinkle on the top improvements all around in stability, performance I'm sure we'll see in 2.0, it's a slap in Apple's face that people bemoan that every single feature that COULD'VE been made, wasn't. Apple has to keep some of the bigger features for future generations of the phone.
One big "WTF" in my book is people who keep saying "just add up the numbers and you'll see that you're paying $160 more for the iPhone now over the next 2 years than the original iPhone despite the $200 price drop up front."… Yeah…*well, I could've put my daughter through college from all the SNICKERS® money I've blown over the years, too. True, stuff adds up over time, but it kills me that all of these ******s never mention that #1 you're service is MUCH FASTER; #2 AT&T IS NOT gouging iPhone users on 3G service (this $30 is standard for all others, too); #3 Price is IN LINE when compared to other providers. The old adage "you get what you pay for" holds true (big time) in this instance and the naysayers here are simply looking for stuff to bash the iPhone/Apple/AT&T for.
Sure, Nokia has to do something. The iPhone is moving up quickly to become the "must have" device in teens' minds. Now with such an attractive pricetag and business capabilities, I can see why the competition is worrried just a little bit.
People who want to piss and moan about features that are still not in the iPhone (video capture, MMS and the like) are not Business. Considering the huge laundry list that Apple wanted to make a reality for Enterprise customers, it's a wonder we even got such a healthy version 2 in the upcoming iPhone 3G. The fact that the Apps store is a reality just one year later, to me, is astounding. Sprinkle on the top improvements all around in stability, performance I'm sure we'll see in 2.0, it's a slap in Apple's face that people bemoan that every single feature that COULD'VE been made, wasn't. Apple has to keep some of the bigger features for future generations of the phone.
One big "WTF" in my book is people who keep saying "just add up the numbers and you'll see that you're paying $160 more for the iPhone now over the next 2 years than the original iPhone despite the $200 price drop up front."… Yeah…*well, I could've put my daughter through college from all the SNICKERS® money I've blown over the years, too. True, stuff adds up over time, but it kills me that all of these ******s never mention that #1 you're service is MUCH FASTER; #2 AT&T IS NOT gouging iPhone users on 3G service (this $30 is standard for all others, too); #3 Price is IN LINE when compared to other providers. The old adage "you get what you pay for" holds true (big time) in this instance and the naysayers here are simply looking for stuff to bash the iPhone/Apple/AT&T for.
Sure, Nokia has to do something. The iPhone is moving up quickly to become the "must have" device in teens' minds. Now with such an attractive pricetag and business capabilities, I can see why the competition is worrried just a little bit.
My friends kid figured out how to use iPhone like in 2 minutes he's 6 years old. He likes it very much. BTW "found it hard to navigate around" sounds like joke, no really like joke while it's so easy to use dead man shouldn't have problems.
Hmmm, do I here someone yelling "Festivus...for the Rest-of-us, Dammit!"
Apple's iPhone has the UI and web experience that has changed it all. I am elated that hear some of these other cellphone makers are now being made aware that the consumer has changed, and don't want just anything thrown our way with a lot of bells and whistles on it. Make something we can really use. So let the games begin!
Apple's iPhone has the UI and web experience that has changed it all. I am elated that hear some of these other cellphone makers are now being made aware that the consumer has changed, and don't want just anything thrown our way with a lot of bells and whistles on it. Make something we can really use. So let the games begin!
Haven't read press releases yet!
Although the iPhone is having an impact on the industry I doubt this move is directly related to the iPhone. Y?:
1> Nokia's Touch S60 is nowhere near production yet. Still a few mths away.
2> Motorola's wireless business is seriously hurting. They've spent serious monies to own have of UIQ from SonyEricsson with licensing partnership rights. THIS is beginning to hurt the OS and developement community as a whole. SE just dropped 2 - hardware medicre - devices "Paris" and "BeiBei" codenames. SE spent a LONG time in development for both. But alas wasted dollars. Hopefully inhouse UIQ benefits will transfer into S60 Touch, but I see nothing (not even Touch Interface) of UIQ that could benefit S60 at all. S60 will remain, while S60 Touch will borough heavily from UIQ ... Nokia DID release in limited quantities a UIQ smartphone last year, and they already have 3yrs experience on S90 (based on S60 & older S80 platforms of Symbian OS) using TouchScreen interface: 7700 for providers in Europe & 7710 (some may recall seeing it in a Misdemeanor video, 1.5yrs ago).
Although the iPhone is having an impact on the industry I doubt this move is directly related to the iPhone. Y?:
1> Nokia's Touch S60 is nowhere near production yet. Still a few mths away.
2> Motorola's wireless business is seriously hurting. They've spent serious monies to own have of UIQ from SonyEricsson with licensing partnership rights. THIS is beginning to hurt the OS and developement community as a whole. SE just dropped 2 - hardware medicre - devices "Paris" and "BeiBei" codenames. SE spent a LONG time in development for both. But alas wasted dollars. Hopefully inhouse UIQ benefits will transfer into S60 Touch, but I see nothing (not even Touch Interface) of UIQ that could benefit S60 at all. S60 will remain, while S60 Touch will borough heavily from UIQ ... Nokia DID release in limited quantities a UIQ smartphone last year, and they already have 3yrs experience on S90 (based on S60 & older S80 platforms of Symbian OS) using TouchScreen interface: 7700 for providers in Europe & 7710 (some may recall seeing it in a Misdemeanor video, 1.5yrs ago).
Funnier still, my 3 1/2 year old son navigates it beautifully. He launches YouTube and the iPod, scrolls through bookmarks and video playlists, closes shows to pick another, fast forwards... It's like 2nd nature to him. He even messes with my ringtones so he has no hard time navigating and finding what's interesting to him.
My friends kid figured out how to use iPhone like in 2 minutes he's 6 years old. He likes it very much. BTW "found it hard to navigate around" sounds like joke, no really like joke while it's so easy to use dead man shouldn't have problems.
Yeah, that's because it is a kid, you can give kids anything with minimum instructions and they will be able to use it. The original guy reckoned it would be simple for a grandmother to use, I don't believe him.
Yes, Nokia may be "scared" and that's something that good for companys to be in some manner. That's when they do things, both desperate, good and bad.
Why did Apple invent the iPhone? Right, because they were scared, desperatly scared of Nokia stealing their lovely revenue. Sure, Apple might have owned the mp3-player market (in the U.S. at least) but as soon as Nokia added mp3-capability to their phones they became the dominant player. Steve Jobs saw this, got "scared" (or saw an opportunity if you want) and made a decision between "throw our development of the iPod, itunes and so on in the thrash (ouch, how the stock-price hurts!!!) or start developing phones".
I think Apple still is more scared than Nokia. Apple might have sold 10 million more phones in 2007 than in 2006, Nokia probably sold a couple of 100 million more phones in 2007 than 2006. I wouldn't be too afraid. In the same time Apple's iPod sales are stagnating...
Why did Apple invent the iPhone? Right, because they were scared, desperatly scared of Nokia stealing their lovely revenue. Sure, Apple might have owned the mp3-player market (in the U.S. at least) but as soon as Nokia added mp3-capability to their phones they became the dominant player. Steve Jobs saw this, got "scared" (or saw an opportunity if you want) and made a decision between "throw our development of the iPod, itunes and so on in the thrash (ouch, how the stock-price hurts!!!) or start developing phones".
I think Apple still is more scared than Nokia. Apple might have sold 10 million more phones in 2007 than in 2006, Nokia probably sold a couple of 100 million more phones in 2007 than 2006. I wouldn't be too afraid. In the same time Apple's iPod sales are stagnating...
Technically the iPhone is not even a phone, its a mini computer with a "soft phone" as the primary application. Everything else that runs on it is a bonus of the product and noting more.
Having a Headphone and Microphone does not make it a true phone, heck it does not even have a tactile numberpad/keyboard for it to be remotely considered a such.
Calling something a phone does not make it a phone, it is only a twist of the definition.
Having a Headphone and Microphone does not make it a true phone, heck it does not even have a tactile numberpad/keyboard for it to be remotely considered a such.
Calling something a phone does not make it a phone, it is only a twist of the definition.
Not really, because Apple was (and still is) selling iPods by the bucket load long after most phones had music/media playback. It would have happened eventually though, without a doubt.
That's because young kids aren't afraid of it... they're not afraid to experiment by touching, pushing, poking, etc. until they make "something happen". Once they learn what does or doesn't get a response or make something happen they continue to build on this approach to learning by "hacking" away at the problem or challenge.
Most adults on the other hand are far too uptight, e.g., they think they'll break it if they press the wrong key and wouldn't dare "experiment" by simply pressing/clicking something to see what happens.
I would have to agree with your wife on the unresponsive feel of the iPhone OS, however adding to that I have only tried the demo model and that means daily abuse from customers.
For some reason, its caching memory needs a boost to fix this issue. Anyone here know for fact the amount of cache the iPhone OS has on-board (please don't tell be 8GB or 16GB, that is the storage memory).