Mobile Industry Review - Latest Comments in Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

kosso — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:58:27 -0000

nice piece James.
The beauty of the widgetized home screen is also that it should be based on the Web RunTime Kit which the recent N-Series devices support. And best thing about this? You only need to know how to write html and program some simple Javascript to build an app. Nice. :)) - Not a lot of people know that.

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on one of these. Having fallen in love with the N85 way before I got one, then loving the N800 and N810, it's the perfect hybrid of these, for me (I have never had an E Series)

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

Micky — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:13:35 -0000

I have started saving for the N97 already!

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

DominicTravers — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:11:05 -0000

Alex.

Nokia have excellent sales figures DESPITE their operating system. People rightly buy them for the good looks, excellent ergonomics and bombproof reliability. My party piece when debating hardware with iPhone users is to throw my 6500 classic at the wall and invite them to do the same with their iPhone. To date i have only had to glue the plastic top piece back down and it still works flawlessly.

I do not and will not use an S60 device because the usability at all levels of the operating system is absolutely rubbish. S60 always requires pouring over the manual to figure out how to do simple tasks and figure out where this and that setting has moved to since the preceding N something or other. The fact that there is a constant too and fro between third party developers and the Firmware updates because one breaks a piece of functionality and then the OS update breaks the app etc makes a total mockery of all the hard work Nokia do designing and building great hardware.

I hope that the newly formed Symbian Foundation will correct this cycle of FAIL but really suspect that it can't/won't. Just give up with your flaky code and get with the programme. Either write your own highly optimised and streamlined custom Linux OS or bite the bullet and use the one you can have right now. Android.

Oh yes, Alex Kerr. I for one would really like you to disclose what your vested interest in Nokia/Symbian is, care to share?

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

Joe Cooper — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:19:17 -0000

Nice preview...
I like the look of this, a lot. I have recently bought an iPhone despite being a bit of a Nokia lover (I live in Japan and the iPhone looked like the best choice, Nokias are available, but not well supported by the carrier, Softbank). What I used to love about Nokia was the ease-of-use, the interface and the fact that I could get geeky and customise it myself. Apple seem to have nailed this.
If I was in the UK now, I would be regretting my decision, because this phone looks like exactly what I would want. It just remains to be seen if it is as ergonomic and magical as it could be.

Also: am I the only one that is glad his distractions are a few button-presses away, rather than constantly tempting him?

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

Mike42 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:29:33 -0000

There is yet to be made a handset/OS that can compare to the work of sublime form, function and all-round usability that is the Volvo Estate.

But you knew I was going to say that.

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

HeavyLight — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:56:06 -0000

Nokia's N97 demo video: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2O2Li74EYew
Nokia Conversations' "the great Fondle Video":http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=AD-elt8MN3I

I'm very impressed with how far Nokia have come but I'm also in the hopeful but sceptical camp.

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

mydogminton — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:19:05 -0000

Good "blind-preview". Any buzz about when this might come out? Is it going to be another 8-month, deer gestating wait?

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

Alex Kerr — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:14:45 -0000

Ben and James, I'm saying you're wrong. You may not like the design of the software, but most consumers would not agree - sales figures back this up. 6 months is plenty of time to iron out the bulk of any problems (and what problems are there exactly? - this is all nonsensical speculation seeing as none of us have used the thing!)

James, I need to be reading reviews, not uninformed and biased speculation based on your reading a press release, whether I've touched a raw nerve with my response or not. I look forward to reading your balanced review when the device is out. And if it's crap, I'll be first to ask Nokia to do a bit better next time - and anyway, the market will doubtless vote with it's wallet.

All the best!

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

whatleydude — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:08:17 -0000

You bet your ass you will.

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

Alex Kerr — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:06:52 -0000

How annoying James, I wrote really a quite decent and witty reposte to your points and my bloody browser lost it all (FF 3.1 beta). Anyway, sorry to have got you in a twist about this, but, aside from the 8MP lark (I'll take your statement at face value then), I stand by all my earlier points.

Fanboy troll? Not me squire. I dare venture that I am more informed than yourself about these things, but lets not turn this into a contest ;-)

Kind regards,
Alex

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

ilicco — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:47:18 -0000

i'll bring one to Tuttle next time i am down...

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

whatleydude — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:41:22 -0000

Alex - See my comments above re: Your '6mths away' argument.

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

bensmith — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:38:31 -0000

But not to replace the entire e-mail app, web browser etc. You're talking about refining the OS - I'm saying the basic way it does some things is crap.

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

bensmith — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:35:24 -0000

What he said. DT FTW!

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

mostlythis — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:09:00 -0000

but hes a cool lil fella
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmmorrison/3077805...

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

Alex Kerr — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:09:55 -0000

The software is 6 months away. Unless you can buy it today, and with a stated release of 6 months, then it's 6 months away. Lots of time to change/improve/bug fix.

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

Alex Kerr — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:09:55 -0000

The software is 6 months away. Unless you can buy it today, and with a stated release of 6 months, then it's 6 months away. Lots of time to change/improve/bug fix.

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

Alex Kerr — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:07:46 -0000

Wow, touched a nerve on two there ;-)

Calm down Mr Whately, your preview is very good, and I'm sure you're an (un?)acknowledged Nokia expert. My response was only partially directed at your preview. It was also in response to the typical Nokia-bashing comments that we see here, and elsewhere. No that sentence does not mean I am a blind Nokia fanboy. I love to criticise as much as praise ;-) Seriously, I just like to see some fairness. I think there's too much judgment going on based on a press release, and yes, previous experience. Lets judge the device when it appears, and not give opinions (even implied ones) of a device none of us has handled, and that is 6 months out.

OK, I'll take the 8MP camera sentence at face value and not read any implication into it. Fair enough.

You hilight the N96 firmware. Sure, that had some problems. But it's not a leading S60 handset in terms of sales or mass market appeal. I disagree that most or all S60 based handsets are buggy to the point of significantly impacting usability (I'm not sure what other metric to use) upon release.

Your reply about firmware updates is fair enough - Joe Bloggs often won't or can't do it. But you're missing the point that new firmwares make it into released handsets at the point of sale, so no updating required.

N97 vs. WinMo, I'm comparing specs, user feedback over years, market share, and MS history of appallingly crap software (fact rather than bias).

Jealousy - this is not a reference to anything you wrote (shock, horror! ;-) but rather a prevailing attitude amongst non-Nokia owners whenever Nokia release high-spec new handsets. iPhone owners for one seem to be constantly on the defensive, and yes, in more places than just this site and this story's comments.

The comparison of sales of the platform is in response to the tide of undying hype and love that every new iPhone release enjoys, from users and from the media, and that WinMo and other platforms (e.g. Android) get to a lesser extent. It's an attempt to put just a teeny little bit of perspective on things. Just to say, lets look at things in context, shall we. Symbian constantly gets stick. And I agree with that stick pretty often - it's quite often deserved. But if there's going to be stick, there's got to be carrot too, and things like comparative sales figures of the different platforms do often get mentioned. iPhone-lovers (media or users) are most guilty of that, living as they do in a hype-distorted reality.

> I don't normally entertain misinformed fanboy trolls
Well, despite not being a fanboy troll (I think I've made a case for my points, you may disagree ;-), you have certainly entertained me, thank you.

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

Alex Kerr — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:07:45 -0000

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

DominicTravers — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:59:58 -0000

S60 is a dog of an Operating System that requires the constitution of Barbara Woodhouse to train over a period of months via a multitude of firmware updates and multiple instances of FAIL. The hardware however looks great. I will happily pay £50 per year for a solid compile of Android that runs on this from a third party. If anyone can offer me this I will have the nirvana of hardware and software that is usable.

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

TerenceEden — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:52:54 -0000

So, basically it's a tarted up N810 but running S60 rather than Maemo Linux.

The problem - as I see it - is that Nokia just doesn't have the focus for something like this. They have too many phones with too many disparate options to begin to have a comprehensive strategy.

Look at the N810 - a great device which is floundering because the 6* people who were working on it full time have now moved to other things. There's a rabid fan community who are hamstrung by Nokia's lack of effort.

I want to like this device - but I'm afraid it will be an N95 8GB style disappointment. Yes, that's right, disappointment. A device with so much promise which is ultimately let down by a company who want me to upgrade my hardware on the promise that they'll get it right next time.

Hmmmm.... I'm more bitter than I thought. Time to step away from the keyboard.

T
*I guess
(I am obliged to say that I work for Vodafone - but this is my personal opinion.)

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

James Burland — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:34:54 -0000

OPK, please for the love of all that's good and pure in Finland, please just go with Android and be done with it already.

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

bensmith — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:32:29 -0000

The software's not 6 months away. It's S60 v5 which we can (have) all played with in the 5800. Reliability and performance may improve but basic function won't.

I'm reluctant to say anything nice because Nokia, a class leader as you point out, should do better on its software. Hardware, is I agree, very good from Nokia.

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

bensmith — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:27:28 -0000

I can see you're winding up to another Volvo love-in :-)

Re: Nokia N97: The Whatley POV

Mike42 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:14:43 -0000

Counting sales to date makes Grease a better record than Graceland.

Or the Astra a better car than Aston Martin.

'nuff said.