Difficult to use -- isn't it?

[Alakhai]

Hi there,

It doesn't seem to be much action in here, but I'll give it a try.

I visited Comdex Scandinavia yesterday, and I got the chance to try out the Orange Smartphone.

Unfortunately, I only got my hands on it for a few minutes, but I really like the form factor -- not too small, not too large.

However, the interface felt kind of weird, and although I'm used to both lots of phone models and Pocket PC's, I thought it was kind of complicated to navigate between functions.

I know maybe only a few more minutes would have helped, but i felt the unit had a higher "usability threshold" than other inventions developed over the last few years.

Has anyone in here used a Smartphone for a longer period of time, and what do you think of it today? Do you handle the user interface as well as you handle standard phones and/or Pocket PC's?


/ Martin

[treenet]

Hi Martin,

I have the Smartphone since a 2 weeks now and had the possibility to try, what it can (or not can). First, it's only phone for now. Is had a primitive agenda (as any othe mobile today). But is abslolutelly not a Pocket PC !

Positives
very nice display, good readible, good navigation.
Good Voice Recorder (which you can start with one butto on the side also in case when you woun't ! )
You can download Updates of Applications and also Operating system self.

Negatives
I try communicate with my Palm. I can send Phone Number from Phone to PALM but not an other way !
I took a Picture with Camera (Accessories). Quality is terrible. I was not able to send the picture to an other Phone (with MMS). Never.
Battery is after 24 Hours (Standby mode) empty. All Data are lost.
If you have question,

let me know - webmaster@treenet.ch.

Excuse my bad English.

Tomas

[David41]

Looking for a new phone, tempted by the Smartphones like SPV and the soon to appear SE 800, I succumbed to the undeniably sxy look of the SPV. The affair lasted about four days and I took it back. I know thats not long, but the flaws showed up rapidly.
I read several comments on the net about slow 'boot' up, frozen screens and menus that when selected did not go back to the previous step and you had to go to the top level and start again. Had all of those a few times. I could forgive that with Windows (well you have to dont you!).
As a PDA......it isn't. I've been on and off the PDA diary wagon for a few years - still think paper takes some beating, but the diary on the SPV is not easy to glance through. Not bad but I'd rather use something like PocketInformant or SuperCalendar - but no one could confirm that the former would run on the SPV being 'Smartphone Windows' rather than Pocket Windows.
Anyway without Graffiti or other similar input, it would not be tolerable. Theres no way I can cope with three letter per key button input - especially since the buttons are SO difficult to operate. No it was that, undoubtedly a fancy piece of kit, it lacked several key features to make it a great - or even good - phone, though admittadly, my requirements may differ to yours.
The keys made it difficult to use (see earlier in thread) but this means impossible to operate safely in the car - even with speedkey dialling. Now, theres a good example of a problem. On a Nokia (etc) you can associate more than one key to a contact. You select the key and then the contact, so you could make all the left keys call home and all the right keys the office. Easy to find one without looking. On the SPV you select the contact then choose one (only) key to tag to them. With the fiddly keys, you have to look at the phone to speeddial. OK, voice dialing - oh, it doesnt have it.....!!
(An incidental aspect was when it was on in the car after dark it was like turning the cars interior light on :p )
Quick navigation is probably down to familiarity, but certainly it wasnt intuitive in my experience. And the call/hangup buttons are on the reversed sides to where I am used to.
The keypad is all at the bottom. So you hold it in your hand and try to dial with the thumb (one handed), but you must grip it very close to the base to have any hope of using that thumb - and you need to use the nail of the thumb, cos the keys are so close.....it goes on.....
As for browsing and email - perhaps I'm a luddite - but not on the phone screen. Seriously, I spend enormous time o nthe net and emails invariably have attachments. I just don't see this medium of use.....to me (yet?!)
No, I became quickly convinced that a phone should be just that and a PDA 'seperate'. A keyboard or graffitti is essential in the latter, and for increased texting, then prob in a phone too (and they're coming!).
The XDA is cool, but too big I feel.
My advice, try an SPV if you must but dont commit to a purchase where theres not a return arrangement (14 days in the UK).
This is bleeding edge technoology at the moment. Next year, when my contract is up for renewal, they'll all be totally different, then maybe.
For now, I bought a Nokia 6310i - SUPERB! - and now for a PC or Palm PDA with Bluetooth to talk to it (not that I'm that bothered).