maemo.org - Talk - Nokia Team, GURU & Developers: Let's improve Email, Calendar, Phone

maemo.org - Talk (https://talk.maemo.org/index.php)

- Maemo 5 / Fremantle (https://talk.maemo.org/forumdisplay.php?f=40)

- - Nokia Team, GURU & Developers: Let's improve Email, Calendar, Phone (https://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=43926)

Re: Nokia Team, GURU & Developers: Let's improve Email, Calendar, Phone

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freemantle (Post 518673)

@ARJWright

you've made some important points there, in the context of community led development, which is one of the strong suits of this platform.

But, isn't there also a strong case for commercial development that can run parallel with the community? this isn't a problem for the community, but one for Nokia. Without a viable sales outlet for third party application development, Nokia aren't going to attract third party software, and the development of the N900 will solely be in the hands of the community. We've seen SIO2Interactive trying their best to get a paid for app in the system, whilst the Angry Birds level pack has been pulled, and the community has been left to design their own levels. Workarounds really are not the way forward, but simply the best available when Nokia cannot get it's house in order. The N900 deserves a better showcase than this, surely.

Here's the flip of table that Nokia is (partially) betting on: that there are enough use cases that aren't covered by free open source software to create commerical opportunities for those interested. And if Nokia can foster the right devices alongside such an open ecosystem, then it effectively makes possible those efforts commercially.

Its not really different from the current market except that Nokia isn't just making the platform open, but everything the platform runs on too.

If done right, then it creates an opportunity like this thread for open discussion; if not, then this kind of thread quickly becomes a stopping point for open and commercial opportunities.

Re: Nokia Team, GURU & Developers: Let's improve Email, Calendar, Phone

Quote:

Originally Posted by ARJWright (Post 518712)

Yeah, i believe you are right.

Re: Nokia Team, GURU & Developers: Let's improve Email, Calendar, Phone

Quote:

Originally Posted by pfoh (Post 518622)

I think this is the problem. There is little the community can do and we are left to wonder whether nokia is doing something. Personally, I take issue with the calendar. People have often taken notice of my n900 and inevitably ask, "how do you like it?". You can imagine the reaction when I am forced to respond, "its great but the calendar is unable to create biweekly appointments." I mean how ridiculous is this?

As you say, we are left voting on brainstorming ideas and wondering if nokia is even taking us seriously. Whats better? Check out the bug reports filed for this. The devs seem to think that this is a complex issue and close the enhancement report citing the change does not fall under "simple enhancement". Seriously, a calendar being able to make bi-weekly appointments is a no-brainer.

I love my n900, but I am sorry a fully functioning calendar is simply a must.

You're right ! I'm not a developer but even for the Gurus here I think it is impossible to improve most parts of the N900 SW, since it is not totally open source.
To cite only the calendar: I'm having problems with recurring events that it makes MFE sync process freeze/crash and so I have to disable calendar and task sync in MFE setup. Result I have to stay with my old Samsung I780 windows mobile phone that works perfectly in sync with our Exchange 2003 server.

I voted for many issue in Brainstorm section but I would really like to know if someone of the Nokia Dev Team is looking at it and working on those points.

Re: Nokia Team, GURU & Developers: Let's improve Email, Calendar, Phone

ARJWright, here are some pretty specific suggestions for ways of improving the calendar. You will see that some of them have a pretty heavy vote.

The problem is, what does one do with the information that 77 people would like the 'repeat' function made more flexible? Compare with other brainstorms, that's massive: but because the calendar is one of the 'closed' bits of the firmware, I have so far failed to find anyone willing or able to look at it.

We have tools for finetuning exactly what needs addressing - but where do we go next?

Re: Nokia Team, GURU & Developers: Let's improve Email, Calendar, Phone

Quote:

Originally Posted by RevdKathy (Post 520038)

Exactly the same question I would like to have an answer...

You just anticipate one of the link where the ideas and shortcomings of the basic apps like calendar, phone, SMS, email are listed:
http://maemo.org/community/brainstor...endar_in_n900/
http://maemo.org/community/brainstor...ne_experience/
http://maemo.org/community/brainstor...ms_experience/
but we can add more...just to go to brainstorm section...

Many others have already done a wonderful job to list the shortcomings and give possible solutions; if you (ARJWright) want I can list my preferred and most important ones when I'll have a little more time but then...will it be usefull ? who will implement them ?

Nokia should tell something about the "improvments" thery're doing on the closed sourced apps in order also to show that they're supporting the platform...
They choose the open attitude using Maemo they should be a bit more open on what is going on...I don't want to know "secrets/precise deadline" but having some news would be really nice...

Anyway thank a lot for the replys of all of you...I hope that also someone from Nokia had seen the thread and looked to the braistorm sections..

Regards,
SkyEagle

Re: Nokia Team, GURU & Developers: Let's improve Email, Calendar, Phone

I can't speak for Nokia or Maemo, but yes, listing those specific features is always a good idea. And where possible, if there's a Brainstorm topic on it, connect it. Those items not only get looked at, but enter into Nokia's dev queue. If memory serves right from their job postings, Nokia/Maemo uses an Agile-based methodology internally for implementing fixes. What they never state is the size of the testing phase, or the end-implementation date/phase (it usually is one of those "wait until the next update comments publically"). Its certainly being looked at, as this is *the* area for this kind of discussion.

At this point though, I should probably pull back from speaking too much for Nokia. If they wanted me in that capacity, they already have the information to contact me directly for such a community/company engagement position.