[sandbox] Phone/Contacts/Conversations application inconsistencies on N900
 

Hi, I am a new user of the Maemo platform, thanks to the Nokia N900, so please please excuse me if anything seems out of order, but feel free to correct me. :)

Being a professional working in the business world, the following are features that I found sorely missing from my brand new investment:

Problems:

1- In the Phone application missed calls are replaced entirely once a call is made following the original missed call entry. This manner of logging is unhelpful when going through the entries because it does not adhere to a complete chronological order of calling events.

For example. Maria made a missed call in the afternoon when John was sleeping. John woke up and called Maria back but there's no way that John can now know what time Maria called in the afternoon. This is especially cumbersome for professionals who really need to have analytical information about calls, including missed calls.

2- The N900's Contacts application will not display entry details regarding calls.
It only offers a shortcut to the contact along with a status icon, indicating missed, received or called numbers/contacts. This negates the entire benefit of having multiple numbers in one contact entry, because it's impossible to ascertain the number that you or your contact used to call you. This leads to creating multiple entries for the same contact in order to avoid confusion.

For example, it would be nice to know whether mom called from home or from the office. Listing "Mom" alone isn't helpful.


3- The N900's Contacts application when accessed through the Phone application only allows the creation of SMS to un-saved phone numbers. This is in contrast to using the Contacts application directly from the menu,which allows sending SMS to any contact found in the Contacts database.

This effectively means that one is unable to send an SMS to existing contacts while handling the phone in a single-handed manner following a phone call, yet if the number is unsaved an SMS option is present amongst others. I don't see the reason for this inconsistency.

For example, I want to send an SMS to someone who just called me, instead of first having to exit the Phone application and then
trying to find the very same contact in the Contacts database.

4- This leads to the following: The lack of ability to type an SMS text message (or any message) in portrait mode by using the same numerical keypad that the Phone application uses. I might be holding a briefcase and going to a meeting that I'm late to, so having one-handed SMS operation would be a large benefit in single-handed situations. As it stands now, I am unable to send text messages while multi-tasking. This also costs time.


Solutions:

1 - include an option for an "Analytical View" for all calls in full chronological order;

2 - include a sub-option for "Entry Details" for each listed contact, so that the number that was used can be seen AND used if needed for either SMS or Call.

3 - fix this inconsistency by allowing SMS text messages and other forms of communication to be available when accessing a number from the Call List or Contacts application (when accessed through the Phone application). A unified approach between Contacts and Phone is very much needed for seemless transitions without existing to the menu and losing valuable time.

4 - Please include a Portrait mode for Conversations with the ability to type using the numeric keypad, just like on "ordinary" cell phones.

Brainstorm link: http://maemo.org/community/brainstor...ncies_on_n900/

Re: Phone/Contacts/Conversations application inconsistencies on N900
 

I am really familiar with the current system and how it works. But a good 48 hours of no sleep made me go into default S60 mode of operation (previous E90 user) and it took a good 5 minutes to find out how to SMS a contact that called me 20 minutes back. It makes no sense to be able to SMS an unknown number and not actual contact numbers. I hope these minor annoyances get fixed soon.
I have to agree with all your points we took these features for granted on S60 platform, guess that comes from its maturity as a phone OS.

Re: Phone/Contacts/Conversations application inconsistencies on N900
 

Valid points...hope they fix these issues in the firmware updates.

Re: Phone/Contacts/Conversations application inconsistencies on N900
 

barc0de, thanks for your well thought out post. However, I think that at least some of your problems/solutions already exist in other Brainstorm items, so it would have been better to have found and voted for those rather than diluting with a new post.

Re: Phone/Contacts/Conversations application inconsistencies on N900
 

I agree with the inconsistencies raised here. As for #3, there is a way to accomplish this within the Phone application today, although it could certainly be improved: do a long press on the contact in the recent call list, which will bring up a context menu with "Open Contact Card" and "Delete". Select "Open Contact Card" which will bring up all the ways to communicate with that contact, including SMS. Of course, choosing SMS will open up Conversations and put you back in landscape mode, so point #4 is still open.

Re: Phone/Contacts/Conversations application inconsistencies on N900
 

That's how all my previous nokia phones worked too, I don't like it but it's to avoid using up all the space in the event viewer with a single contact.

Not sure what you mean, do you mean the contacts application when in recent contacts mode?

This changed and should be fixed in the next software update. For now just do what airjordan17 suggests.

This is probably not going to be fixed. The N900 is considered almost a small ocmputer not a regular phone, so you are supposed to always use the keyboard. Portrait mode works only with the phone application because using it in landscape mode would be painful.

Re: Phone/Contacts/Conversations application inconsistencies on N900
 

I like they way you've summarized your point's with practical examples. :)

most of your (valid) concerns are already discussed here though:

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=33830

Re: Phone/Contacts/Conversations application inconsistencies on N900
 

Give me a break. I do not wanna pour oil in the fire about the is-it-a-smartphone-or-computer-discussion. The mentioned point by the creator is solvable via software upgrade and would be highly appreciated. If Nokia sells units, because people use the N900 as a phone rather than a computer, this is easy to realize, even though it might take some more time to mature the software. Either way, diminishing the impact of the N900 by saying it is computer and not a phone seems to me unreasonable from any point of view.

Instead of announcing the computer-like origin all the time and calm / supress people who are asking for more phone-like properties, we should rather vote in brainstorm or talk to the Nokia guys to implement these features in long-term as we all gain from it, especially when I need my N900-mini-computer to make some phone calls.

Re: Phone/Contacts/Conversations application inconsistencies on N900
 

Humm, for points #1 and #2, you can just go to the contact's card in the contacts application, click on the menu and choose 'communication history', you'll get a full history of all communications (send/received/missed calls, sms and IM too). It can be annoying though if you used IM with someone, and you have to scroll through your whole log in the communication history. But it can be helpful for you to know from which phone someone called you, or to know at what time you got that missed call.

Re: Phone/Contacts/Conversations application inconsistencies on N900
 

I see potential and general foundation for extensive data presentation using the data the current firmware stores. If Nokia would not do it, someone else can develop a very high quality data extraction and visualization software using the current framework and databases. For instance imagine a timeline representation of all the communication with avatars etc, with search, filter and export or a swirly timeline branching out as you click for details. Would be a great commercial app too :) Now if someone just do it...

Re: Phone/Contacts/Conversations application inconsistencies on N900
 

For my this is utter horsedung. It should easily be possible to sum up same Contacts in a list, with the added time of call. I have seen it on other phones: Im sure this issue can be easily addressed and put away once and for all.

Again, I do not agree at all with you here. Just pointing out that it is in fact "a computer and not a phone" will not get us anywhere. We have reached a time where the borders between the two are fading into the background. We should therefore take the best of both sides and come up with solutions for a beautiful device based on ideas of the previous models!

What we have to keep in mind:
- Usability (the device should allow its user to reach information or achieve certain tasks using the easiest and most accessible way. Whether that's via a virtual or a real keyboard.)

- Fun (don't you agree it should be fun to play and use your new device on a day-to-day basis? I believe so. And things like not being able to type a msg with one hand or browsing a newspaper website in portrait website ruins certain features for me. It would only need a few lines and a bit of effort to make this more fun for everybody.

Re: Phone/Contacts/Conversations application inconsistencies on N900
 

Thank you all for your interest.

I am happy to see such an active and dynamic range of views on the matter.

Regarding the "it's a computer" argument, keep in mind that I gave my phone to get a N900, it better be a phone if it wants to stay with me besides play-time. I am certain that a good amount of people who purchase this device will do so from a phone-selling store, for phone-related needs. I have already convinced three people to follow suit because they wanted to change their phones.

In the light of the above, I think it should be demand that drives design. Mandating a modus operandi rarely succeeds as any experience is subjective, and people love to customize their own experience.

I also agree with the Fun factor. Having my FMTX disabled thanks to regional legislation I have missed some of the fun already :(

Re: Phone/Contacts/Conversations application inconsistencies on N900
 

i thoroughly read all the four points and i have to agree on all four. i had three in mind but didnt notice the sms point until u pointed out.

the solutions proposed are simple software updates. chronological order of events is a must especially for a power user to whom a device like n900 is geared for.

tabbed view of dialed/received/missed call log with complete history is required. Number caller used to sms or call should be visible.

Re: Phone/Contacts/Conversations application inconsistencies on N900
 

@ barc0de

Please post your solutions in an answer to the topic you created, in brainstorm.
Also link to this thread in the brainstorm.

Please add the following as well:

Re: Phone/Contacts/Conversations application inconsistencies on N900
 

You might do this, everyone can start brainstorm items and add solutions to an item not of his own.