Thread: Nokia 770 - reasonable applications -difficult
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Karel Jansens's Avatar
Karel Jansens is offline Karel Jansens
2006-08-06 , 21:58
Posts: 3,220 | Thanked: 326 times | Joined on Oct 2005 @ "Almost there!" (Monte Christo, Count of)
#10
Originally Posted by jj_ib
Are you guys sure there is a *real* need for those types of apps on the 770? Is anybody seriously going to write multiple page documents on it or use it for advanced Excel-type graphing?
I don't really think so. My guess is that 98% of all 770 owners also own at least one laptop. I guess you could construct a case where you would want to edit a spreadsheet and didn't have your laptop around ... but hey, in real life, the small size of the 770 will always prevent it from being an alternative to laptop.
It is excellent as a document reader, so I could see a point in having a Word- and Excel Viewer. But office-style editing on it will never take off. Windows CE tried to push that concept to compete with the Palm Pilot, but it was stillborn and still is. I'd take an Office suite if someone would give it to me for free, but it does not provide any real value. Just because it can be done does not mean that it should be done.
What we need instead is
Better flash support
Skype
wma and realaudio .smil support
With a BT keyboard, the 770 is a more than adequate replacement for a laptop. Personally, I've never ever found a laptop that could actually be used for mobile computing: the blasted things need wall sockets constantly. I started my mobile computing life with a Psion 3a, and from 1995 to 1998 it was practically my only computer. I had a brief love affair with a HP Omnibook 425, but quickly replaced it with a Psion 5mx and, in 2001, with a Newton MessagePad 2100.

All these computers were used as PDAs and for serious word- and numbercrunching activities. My best experience was in 2003-2004 when I was co-managing a rather large church restauration project: the architect brought a laptop to the weekly (later dayly) meetings to take notes, and I brought my Newton (without keyboard!). After a few sessions he gave up and used my notes (Yes, Newtons are really that good). My main gripe with the 770 is that Nokia didn't put a decent HWR engine in it (ParaGraph, dammit! ).

So, yes: I do think there is a "need" for those kind of programs, or, to put it better, I think that, once those programs are here, people will use them happily and enthousiastically.