Thread: Maemo Advocacy
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ragnar is offline ragnar
2007-07-09 , 19:46
Posts: 631 | Thanked: 1,123 times | Joined on Sep 2005 @ Helsinki
#228
Originally Posted by Milhouse View Post
They must have a reason for not using the system-wide contacts - there is no logic to having multiple contact lists, one for each application. Perhaps the use of a system-wide database should be "enforced" a little more strongly by Nokia or Maemo (not sure how, better guide lines/documentation? Peer pressure?) otherwise the end user experience ultimately suffers - it's immediately apparent that I'm entering the same data multiple times into the same device.
Take this as speculation - I do not work for those companies in question - but:

If you look at Skype, for instance, they have a pretty similar UI and user experience in all of their Skype client applications in various devices. It's their choice and their freedom to think that the experience they provide by redesigning and reimplementing the contact handling again is better. The Skype experience is closely tied to their UI, as is with nearly any service.

In general, Company A wants to control the entire experience of using service A, promote the features of service A in exactly the manner they wish to promote them. With a unified UI there is always a compromise: they cannot have all the buttons in exactly the places where they want them to be, there needs to be some kind of balance between all the services. So there is a rather strong logic. Considering the overall user experience of the device it's perhaps an unfortunate logic, if you choose to see it that way.

However, If Nokia would say that "no, you must do it this way", then they do not do it at all. Then again, not all hope is lost: the whole UI of providing services and contact handling is still at a very early stage.