Active Topics
| The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to daperl For This Useful Post: | ||
 |
|
2010-08-02
, 00:57
|
|
Posts: 2,869 |
Thanked: 1,784 times |
Joined on Feb 2007
@ Po' Bo'. PA
|
#32
|
Originally Posted by daperl
All very true...
These days, I always associate that phrase with the other Mrs. "P."
Not that I want to speak for the OP, but I think it's both. I slapped that thing together because a thread was started where someone was calling for better looking UI's and I got to tinkerin'. But it's more than that. Visual queues with real meaning have good purpose. They promote confidence rather than frustration. No one studies this as much as Apple does. And Google is smart just to copy and then try to enhance.
Now go look at the recorder app for Maemo 5. Underneath, really good stuff, but that thing shouldn't be allowed to go out in public. But there it was from day one in extras, just a carryover from Maemo 4 with the added cool sharing enhancement. Compare that to the simple little iOS recorder app that is immediately recognizable for what it is. When recording, the VU meter lets you know the mic is working, and it has that cute little red dot to caution that you may be too close to the mic. Instead of asking, "Is this thing working?," the user simply giggles and backs off.
Apple's thoughtfulness and pride get confused with vanity too often. Nokia doesn't seem to suffer from that problem.
[leaving the reservation]Why does Nokia create this chasm between us and them? Supplying an SDK is not enough. The recorder app is a great example of where Nokia could have worked with that developer to make it seem more integral with Fremantle. Instead, they close source the Media Player?
Corporate FOSS is different than hobby FOSS. Duh. And currently Nokia is doing it wrong. I recreated the front end to the Media Player in less than two pages of code. What the f*ck is their point? I don't need more than one media player, yet I want full system integration. I could probably beg, borrow and steal to make that happen, but Nokia creates apathy for no good reason. When they do this, devs like me just turn our attention to the million other things that interest us. At the moment, Nokia doesn't know exactly where their responsibility should begin and end.
If Nokia could get their FOSS sh*t together, the OP might have less of an issue.[/leaving the reservation]
However I'm still not sure what the OP wants so I'll respond to your post because at this point, it is much more interesting.
If the stuff was pretty then you wouldn't mind it being closed.
Or is it:
If they are going to release such butt fugly components that are just begging for lipstick, why close it?
I'm thinking the second statement is closer to your theme and to that I'll add...
Especially when the user base has shown that they have the skills and talent to enhance the front end.
I never got that either.
Mer seemed like it could only get so far and examples of this kind of thinking by Nokia may be a reason why.
Part of this thinking may be because Nokia went into this without a clue. At the time, no one else had a clue either. Where I was going is that because Nokia provided the hardware, for good or ill, others learned.
In Apple and Googles case, they had very defined goals and the user experience was paramount. That may be because of what they learned watching user needs and ultimately user expectations develop within the 770, then N800 community that grew around those devices.
There was nothing to compare to them other then the bloated, heavy, and very expensive OQO at the time. There were other PDA's though, and some like the HP iPaq's had many of the same connectivity options. But none of them could walk and chew gum at the same time.
The NIT's could but they usually left the house with their shoes untied, wearing mismatched socks, and no clue that these things would sometimes mean more to an average user then how high it jumped or how fast it ran.
It is neat to hear things like "what an average user expects" knowing that only three years ago the "average" user didn't expect much.
Until OS2008 showed that a powerful mobile device could stay connected and run more than 2 or 3 hours without a charge, the market didn't expect one to.
| The Following User Says Thank You to YoDude For This Useful Post: | ||
 |
|
2010-08-02
, 17:46
|
|
Posts: 2,427 |
Thanked: 2,986 times |
Joined on Dec 2007
|
#33
|
Woops, my bad. I didn't mean to imply the Media Player was ugly. What I meant is actually a long story that I can sum up in a short skit:
Nokia: "Hey, did you know we have multi-media plugins?"
daperl: "Multi-media plugins! That's totally awesome! I love me some multi-media plugins! Check out my customized functionality changes. Whutta ya think!?"
Nokia: "Uh, you can't do that."
daperl: "No? Total bummer, dude."
[fade to black]
THE END
Nokia: "Hey, did you know we have multi-media plugins?"
daperl: "Multi-media plugins! That's totally awesome! I love me some multi-media plugins! Check out my customized functionality changes. Whutta ya think!?"
Nokia: "Uh, you can't do that."
daperl: "No? Total bummer, dude."
[fade to black]
THE END
__________________
N9: Go white or go home
N9: Go white or go home
| The Following User Says Thank You to daperl For This Useful Post: | ||
|
|
2010-08-02
, 19:17
|
|
Posts: 376 |
Thanked: 56 times |
Joined on Jan 2010
|
#34
|
I would like the offical F1 app on the n900 if I could have that I would be happy but sadly it wont ever happen
 |
|
2010-08-02
, 19:36
|
|
Posts: 294 |
Thanked: 240 times |
Joined on May 2010
|
#35
|
@OP: if you want good apps sell your N900 asap and get an iPhone 4 or HTC Desire, both ABSOLUTELY **** on N900
__________________
"Nokia and the community" - by ysss
"Nokia and the community" - by ysss
Now go look at the recorder app for Maemo 5. Underneath, really good stuff, but that thing shouldn't be allowed to go out in public. But there it was from day one in extras, just a carryover from Maemo 4 with the added cool sharing enhancement. Compare that to the simple little iOS recorder app that is immediately recognizable for what it is. When recording, the VU meter lets you know the mic is working, and it has that cute little red dot to caution that you may be too close to the mic. Instead of asking, "Is this thing working?," the user simply giggles and backs off.
Apple's thoughtfulness and pride get confused with vanity too often. Nokia doesn't seem to suffer from that problem.
[leaving the reservation]Why does Nokia create this chasm between us and them? Supplying an SDK is not enough. The recorder app is a great example of where Nokia could have worked with that developer to make it seem more integral with Fremantle. Instead, they close source the Media Player?
Corporate FOSS is different than hobby FOSS. Duh. And currently Nokia is doing it wrong. I recreated the front end to the Media Player in less than two pages of code. What the f*ck is their point? I don't need more than one media player, yet I want full system integration. I could probably beg, borrow and steal to make that happen, but Nokia creates apathy for no good reason. When they do this, devs like me just turn our attention to the million other things that interest us. At the moment, Nokia doesn't know exactly where their responsibility should begin and end.
If Nokia could get their FOSS sh*t together, the OP might have less of an issue.[/leaving the reservation]
N9: Go white or go home