In part 2 of his review of the Sony Ericsson W950i music-focussed smartphone, Ewan Spence reports on a month's use and has a few harsh words to say about the UIQ 3 interface, which achieves an awful lot and then spoils the user experience at the final hurdle.
Read on in the full article.
I have an M600i and the same issue applies - it's a real shame SE locked down the built-in apps' icon locations. However, the interface may be slightly quirky in places but it feels sooo much more sophisticated than the s60 interface 😊
I come from a Windows Mobile and non-UIQ SE phone background and must say I'm a bit dissapointed with UIQ task/memory management. (OK one needs 3rd party help on WM). The UI is no better or worse than WM5. I bought the W950 as a Walkman first, smartphone functionality is a bonus. but issues as decibed in article should be addressed by SE or am I also just another power user. Off topic: Can SE please add a 'genre' autoplaylist or am i missing something.
I couldn't agree more with Ewan about the menu customisation issues - I *alway* arrange the icons on my phones in a similar order... or at least I used to. Now I forget which folder SE have decided to put an application in. (why is the picture viewer in Multimedia and the video player in Entertainment ??? )
Maybe I am missing something here but why, every time AAS reviews a UIQ device, does the reviewer feel the need to point out to the reader the disadvantages (as they see it) of a stylus based interferface occasionally requiring 2 hands? Each review you've done of the M600, P990 and now the W950 has started off with how awful it is to have to use two hands for this that and the other.
Firstly, give people a bit of credit. It's a touchscreen based interface. Of course using a touchscreen requires two hands sometimes. If people want a touchscreen based device, they have already accepted this and moved on.
Secondly, I can't remember a Series 60 device review ever banging on about the problems with having to navigate around the interface using a joystick/dPad and selector. Again, it is accepted by people that, if a device DOESN'T have a touchscreen, this is a necessary evil.
I personally find touchscreens fantastic. There are some great non-touchscreen devices out there, but I can't use them. The very idea of having an option on the screen but not being able to select it without navigating to it seem so antiquated and DOS like that my poor brain can't get over that particular obstacle and so I keep going back to a touchscreen.
There are also those for whom the slowness of a jokstick/keypad based interface is more than made up for by being able to use it "on the move". I know this because you all keep walking into me every time I try to make my way through town with your faces glued to your phone screens rather than looking where you are going 😊
So, can we either accept that some people like touchscreens and others don't and that the reader has common sense enough to know what a touchscreen is and how it works OR (please not!) start every review with a description of the advantages/disadvantages of the input method implemented by that manufacturer?
Heh, thats probably a fair point Bassey. I'll try not to dwell on it next time since I wrote both the M600 and P990 reviews 😊
That said touchscreen is a minority thing. The vast number of smartphones, let alone phone focus on one handed usage.
Anyway I'll try and take your comments into consideration for next time.
Rafe