Handy Shopper reviewed for S60 5th Edition

I fail to see the point. Why bother with this complicated software when you can simply create a note and access it through the Notes app? This does not talk to the standby, you cannot set reminders etc, you cannot set it to pop a certain list based on location, and it does not show up on Epocware's own Handy Shell.

Where's the use?

talhamid wrote:I fail to see the point. Why bother with this complicated software when you can simply create a note and access it through the Notes app? This does not talk to the standby, you cannot set reminders etc, you cannot set it to pop a certain list based on location, and it does not show up on Epocware's own Handy Shell.

Where's the use?

Agreed. The built in "Notes" app or "Active notes" is the most underrated app in the world. I use it all the time to jot down all kinds of information on my E90/E71.

This handy shopper app wastes space and money.

agreed as well,maybe would be a notch better if it could be locked to prevent prying eyes.

however there is a easy workaround you can use Advanced Device Locks or Advanced Phone Lock and put a lock on Notes/Active Notes...:icon14:

Especially in situations where the main consumer of the product is not the same person who goes to the store, a generic name (e.g. 'shampoo'😉 just doesn't cut it; you need the exact name and brand of the product. What this application needs, and needs badly, is to incorporate a barcode reader (which uses the phone camera) and to be able to lookup scanned barcodes on www.barcodepedia.com (or similar sites).

Apps like that really shouldn't be payware IMO. It certainly isn't worth $20! And the GUI seems horrible... Talk about poor use of a touch screen... Charging $20 for something like that is a crime. I agree with the other comments; just use Notes.

[SIZE="1"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]It's times like this I'm especially glad I switched to the iPhone, hehe.[/FONT][/SIZE] :tongue:

Glad to see I have so many backers. So while we are at it, dear Epocware:

1) Stop charging an obscene amount for Handy Calendar since it doesn't do much more than 5800's built in calendar.
2) Ditto Handy Alarm (the only thing it has over default s60 alarm is customisable tones for each alarm)
3) Make Handy Shell more customisable, less ugly

I actually have to disagree here. I downloaded the app a few days ago from s60.com (before seeing this review). For the last year or so, I have been using the notes app to create my shopping lists. Here's my problem with that... some weeks I need to buy potatoes and other weeks I don't. Typing in t9 is not fun for me, especially since I buy ethnic items that are not in the dictionary (spell word>add doesn't seem to work well since it appears that the number of words I can add is limited and adding new replaces old). This application, I found is quite handy. If I add "paratha" in the product list, it's there. So it's just a matter of looking items up and adding them to a list. Infact I have created lists by storenamte... like Acme, walmart etc. Plus there is the recent function that keeps a list of recent items i've bought, which again can be quite handy. Overall, I like the app and I'm considering buying it.

Which brings me to the price. I agree with the others that it is simply ridiculously priced. I don't think they should charge $20 for an app like this. Is it just me or do others also watch the apps they sell in the app store in the other side of the wall (where only apples grow) and sigh at their prices? Epocware, there's competition now. Better come down to earth and offer good products at reasonable prices.

How come an app like this in Apples App Store would could 59p/99c yet on S60 they get away with charging $20?! You'd be extremely hard pressed to find many apps above the $15 range let alone this. What makes S60 a premium?

i used notes for a while and found it too messy, a list that gets longer and longer, with scrolling to search for notes.

i looked for an app that organised my notes and found best jotter by smartphoneware. easy to make notes, but you can organise them into folders so searching is easier and you have a greater feeling of order. also, it's only $15!

if you want shopping lists, projekt by kylom is very good. a great hierarchical system for organising projects and ideas, but also has a preset shopping list. pricier at 25 euro.

i've trialled epocware stuff, underwhelming and overpriced!

Anyone who wants a free, easy to use list manager take a look at Upvise.com. Upvise is billed as a mobile wiki but it has a nice preformatted shopping list manager built in.

You set up your own lists and then you can note things onto or off the "Items to Buy" list by just checking or unchecking the check box against the item.

The best things about Upvise are
1. It's free
2. You can set up or edit your lists via a web page on a full size pc keyboard
3. It runs on S60, Blackberry, WinMob. Java feature phones, and iPhone so there's no danger of losing your data if you decide to change phone.
4. You can access the same list from multiple devices which means my wife and I can each add items to a list from our phones and whoever actually does the shopping will always have the full list.
5. The developer listens to user feedback and incorporates it into the product

Upvise also has a bunch of other functions but I only use the list manager personally.

All of which means that Handy Shopper is next to useless, except for one friend who finds ethnic items easier to enter. Epocware, are you even reading this? Because if you aren't, you better.

Epocware keep releasing new software but never get rid of the bugs in already released software, look at Handy Shell, been out for ages yet bug ridden like most of there releases, then when someone asks them a question about the bugs on a forum, they stop posting.

Wont be furnishing their pockets with anymore money until they grow some balls and start answering questions.

Handy Shopper is nothing but wastage of money.

I don't understand how can someone pay 20 bucks just because he doesn't like t9!

You can manage your notes very well.

Suppose I am in office right now and will be out by 6.30 PM. I have following activities to be done:
Buy vegetables from Veg market
Buy household itmes from a superstore
get haircut done
buy gift for Kid's friends birthday party

All this can be seperated in notes.

All of them will go into my meeting schedule wit times allotted to each of the activity. The headline for meetings can be words above and I can add See Note 1 for meeting 1. It can have the details.

So I don't see how notes become messy.

If only you know how to optimise your PIM apps.

I can agree that $20 is a lot for a shopping list manager, but it really works well as a daily tool.
You can customize the categories to your hearts content, and I've set it up so that my groceries come in the right sequence to match the route through my regular store. I just tick off what I need to buy and the resulting list is properly sequenced, when you have a long list, its really a bonus.

I like Handy Clock and Handy Shopper. The prices need to be high because there are a lot fewer people buying S60 5th Edition Apps than are buying iPhone apps through Apple's super smooth, user friendly app store.

Has anyone visited Nokia's Ovi Store? Sad.

The comment about competition is wrong. Apple's apps are not competing with the apps for S60 devices. I'm not going to ditch my N97 for an iPhone because comparable apps cost one tenth the price.

If someone can point out an app that is as graphically pleasing and handy as Handy Shopper please post here. The competition in S60 5th Edition apps is just plain weak, hence high prices.

Hi, all!

Try please new shopping list manager for s60 - http://store.ovi.com/content/64427

It propose completely new experience, much more than plain shopping list, but integration with system calendar, spendings statistics and much more.