Are bulging App Stores overrated? Whichever Symbian-powered phone you own (or even if you have an iPhone, Blackberry, etc), could you manage with only three third party (i.e. add-on) applications? And if so, which ones would they be? Steve Litchfield conducts a spot survey and ponders a few personal theories...
Read on in the full article.
1) Viewranger
2) GarminXT
3) Handy Taskman
Reasonable point regarding possible tainting of the results through the use of Twitter for your survey pool, but I wonder how many Gravity users became users of Twitter simply because of Gravity (such as myself).
Surprised Mobbler isn't higher up there, especially with all the excitement last week over Spotify on the iphone.
But how could anyone survive without these three classics? ...
1. Atomic Fart
2. Fart Songs!
and the ever popular;
3. Did You Fart Lite
^_^
Great article Steve. Glad you highlighted the long tail.
Interestingly enough I use none of the three most popular "can't live without" apps listed.
I use TweetS60 instead of Gravity to access twitter. Nokia Maps is fine for the limited use I have of a mapping application, and I never got on with Opera mini as well as I get on with the built-in S60 browser on my Nokia handset.
The three add-on apps I'd not be able to live without would be:
Zip manager
PuTTY
Best ScreenSnap
Additional software I've downloaded or purchased and use but would be able to live without includes:
KeyLockClock (Dr. Jukka)
FreeTimeBox
Nokia Energy Profiler
BBC iPlayer
TweetS60
Barcode reader
Best MessageStorer
FreeSigner
Adobe Reader LE
How about none. If I had no extra apps would my life stop? They are fun but a million miles away from essential. I am currently trying to wean myself mobile email and web browsing so I can go back to a small compact little phone and just do voice calls. Th whole iPhone revolution has turned me right off the whole smartphone thing and sent me running back to sanity.
To offer some reason or explanation why, have a look at this:
http://www.mad4mobilephones.com/very-funny-iphone-cartoon/382/
Probably:
MS Dict viewer (plus dictionaries)
Salling Clicker
Fring
As long as these don't count:
Upgrades - I bought Quickoffice Premier
Configurations - Gizmo is set up for my internet calls
Nokia apps: Internet Radio, MfE etc.
Same function apps: Calcium, Google Maps are good but S60 already has a calc and maps app.
Top three that I use all the time:
Garmin XT
Viewranger (Awesome on my 5800)
nokia mail
Then those I use a lot:
fring
sportstracker
sailing clicker
bbc iplayer
btswitch
fuellog
bestjotter
brightlight
y-browser
Only three apps would not be much fun for me... plus your survey is a little twitter centric for obvious reasons. Personally, I'm not a big fan of tweeting.
HelloOX
Xplore
Open4all.rmp
😃
Jeez. I cant believe there's not been any mention of Profimail! It so seriously outdoes any other email app that I've tried.
Opera Mini
google maps
Did anyone stop to think that the same apps kept coming up because there's feck all good to actually install on S60??
No wonder the top 3 apps are what they are, they're the only thing worth installing on S60! Lmao
Yes, I have an iPhone, used to use an N95, mocked the iPhone for not having 3G, 3G came out, used it, fell in love, downloaded a gazillion games/apps that I use DAILY and sold my N95 as quick as I could and never looked back.
*Waits for the OMG your post is sooo irrelevant coz you ownz teh devilphone!!! You just care about peoples opions fat boy!!*
Hardeep1singh wrote:HelloOX
Xplore
Open4all.rmp😃
Handy Taskman
X-Plore
Core Player
The need to have a music player capable of of playing the ogg vorbis format is the main reason I'm using a S60 device instead of S40. If the Nokia 2730 Classic could play ogg vorbis, I would be fairly content with it.
Other than that, I mostly have nostalgia apps, like C64 and Amiga emulators.
I am not sure whether it is sad that so many have a need to use their phone for so long and for so much, or if it is a boys toy thing.
The one app. I could not do without is .......
remind me (or similar).
You see, I am not attached to my mobile; yes it go with my when I go out, but at home it sits on a table and I don't. I move around the house and garden and if I miss a call or text remind me (or similar), reminds me. 😊
The other would be Notes. But my new Nokia is beyond useless as far as notes go. It will only display six lines of text.
Can't think of a third.
Ok I can, sort of, but it's built into the phone, speach rec. If I'm driving the phone says who's calling.
This article isn't much use without links
Hardeep1singh wrote:HelloOX
Xplore
Open4all.rmp😃
You read my mind.
The best 3 apps are those that help you get apps free.
Mobbler version 0.04(5) - It's free and it has a sleep timer (brilliant). :icon14:
Google Maps
SMS Timer (so useful especially when one is underground).
just to start my i8910hd does everting the iphone does plus has an 8 meg camera with hi def video. It also has an amazing amoled screen which blows the iphone away. Expandable memory I could go on flash built in gps software....my fav apps are↲1. Seven for email brilliant used to use profimail but found seven integrates better with symbian.↲2. Mobipocket to read books please amazon start upgrading it.↲3. Joikuspot super for me on the road with unlimited data. 4. Hellox great to open things up. 5. Palringo great for me on msn 6. Handy taskman couldn't do without
Top three would be.
Sports Tracker
Google mail - push is good but sometimes need the archive
audio book reader
I also use Metro been too long out of London to do the tube in my head (did I really say I have been too long out of London!) and Nomad (Chiltern railways timetable with live update - great if you live on the line why don't other rail companies do this).
Google maps until Nokia find a sensible way of inputting pushpins (POI) the saving grace for Maps is the shared landmarks, find what you want on Sat or Streetview and behold there it is on Maps.
I think this survey would be better if it was organized into product types. On some platforms there are probably 20 different twitter clients...it would be useful if we could see what people were using the most of on their respective devices, instead of looking at what their favorite application name is.
I use an iPhone. I have a bunch of games...but none of them are as good as the java backgammon game I used to have on my old S40 device. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I'm not interested in any app. Oh...except...
*Touch-screen English-Chinese/Chinese-English dictionary. If I didn't need this, I would not have a touchscreen phone.
*Illigal, hacked, un-paid version of Quickoffice. And I only need this because otherwise I cannot look at office docs outside of the web-browser and email. I could not even store it on my phone.
*Jailbreak+Cydia+Winterboard+SBSettings. Because my phone would not work where I live without Jailbreak, I would not have basic necessary controls without SBSettings (Cydia app), and I would not be able to use Lock Calendar without Cydia and Winderboard (which is also a Cydia app).
I imagine if I went back to 5800, my only critical apps would be a better dictionary application. The other things I need (calendar on homescreen, quickoffice, file browser, BT Keyboard drivers, etc) are already on the phone. Oh...and I would try to download a better backgammon application.
Excellent article! Here are the programs I have installed on my 5800..... The ones with an "XXX" by them are the ones I can't live without. Notice that some of them are registered / pay-apps and MOST of them are either FREE on the 'net or from Nokia's "Download!" app.
XXX Slick IM (free)
XXX Handy Taskman REGISTERED / PAID
XXX Handy Calendar REGISTERED / PAID
XXX Profimail REGISTERED
XXX Google Maps (free)
XXX Opera Mini (free)
Digia@Web beta (free)
XXX Quickoffice for 5th ed (free) (Download!)
PDF Viewer 5th ed (free) (Download!)
XXX Zip for 5800 (free) (Download!)
XXX Nokia Wireless Keyboard App 3.2 (free from Nokia)
XXX Y-Browser Suite (free)
JoikuSpot Light (free) (Download!)
XXX Best Screen Snap S60v5 (free)
Qik (free)
XXX Phonetorch 5th (free)
XXX Free Unrar (free)
TweetsS60 (free)
PENCIL by JBak (free)
KeyLockClock (free)
I have NO use for a HUGE app store and think that most of the apps made recently are trash. FWIW, it's taken me years to come up with the few apps I DO use and KNOW they are good apps.
Thanks,
Nick
1) Opera Mini
2) Profimail
3) Mobipocket Reader
If it were 5 apps,
4) Handy Taskman
5) Google Maps
Hmm,three of my favorite applications is:x-plore,dictionary and ucweb（the web browser from China）.
Other:
TTPOD,the music player;
Callmaster:A app that can show the callings' city;
MSN and QQ;
Screenshot
Interesting. I only saw the tweet requesting votes this morning, so mine aren't included in the results, but for the record, they are (all available for Symbian 3rd and 5th edition), 4 of them cost money - and I want 6!:
Julie
QReader, EasyEdit, and PuTTY, in that order. Storing, reading and writing loads of text on a widget I keep in my pocket is just hugely useful.
If three more were to be allowed, I would add gpfce, mobipad, and Python (I'm not a big fan of the language, but nothing beats being able to hack up a quick tool on your mobile).
If I were allowed to choose three applications that don't exist, leastwise to the best of my knowledge, I would say an SCP/SFTP client, an able onboard Lua development environment (or R5RS Scheme (JACAL ahoy!), or Forth (oh, beloved Quartus)... I would cheerfully trade a kidney or three for an S60 LispMe-alike, or a similar environment built around the still-larval LuaS60), and an NMEA GPS data logger that doesn't hammer my battery into limp, exhausted uselessness in a matter of hours.
(Why yes, I *do* keep a Bluetooth keyboard and a Wii remote in my please-don't-call-it-a-man-purse. Doesn't everyone?)
1. Podcasting
2. Cute Keys
3. Factbook (CIA World Factbook)
Three? If SmartConnect doesn't count (as it came with the handset) then it would be Cute Keys, SPB Wallet and Google Maps.
As it happens, I only have five applications on purpose - the above plus StyleTap...
1 Paint Pad - Everywhere I go I like to sketch and draw. Paint Pad is just like M$ Paint and is currently the best there is for S60. But it sucks compared to Brushes on the devilPhone. Anyone know any S60 developers with nothing to do? Get them to make a killer drawing app for S60v5, there is a MASSIVE underground art movement on Flickr and they are all using the devilphone.
2 Photo Browser - I want to browse and view my artwork. The Nokia 5800 "Comes with Crappy Media Browser", but the team at Nokia Labs have created this app. And it's awesome.
3 EasyWiFi - manages your WiFi connections. When the keys are 64 characters long with weird characters and you are UNABLE to copy and paste it in the standard settings page, then EasyWiFi will sort you out. I need this to upload my art to the interweb.
There is one application that I think all of you are missing out which I believe is one of the best apps ever created for S60 3rd edition phones. And it's TTPOD 3.50. You gotta install it guys. It replaces the dull and boring S60 music player with a Windows.like user interface. Here's the link. www.mobilecastle.biz/mobiles/attachments/symbian-os9-x-applications/44637d1252785465-13-09-09-ttpod-v3-50-eng-translated-ddeathmetal-cnd-team-final-release-cnd-team-ttpod3.50-english-ddeathmetal.rar