Ricky Cadden: One thing that I've noticed across the N-series devices I've used is a lack of consistency. I've used the N80, N73, N75, N93, N95, and now I have the N76. They're mostly the same, but there's some things that are different that don't really make much sense to me, especially when taking into account how difficult it must be to make this different for one device in a product line such as the N-series.
The first thing that I noticed is as small as a message alert tone. I'm very picky, as I get alot of messages, so I insist on using the most non-annoying alert tone available, and I've found that the "knock knock knock" message alert tone that's included on the recent Nokias works perfectly. The problem is, it's called something different on all the devices. On the N73, it's Message2. It's completely removed on the Cingular branded version of the N75 (though I suspect that Nokia were not responsible in this case). On my N95, it's called Message4, and on the N76, I found it's been changed once again to Message5. Why? This seems trivial, but it tells me that they're custom-building the ringtone/alert tones lists in these devices, and that seems like a waste to me. Sure, each device might have a unique ringtone, but for the exact same tone to be named differently tells me they're not even using the same base list.
Steve Litchfield: Hey, Ricky! My guess is that as each newer device was finished, some bright spark in the Nseries division came up with a cool new message alert tone and this was then inserted into the list, which is why the number for your own preference keeps getting pushed down. But is this really a big issue? It's only a sound file that you have to set up one time only. And most casual users don't swap devices every month like we do(!) so they won't have any reason to nit pick in this way 8-)
Bear in mind that the Nseries, starting with the N70, has been around for 2 years now and that all sorts of technological changes have taken place in this time. It's only natural that these will have been rolled in as devices finish their development period.
RC: Another instance of this is the default system applications that are on each device. The N93 does not have the Wireless Village IM app that the rest do. I just got my N76 today and noticed that it has the old GoTo menu from the S60v2 devices. Quickoffice has been preinstalled on every N-Series I have, except the N76 and N75, and again, neither of those has Maps pre-installed.
SL: Two factors that might explain this, aside from marketing factors, which I'll get to in a moment, are the size of the software involved and its maturity. For instance, Quickoffice was apparently left from the built-in applications in the N76 and N75 firmware for size reasons, but is available through Download! instead, or so I'm told. And Maps is undergoing big changes - it's due to be integrated properly with Mobile Search - so there's really no reason to stick it in any device's firmware. Best to leave it as an over-the-air Download! item.
RC: OK, what about the default way that the menus are setup in each device are different, with things moved around, rarely in the same place across devices. I realize that things have improved on this front recently, but I still notice that some things are in different places, and often not the most obvious one. For instance, the applications manager is hidden in the Tools folder. Wouldn't that make more sense in the Applications folder? Or the fact that some devices have an "Internet" folder and some don't.
SL: Ah, this is a bit of an old chestnut. Nokia and their S60 licensees have been tinkering with application presentation order for years. The usual reasons are that the new layout is more intuitive and that differently marketed devices need different applications 'pushed' to the fore, both quite understandable, IMHO. Given that 90% of users don't even install any third party tools and that of those that do, maybe only 1 in 10 actually get round to removing such programs, I don't think it's unreasonable to put 'App. Mgr' in Tools. It's certainly a logical place to look if you've filled the internal flash memory and are looking for a tool to help you clear some space etc.
RC: OK, ok, points well made! I've got several more rants to put forward though, Rafe has asked me to do some occasional writing for AAS!
SL: Sounds great - and welcome!