Nokia Download! on the web - Why?

[slitchfield]

If you've been watching Nokia Beta Labs, you'll have seen Nokia's attempt to expand Download! into a web shop. All very well and good, but hardly unique and it's ultimately just another place to download commercial demos and a few Nokia utilities from, before side-loading them in from a PC. Why has Nokia bothered, given that they already have a far better distribution system in Download! on each device? Read on for my thoughts...

Read on in the full article.

[rcadden]

I've posted similar thoughts before, and thus could not agree more.

Well, ever spare a thought for those people owning phones without Wifi and without an unlimited data plan and would not like to waste money on the data transfers?

I applaud Nokia for being so considerate in the first place.

Litchfield, you ought to consider your statements. More choice is good, not bad.

[krisse]

That is a good point about phones without Wifi. Most of us on AAS are used to Eseries and Nseries devices that come with Wifi as standard, but there is a significant percentage of S60 devices which don't have it (the popular 6120 Classic for example) and this percentage is going to grow if Nokia insists on leaving Wifi out of numbered S60 models.

On the other hand, data is getting cheaper all the time and flat rate plans are more and more common, so the need for a sideloading Download! system should diminish over time.

There are Series 60 fans with no unlimited data package... you know, people like me who just can't see the point of fattening the wallets of phone carriers. And even some newer Nokia phones and most Samsung S60 phones have no WiFi, like the 6120, 5700, 6110, 6220 and 6210.

Choice is good, so why force people into a single locked-in distribution method?

[Reda EK]

sorry, but I disagree completely. Nokia has a wide a range of mobile phones and lots of customer across the world=the mobile distribution channel will not suit everyone. Moreover, it looks like the idea is based on the consumer feedback as stated in the betalabs blog...

strangely - although the site mentions the E90 as a compatible phone - when you go to choose your phone on the site the E90 isn't there!

Any suggestions?

[snoyt]

Many modern OSS unices have software package systems. Showing the availability of newer software releases, with auto update and latest additions. Download on the phone and in the n-series pc suite should be more like that. The webpage shape is fine for a backup pc client. You can download it on any pc and OS, then e-mail, bluetooth it or usb transfer it to your phone. Also the webpage increases the visibility and availability of things in 'Download' to its potential clients. People with Linux, Apple and PS3-consoles, MIMD's and EEPC's should be happy very with the webpage. It's a very mobile non-3G paying datarate download technique.

Well done Nokia!

[krisse]

There are Series 60 fans with no unlimited data package... you know, people like me who just can't see the point of fattening the wallets of phone carriers.

It depends on how much the package costs.

I get unlimited uncapped data for under 10 euros a month, with no hidden maximum limits either.

That means I can download podcasts, or listen to internet radio, or play games online, or browse websites, all of them while on the train or bus. I think that's definitely worth 10 euros a month, and the price will get even cheaper in the future.

Many modern OSS unices have software package systems. Showing the availability of newer software releases, with auto update and latest additions. Download on the phone and in the n-series pc suite should be more like that.

Yes, definitely. They need something more professional, a bit like the Linux application manager on the Nokia tablets but with a more user-friendly interface.

Actually this is quite handy for me as my Download! application appears to have gotten itself corrupted and won't display any of the new apps/games on offer. Try doing a Google search for "nokia download! +[word of choice]" - you mostly just get dodgy warez sites!

When I get round to upgrading to v21 I'm sure Download will reinstall beautifully but this is quite useful in the mean time...

[S60_Phil]

Steve, hi! Some excellent points in there! Here's my two-cents...

Anyone who visits this site is probably a self-proclaimed mobile geek, and since we're all mobile geeks we have a flat-rate data plan. Unfortunately the rest of the world doesn't yet have a flat-rate plan, and those people have heard way too many horror stories of $5,000+ phone bills thanks to roaming and data charges.

There's a huge percentage of the population out there who are scared to download over the air - This is where the Download Store fits in. They can get all sorts of great content to their devices without any fear of data charges! For us geeks, the experience isn't as nice as OTA, but for others, side-loading via a website is optimal.

And you gotta remember, the Download Store is very much in its early stages, there's all sorts of new, exciting features coming soon. It's just the beginning. :-)

- Phil
Nokia Download!, Digital Marketing Manager

[Sergey Zak]

I thought this would happen, and yes, - why not on Ovi?
http://cubeover.blogspot.com/2008/06...aring-eol.html

Nokia Download! app could have been extended to cache the apps downloaded, and maybe integrated with the Backup app, to restore the device into a user-configured state, especially in the absence of U.D.P. and the absence of N-Gage backup. Not enough synergy - and now it's a drop-out.