Seven reasons why Ovi Store's launch is a very important event

[slitchfield]

Ovi Store has been announced, and many people just saw another smartphone applications shop. But it's actually a lot more than that, and its launch could be the most significant thing Nokia has done since entering the mobile phone business, or so reckons Tzer2 in an All About Symbian editorial.

Read on in the full article.

Is the Ovi store the same as the nokia app store? Or is it two different things, thanks.

[Tzer2]

They're the same thing, but Ovi Store is more than just apps.

[Sizzers]

I do like the idea of phone billing, but is this just going to be debited on your monthly bill for contract customers or are they going to utilise reverse billing for payg users? Either way, the operators are going to have to come on board to support this which does give me some cause for concern.

[Tzer2]

Sizzers, it would probably be along the same lines as phone bill payments on N-Gage, which means billing from those networks who support it. Not every network would take part, but that's better than nothing.

In theory bill payment should be possible both for prepaid and monthly bill customers, though whether the networks allow it to happen is up to them.

The only other way of avoiding credit card payments would be an Ovi voucher system, of the kind used by skype, habbo etc. where you buy a physical voucher for cash in a physical shop. Again, this is available for N-Gage in some parts of the world, so we might see it on Ovi too.

Paypal etc aren't going to help because they require a credit card to join, and the whole point of bill payment is to offer an alternative.

I'm glad you mentioned the MOSH store, as that's all this OVI store is...MOSH with a prettier face and tbh MOSH itself was rubbish, so I don't have any high hopes for Nokia getting it right with this either.

Though, "Surprise, surprise" comes to mind about Nokia opening a Store is "Huge" news and can change everything on AllAboutSymbian...

And PLEASE can you stop going on about how Nokia has sold a Bazillion devices as if it means something. How many of those devices are used by your typical Mobile Phone User who sends txts and makes calls? Not bothered in one way or another that they can bury deep into a Nokia Device and find the Ovi Store to buy a new ringtone *Face_Plain*

Hell, my mum has a Nokia, not that you can ever reach her on it though as she hasn't a clue how to use it....loves my iPhone though ;-)

Uh Oh, mentioned the i-word, now i'm gonna be classed as an Apple boy...

[Tzer2]

Though, "Surprise, surprise" comes to mind about Nokia opening a Store is "Huge" news and can change everything on AllAboutSymbian...

If you disagree with my arguments, why not actually say specifically where I got things wrong?

Or do you criticise articles you haven't bothered reading?

Honestly, you're just throwing vague abuse without any real thought put into it. :-)

Not bothered in one way or another that they can bury deep into a Nokia Device and find the Ovi Store

There's no "burying" at all, the store icon is on the front page, where the "download" icon currently is.

And PLEASE can you stop going on about how Nokia has sold a Bazillion devices as if it means something. How many of those devices are used by your typical Mobile Phone User who sends txts and makes calls?

Erm... I'd say 100% of Nokia mobile phones are used by a "typical mobile phone user" who sends texts and makes calls.

:-)

What point are you trying to make?

Maybe you meant to say that not everyone wants to buy extra content on their phone?

Well, maybe not, but even if it's only 10% of Nokia users that's still something like 50 to 100 million people.

And, as I said in the article, even if you don't buy a thing you'd still be able to use Ovi Store for downloading freeware, free ringtones, free themes etc.

[Sizzers]

Well I hope they get it right this time as they've had long enough - and lagged behind enough - to come up with this. Apple got it right from launch, but to be honest I can't say I have great confidence seeing what a fractured mess they made of Ovi. Just hope they learn from their mistakes as I DO want this to succeed.

I have no idea how to quote people (And i'm replying whilst in work so shouldn't be on the net anyway ;-) so just gonna go from what I've just read:

I'm basing my opinions on when I had my N95 (Before I got my iPhone, so sometime in 2007 to June 08)

The Download Icon on that was buried in some menu (Tools?) can't remember much but I know it wasn't intuitive at all.

Why do I disagree with you? As a tech user (I had programs such as Peerbox, a P2P program and Emtube etc) I also created an account with Mosh.
This program was badly designed and looked terrible (Black and green?!) finding content was ok, but finding content that was worthwhile was beyond frustrating! (Kind of like getting anything for Symbian then I guess) Everything was either cracked programs/games or rubbish ringtones/wallpapers that had logos or watermarks on them.

Call all you want but using the App Store was a breath of fresh air, I had no Idea it could be that easy to browse and purchase content on a mobile device (I use a Windows PC, not a Mac) and I laugh at the times of using my archaic N95 (Which my GF now has and loves, weirdly) and trying to find anything for the phone that was fun or worthwhile (Think that Python Beer app was the last thing that I got and wowed me, then I found iPint...)


Dunno if i've really answered any of your questions mind, been alt+tabbing this window for a while now and haven't really put any cohesion into my thoughts :-p

[tym79m]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I'm basing my opinions on when I had my N95 (Before I got my iPhone, so sometime in 2007 to June 08)

The Download Icon on that was buried in some menu (Tools?) can't remember much but I know it wasn't intuitive at all.

Maybe it's a regional thing, but Download! on my N95 (from about the same time as yours) is right on the main menu. So, while not on the home screen, it's hardly "buried" - click the menu key (that's one click) and it's there.

[tym79m]

Originally Posted by Sizzers

[...]but to be honest I can't say I have great confidence seeing what a fractured mess they made of Ovi.

Have you tried Ovi recently? It's made great strides. OTA sync (contacts, notes, calendar), mail, maps (with sync), gallery, file storage, all with one sign on now.

[Tzer2]

I'm basing my opinions on when I had my N95

...erm... this is a comments thread about an article.

Maybe you could read the article, then comment on it?

Why do I disagree with you?

Disagree with what?

You haven't expressed any specific opinions about the article.

As a tech user (I had programs such as Peerbox, a P2P program and Emtube etc) I also created an account with Mosh

This isn't an article about MOSH.

Maybe... crazy idea... you could READ THE ARTICLE? :-)

Everything was either cracked programs/games or rubbish ringtones/wallpapers that had logos or watermarks on them.

Yeah, but that's because it was a file-sharing service, not an app store.

Comparing MOSH to Ovi Store is like comparing Limewire to Amazon.

I laugh at the times of using my archaic N95 (

Well, the N95 is quite old now, it launched over two years ago. You might want to try looking at some more recent devices like the N97... as featured in the article.

The Download Icon on that was buried in some menu (Tools?) can't remember much but I know it wasn't intuitive at all.

You might be talking about the original firmware from two years ago. Things have changed since then, Download is normally on the front page of the menu nowadays.

I dunno then, on my old one even now (Just rang the missus) running V30 it's not on the main Menu page?

Anyway just looked back and didn't really answer any questions, ha.

Oh well, least I had a vent :-)

[Tzer2]

Oh well, least I had a vent :-)

Don't get the wrong idea, I hate Download as much as you do. ;-)

I wrote two long articles for AAS talking about how terrible Download is:

http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/featu...x_Download.php

http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/featu...to_step_in.php

...but I think Ovi Store could put things right. Time will tell.

[tym79m]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

[...]I laugh at the times of using my archaic N95 (Which my GF now has and loves, weirdly) and trying to find anything for the phone that was fun or worthwhile [...]

I've purchased office software, a QuickBooks-compatible money manager, HandySafe, and downloaded SportsTracker, and a weather application from Download! No beer app. though, no.

Download! definitely is inadequate, woefully so, but there still are some useful applications there.