Mobile phones & tablets thread

[henners88]

Actually Apple did not invent the mouse, they stole it from Håkan Lans.

And Microsoft kindly borrowed it eh? lol

[ioan]

And Microsoft kindly borrowed it eh? lol

That doesn't change what Jobs (Apple/Macintosh) did.

OK kindergarten, now you can go on with the useless bickering.

[henners88]

That doesn't change what Jobs (Apple/Macintosh) did.

No you're right ioan. I may have always been pro PC when it came to computers, but that doesn't change what Jobs did. A true innovator who brought something very different. A man Gates respected tremendously.

I have to point out though, there was no bickering, all tongue in cheek without a hint of heat.

[Dave B]

No operating system or in fact any product at all should ever introduce any feature or style which was ever on any other product before it.

How about: no operating system or in fact any product manufacturer should ever introduce any feature or style which was ever on any other product before it then screen nauseating TV adverts implying that they were the first one to come up with that idea (for example contoured earbuds that you've been able to get in Poundland for a decade)? Better?

[henners88]

I've never seen an advert claiming they are the 'first' to do anything. Their marketing puts it across to the consumer in such a way that the viewer feels its a fantastic idea, whether that's annoying or not. I don't really have opinions on their adverts or any other phone ads on TV because they are what they are. Adverts are annoying intervals in the middle of program's I enjoy watching. What does annoy me in everyday life is people who have mocked what I have chosen to use because they have issues with its brand. I've encountered this a number of times now and people need to get a flippin grip.

[cali]

Wilko, it's different on the iPhone...and it looks better :

And the whole idea is stolen from Jolla Mobile's Sailfish OS

[Jag_Warrior]

Keon: It's not an iPhone replacement, but it's bloody good for €100

While it's fun to play with the Keon, it's not the hardware that’s special - it's Firefox OS. After living with the Keon for more than a month, I can safely say Mozilla's vision of a web-based mobile future isn't just appealing, it feels inevitable.

There are some rough edges, though. Firefox OS is definitely not the new and shiny you've been looking for, rather it's the new and quietly revolutionary. The Keon as is comes pretty close to offering everything you'd need in a mobile device, but it's still not likely to tempt iOS or Android fans to switch. And that's just fine with Mozilla. The target market for Firefox OS isn't current iOS or Android users, it's the rest of the world - people who don't yet have a mobile internet device at all.
But before Firefox OS takes the currently-not-connected world by storm, it first has to get developers interested, hence the Keon phone.


The Keon is a solidly built piece of hardware with decent, though not great, specs and a screen that looks nearly identical to the iPhone 3G/GS.
The Keon has a 3.5-inch HVGA screen, 1GHz single-core processor, 512MB RAM, 3MP camera and 1,580mAh battery with up to a day's battery life. By contrast, the more recent iPhone - the 5 - packs a 4-inch screen, 1.2GHz dual-core chip, 1GB memory, 8MP rear and 1.2MP front camera, and allows up to eight hours of usage on the battery.
In short, the Keon's not going to wow gadget enthusiasts but it's about what you'd expect from a €100 (approximately) device: a good phone with a few compromises to make it affordable. However, it's a perfectly capable phone for developers who need to test their apps.

And it is developers, not end users, that Mozilla wants for Firefox OS right now because, after all, the Firefox OS simulator will only gets you so far. Some things, like apps that take advantage of the accelerometer or user location, really need to be tested in the real world, which is what developers can do with the Keon.

The thing about familiar tools is you know what to do with them. Developers can make or break a platform but Mozilla has a distinct advantage over other platforms trying to break into the iOS-Android duopoly: the web.
Firefox OS apps are built using the same basic toolkit you'd use to build any website: HTML, CSS and JavaScript. It's tempting to say if you can built a webpage you can build a Firefox OS app. Technically that's true: any webpage can be installed as a Firefox OS app even if its author has never heard of Firefox OS, but to take advantage of the unique attributes of a mobile device you'll need to go a little beyond a simple webpage.

Has anyone here been following this development? What do you think? Sounds very interesting, IMO.

[SGWilko]

I've never seen an advert claiming they are the 'first' to do anything. Their marketing puts it across to the consumer in such a way that the viewer feels its a fantastic idea, whether that's annoying or not. I don't really have opinions on their adverts or any other phone ads on TV because they are what they are. Adverts are annoying intervals in the middle of program's I enjoy watching. What does annoy me in everyday life is people who have mocked what I have chosen to use because they have issues with its brand. I've encountered this a number of times now and people need to get a flippin grip.

All ads are a tenuous link to reality. For example, car manufacturers suggest their latest offering will achieve xx.xmpg, but only if you drive backwards while singing numbers from the Sound of Music.

Apple adds show slick and lightening fast page loads - and that's bigger balls that a Great Dane.

Then there is teh latest Kindle ad - with devices being used in the pool, put in the underseat storage of a moped etc. Try actually doing that, and then see if - when it gets wet or the screen cracks, and you explain why - they replace it under warranty.......

[henners88]

All ads are a tenuous link to reality. For example, car manufacturers suggest their latest offering will achieve xx.xmpg, but only if you drive backwards while singing numbers from the Sound of Music.

Apple adds show slick and lightening fast page loads - and that's bigger balls that a Great Dane.

Then there is teh latest Kindle ad - with devices being used in the pool, put in the underseat storage of a moped etc. Try actually doing that, and then see if - when it gets wet or the screen cracks, and you explain why - they replace it under warranty.......

Yeah its all mostly rubbish, but as annoying as some are, people remember them. Apple make it all look very clean so the viewer remembers the product rather than a scenario. Plus they make Siri look very good but in reality it rarely brings back the results you ask for. You are right about page loads but I think that is the same of any phone advert. They don't want you to know you'll be looking at a status bar for a fraction of a second longer than you actually have to. Having tested my mates Samsung S4 side by side with the iPhone, I have to say the iPhone is a fraction quicker when loading apps and internet pages. Smaller processor in the iPhone but doesn't have the bloatware the S4 comes with I suppose. Then again its so marginal its hardly going to put people off IMO. The S4 is a nice looking phone though I have to say, just a little too big for my tastes.

[airshifter]

Keon: It's not an iPhone replacement, but it's bloody good for €100



Has anyone here been following this development? What do you think? Sounds very interesting, IMO.

Haven't seen one, but the concept is sound. I think most users really just settle in to average day to day use that doesn't involve much horsepower or the need for a million features. Being you can already get very capable phones for cheap, I see no reason why there isn't room for another one.