Design vs Art Blog

I am back in Munich from the Online Marketing Dusseldorf 2007 convention. It was my first time there and my impression was mainly positive, although I think the organization could have been better (not many sits, poor food offer, bad sound at conferences). The conferences were mainly German-oriented, what it makes this event more or less interesting depending on your ziel market.

The first morning I have attended the Trends in Mobile Marketing talk, Case Studies presentation and the Outlook for Mobile Web 2.0. The Pixelpark AG presented the ZDFmediathek, a quasi-BBC TV player, the G+J Electronic Media Sales GmbH presented the Vodafone Live portal and the YOC AG showed its Volvo project.

From the above mentioned, the one I liked the most was the Vodafone presentation. G+J gave some general hints about Vodafone Live, a mobile portal with TV shows, music downloads and a selection of websites for news, sport, travel and shopping. They also showed us how Vodafone is making money with mobile web advertisements, proving that it is actually possible to make money with it. Click Here to check the Vodafone Live portal.

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They were also showing how some brands are getting a better connection to the their customers thanks to mobile microsites. For example the Volvo microsite developed by the YOC AG, with videos, wallpapers and screensavers.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Now that the Apple iPhone release is confirmed to be on November 9 in the UK, France and Germany, I would like to tell you why I will replace my new Nokia E61 with an iPhone.

Internet
Getting access to the internet everywhere and being able to see web sites on a “big” display was the main reason I bought the E61. Well, I have to say that not even this is well done by this mobile that comes with two different browsers, one for normal web pages and other for wap ones, so you have to switch between them all the time.

Also, checking sites is not as nice and comfortable as with the iPhone, with which you can easily zoom in, select and point. Ajax support is also missing on the Nokia E61.

Synchronization
I am not a Mac user but synchronizing through iTunes is a fantastic feature. Right now I have to use a very user-unfriendly application provided by Nokia that makes my life boring while trying to put my music, videos and pictures into my phone.

General Design
The Nokia E61 has many design and usability flaws. Like trying to open an Excel file that was imported from the computer is a pain, with the phone telling you that the document is in “another” format, but ridiculous enough at the end displays it.

The navigation through menus is also badly design, having to go back and forth all the time. When you want to activate the Silent mode you have to go to a special menu, click on Silence, then Option, then Activate, then it will display a message saying that the Silence mode is activated, then it goes back the Profiles menu (why I would like to stay there if I have just changed the profile?!). Puuufff, this telephone is making my life more complicated.

Price
I have just checked the prices in the UK and with plans starting at £35 with unlimited internet access this mobile is not going to be more expensive than my previous one.

I am waiting for the Apple iPhone release in Germany!

Popularity: 19% [?]