Nokia’s S60 user interface is a sprawling mess: even Nokia can’t seem to remember where it’s put the configuation options. You’ll find Bluetooth over here, Profile settings over there, and something like SIP buried four menus down. Themes is nowhere near Display.
Source: The Register
Tommi Vilkamo’s reply:
Touché. The situation used to be that sad, indeed.
Luckily, we have recently made significant improvements in making the settings more logical. Already in Nokia N95, which is based on S60 3rd Edition FP1, there is a general settings application, from which you can do all the settings. That is, in addition to having the settings in applications, application related settings are found from the general settings app as well.
Andrew, please let us know what you think about the new approach 🙂
Source: Tommi’s S60 applications blog
Who is "we?"
Can I contact said team? Do they have a blog up? Are the usability experts or engineers? Why is the difference between S40 usability and S60 usability so vast?
One would think that for an OS designed to be on smart phones it would have an interface laid out a little bit better than something you see on a regular Motorola device. Symbian is easy, but it’s one of those operating systems you have to play around with for a whole day or two to familiarize yourself with where everything is. Then again … aren’t all operating systems the same way?
We’re officially in 2007 and we’re still using the same icon and grid model in buried menu’s that’s been around for as long as I can remember. The Palm Treo 680 has a wicked front end that uses tabs, it separates tasks a user might preform to designated tabs labeled by a picture on the screen. Such a simple idea yet such an exponential increase in user friendliness. Why aren’t we seeing the same innovations out of Nokia?
More importantly, who is going to make the first 3D OS that isn’t just bling but actually makes using a phone an enjoyable and friendly experience?