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Transitions, or pretty shit to watch while you wait for a device to do something as I like to call them, are a fast and easy way to make an outdated user interface seem new and modern. The Nokia N97 has the ability to display transitions, but the feature just happened to be turned off with shipping versions. Someone “hacked” the device, also known as allowing system files to be modified, in order to turn on the bling. Now I seriously hope that Nokia doesn’t think adding transitions to the Symbian OS is going to keep them competitive in the market place, because it isn’t. When Microsoft came out with Windows Vista, the Aero UI was called a waste of time and system resources since it failed to offer a compelling new experience and was essentially Windows XP plus pretty effects & transparency. Now that Windows 7 is out (I’m running the RC, waiting until October to buy the retail version) and has a brand spanking new taskbar and way of interacting with the operating system, it makes the Aero visualization engine useful and helpful! Time will tell if Nokia turns transitions on, I’m waiting until 2011 to see what Symbian^4 is going to look like.
Oh and one more thing, if you actually want to learn how to make your N97 look like it does in the video below, then read this blog post over at The Symbian Blog.
About The Author
Stefan Constantinescu
Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.
