Jas Jam, the first 6 days ...
Got to admit, after less than a week of using the Jas Jam, it has its faults! Some hardware based, but most software - visa vie, Microsoft issues. You'd think by their second (or is it fifth?) major attempt at a mobile platform (Windows Mobile 5.0), they'd get it pretty right.
Now, I may be nit-picking because just before I got this device, I was reading "The lunatics are running the asylum", by Allan Cooper, programmer of Visual Basic. In short, the book is about how programmers hijack product design and development to suit their own programming needs and way of thinking, when they don't actually think like most end users. Like trying to set a VCR to tape a program, should be simple, but NEVER is. Anyway, this isn't a book review and I digress ... I'm trying to approach this evolving review from an everyday consumers perspective, even though I'd likely be considered "techno-savvy".
This is the FIRST true PDA device I've used, also please bear in mind, I still haven't yet read the manual. Hey, I'm a bloke!! I should be able to work it out .. right?
The Jas Jam does heaps, and most of them quite well, but some things are plain clumsy and illogical. For starters, I've missed two calls. One while I was using another feature and couldn't swap to the phone fast enough, and once it was in my pocket & I didn't fumble fast enough within it's 3 rings. Presumably I should be able to set more rings somewhere, but as yet haven't managed to dig up that buried setting as it's not in the phone settings area where you'd expect.
Switching between tasks, even using the hardware buttons, can sometimes be troublesome and slow. When you hit "OK", you would think the programs would close. They disappear from the screen, but remain in the memory! To clear them, you have to delve into Start\Settings\System\Memory\Running Programs or the thing eventually crawls to a halt.
I used the camera (still and video) at a "Pink Floyd Experience" concert in the dark, and took over 200 pics at the "MiniFest" on Sunday. There's an OK button placed diagonally opposite the camera button, and the amount of times I hit this and got back to the Start Menu instead of taking a photo was annoyingly unbelievable, as it's where you naturally hold the thing with your left thumb. The pics - even outdoor mini ones are clear, crisp, plenty of contrast, but the shadows are very black, which isn't a problem if you're prepared to photoshop you pics on a pc!
Entering text on the built in keypad can be a pain. Often its easier to use the smaller onscreen stylus keyboard especially when using CAPS and numbers. Once you double tap the cap key to lock caps on, or same with the "blue dot" options - used to get numbers and some special characters, it's frustratingly difficult to return to "normal" lowercase mode. No doubt there's an obscure technique I need to read up on. Also with the keyboard, it would be good if it lit up in the dark when you slid it open, but it doesn't until you hit a key. There are two separate system settings to control screen & backlight which I'm sure could have be combined for simplicity.
In the dark confines of the concert, I found the screen too bright. I navigated my way to the backlight control, slid it to turn down, but one step too far, and OFF it went! Needless to say it was somewhat difficult to turn the backlight back on in the dark! There is no "dimmer" for the keyboard backlight, which IS a bright attention getting blue.
Some silly software quirks: when composing an email, you would think you could "press and hold" (which is the equivalent of the "right click") in the "to" field, and you could open your contacts, but NO, you have to use the menu at the bottom of the screen. Another, you have to actually open a contact, before you can select "edit" from the same menu. Here's another, in most cases, clicking "OK" saves and finishes whatever you're doing. But when composing a text message, "OK" cancels the message. You need to tap "send" instead, which appears at the bottom of the screen. Maybe (hopefully!) some of these "bugs" will be fixed in a future software update, or I guess I'll just HAVE to get used to them.
Selecting Media files to play from the memory card is WAY clumsy. You can't play them from the "file browser", you have to do it from within the media player, using an obscure icon buried at the bottom of the "now playing" screen, THEN go to the "Library" pull down menu at the top and select "Storage Card", THEN you can navigate to the "My Music or My Video folder. Why???
I can get the Jas Jam to connect to my home wireless network, but it keeps wanting to get on the internet thru Testra's network, which obviously costs money. Once again, the settings for this function are split between two areas, and I can't find anywhere to select WLAN as the preferred network! A "quick" look at the manual seems to indicate it should choose the WLAN automatically! Maybe it's a setting on my PC?
Are you starting to get the picture? Normally if I get into trouble on a PC, I just think like a stoned uni student (visa vie programmer) and can usually work it out, but I don't know what these guy's were on!! Maybe the brown acid at Woodstock?
So the initial WOW excitement has dulled somewhat. Without wanting to be an "apologist", I still like the device, and don't intend to put people off it's purchase if that is their want. You should be aware of its downfalls and decide if you are prepared to put up with it's limitations and frustrations. To be honest, I think the average Joe would have some difficulty getting acquainted and using this device comfortably. If you get frustrated programming a VCR, then forget it!
Hopefully with another week or so, a thorough read of the manual and more usage familiarity I'll overcome these obstacles like I eventually learnt to hold it differently when taking photos and I'll be writing a glowing rave review, but really, some of these basic device interactions should have been picked up and addressed in product/software development and testing, or it should come with a warning: "Designed by programmers, for programmers".
I think Mr Cooper may be right, the lunatics ARE running the asylum!
Now, I may be nit-picking because just before I got this device, I was reading "The lunatics are running the asylum", by Allan Cooper, programmer of Visual Basic. In short, the book is about how programmers hijack product design and development to suit their own programming needs and way of thinking, when they don't actually think like most end users. Like trying to set a VCR to tape a program, should be simple, but NEVER is. Anyway, this isn't a book review and I digress ... I'm trying to approach this evolving review from an everyday consumers perspective, even though I'd likely be considered "techno-savvy".
This is the FIRST true PDA device I've used, also please bear in mind, I still haven't yet read the manual. Hey, I'm a bloke!! I should be able to work it out .. right?
The Jas Jam does heaps, and most of them quite well, but some things are plain clumsy and illogical. For starters, I've missed two calls. One while I was using another feature and couldn't swap to the phone fast enough, and once it was in my pocket & I didn't fumble fast enough within it's 3 rings. Presumably I should be able to set more rings somewhere, but as yet haven't managed to dig up that buried setting as it's not in the phone settings area where you'd expect.
Switching between tasks, even using the hardware buttons, can sometimes be troublesome and slow. When you hit "OK", you would think the programs would close. They disappear from the screen, but remain in the memory! To clear them, you have to delve into Start\Settings\System\Memory\Running Programs or the thing eventually crawls to a halt.
I used the camera (still and video) at a "Pink Floyd Experience" concert in the dark, and took over 200 pics at the "MiniFest" on Sunday. There's an OK button placed diagonally opposite the camera button, and the amount of times I hit this and got back to the Start Menu instead of taking a photo was annoyingly unbelievable, as it's where you naturally hold the thing with your left thumb. The pics - even outdoor mini ones are clear, crisp, plenty of contrast, but the shadows are very black, which isn't a problem if you're prepared to photoshop you pics on a pc!
Entering text on the built in keypad can be a pain. Often its easier to use the smaller onscreen stylus keyboard especially when using CAPS and numbers. Once you double tap the cap key to lock caps on, or same with the "blue dot" options - used to get numbers and some special characters, it's frustratingly difficult to return to "normal" lowercase mode. No doubt there's an obscure technique I need to read up on. Also with the keyboard, it would be good if it lit up in the dark when you slid it open, but it doesn't until you hit a key. There are two separate system settings to control screen & backlight which I'm sure could have be combined for simplicity.
In the dark confines of the concert, I found the screen too bright. I navigated my way to the backlight control, slid it to turn down, but one step too far, and OFF it went! Needless to say it was somewhat difficult to turn the backlight back on in the dark! There is no "dimmer" for the keyboard backlight, which IS a bright attention getting blue.
Some silly software quirks: when composing an email, you would think you could "press and hold" (which is the equivalent of the "right click") in the "to" field, and you could open your contacts, but NO, you have to use the menu at the bottom of the screen. Another, you have to actually open a contact, before you can select "edit" from the same menu. Here's another, in most cases, clicking "OK" saves and finishes whatever you're doing. But when composing a text message, "OK" cancels the message. You need to tap "send" instead, which appears at the bottom of the screen. Maybe (hopefully!) some of these "bugs" will be fixed in a future software update, or I guess I'll just HAVE to get used to them.
Selecting Media files to play from the memory card is WAY clumsy. You can't play them from the "file browser", you have to do it from within the media player, using an obscure icon buried at the bottom of the "now playing" screen, THEN go to the "Library" pull down menu at the top and select "Storage Card", THEN you can navigate to the "My Music or My Video folder. Why???
I can get the Jas Jam to connect to my home wireless network, but it keeps wanting to get on the internet thru Testra's network, which obviously costs money. Once again, the settings for this function are split between two areas, and I can't find anywhere to select WLAN as the preferred network! A "quick" look at the manual seems to indicate it should choose the WLAN automatically! Maybe it's a setting on my PC?
Are you starting to get the picture? Normally if I get into trouble on a PC, I just think like a stoned uni student (visa vie programmer) and can usually work it out, but I don't know what these guy's were on!! Maybe the brown acid at Woodstock?
So the initial WOW excitement has dulled somewhat. Without wanting to be an "apologist", I still like the device, and don't intend to put people off it's purchase if that is their want. You should be aware of its downfalls and decide if you are prepared to put up with it's limitations and frustrations. To be honest, I think the average Joe would have some difficulty getting acquainted and using this device comfortably. If you get frustrated programming a VCR, then forget it!
Hopefully with another week or so, a thorough read of the manual and more usage familiarity I'll overcome these obstacles like I eventually learnt to hold it differently when taking photos and I'll be writing a glowing rave review, but really, some of these basic device interactions should have been picked up and addressed in product/software development and testing, or it should come with a warning: "Designed by programmers, for programmers".
I think Mr Cooper may be right, the lunatics ARE running the asylum!
posted by Edge at 1:51 PM
1 Comments:
After a prompt from an ITGuy who suggested the setting to extend the phone ring time could be in the MMS setting, I went looking again. 3 could not find MMS settings, but in the phone/services settings I tried extending the "call forward" time to 30secs, and it worked! One problem solved - with the roundabout help of a programmers brain!
I tried the MP3 player out yesterday too. Onboard speaker is a bit tinny, but sounds pretty good thru the supplied head phones, but where the plug in, it obstructs the stylus location somewhat.
By the way, I wrote and posted this reply all on the JasJam!
EDGE.
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