Tommi's reports from Wonderland

February 20, 2007 Welcome application (or: what would you like to have in the first boot-up?) Posted by Tommi at 01:33 PM | Categories: Nokia S60 applications

Screenshot from Nokia N95.

In March 2006, I proudly wrote an overview post titled Taking a new Nokia S60 device into use - not a pain it used to be, describing what we had done for making it easy to take a new Nokia S60 device into use.

Your collective feedback was neatly summarized in May 2006, by Rafe in his Nokia N91 review:

One thing Nokia, especially with its S60 devices, is starting to get really good at is the out of the box experience for the new user. ... These tools have received incremental improvement over the last year or so and I would now rate them as excellent. ... I think the emphasis should now be on building awareness of these tools. For the Data Transfer application it is especially important since it should be one of the first thing a new user takes advantage of. Perhaps a similar message to the Tutorial application could be shown the first time the device starts?

Exactly.

Now, latest Nokia S60 devices have a dedicated Welcome application, which provides a visible launching place for first-use applications, such as Setting Wizard, Data Transfer, and Tutorial. This "umbrella application" is automatically launched at the first bootup of the device.

How do you like this new approach? What would you like to have in the Welcome application? How could we keep it simple and smooth, while providing all the relevant stuff?

As always, I'll make sure that the team will hear your feedback. As always, they are 100% free to implement or not to implement whatever you suggest here. As always, many thanks in advance for your comments.

Permalink |

Comments

After Welcome is finished you have quite likely basic GPRS data working, contacts transferred from old phone and it showed you some slides on how to use the thing. How about also setting up email, Wifi, PoC, RealPlayer etcetc.?

A good example is N800, after startup is done you are in a good position.

i think Tommi works for s60 not for nokia directly, am i right? even if he did, i'm sure he's not the one deciding all this. I'm also sure that nobody leaves no one in disemployment easily. It's sad, but it's something that almost all companies go through. Nowadays there's no longer a safe job like there used to be.

Going ontopic again...

Well, it seems like a good move to me. I think that a nice presentation, highlighting key factors of the S60 environment, and telling people how to better use it would be great. multitasking, installing apps, knowing where to get them, all the cutomisation things they can do, etc etc etc.

1. Automatic network operator time/date update?

2. Import SIM contacts?

3. Set up data/WLAN connection?

4. Set up email account(s)?

I feel these are pertinent especially Nokia phones are not simply phones anymore- they are Multimedia Computers, right? Let's have them behave accordingly.

That's a nice looking original(?) Nokia theme! Is it available for download anywhere?

concerned: yes, I'm perfectly aware of the news you are referring to. I'm not allowed, however, to comment the issue in any way whatsoever. Please don't comment this topic on my blog anymore.

Hope you understand.

> That's a nice looking original(?) Nokia theme!
> Is it available for download anywhere?

As far as I know, no.

Heh, seems like I'll be the only one "party-breaker" here :-) Why? Because I think that no welcome application should be used, I just want my phone to boot up as quickly ass possible, to do whatever I want to do. I don't like this "dummy" approach, it's obviously that Nokia wants to/tries to push smartphones to "average joes", and thus real power users have to suffer :-( It's OK to have that application, as well as Help in menu, but I myself wouldn't want to be bothered with it during startup.
One other thing... Data Transfer application needs polishing, because it cannot transfer phonebook fully. I am reffering to caller groups and default video, SMS and MMS numbers :-(

This is not necessarily on the Welcome application, although I guess it could be one set up option.. Anyway, I take this opportunity to make the comment. One of the things that annoys me to no end, is when an application asks EVERY SINGLE TIME (ggrr..) whether is ok to establish a data connection etc. etc. (i.e. way to many "ok", "yes", "go ahead already" confirmations are often needed). Would it not be possible to include an option "Do not ask me again"? I realise there might be a (liablity) concern with regard to establishing data connection to download suff that some folks will run up thousands in cell phone bills unless reminded every time that data downloading is a cost.. but not everybody should suffer just because of that. :)

@Viipottaja

The only apps that ask that continuously are java apps. Symbian native apps do not, and if they do, there's typically a setting within the app to designate a default access point.

Personally I think that the way Symbian handles java apps could be improved upon, but that's another thread altogether.

However, I really like the idea above of simply asking if I want to use Network Time. Cause most people I know, do.

Well, if you want to help the customer support staff working for the various operators around the world - run the Settings Wizard quietly (that is, without user input) when the phone boots for the first time. Afterwards, run it quietly whenever the phone boots, and a change of network operator has been detected.

Keep any custom access points the user has created, toss out old settings, and install the correct ones for the current network.

The user will get a phone with MMS and online services that work out of the box, so they don't have to contact their operators to get started. Win/Win for everyone.

In my opinion Data Transfer shouldn't be on a welcome startup screen, since it can be confusing for a user that isn't familiar with it, or has had a phone from a different manufacturer before. Leave it under "Getting Started" in the manual with a proper description of what it can do.

Ricky, thanks for the clarification! In general at least the version of S60 that runs my ancient 6600 (yes, someone is still using it in hopes of N75 finally coming to Cingular.. :)) tends to ask to many confirmations, or at least ones that would be great to be able to bypass. Example: delete an SMS >> My good ol' Nokia goes something like "do you really really want to delete this?", instead of deleting right away. The problem of accidental deletes could be handled by a trash folder (that would auto-empty itself at set intervals) or an undo option (I am not sure if this is technically feasibly though). And, maybe this is less of an issue in newer S60 versions.

But I am again wondering off topic. Sorry for that. :) Something along Vegard's comments could be smooth, as long as the phone would clearly tell the user what's going on and for how long he would still have to wait, so that the user would not get frustrated and reboot again.. :)

how can i download this software plzzzz. tell me the way to download plzz

> how can i download this software plzzzz

You can't. We have put it preinstalled in Nokia N95 and other forthcoming S60 devices.

Why would you need the Welcome app as an add-on sis file? If you are smart enough to come ask this question to this forum, I'm sure you are smart enough to find the Data Transfer app, Tutorial, and Setting Wizard from the application grid yourself :)

Guys, when I was trying to format my mobile as the text lines were not coming with proper font, the welcome application on my N95 got deleted. Can you please help me on this as to how I could get back the application on my mobile. My mail id is mohammed_leo22@yahoo.com. Tommi or any of u guys, I will b waiting for your response on this.

mohammed:

How did you format the device? Have you tried the firmware update http://www.nokia.com/softwareupdate? If it doesn't help, I'll forward your question to the product manager responsible of Welcome app.

The Welcome app is not available as a separate download.

hjk

dear sir,
i have purchased new nokia n95 and it had some problems to nokia care center people flashed my n95 and my welcome application is missing.
i want that again in so can u send me some link or something like that.....

ashwini dubey
ashwini.dubey@hotmail.com
game programmer....
india.....

hi,
i need nokia welcome application for my nokia n95,
as it was deleted by mistake
can u please send me some help...

ashwini dubey.
ashwini.dubey@gmail.com

hi,
i need nokia welcome application for my friends nokia n95,
as it was deleted by mistake
can u please send me some help for me an my friend ?? Thank you for your help ....

Mfg Onearm

onearm@web.de

i am having the same plz mail me the welcome app. Send to mohittokas@gmail.com

S60 Open to new features

Comments

Post a comment


» Subscribe » Favorite Links » What is S60? » Freeware & Trials » S60 devices » Hints and tips » About this blog	» 3rd party S60 applications (78) » Devices (44) » General (138) » Internet stuff (13) » Nokia Beta Labs (38) » Nokia S60 applications (78)