questioning the love (Friday July 21st, 2006)

category: tech and web drivel

It’s been a time of gadgets lately, or perhaps shop-therapy to help me through months of ridiculous work hours. The year has seen me finally become a DVD player owner (one of those great cheap little Chinese imports that play anything you feed it), a shiny iPod rocks my ears daily, a Zoom G2.1u box makes noises with my guitar, and finally this weekend a new mobile replaces my dusty (and steadily untrusty (due to being dropped a few too many times, I’m sure otherwise it would still be sprightly and happy)) 4 year old Nokia 8310 with a Nokia 6280. My thoughts to Nokia follow…

Dear Nokia,

I recently purchased the Nokia 6280 and while loyal to your brand (I’m from Finland, did you know?) I was a little surprised by some of the features.

Firstly, where has Snake gone? I remember being less than happy with Snake II on my previous phone, having been in love with Snake (the original) for quite a few years, but when I figured out where the games were hidden on the 6280, there were none! No Snake, no nothing. Is this some sort of ploy between you and service providers to make me pay and download games? Not that I’ve ever spent much time playing games on my phones, but you let me get used to games, and now you took them away! I’m rather disappointed.

Then, how on earth do you use this phone? There are buttons all over the place, weird folders to put all sorts of wallpapers and images and sounds and videos and what not. Thankfully you don’t have to read an instruction manual to figure out how to make a phone call, but boy does technology take leaps. I have however managed to get a picture of my choice on the .. er .. desktop (?) but can you explain why the phone has a screensaver?

I could continue about how confused the 6280 makes me but I’ll end with this.. looking around the text messaging features I found the Templates folder and fell off my chair when I saw some of the pre-installed Templates. If someone ever sends me a text that says “I love you too” I will only assume they have lazily selected a Template rather than take the time and effort (and thought) to type it in a wee keypad themselves. Do people really need a Template for such a deep sentiment? As an organisation are you cheapening love? Love (and marriage proposals) via text is cheap and easy anyway I guess but you’re encouraging it!

I do like my shiny phone. I will get used to it. But please get a grip and stop feeding the fake love!

Yours in odd-feeling,
Niina