Not another smart phone?
When, oh when are the hand set makers going to ask EVERY sector of the market what we want and WILL pay for in a hand set? Because there are millions of us who have a need thats NOT met.
WE are actually WORKERS, who do stuff, and dont spend all day in a heated office in front of a computer with spreadsheets etc or urban types in cities. who want to know where the next coffee shop is.
Let me give you my example, Im a FARMER!! for christs sake, Im out ploughing a 50 acre fields , the last fucking thing I want is data on the move or tweets or that kind of crap. If the missus wants me its 3 rings then off then another and I know its her and will stop and take the call.
Or Bill the fertiliser rep, with a special offer , He knows if he calls when im checking the stock in the silage feed yard ill go else where.
Hell leave a text which ill check when Im finished . We compartmentalise our work.
NO calls when doing stuff, its too bloody dangerous.
We check1st thing in the morning midd day, then when were home with wellies and overalls off ,by the Rayburn with a nice cuppa and the dog and kids etc.
Then before tea, with all the family, half an hour in the office, infront of the computer dealing with all the emails letters orders etc.
It works and thats is the only way it does.
Now to the handset itself.
Ive gone on for a couple of yrs now here on the Reg and to most off the handset makers.
We can afford to pay for the right tool, we do it ALL the bloody time.
We need a:-
Solid flip type handset it its closed over the screen and the keyboard. 100 mm by 75 is ideal.
We use a keyboard on the PC? with ease, Hunt and pick of course , but fast enough .
So why cant we have a keyboard JUST the same but a bit smaller? the Psion 5, beautifully made, right size , but isnt a phone!! And a poor screen? and battey life. And too fragile
As to battery, we dont, and whont care if it 1 in thick when closed, weve pockets big enough!! A minimum of 4000mahr .and weighing say half a pound?
No problem, after al the stillsons in the pocket with the phone is 4 lbs!. Good feeling too!.
So it has to have a VERY loud ring so if im in low ratio pulling a silage trailer up hill I can hear the bloody thing.
Then a proper speaker by my ear. not on the back , stupid bloody place!!.
Then water proof , drop a smart phone in the shitty yard and its not fit for anything else. It wouldnt last a day.
So theres are rugged handsets. JCB, too bloody small to use with hands like shovels.
And the CAT range and others.
Just no bloody good at all.
We pay £100,000.00 for some farm kit so can afford up to say 6,700 quid for a PROPER tool in a handset.
AND no one makes what Ill pay for. SO, the money stays in my pocket till someone does.
The nearest handset that was good in its form factor in its time the Nokia communicator. decent screen decent keybpoard proper speaker clam shell design, and all nokia did was make it smaller all the time.
It replicated what we did in front of our pc's. A great hand set. Still available of course s.hand but could be vastly improved if someone took the trouble.
So what do i use inthe interim? Well, believe it or not I was at a car boot nosing around and there was a handset, built like a small brick.
Name Opticon, never heard of it. Go to GSM arena no write ups.What? why the hell not ?
Google for Opticon H21 1D. and there it is. An industrial bar code reader, BUT i dont need that. what else did it do, everything with the numerical keyboard. where all most there.
Waterproof, dropable 3000mahr batt loud speaker , good clear screen. lets say a bit queer os win mobile 6.5 but useable..Good brand new on Ebay around £270.00. And a great signal in a poor signal area.
Ive used it now for a month . and very pleased with it. So whay isnt it shouted from the roof tops?
Dont ask me Im a farmer!!.
I showed it my BT engineer. Hes been given a I phone it stays in the glove compartment. He uses can old nokia that he can drop in the wet dry out and use again. Hed love an Opticon.
It really doenst make any sense to me.
Stupid consumer emperor's new clothes is all that the carriers offer.
all unsuited to our needs. to hell with them.
Ted. In sunny Dorset.