Would you like iPhone/Nokia N95/advanced phone support for Remote?

[Marc]

We're looking to improve the Remote mobile website, but want to get a feeling for the kinds of phones people are using to access it.

The current Remote mobile site is lean, clean and built for good results on a normal 3G or fairly modern phone (SonyErricson K600i, Nokie 5300 etc). It doesn't do everything we'd like it to though.

We'd really like to start building a more advanced phone site that looks nicer and has more features, but we need to know what people are using.

So... who's using Remote mobile with a Nokia N95, iPhone or other full web browser capable phones and what features would you like to see in Remote mobile that are in Remote web?

[dJOS]

I use a Samsung BlackJack (non-crippled edition) which has a nice 320x240 screen and ice remote is pretty ordinary on it.

[Marc]

Great. So that's one vote for IE Mobile.

Any other takers?

[stuart]

Yes! I'm using an iphone and it currently diverts to the icetv.com.au/remote site rather than the phone optimised site. It would be great to be able to use thesite optimised for the small screen, even though you can zoom and pan with the iphone browser. I am guessing that iphone use will become a lot more popular real soon when they are launched officially here.
- Stuart

[Marc]

I have one too, and I think the Remote mobile site and Remote website don't work as well as they could for the iPhone (and others).

We'll definitely be addressing this as soon as we can (hence this thread!). The more info we have from people letting us know what devices they're using, the better we can support and test them.

[martymonster]

When the BW starts using Remote, I will be using a Nokia N95.

[Marc]

We've just added the correct viewport meta data to the mobile site that will help iPhones/iPod touches and we assume the new Android platform (and anything else using a recent mobile WebKit build).

We're still going to continue to develop the mobile site, but this will hopefully mean the site is more usable for those with these devices.

[moocow]

any chance of Nokia 5800 touch screen application support?

[marcusstringer]

I'm using an iPhone with the IceTV app: I don't mind it, though there could be some improvement

[ddre78]

Win Mobile 6 with either IE or Opera.

[Marc]

any chance of Nokia 5800 touch screen application support?

We're definitely looking at specific support for some of the more popular handsets, but right now a better solution might be to just keep on improving our mobile site. That way we'll support more phones, as the market is quite fragmented at the moment.

[wally3218]

I'm using the Samsung i900 omnia have previously used the nokia N95 both have worked great.

[mtb]

Sorry, but I think this phone support is all fluff and nonsense for a minority when there are so many basic features that are still in need of work in the main web site that impact all users and which we have been requesting changes for ages.  For example - the HD/SD preferences had outstanding improvements which were promised some five months ago... not available yet;  keyword searching is still hit or miss for anything with a short title (ER, Lost, 24, etc., etc.). 

...but being a very small company, we have limited resources, so I can't give you a time estimate.  But it's still high on the priority list, right up with the top items actually...

Nope, I just can't accept that excuse, not when I write software for a living - this is scope creep of gargantuan proportions... you're not just moving the goal posts, you changing the damned town the game is being played in!!

I don't see these "limited resources" being very well used when you keep promising basic features but not delivering and then we see a thread like this one!  It's all well and good to get the latest toys working for the techno. minority but, frankly, I'm getting more than a bit hacked off at seeing time and effort expended on these fancy new features which are of benefit to the few, while many of us who have been supporting you for years are still left waiting for the most basic features, promised but not delivered.  Yes, coding the basic stuff isn't as much fun as experimenting with the new, but it is what the MAJORITY of your users seem to want and that is where you really should focus your efforts.

Honestly, if I ran my development projects at work like this, my contract would be terminated - stop messing around with all the bells, whistles and frilly bits and concentrate on getting the basic functionality working PLEASE! 

I'm sorry to have to be so blunt but you seeem to have lost sight of the correct priorities, is no-one project managing these changes?  You need to concentrate your efforts on the requests which are of benefit to the majority of your users and stop playing with the new toys!  Besides which, with a decent browser like Opera Mobile installed, most web-enabled phones should be able to use the site effectively if it's been coded in accordance with good design standards - then everyone can benefit from effort being expended on functionality for all users!

[Russell at IceTV]

Sorry, but I think this phone support is all fluff and nonsense for a minority when there are so many basic features that are still in need of work in the main web site that impact all users and which we have been requesting changes for ages.

Your point is valid, and well-taken.  That too, is a problem common to very small companies, trying to prioritize all the things that need to be done to satisfy the most people, which often include the marketing, sales, and management folks inside the company itself.  I won't get into all the details that go into deciding what's more important than something else (mostly because I don't understand it all myself).  But I can say that, yes, the HD/SD stuff is still a higher priority than getting the web site to support more phones.  At least it is today.    Just because we're asking questions about what people want doesn't mean it's the next project on the list -- it's just one of many in the queue.  And sometimes different work is done by different people, so just because one person is working on a project doesn't necessarily mean another project is being held up.  But your request is definitely noted -- we're getting there.

Russell

[Trial_Master]

But I can say that, yes, the HD/SD stuff is still a higher priority than getting the web site to support more phones.

Russell

What time frame are we realistically looking at for HD/SD preference? Weeks or months?