Heya, I’ve written this…
http://breathlesstao.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/whats-wrong-with-ovi/
…in November last year, but I think it’s mostly still valid. So, consider it please? Don’t think I’d wanna copy-paste it here as it’s quite long. Thanks for your time.

Hi,

i dont think posting a hell of criticism with just quoting another website ist useless. We should rather post our very own points we’d like to see to be solved.

Ever since the OVI-Store was launched, i wondered about the buggyness of the app. It crashed, worked extremely unsmooth, some items were not even downloadable. This, however, changed a little bit but the main criticism is still valid.

The OVI-Store is full of bugs – why is there no real kinetic scrolling implemented? It shouldnt be that big of a deal to do this. Why is there no option anymore to sort by newest AND! free – this was possible in the former version.

So far my critics to OVI-Store but i’d like to say a few words ’bout Nokia/OVI-Maps aswell. I really appreciate it that Nokia decided to give us lifetime free voice guidance – it definitely is on of the most important features my handset is now used for. Thanks for this.

regards
reclam

Yes, I don’t think “just quoting another website” is useless either. I think it’s quite useful – our opinion is asked about the Ovi experience, and what I’ve posted the link to is my opinion about the Ovi experience. Several aspects of it too, that I’m using, not only the Store. Thanks.

What I hate about the Ovi Store ist the fact that if you want to pay via credit card it has to be a credit card from the country you are registered in. For example, I live since one year in Australia, but only have German credit cards. Therefore, I can’t buy any application – won’t work – even both German and Australian carecenters told me the same thing!

couple of points about my ovi experience:

1. Patchy, buggy and unstable. This largely applies across the entire suite of Ovi programs. Please test and ensure it is stable – although it is getting better.

2. Why (Nokia) have you missed out the 5730 with free turn by turn navigation. It is not an old phone?

I believe the Ovi Store website doesn’t work very well. I should be possible to download the sis or the wgz file to your computer, and it’s way too messy.

And why isn’t it possible to search for the newest and free anymore ?

Nokia, please employ more people knowledgeable in usability, psychology and human behavior, and throw out a few engineers if needed.

Ovi Store is as most Nokia products, light years away in usability and interfaces compared to anything done by other big players, eg. Microsoft, Apple, Google. Even open source soft can many times feature much more user friendly interfaces.

In short, Nokia software is done by engineers and geeks for engineers and geeks.

Another point is the low quality of code, which is very hard to accept, as Nokia is rather a late adopter than an early bird in implementing RD findings and ideas into consumer products. Look at Google, their early lab concepts are usually much more stable and bug free than Nokia’s final releases.

1. i have an n900 now will it ever get full ovi support similar to symbian? maps, share, backup, contacts and especially the store, still no option to purchase apps, when is this comig? will the n900 ever get an actual app for the store or will it always be a web site only?

2. when i had a 5800 re-downloading a prior purchased app was a major hassle sometimes even involving calls from the care centre and temp download links has this been fixed yet?

3. the wrt (?) app for the 5800 sucked big time, will this ever be fixed?

4. app updates, if an app is updated is it possible to have updates similar to the app store or will we always have to go check the store versions constantly?

5.better content descriptions, java games are ok on s60 5th but before i fork over my money i would like to know if its a java game beforehand….

6. ovi maps full v3 experience on the n900 is this coming and if so when?

thats all i can think of for now….

1)Why does nokia 5530 does not have free voice navigation?
If the absence of gps is the reason behind it then we can use a bluetooth GPS, can’t we?
2) In Ovi store there is lack of useful application. Half of the apps i downloaded was a total waste of time.
3) Ovi mail does not have a messenger for pc which supports MSN and Yahoo.
4) I was a OVI share user but not anymore as they stopped the development of it.

This one is extra :
When nokia 5530 will get a new firmware update.
Will they provide nokia n97 homescreen to nokia xpress music series.

1. Make it a simpler to buy stuff from the Ovi store using the Desktop Ovi Suite application. It’s not a seamless experience browsing the store on the desktop and buying and installing on the mobile phone.
2. On my mobile phone…. once i am on page 5 of applications and i quit, and come back to browse again , I cannot continue from where I left off. I have to start from page one and press next 5 times. Now imagine if I am on page 20 ahhhggg

@10 – Sabin Cruz
“2) In Ovi store there is lack of useful application. Half of the apps i downloaded was a total waste of time”

Well that’s your problem. I hjave downloaded more that 100 good applications from Ovi Store.

”
“3) Ovi mail does not have a messenger for pc which supports MSN and Yahoo.”

Eh? Why should Ovi mail have messenger support? it’s Email-service not some messenger. It’s not evem meant to be messenger type service. Sorry but i really don’t understand comments like that.

@9 – Jeremy
> 1. i have an n900 now will it ever get full ovi support similar to symbian? maps,
> share, backup, contacts and especially the store, still no option to purchase apps,
> when is this comig? will the n900 ever get an actual app for the store or will it
> always be a web site only?”

Eh? AFAIK Ovi Store client is already available for the N900.

> 2. when i had a 5800 re-downloading a prior purchased app was a major hassle
> sometimes even involving calls from the care centre and temp download links
> has this been fixed yet?

Yes it has been, long time ago already.

> 4. app updates, if an app is updated is it possible to have updates similar to the
> app store or will we always have to go check the store versions constantly?

Providing the application update feature is the responsibility of Application developer, not Ovi Store. Developers should include update feature in their apps.

> 5.better content descriptions, java games are ok on s60 5th but before i fork
> over my money i would like to know if its a java game beforehand….

Well application descriptions are written by the developer who made the application. Ovi Store ddoes not define those descriptions, application developers do.

@9 – Jeremy
> 1. i have an n900 now will it ever get full ovi support similar to symbian?
> maps, share, backup, contacts and especially the store, still no option
> to purchase apps, when is this comig? will the n900 ever get an actual
> app for the store or will it always be a web site only?”

Eh? AFAIK Ovi Store client is already available for the N900.

> 2. when i had a 5800 re-downloading a prior purchased app was a
> major hassle sometimes even involving calls from the care centre
> and temp download links has this been fixed yet?

Yes it has been, long time ago already.

> 4. app updates, if an app is updated is it possible to have updates
> similar to the app store or will we always have to go check the store
> versions constantly?

Providing the application update feature is the responsibility of
Application developer, not Ovi Store. Developers should include
update feature in their apps.

> 5.better content descriptions, java games are ok on s60 5th but
> before i fork over my money i would like to know if its a java
> game beforehand….

Well application descriptions are written by the developer who
made the application. Ovi Store ddoes not define those descriptions,
application developers do.

HI!

I would like more free applications…I know that in percent(%) Ovi has the least free applications(compared to Android,Apple,Palm, Bleckberry and WinMo).See here:
http://blog.gsmarena.com/major-mobile-app-stores-analyzed-android-market-has-57-free-apps/

@6 – Haakon
> I believe the Ovi Store website doesn’t work very well. I
> should be possible to download the sis or the wgz file to your
> computer, and it’s way too messy.

I don’t see any reason why you should be able to download apps
to your PC. That would only make piracy easier which would not
be good. If you don’t have internet connection in your phone then
get one.

@15 – greg

> I would like more free applications…I know that in percent(%)
> Ovi has the least free applications(compared to Android,Apple,
> Palm, Bleckberry and WinMo).See here:

Ovi Store does not decide if applicayion is free or commercial. It’s developer who made the application who decides if applicayion is free or not.

hey miksuh, this aint a discussion here. Phat wanted to know what we miss concerning OVI that he can choose some of the claims and bring it to nokia. No need comment every note & make this competely confusing.

> The OVI-Store is full of bugs – why is there no real kinetic
> scrolling implemented? It shouldnt be that big of a deal to
> do this.

Well for most of us it also is not any problem that it does not exist.

> Why is there no option anymore to sort by newest
> AND! free – this was possible in the former version.

Eh? In Ovi Store client there is buttons for that on top of the screen.

18 – reclam

> hey miksuh, this aint a discussion here. Phat wanted to
> know what we miss concerning OVI that he can choose
> some of the claims and bring it to nokia. No need comment
> every note & make this competely confusing.

So you are saying that only baseless whining is allowed? If you
really read my comments you will see that I corrected those
comments which are not true etc.

And by the who did give you the right to decide what comment is allowed and what is not?

One Word , : N900

-

Do something about it ! Make the OVI fully compatible with the phone

miksuh:

I believe it’s easier to seek for different apps on my computer and while I’m there, it would have been nice to just download it to my computer.

And for the piracy part: it’s still possible to download the sis or wgz files to your phone by using the website, so I don’t think piracy is any excuse.

The Ovi Store app and website should both be more userfriendly, I normally prefer downloading applications from somewhere else like this site

Hi, generally I think most of the Ovi products are quite good. However I object to the app being installed on my phone memory (N97 C Memory issues) so would prefer to either download via browser website, which I do but it keeps trying to make me download the phone client, which I have removed !!!!!! Also I have had problems on several occasions trying to re-download apps after reseting my phone. You contact Ovi, someone emails you to say they’ll sort it and NOTHING happens, as a result I will never download anything I have to pay for again (I either go to supplier website or use other sources now) The ideal situation would be to be able to download direct to pc, and re-install to phone if the app is lost for any reason (like a phone that may need a hard reset once per month ?)
As for maps, I think they are great, wish the GPS meter was still on screen with 3.04, but it works really well for navigation. Again, I wish the application could be stored on mass memory, and the search function could be improved, I’ve had several results unable to find, even with full address and postcode of a house over 20yrs old.
Ovi Suite, I like, sync and software updates and connect to internet work fine, would like some sort of media converter as with pc suite, but no biggy.

The terms of service for Ovi Files are pretty scary – something about assigning a license to use anything you upload to Ovi for Nokia purposes. Also, the Ovi Files client automatically indexes *all* content on your hard-drive, not just a folder (like Dropbox or Ubuntu One) that you specify, which might mean that all your content might become usable by (or at least visible to) Nokia? IANAL but this seemed to be what the TOS imply.

I quite like the Ovi. Not as good as iTunes (go figure) but pretty good on the whole.
Wish there were more apps, maps are great and free..good steal on iPhone-tomtom. What I have bought works as it should and with the Adobe Air(?) thing getting going we non-iphoners should get a lot more goodies.
Didn’t bother with the files app, not willing to leave my PC on when I’m away, how about a bit of cloud space, hotmail is 25 gig you could get a steal on that if you act fast.

I like the PC suite as well, like the way it syncs by bluetooth when my phone is in range although getting a cable link for large updates can be a bind.

If my N97 didn’t suffer from screen freeze so much I would be very happy.

When will Ovi Suite for Mac be coming out?
That’s all I want to know

why in indonesia cannot buy anything in ovi store, all application & game just freeware.
and why so many contents not available in indonesia.

Please ask them when they’ll be letting us Canadians buy apps on the Ovi Store, to be honest, that’s the only thing holding Nokia back from domintating the market. Thanks!

Some simple one’s here:

1) When will OVI Contacts IM be added as a web-based service as a minimum and maybe an extension onto a PC based app.

2) Will OVI Contacts be enabled to communicated with other IM types without the need for something like Psi IM on your PC for transport set-up?

3) Will OVI Suite get a system tray menu, like Nokia PC Suite. WOuld love that for Netbook as the full screen GUI locks up the Netbook for a period of time when phone initially connected?

4) Will OVI Maps be embedded into the Contacts app like OVI Contacts to enable “drive to” adding to the contacts menu for Contacts with address information. OVI Maps v3.04 does have the “Search from Contacts” back so that’s a step in the right direction.

5) Could OVI Services aver join all the communication methods into one with some kind of derivative of Nokia Converation?

6) Can the OVI team make any comment on the recent statement from Nokia India with respect to Nokia Music becoming OVI Music and dropping DRM?

There are more questions, but I’ll leave it at that.

Ovi Store:
1) I downloaded Mail for Exchange the other day and there was no way to see which version I’m downloading. (So I didn’t know if I already have that version installed or not.)
2) A couple of months ago (don’t know if it’s the same now, probably yes) it was very difficult to enable just free apps to be shown. It would often switch back the payware apps. Some people just don’t want to buy apps or even can’t (kids).
3) The vast majority of good apps are still outside of the Ovi Store, often unsigned.

Ovi Suite and PC software in general:
1) Ovi Suite is BLOATED BLOATED BLOATED. The most bloated piece of software I ever used and I’ve used a lot. It consumes tons of RAM and CPU, putting the entire system to a crawl. And it doesn’t even work properly. And it has processes running in the background even after you quit. Oh, did I mention that it’s bloated?
2) PC Suite is way better, even tho it needs some refinement as well. We do _not_ want stuff running in the background without permission, ever.
3) Last time I installed PC or Ovi Suite it installed a Firefox addon without asking me anything. VERY BAD!