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January 19th, 2009

Does your cellphone baffle you?

Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 9:07 am

Categories: Mobile Technology

Tags: Manual, Cell Phone, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

A survey carried out by Mformation found that 85% of users surveyed said they were frustrated by the difficulty of getting a new cellphone up and running. Of 4,000 people polled, 95% said they would try more mobile services if their handsets were easier to set up. Does your cellphone baffle you?

Mformation spokesman Matthew Bancroft said users were frustrated by having to call an operator or look online for help.

“There is an enormous range of things modern phones are capable of doing but the paradox is that many people are not using these capabilities,” he said.

Does your cellphone baffle you?

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My take on any bit of tech is that in order to get the most out of it you have to hit the manual. I know that spending time RTFMing the manual can be boring, but it’s the only way that you stumble across some features. I have a PDF of the manual for my E71 on my desktop now and I’ve found it invaluable. If you’ve paid good money for a bit of kit it’s silly not to have the lowdown on all the cool features.

That said, quickly after getting my iPod touch I discovered a number of cool UI tricks through a random walk process that weren’t documented in any of the literature from Apple.

That said, there’s an old industry joke that suggests that the most popular consumer electronics device would be one that featured a single button, and that button was pre-pressed before the device left the factory.

Adrian Kingsley-HughesAdrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations

Want to get in touch? Got a tip? Feel free to drop me a note! I ALWAYS respect anonymity. I'm also on Twitter (@the_pc_doc)

Right to Reply: Should any industry representatives wish to comment on any posts on Hardware 2.0, I will be happy to publish their reply verbatim on this blog.

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  • Talkback
  • Most Recent of 28 Talkback(s)
RE: Does your cellphone baffle you?
85% of the population is baffled by anything more complicated than an on/off light switch, so i am not at all surprised by the survey.... (Read the rest)
Posted by: bmwr606@... Posted on: 01/23/09 You are currently: a Guest | | Terms of Use
Not enough thought in designs  AySz88 | 01/19/09
Cartels...  Hmm... | 01/21/09
Makers out-of-touch  ThePoke | 01/19/09
RE: Does your cellphone baffle you?  Eapache | 01/19/09
It depends on the phone  davebarnes | 01/19/09
RE: Does your cellphone baffle you?  TsarNikky | 01/19/09
RE: Does your cellphone baffle you?  ccrashh2@... | 01/20/09
User error  JT82 | 01/20/09
Can't  ccrashh2@... | 01/21/09
RE: Does your cellphone baffle you?  ITGuy70 | 01/20/09
Not so much baffle as frustrate  Bruce Walker | 01/20/09
UI is developped by Dilbert and friends  GrimmReaperSound | 01/20/09
It does not, but just because  alf@... | 01/20/09
Features take precedence over core competence  ThePrairiePrankster | 01/20/09
RTFM is rarely adequate  kellycarter | 01/20/09
I just want a phone  voska1 | 01/20/09
Isn't that the difference between a so called  James Quinn | 01/20/09
Get a landline...  arminw | 01/20/09
Isn't this an argument I've been having with the  James Quinn | 01/20/09
RE: Does your cellphone baffle you?  okdeacon | 01/20/09
I always stick to either Sony Ericsson or Nokia  jshewsbury@... | 01/20/09
RE: Does your cellphone baffle you?  Anonymous Benefactor | 01/21/09
RE: Does your cellphone baffle you?  mnasca | 01/21/09
Not designed by users  dnendza | 01/21/09
No baffle. Disappoint  questionmark | 01/21/09
cell phone interface sucks bad  hansonjb | 01/21/09
Cell phone interfaces?  Puppy love | 01/22/09
RE: Does your cellphone baffle you?  bmwr606@... | 01/23/09

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