I try so hard to like Nokia. Their hardware is second to none – but when it comes to software and services, they haven’t got a clue.
They’ve just announced a new app store – Ovi Store. This is to replace the broken mess that is Mosh, N-Gage, Download and the current Ovi. Why do I get the feeling that there are several fiefdoms within Nokia all working against one and other rather than working together?
So, let’s take a look at the new service.
Nokia Ovi Store - Wow!
Wow… just wow. A blank page. Not even a “coming soon” message. Lest you think I’m using some kind of shonky phone, I’m on a Nokia N95 8GB, firmware 20.0.016, in rather good HSDPA coverage.
You’re supposed to be able to get to Ovi via the “Download!” application. I don’t think I’ve used “Download!” since I first got the phone. On the surface it’s a nice little App Store. If Nokia given it some love and attention, it would have got the recognition it deserved as the first integrated app store. As it is, it was left to die.
...please wait...
After 5 minutes of waiting for the “Download!” store to finish “Processing” I got bored. After 15 minutes nothing more had happened so I tried to cancel. Turns out you can’t, so I rebooted the phone.
Never mind! I’ll try going through the regular Ovi site.
Can you spot the store link?
No link to their brand new store. Hmmm…. odd…. Maybe I have to sign in to see it. Yes, that sounds plausible.
This isn't looking good...
Ok, a dodgy certificate isn’t the worst error in the world. It’s one of those things that says “We haven’t tested our site and we really don’t care if scary error messages put off our customers.”
In any case, the sign in service doesn’t work.
Ovi Error
Ah… Well, let’s try again…
It just gets better and better
Right. So the site has no links and it doesn’t work. Perhaps I imagined the Ovi Store launch? Let’s check the Internet Oracle that is Google…
There's something there...
Google has found it! It must be there. Ok, so there’s still a dodgy certificate – but I can’t wait to start spending money with Nokia! Here we go!
Oh. Just another blank page.
So, there you have it, folks. The word “FAIL!” is overused, I feel. How about we agree to replace it with “NOKIA!”?
I couldn’t agree with you more. My Nokia N82 has a stunning camera. The camera is better than many standalone digital cameras, but the software is really creaky. I end up rebooting my phone at least once a day. The services promise so much but too often under-deliver.
I often find myself missing my Sony-Ericsson, K750i. It had a really good camera and everything else just worked better. The contacts made sense. The navigation was 10x better without losing the user in a mess of vaguely interconnected nested menus. Sigh.
I’m really hoping that that a dramatically changed competitive landscape with RIM, Apple and Google all putting pressure on them will light a fire under Nokia’s backside. Apple has created one of the best user experiences on a mobile platform ever, and it’s really raised user expectations.
I’m sorry you had such a bad experience. It’s been fantastic for me. I’m really loving the Ovi Store and have downloaded heaps already.
http://greenerdesktop.com/465/nokias-ovi-store-first-impressions
I don’t mean to gloat on your bad luck but it’s excellent!
Could be worse. Just tried to sign up for an account on their non-mobile site before having a look on my E71, and got the error “Communication Layer issue: General Oauth Client Error: Unable to Connect to tls://account.nokia.com:443. Error #111: Connection refused” after filling in the registration form. Epic Fail.
Wow, we thought we had some glitches at our Android App Store @ SlideME.org
but these seem worse… I wonder, if its better for Nokia to launch Ovi on a deadline or better to delay to thoroughly test and rectify? hmm.
Terence,
First of all your website was created by a Mac. So obviously you are biased against anything iTunes.
Secondly, your jumping on Nokia’s site ON IT’S FIRST DAY.
Thirdly, try looking at iTunes. It’s been around for a few years (enough time to fix problems) yet it continues to be flooded with errors.
http://tinyurl.com/pe9du9
Terence, you sound very defensive and threatened by Nokia. (I bet you won’t post my reply either).
- Observer
Correction: So obviously you are biased against anything that threatens iTunes.
Hi Jeff,
I don’t know where you got the idea that I work on a Mac? I use Linux at home on all my computers.
As for iTunes – I bash it quite regularly. See iTunes Sucks and iTunes: Why the sad face.
The problem with the Ovi store is that it’s not Nokia’s first day. They’ve had the Download app for years, they’ve been running N-Gage, Mosh, and Ovi for ages, too. They should know better. I guess I can overlook the capacity issues – but the basic usability of the site leaves a lot to be desired.
Thanks for your comment.
T
Rich coming from a guy that works for Vodafone, who’ve spent years perfecting the art of failed services. Rome wasn’t built in a day my friend, you more than anyone should know that…
I just got a message today when I tried to open Ovi on my n97 only to be notified that I could not continue to the Ovi store until I performed an update, Options: UPDATE – EXIT So obviously I chose UPDATE, it goes thropugh the usual eternal waiting game, then downloads an updated Ovi application, then attempts to install said application, only to receive an error message saying the application could not be installed because of certificate constraints. WHATEVER THAT IS!!!!!