BBC Focus Magazine

[Navvarr]

Yet again in this months focus, we have another article that purports to educate the reader about the latest and greatest must have apps for their smartphone.

We have the iphone (naturally, since the BBC plugs it at every opportunity)
The Android (hey, its seen as new and trendy)
Windows (well, its not a big player, but lets include it anyway)
and
The Blackberry (since we've got one last slot)

-Question is- where is the Nokia / Symbian round up of the best, must have Apps?
Why does Focus magazine consistantly fail to educate and inform the reader impartially about the apps for ALL the major smartphones?- why does it never mention either Symbian or Nokia?

Symbian is still one of the biggest Operating Systems in use on the Smartphones?-
You are doing your readers a massive disservice in ignoring it- I'd like to know how you can justify ignoring the huge symbian market and thousands of apps?

[Shadowwolf]

Perhaps it is just that the Nokia did not make the grade, wasn't good enough comparatively speaking. I know I can't stand the things and that infernal ring tone they spawned; though I'll freely admit that such is just a matter of taste / opinion and not an exhaustive comparison of whatever tricks they perform.

Why does Focus magazine consistantly fail to educate and inform the reader...

I think what you're really asking is why isn't the brand / OS I like featured, but if it had we may just as easily have someone else on who feels perturbed over the iPhone, or Blackberry being omitted. Like the last time, there is limited space in the mag and the Nokia was in the opinion of the reviewer not making the cut presumably because it didn't measure up quite like those that did. Just because it sells loads does not necessarily mean that it's better. Beta-max was reputedly better than VHS but VHS was much more common. I realise that you may like Nokia and perhaps even feel an affinity for the brand but it does not mean that a failure to mention them qualifies as doing readers a disservice.

[Navvarr]

What an astonishingly poor response from a site moderator.

You say 'I know I can't stand the things and that infernal ring tone they spawned' -as if Nokia phones still use the same ring tone they used in 2002 and you freely admit that you have no time for Nokia phones.

And then you go on to misquote me, by changing the tone of my original post by picking a select part of what I said originally.

I said 'Why does Focus magazine consistantly fail to educate and inform the reader impartially about the apps for ALL the major smartphones?- why does it never mention either Symbian or Nokia?'

Which has a different meaning from 'Why does Focus magazine consistantly fail to educate and inform the reader...' -which implies that I have an issue with Focus magazine in general (which is wrong).

My issue is that Symbian has a very significant market share of the Smartphone market- both through Nokia and also through Samsung Smartphones- to ignore this is to ignore a huge number of smartphones that YOUR readers will use.
To say that 'Perhaps it is just that the Nokia did not make the grade, wasn't good enough comparatively speaking.' further demonstrates that Focus really don't have a clue as to what is really going on in the Smartphone world- since Nokia (and Samsung) -have a vast number of Apps available to them for use - many of the same apps available on multiformats - ie the Blackberry, Android etc etc.

Come on Focus, come back with a decent reason for not featuring Symbian Apps- instead of writing me off as a fan boy!

[Hyrulian Outlaw]

Ah to be fair the original post did specifically mention the Nokia/Symbian format.
The issue isn't specifically that some brands or formats are ommited, if you want a review of all phones and their capabilities there are magazines and websites dedicated to that.

The Focus magazine is very broad based, it doesn't specifically cater. To feature everything in every subject it covers would be impossible, I would guess that the original feature writer would of researched the subject and featured those phones that are most prevalent and appealing to the magazines demographic.

This would of been a decision by the feature writer and the editor, not the website moderators.

Welcome to the site Navvarr, reasoned critiscism and rational argument are always welcome here, I look forward to more of your contributions.

[Shadowwolf]

What an astonishingly poor response from a site moderator.

You say this as though disagreement is simply not an option and to do so is a self evidently poor response. I gave you my opinion and my best guess on why it was omitted, I think I'm freely entitled to do so and incredulity towards mere disagreement is about the only poor show so far.

...you freely admit that you have no time for Nokia phones.

Yes, I'm being upfront and noting that my dislike has no bearing on capabilities or lack thereof.

And then you go on to misquote me, by changing the tone of my original post by picking a select part of what I said originally.

Sorry but I'm afraid not. You see my snippet clearly has three periods following it, now whilst that is by no means a formal manner of indicating that there is more to the quote than supplied I think it's quite clear anyway. In fact, given that the source, your post, is directly over mine the chances for any reader misconstruing your tone, meaning etc is practically zilch. Seen as I do not then respond to this altered meaning you claim I manufactured but only to your Nokia grievance, I'm at a loss as to how anyone could be misled.

...further demonstrates that Focus really don't have a clue as to what is really going on in the Smartphone world...

I think you have me confused here, you got my opinion as to why and not an official response from the reviewer or magazine. This is an open forum to which anyone can respond, if you're only looking to hear from magazine representatives I'd suggest emailing direct. Oh and seen as tone is so easily lost, that's a sincere suggestion and not some snide retort.

Perhaps I could have been clearer as using the term 'presumably' where I did seems not to have been sufficient, my bad. What I'm saying is that just because you think Nokia should be mentioned it does not automatically follow that any failure to include Nokia is by default a failing of the magazine or reviewer. It's a bit OTT to be accusing anyone of a failure to educate or inform merely because a brand you like was not given mention; impartiality does not mean must mention Nokia.

[M Paul Lloyd]

I'm sure the good people at Focus central will take your concerns into consideration Navvarr.

[Navvarr]

Ok, fair enought, I appreciate that you don't actually represent Focus Magazine, but I think that I do raise a valid point that Focus Magazine, which I have been reading for years now for some reason seems to ignore the Symbian/ Nokia / Samsung brands as well as all the other competing Smartphone brands.
You'll never pick up a copy of Focus magazine to read the latest review of the new Samsung Galaxy II or perhaps the very well received Nokia N8 Smartphone, but of course, as soon as Apple announce a new product the BBC in general cover every aspect of the new product with gusto.

Take a flick through the last years worth of issues - how many times is an Apple product mentioned compared with a mention of another competing company product?

I think the results would indicate an interesting bias towards Apple.

[M Paul Lloyd]

I hear what you are saying Navvarr and I too have wondered why certain products appear to be overlooked, although I am lead to believe that any apparent bias is governed more by a products popularity and market position (and available space in the magazine) than any personal preference on the part of the reviews editor, so you tend to just get the top four or five brands of any product.

When the iPad app came out I wanted a more general piece of software that would work on not just other tablets but laptops and netbooks, but its a matter of where to focus the available resources and the iPad was the product of the moment.

[Daniel Bennett]

Hi Guys,

In reference to the apps article, we chose not to include Symbian and the Ovi Store based on two things.

First the shift in OS usage as illustrated by this:

http://connect.icrossing.co.uk/wp-conte ... hare-2.jpg

Where you can see the Symbian operating system prevalance isn't what it once was.

And more importantly, the fact that Nokia has now partnered with Windows, so that their phones will support Windows Phone 7, is likely to mean that Symbian will be phased out. In the interest of helping as many of our readers as possible, we felt Windows Phone 7 would therefore be the most inclusive choice.

The same reasoning explains why we often cover new Apple products. Our reader survey shows that these are the products our readers are most interested in. Regardless of our own personal views, we will always try and cover the subjects our readers want to hear about.

Thanks for reading and caring about Focus, and I hope this clears up the matter a little.

Dan

[M Paul Lloyd]

Thanks Dan.