Mobile Phone Blues, Episodes 451 and 452

Last week, before recharging my mobile phone (A Sony Ericsson 310), I notice the battery had become rather swollen. Since the phone was getting on a bit (I got it in mid-2003) I decided to get a replacement battery and not to risk leaking, a fire or even an explosion.

This lead to a series of disappointments (not surprising since I've been generally disappointed by my phone, which I'll identify shortly). First, finding someone in Adelaide that sells replacement batteries for Sony Ericsson phones is not easy. Next, when I found a place stocking batteries for my phone, the price was $40! Each! Yes, I know there are places online that provide batteries for much less, but I'm a bricks-and-mortar kind of shopper when it comes to electronics.

Ok, did I want to spend $40 on a new battery for a phone I'm not overly happy with (Plan A)? Or should I buy a brand new phone (Plan B)?

Before discussing the options, I'll list the grievances I have with my current phone:
* Loooong startup time
* Silly joystick navigation
* Unresponsive user interface
* Battery compartment opens too easily when phone falls

I had hoped that getting a new phone would at least solve some of these issues. So Plan B looked like a goer, until I actually started shopping around. This triggered another series of disappointments ...
1. Mobile phone salespeople are pushy, and want to sell you things you don't want
2. There are so many models to choose from
3. Not all vendors stock all the models
4. Phones come with all sorts of stuff that I don't want: cameras, radios, GPS, younameit
5. Basic phones exist but are often tied to plans (which are confusing)
6. Generally buying phones outright is still too expensive
7. Most importantly, you don't get the opportunity to try out a phone's user interface before you buy it

The last point was the main source of disappointment with my current phone. Had I been able to use it beforehand I would probably have chosen another model.

Some people think all this choice is great for consumers. But I would argue that is not the case. Anyone who has read "The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less" by Barry Schwartz, will be well aware of the problems with too much choice. I've ranted about this before in "Too Much Choice Considered Harmful" and written about the book in another blog, so I won't repeat myself here.

Another nagging concern is that all this "choice" is illusory because vendors and telcos seem to select particular combinations of plans and models, making it difficult to compare. Looks like there are opportunities for cartel-like behaviour to me.

So, after pounding the concrete for a few days, and getting increasingly frustrated with the ordeal of buying a new phone, I decided to go for Plan A. I bought a replacement battery for my existing phone. I resented having to pay such an an exorbitant price, but at least ...
* I won't risk the "buyer's remorse" of getting something that fails to satisfy
* I won't have been responsible for the waste caused by manufacturing a brand new phone
* I save some money, at least in the short term

I'll probably get a new phone eventually, but at least I will have had time to prepare a little in advance. I can ask to try out the user interfaces of other people's phones. Technology can only improve (right?), and who knows, Apple may release an iPhone mini in Australia by then :)

Finally, some advice: Check your mobile phone battery often before you recharge it.

Apple's Mighty Mouse, Not So Mighty In Practice

Late last year I bought a new 17" iMac to replace my 3 year old eMac. Incidentally, the iMac is the first computer I've ever owned that features an Intel CPU.

Include with the iMac is Apple's latest mouse, dubbed the "Mighty Mouse". The Mighty Mouse comes in both wired and wireless forms, however the standard version sold with its computers is the wired version. Apple's web site extols all the virtues of the design of the Mighty Mouse. In particular:

1. The entire top shell is the actual button, but that the single button can actually trigger multiple responses, depending on where you press it: "Capacitive sensors under Mighty Mouse’s seamless top shell detect where your fingers are and predict your clicking intentions, so you don’t need two buttons — just two fingers."
2. The Scroll Ball, unlike traditional scroll wheels, allows scrolling in two dimensions simultaneously. Clicking on the shell where the Scroll Ball is also acts as a third button.
   
3. In addition to the three "virtual" buttons on the shell, "force-sensing buttons on either side of Mighty Mouse respond when you press in with your finger and thumb."

All this and a sleek look should make this another slam dunk product from Apple, following the success of the iPod, iMacs, MacBooks, Mac mini etc. However ...

The problem is all three of the features I've listed above don't seem to work well with my big and often clumsy fingers.

Firstly, the multiple "virtual" buttons lead to mistaken right-clicks when I want a left-click. Over 15 years of using single-button mouses/mice from Apple, and especially since the introduction of the "top shell is the button" designs around 2000, I tend to be a bit sloppy where I've clicked the mouse button. For example, sometimes I've even pushed the whole surface with the top of my palm. So now, with my new Mighty Mouse, I sometimes seem to click just enough on the right side of the Mighty Mouse when I actually want a standard left-click. Other times it seems I actually do click with a non-index finger on the right side when I meant a left-click. I say "seems" because I'm not always sure. Anyway, the point is that my fingers have become so used to one-button mice that I actually need to make an effort to retrain my fingers to use the new Mighty Mouse. This seems odd given that I've never seemed to have a problem when I've had to use multi-button mice with Windows and Linux. To prove this point, I've been able to use a basic Logitech multi-button mouse on my iMac without the clumsiness I've experienced with the Mighty Mouse. My fingers seem to need separate, tactile mouse buttons.

The second issue is the Scroll Ball. A great idea in theory, and the behaviour can be customised to restrict scrolling in one-dimension if you want. However, the ball itself is prone to dust or other gunk finding their way inside the mechanism that detects the scrolling, causing it to fail. This has already happened twice in only a few weeks. Apple has published a guide, "How to clean your Mighty Mouse", along with an accompanying tutorial movie. Personally I don't think the scroll ball is reliable enough, since I've found the standard scroll wheel mice that come with PCs to have far fewer problems.

The third problem I have with the Mighty Mouse is more of a niggle than the previous two. The fourth "squeeze" button is not really that practical, since it requires quite a bit of pressure to activate it. In fact, I need to lift the mouse up and give it an uncomfortable squeeze with my thumb and pinky.

I'm willing to accept that the first issue, namely my mistaken right-clicks, is more of a user problem. I'm sure a bit of patience retraining my fingers could overcome it. I've also admitted that the third issue is probably just a personal niggle. But the second issue, the problematic scroll ball, is potentially a fatal flaw. Its unreliability lets down the rest of Apple's hardware (and software). Some liken it to the Apple III fiasco. Hopefully Apple will address the Scroll Ball problem soon.

In the meantime, I've decided to invest in a Logitech MX 400 for my iMac. And to complete my transition from single-button mice to multi-button mice, I'm using an entry-level Logitech optical mouse with my old eMac. These mice can be used with downloadable drivers, but Logitech provides a monolithic "Control Center" for all its keyboards and mice. Fortunately, the devices can function with the standard drivers provided in Mac OS X. You don't get all the customisability, but I'm willing to forgo that to avoid having to install extra bloatware.