Widgets On Your S60…
Well, I, along with Darla Mack and Jonathan Greene, was hoping that today’s "big announcement" via an audiocast was of the availability of a downloadable version of the new Feature Pack 1 OSS Browser for non-Feature Pack 1 devices. However, that (obviously) wasn’t the case.
Instead, they announced that S60 Feature Pack 2 will have built-in support for Widgets. Not JUST widgets, but widgets that can be created easily using AJAX, HTML, CSS, and any number of other acronyms, meaning that it will be super easy to create these widgets, and port them from other platforms such as Google and Mac OSX.
(Image courtesy of any website that has blogged this information)
Now, this is cool and all, I’m always glad to see new features, but I’m
left with a big WTF. Basically, as far as I can read/hear, this is
Widsets getting built-in to the device. Am I right? (**Update** I realize it’s not EXACTLY the Widsets application being converted to an S60 application, and that there will still be a Widsets product even once the first FP2 devices come out. I meant that they’re taking the idea of Widsets and building the functionality into S60. Thanks for the clarification, Tommi) I don’t use
Widsets. I have one, and it’s advertised over there on the right
sidebar, if you want it. I think the idea is awesome, and the
developers have KILLER communication with users, which is awesome.
However, it’s still a java app, which means that it’s still slow as
molasses on my S60 device. Slow to load the app, slow to update, just
slow. I can’t handle slow. So it because useless to me really quickly.
But I highly encourage you to give it a go. You may love it.
I also have widgets installed on my PC. I use Yahoo’s widget engine,
and in all reality, they’re useless, as well. I have 5 active: Analog
Clock, Battery Indicator (I keep my laptop plugged in 24-7, so I’m not
sure why I have this one), The weather, Twitter (which I don’t use
cause it doesn’t give me updates from others), a calendar one, and a
hula girl. My favorite out of all those is the hula girl.
Forgive me, I just don’t see how Widgets are going to change the world.
Specifically on a mobile device that’s (realistically) NOT constantly
connected to the internet. Do YOU use Widgets? What platform, and which
ones? Do you really USE them, or just HAVE them? Cause there’s a
massive difference.
In any case, this, in my opinion, is just one more reason to wait for the first Feature Pack 2 device, if nothing else.
These are far more capable widgets that widsets, but yeah I’m mainly with you man. Widgets are interesting for small content bits and I think what this means is that you can open a widget like an app. Guess we’ll have to wait to next year!! to really pass judgment. Or perhaps use the Nokia Remote Device service to try it out when FP2 is up there.
I will personally send the person who develops a minute minder/data counter widget a coupon for one free Internet.
> Basically, as far as I can read/hear,
> this is Widsets getting built-in to the device. Am I right?
This time, you are wrong, sorry. S60 Widgets and WidSets are two totally different things. Sorry about the confusing branding
@Tommi - I realize they’re two different things, but basically, this is widgets on your phone. It may not *exactly* be widsets getting built it, but generally speaking, it seems like it is. I could be wrong, obviously. Guess we’ll have to wait till Christmas.
Jul 17th, 2008 at 9:04 am
[…] Nokia first announced Web RunTime Widgets, my first question was ‘how is that different from Widsets?’ Honestly, I’m still trying to figure out exactly what the difference is, and Nokia […]