This Evening I Went To PC World....

There is some belief that out of the burning corpse that is Comet, PC World (and sister brand Currys) will rise from the ashes and finally turn in decent profits. The customers that would have otherwise shopped at Comet, will now turn to the main rival instead. Not only that, but over the two years or so, the company has invested millions in flagship joint-branded PC World & Currys stores with the emphasis on " ensuring a better shopping experience for customers."

"Try as I might, I couldn't actually find anyone to take my money from me"

So, off I popped to my local shop. I knew what I wanted and how much it was. I walked to the section and was greeted by an impressive stand that looked the business. Then I waited. Waited some more. And some more, for good measure. Try as I might, I couldn't actually find anyone to take my money from me. Yet more waiting followed. I understand that staff members will have been with other customers, but for the size of the shop, the number of on floor staff was a bit silly.

No matter, I had made the trip and they would get my money eventually. In the end, I was served, but little inspired confidence. Despite being a self proclaimed "PC Expert", lets call them "Dave", they clearly weren't. I didn't do the big headed move of pointing out what I was buying wasn't even a PC. After several attempts at explaining how I had already made my mind up, it was off to the checkout.

"I know that there is absolutely zero margin in electronic goods"

Now, I know that there is absolutely zero margin in electronic goods. I also get that in order to pay the rent, the bills and the wages, the company needs to make said margin. But on three occasions I was given the spiel about extended warranties. Wouldn't have minded once. But three times. Not only that, but across the course of 2 years, it added up to an eye popping £179! The device itself was only £230.

Erm, except it didn't, as "Dave" had managed to get hold of the wrong product, something costing around £350. After a few more minutes of head scratching and display stand alarms ringing, "Dave" finally admitted defeat and asked someone else where the stock was located. Once back to the counter, the extended warranty premium was significantly reduced, but still not for me. It got to the point where I actually felt bad for "Dave". I started to think about any commission or bonus or even positive mention from his boss I may have been keeping from him by saying no. Images of him not being able to buy food because of my failure to sign my life away on something I didn't want suddenly flashed before my eyes. I was having to try really hard not to say yes.

But I stood firm, apologising profusely of course. In the end, I did at least give "Dave" my details and he got the last laugh as when the check box appeared for "No Marketing" (direct mail) on the screen, he didn't ask me and hit continue without my consent. When I got home, someone had written some codes on the box in red Biro too. Damn. Should have got that extended warranty....

2 Weeks With A Windows Phone....

.....a Nokia Lumia 900, no less. Why is this important? Well, the current mobile phone market is dominated by iOS (Apple) and Android (Google - through manufacturers such as Samsung, Motorola, LG etc..), Microsoft and Nokia are currently beavering away to match or better the market leaders and gain a larger slice of the smartphone pie. The more competition, the more likely companies are likely to innovate and that means we all win.

With that in mind, Nokia were kind enough to send across a Lumia 900 to see if I could live 
with one in lieu of my beloved HTC OneX. Now, the thing to bear in mind here is what operating system the phone is running. Bear with me, it's a little geeky. Windows Phone 8 has just been launched and the new Lumia 920 is on sale from this weekend. This phone, the Lumia 900, was the flagship in Nokia's range. It came running Windows Phone 7.5 and will be updated in the future to WP 7.8. But, it will never get Windows 8, nor any of the latest Windows 8 apps. Phew! Right, have you got that? Good.

So, where does this phone fit in the market place? After using it for the two weeks, I can safely say there is a place, just not quite where you, or Nokia, expect it to be.

"A Finnish slice of fresh air, cutting through an otherwise stale market place."

First of all, the phone looks brilliant. It's a Finnish slice of fresh air, cutting through an otherwise stale market place. The bold colours (blue as tested) combined with the bleeding edge profile combine to make a phone that really does stand out for all the right reasons. It's not just the exterior styling too, as the user interface is like something out of a 70's Star Trek episode. Only more forward thinking and minus the tape deck...

The phone itself, in terms of hardware, is very powerful. The phone zips along and is very snappy, but you get the impression that Windows Phone 7 isn't quite so speedy. For instance, multi-tasking feels a step backwards and jumping from one app to another can be laborious. When you do open an app, for instance Twitter, the design is once again dripping with cool. The Windows theme across all apps really is a joy to behold. Nothing is as distinctive and I found myself smiling at the design touches within certain apps (to which people thought I was a bit mad..)


Then again, the apps aren't always as they seem. Yes, there is Spotify on there, but it is clearly an older version of the app compared with versions on other platforms. The same can be said of Twitter and Foursquare. Most apps I found even display old company logos and fonts that have long been superseded. So while all the apps that 99% of users require are on the store, if you are swapping from say an iPhone 3GS/4 or a 18 month old Android phone, e.g. HTC Desire or Desire HD that is just out of contract, you may have to use older versions of the same apps on the Lumia 900.

"The design, the ergonomics and the hardware power are all top notch."

That said, the phone itself is brilliant. The design, the ergonomics and the hardware power are all top notch. Then there is also the camera. If you want a phone to use as your primary snapping device, there are few phones, if any, that are as good as the Lumia 900. You don't get that horrible "white-eye" effect when the flash is used, there is a dedicated camera button which launches the app straight away and image quality (for a phone) is class-leading. Nokia clearly haven't lost the knack for making a fine piece of hardware.

The idea of owning a Nokia may bring memories of playing Snake on a 3210, so this phone has to work hard to shake off those old cliches. Thankfully, it just about manages it. One thing I found was that the design cuts a dash and makes people intrigued as to what the phone is that you are using. But then, once you say "Nokia" there was a bit of explaining to do as why you own it. So, going back to the original question, just what is the place in the market for the Nokia Lumia 900?

Well, price could and should be the defining factor. At launch, this was a premier priced phone, circa £450 unlocked and on the higher tier monthly contract pricing. But, if you hunt around, there have been some incredible deals , well under the £200 mark (although the best price at the time of writing was £299.99). So, this phone combined with a cheap SIM-only monthly contract deal could be the ideal phone for someone who wants to stand out, but still use a phone for social media and picture taking.

There is then a perfectly logical reason for purchasing a phone which left me endeared to it's unique charms but, more than anything, lays the platform for a successful Nokia Lumia 920 and Windows Phone 8.