Modern Nomads: A Different Approach

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.modernnomads.info/articles/' target='_blank'>http://www.modernnomads.info/articles/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Welcome to the Modern Nomads, a new site with a new approach, run by some not-so-new people. We started this site as an answer to all the sites dedicated to Windows Mobile devices. Although these sites are popular, provide a great function for device enthusiasts and above all are run by very dedicated people, we felt that something was missing. These sites also seem to be driven by the newest device of the day, instead of the function that a device performs for its user in his daily life. Nothing is wrong with showing what is hot and new, but it does have some side-effects. First of all it gives you the feeling that the device you have just bought is old and useless. Nothing could be more besides the truth. Secondly, the daily rush for newer, better, faster and more beautiful devices tends to distract from the real reason to buy these devices: you want to make your life easier and more fun."</i><br /><br />Looking for a new take on the Windows Mobile scene? Modern Nomads may provide exactly that. Check it out!

[audiologic]

It's interesting that modernnomads claims they are filling a void that other mobile device forums and websites are leaving open. The modernnomads website cannot even be properly viewed on a mobile device. This seems fairly hypocritical, but perhaps this is because the site is so young.

I look forward to seeing what this new community has to offer, but I will only be spending time there with my pda, so I hope they correct the formatting very soon.

[JvanEkris]

The modernnomads website cannot even be properly viewed on a mobile device. This seems fairly hypocritical, but perhaps this is because the site is so young.

I look forward to seeing what this new community has to offer, but I will only be spending time there with my pda, so I hope they correct the formatting very soon.We are not certain if there are many users on Modern Nomads wanting to do real browsing through Pocket Internet Explorer on our website: we aim for users that are using it as a business tool and are looking for answers. This is mainly done using a normal desktop. Our statistics confirm this, they show that less than 1% of the current visitors uses a mobile device.

Be aware that we do not bring hot news, and we will never start bringing news: PPCTHoughts is much better at that. Since we will not bring hot news, mobile reading is not really a priority: there is no rush. We aim at improving people's usage of devices: the number of manuals and accompanying pictures will become the major engine behind the site. Another major part will be bigger in-depth articles. Reading manuals or larger in-depth articles on a mobile device is nearly impossible anyway.

For keeping people up to speed, we do offer RSS-feeds for almost every part of the site (the RSS-feed of the forum has some major issues, the rest of the site is completely available through RSS). It will bring you a portion of the articles we think are enough to get a good impression, but most of the time will not cover the entire article/manual.

Only modification we will try to make is removing the menubar in Pocket Internet Explorer. It is not parsed nicely by PIE and it basically makes a complete mess of the top of the page since it expands completely (this is a PIE bug in fact), allowing people to read the full story from the RSS-feed. Especially for the blogs this is annoying (being shorter stories). But on the other hand, we rather have people really reading the articles thoroughly than reading them quickly while waiting in line for the counter. In our opinion, in the waiting line they could better read something quickly that is more time-pressing like the BBC-news or CNN-headlines.

Jaap

[hamishmacdonald]

The angle of Modern Nomads, as explained in the news item here, is one I find quite compelling. Like most people on this site, I keep buying a new device at a rate of about one a year (which sounds excessive when I write it out like that). Personally, I find this a constant struggle -- using the tool to create results versus merely constantly paying attention to the tool, or replacing it!

While PocketPCThoughts is unbeatable as a resource for new information and technical support, I'm keen on the idea of a site that's focused on being productive with one's existing equipment. I use my Pocket PC in so many different ways during the day, but from what shows up in print about these devices, you'd think all we do is buy new hardware and software all the time.

I think sales of these devices would jump if people could better hold in their imagination what they can be used for. Here are some of the sorts of things I've done with my Windows Mobile device lately:

- Wake up, fetch my e-mail and RSS feeds from news websites and my friends' blogs, and read them.
- Save articles out on my PC while working (RepliGo) for reading later, while stuck waiting somewhere.
- Find my way easily back to my hotel after walking all day in a foreign city I've never been to before (with TomTom Navigator and GPS receiver).
- Write an article for publication (using a Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard) and send it in over a wireless connection.
- Have a conversation on Skype with someone overseas.
- Make an audio note of an idea I have for a short story.
- On vacation, look up the Wikipedia entry for the tourist attraction I'm in front of (TomeRaider).
- Listen to an audiobook while cooking supper.
- Go to sleep to soft tunes from a streaming internet radio station (with Resco Radio), with the Pocket PC shutting itself off after a while (when I'm asleep).

I'm sure others can think of hundreds of additional uses. It would be neat to hear more about that.