Letter to Samsung Developer Site

[Kris Kumar]

Following is the letter I recently sent to Samsung Developer site. What do you guys think about it, do you think I was asking for too much?


To: developer-help@sta.samsung.com
Subject: suggestions for developer site...

Hi

I was told at the Samsung booth (MDC, San Francisco March 24-26) to email my suggestions.

I have registered myself at the www.samsungwireless.com/developer and have following comments/suggestions.
Note: I am Windows Mobile developer, so was looking for info specific to i600 and i700. i600 more specifically.

- The only thing the site has is product specification and link to the Microsoft developer site. Something which one can get to even without the dev. program.
- No information about features/API specific to i600 or i700 and how to get to them. For example i600 has GPS receiver, can it be accessed via API on the phone or not. Also if the external LCD screen is programmable or not.
- No information on the pinouts on the i600/i700 connectors.
- Steps on completely unlocking the phone. Don't mind if we have to send the phone in to Samsung. "Complete unlocking" enables us to debug programs on the i600. (Also access to privileged APIs, useful for writing SMS based programs.)
- Last but not the least, it would be great if we could get access to Windows Mobile 2003 build for i600.
- I did find that the Palm products had a little more dev support info, but I don't program for Palm devices.

Samsung has one of the best smartphones on the market. And the only one available for CDMA based Verizon, which has the best coverage in US. I am sure there are plenty of developers wanting to take advantage of the situation, which in turn will benefit Samsung.

Thanks
Kris

PS:
One of the best developer site is hosted by HP. They provide the developers with a wealth of information (detailed specs, APIs and pinouts etc). And they have loaner programs.


The response I got back was the usual "Thanks for your interest......".

Anyway was not hoping on them implementing the changes right now But I think it would be great for us developers if they open up.

Windows Mobile Smartphones are different from the other phone platforms. The key to success is to keep the product open so that innovative ISV and IHV can come up with creative solutions based on it.

[Kris Kumar]

Following is the letter I recently sent to Samsung Developer site. What do you guys think about it, do you think I was asking for too much?


To: developer-help@sta.samsung.com
Subject: suggestions for developer site...

Hi

I was told at the Samsung booth (MDC, San Francisco March 24-26) to email my suggestions.

I have registered myself at the www.samsungwireless.com/developer and have following comments/suggestions.
Note: I am Windows Mobile developer, so was looking for info specific to i600 and i700. i600 more specifically.

- The only thing the site has is product specification and link to the Microsoft developer site. Something which one can get to even without the dev. program.
- No information about features/API specific to i600 or i700 and how to get to them. For example i600 has GPS receiver, can it be accessed via API on the phone or not. Also if the external LCD screen is programmable or not.
- No information on the pinouts on the i600/i700 connectors.
- Steps on completely unlocking the phone. Don't mind if we have to send the phone in to Samsung. "Complete unlocking" enables us to debug programs on the i600. (Also access to privileged APIs, useful for writing SMS based programs.)
- Last but not the least, it would be great if we could get access to Windows Mobile 2003 build for i600.
- I did find that the Palm products had a little more dev support info, but I don't program for Palm devices.

Samsung has one of the best smartphones on the market. And the only one available for CDMA based Verizon, which has the best coverage in US. I am sure there are plenty of developers wanting to take advantage of the situation, which in turn will benefit Samsung.

Thanks
Kris

PS:
One of the best developer site is hosted by HP. They provide the developers with a wealth of information (detailed specs, APIs and pinouts etc). And they have loaner programs.


The response I got back was the usual "Thanks for your interest......".

Anyway was not hoping on them implementing the changes right now But I think it would be great for us developers if they open up.

Windows Mobile Smartphones are different from the other phone platforms. The key to success is to keep the product open so that innovative ISV and IHV can come up with creative solutions based on it.

[Mike Temporale]

Sounds like you got a standard form letter response. Hopefully it's just the standard response sent out, and doesn't mean that they have brushed this off.

Your requests sounds very fair to me. Samsung should be willing to provide information for developers, and the info you are seeking is nothing that would cause them harm.