On Jul 18, 3:45 pm, "Ellery Davies" <Ellery (at) StarBus (dot) com>
wrote:
> 18-Jul-2007, From Ellery Davies -- Ellery (at) StarBus (dot) com
> Please copy
> feedback to my email address
>
> This question really goes to the heart of Verizon's recent decision to allow
> phone users access to the manufacturer's oringinal firmware-user-interface.*
> It is a SEPARATE issue from Verizon's decision to limit or cripple specific
> features and capabilities.
>
> For example, the early Motorola E815 and Razr had the Motorola user menu
> system. But during the middle of their marketing, Verizon changed the userinterfaceto their own GUI (widely considered crappy). Occasional comments
> from Verizon representatives made it clear that the company did this to
> reduce support costs. The problem really wasn't the user (they were not
> calling in greater numbers - in fact, the Motorola and Samsunginterface
> generates FEWER calls). Rather they wished to reduce the cost of training
> support techs by restricting them to one global GUI.
>
> This results in a great many unnecessary keystrokes (because of the very
> poor Verizoninterface) and even some missing features (For example,
> Motorola's GUI offered "vibrate and then ring - which is great if the phone
> is sitting a distance away from you"). But last month, several reports
> indicated that Verizon would begin shipping phones with their originally
> intended GUI intact. That raises an interesting questions. Is there any way
> to update (or flash) a recent phone. Form example, my family has the Razr,
> KRZR K1m and Samsung SCH-a990. All of these were purchased after Verizon
> decided to force their kludgyinterfaceon an otherwise great device.
>
> After looking around the web, I gather that there are advanced methods to do
> what I wish. They require a PC, use special software tools, and involve SEEM
> edits or otherwise risk permanent damage to the phone. I will be very
> disappionted if Verizon does not reward their existing users by offerring us
> the capability to quickly revert the phone to the manufacturer's menu
> system - since they have apparently capiculated on this issue. But, alas,
> the behavior that I wish for is not typically in Verizon's manner of dealing
> with their customer base.
>
> I have no access to this news group. Please copy your reply directly to me:
> Ellery (at) StarBus (dot) com
What is the source of this statement:

You said -
"This question really goes to the heart of Verizon's recent decision
to allow
phone users access to the manufacturer's oringinal firmware-user-
interface.*
It is a SEPARATE issue from Verizon's decision to limit or cripple
specific
features and capabilities. "

Is this an official statement from Verizon?

I fully support complaints about the Verizon UI. I have been a long
time user of LG phones. It is time to replace my VX4650 and I was
interested in the LG VX3800. However, I absolutely can not use the
Verizon UI. Under contacts, they have dropped the MEMO field. In
part I use my phone as a PDA. The UI seems so tedious and visually
challenging. I hate the vertical spacing between the fields; you need
to scroll to see all the information at once. It is like wearing
progressive lenses where you only see a portion of a page at a time.
And the font is so small. It really takes the fun out of using the
phone.

Does this mean we will never see an iPhone type interface. LG has a
touch screen interface but Verizon does not market the phone.
Certainly, Verizon is the AOL of cellphones.

Fred Jacobowitz
> _____________
>
> "TC" <golemdan...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> news:1184168161.573792.70870@z28g2000prd.googlegro ups.com...
>
> >I just got a new Verizon phone, and I'm disappointed with the user
> >interface. They've programmed the buttons to give me quick access to
> > all the features I don't use -- like messaging, voice commands, and
> > online shopping.
>
> > Is there any way to reprogram the phone so that it works the way I
> > want?
>
> > -TC