Review of Mike Bradley's MobiMB Software -
v1.2
I have been a regular user of Nokia
mobile phones for many a year now, and whilst I am generally happy with my
handsets, more often than not, I find the software Nokia offer to add to the
functionality of my phones, or to manage my handset, rather lacking.
This led to discussions about this on the Nokia USENET newsgroup, and in fairness, if I recall, I was both the first person to mention some of these Series 40 handset flaws, and the most vociferous critic of Nokia’s short-sightedness.
Additionally, I was unhappy with Nokia’s own Image Converter/Uploader, for getting images onto the phone, as the Nokia Software does not do a straight upload of the original file without alteration, but instead insists on a conversion first. Frustratingly, even on the lowest compression, highest quality setting, jpeg images are usually always heavily altered, and quality reduced.
All these issues led me to look for other possibilities and alternatives, and not too long after I and other users had complained about these issues on the newsgroup, alternative third party software was soon developed.
One such program is Mike Bradley’s MobiMB, or Mobile Media Browser (Mike being the developer that brought us the very well known and popular Logo Manager application for changing operator logos, group graphics etc, on Nokia handsets)
This, therefore, is my review of that product:
From the outset, I should indicate quite strongly, that MobiMB is designed to be a very simple and easy to use piece of software.
Installation was straightforward and easy. Upon running the program for the first time, you are asked to configure the connection – as both Cable and Infra Red is supported. I told the application that I was connecting by Infra red, and my 7210 was found straight away.
MobiMB’s interface is simple and clear. It uses a split window interface, whereby the left pane lists the connected phone, and the right pane the content of the current ‘folder’ or location. A simple click of the plus key on the connected handset expands the ‘folders’ in exactly the same way as Windows Explorer works – thus it is easy to get to grips with.
MobiMB is designed to simplify the transfer of images, ringtones, and applications and games between the phone and a PC – I say transfer, because as far as possible, MobiMB is designed to be a two way program – ringtones can be downloaded from the phone onto a PC just as easily as images can be added to the phone from a PC…
In order to actually get the images, ringtones etc onto the phone, it is as easy as a simple drag and drop. Simply locating any relevant file on your PC, and then dragging it to the appropriate folder or location within MobiMB will upload it to the phone.
To achieve this, I find it easier to resize the MobiMB application window to the top half of my screen, and then using the rest of the screen to find the files – this can be done from a resized Windows Explorer application, direct from the desktop itself, or even from within a file listing dialogue such as that encountered when saving a document within Word – all work fine.
This does however, lead me onto my first minor ‘gripe’… I would have preferred it if MobiMB came with its own split screen interface, whereby the top half of the program related to the phone, and the bottom half related to the PC – thus eliminating the need to use Windows Explorer at all – but that’s just my personal view, and there is no pleasing some people I guess…
I see no need to expand in any great depth on the HOW TO of file transfer, as it really is so simple, as I have described. I will only repeat that it is a really simple and useful program for achieving this file transfer. With MobiMB, just drag a suitable midi file into the Tones folder, and its there. Drag an image into the Images folder, and voila – its there (and I should point out that MobiMB doesn’t alter the images either – it uploads the true version of the file without trying to compress it even more, and badly affecting the file quality like Nokia’s own software does).
Having spent the last paragraph explaining the 'what is it' element of the program, I think it's time to mention some of the really neat features of the application…
When installing a game or application using Nokia's own software, in nearly all cases games added appear on the phone in the 'Applications Menu', instead of the more appropriate 'Games Menu'. This is an oft asked about problem, that until now I had not seen an easy resolution too.
Until now…
With MobiMB, installing a game or application to the phone is a simple case of just ensuring both the .jad and the .jar file are in the same folder on the PC, then dragging the .jad file to the appropriate folder within MobiMB. This then, is where MobiMB comes into its own… Drag a .jad file for a game into the actual Game folder on the phone, and the game will appear in the Games Menu on the phone and not the usual (and inappropriate) Application folder, as is usually the case with Nokia’s own software, or a WAP based install. This is a great little feature.
Another really useful feature within MobiMB, is the ‘Right Click’ functionality added to image files.
If you select an Image file within the phone, and right click on it, a menu pops up, allowing you to set the image as an Operator Logo, a Wallpaper, or (as far as I know) UNIQUELY, a Start Up Logo. Yes, any image you have on the phone can be easily set as a Start Up logo that will be displayed on the phone as you switch it on! Changing a logo will update the picture on the phone in real time too, which is really nifty!
It is worth mentioning here that when I did this experimenting with the software, and changed my start up logo, a few minutes of blind panic set in as I thought to myself “Oh heck – how do I put it back to what it was – oh no…”.
Fear not – a simple click on the File menu within MobiMB will allow you to “Set Default >” and choose what you wish to set back to the default – the Operator Logo, Wallpaper, Start Up Image!
Phew!
MobiMB is a piece of software designed for one or two very specific purposes, and I have to end by saying that what it is designed to do, it does very well. It is certainly one of those “does exactly what it says on the tin…” type of products, and I would have no hesitation in recommending it.
Shadamehr – 31/01/03
(P.S. - if Mike has any technical corrections to this that I might have stated as inaccurate, or you as a prospective user would like to ask me about something I have not covered, just drop me an Email... mobimb@nokia-wallpapers.co.uk
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