Meanwhile, over in Russia… Hmm, that sounds like the start of one of the sillier Bond films, doesn’t it? Or possibly War and Peace, if Leo Tolstoy hadn’t been such a good writer. Or, as an outside possibility, a Marvel comic from the 80s.
But anyway… meanwhile, over in Russia, strange business is afoot in the mobile world, as it seems Apple aren’t the only ones getting the constabulary involved over a prototype phone that went walkabout. No, according to The Register (and lord knows how many other places), Nokia have also gone and got the plod involved, over the prototype Nokia N8 that found itself in the hands of blogger Eldar Murtazin. You know, the one he reviewed, very harshly.
Or, more specifically, the one he reviewed very harshly days before the official launch, thus stealing Nokia’s thunder, and presumably (given these latest developments), provoking Nokia’s wrath. Of course, it possibly doesn’t help that the site in question, Mobile Review, has gone from doing exhaustive, picture-filled reviews to being hyper-critical of every single action Nokia makes, with Murtazin using early prototype phones to prove his point.
Honestly, anyone would think Murtazin and Nokia had had a falling out or something. So, Nokia released a statement on their own blog, saying:
“Several weeks back, we formally requested the return of all unauthorized Nokia property from Mr. Murtazin and he declined to respond. As a result, we have contacted the Russian authorities to assist us in the return of all unauthorised Nokia property.”
Oh, and they’re also apparently possibly thinking, maybe, that there might be ulterior motives behind his actions:
“While this individual does operate a blog, he is also very public about being a ‘consultant’ to other international mobile manufacturers… Whether Mr. Murtazin’s actions were as a blogger, or whether he is acting in the capacity of a consultant in order to provide information to his clients is an open question.”
So, what’s my opinion on this? Well, anyone who knows me will know I am openly biased, but I’m what you might call honestly biased. My opinions aren’t based on doing any kind of consultancy work or owt like that, they’re based purely on my own prejudices and my own quite-frequently-uninformed opinion. In other words, if I think something or someone is bleedin’ awful, I damn well say it, and I do not let it go, unless they do something spectacular to turn things around (hint: look at Motorola to see a company who did a properly successful turnaround, to become brilliant).
So, what is my opinion?
Well, aside from the fact I don’t really giving a flying toss, I’m torn. On the one hand, I think Nokia have every reason to demand they have their prototype phone back. But on the other, Murtazin went on record to say Nokia only contacted him once, and he replied, and has heard nothing since. But then on the third hand (I’m having to invoke Martian biology here, sorry), everyone seems to be of the opinion Eldar Murtazin is Jesus, and that automatically makes me disinclined to buy into his hype, in the same way I don’t buy into the Apple hype.
So, in conclusion, despite my own disappointment with the Nokia N8 (which, I admit, is based on rumours and write-ups, and I’ve never had the phone in-hand), I’m inclined to side with Nokia on this one.
But, like I said, that is mitigated somewhat by the fact that, overall, I couldn’t give a flying toss…
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