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ChineseMetro Announces PDA-Compatible Website
OK, so I’m basically hijacking the Metro news release and shilling for expensive phones. All at once! Basically, Metro has created a mobile-friendly website, according to the news release.
So I proceeded to try it with my Helio Ocean, which has previously struggled with the SoCal Transport trip planner. This time, however, once I viewed the pages in HTML, it worked like a charm. The trip planner worked well, the user interface was no more clumsy than any other mobile website, and it was generally easy to use. I’m favorably impressed. I have the Opera browser on my phone, as Metro suggests using, but did not have to use it - the regular Helio browser sufficed.
I might add, I bought the Ocean in no small part for use as a regular transit rider. The Ocean’s GPS function helps me a great deal when I’m lost (which sadly happens much more often than it should), and now that Metro’s website is mobile-friendly, it’ll be much easier to both a) Find the nearest Pinkberry with Google Maps and b) get directions to that yogurt-yet-maybe-not-yogurt goodness from anywhere in Los Angeles. So I’m going to give Metro’s new mobile website an unequivocal two-thumbs-up as yet another way to bring along people who may not traditionally be transit riders in the Southland.
It’s good to see Metro looking for more ways to help people connect with them, as their phone lines are difficult to get through to and not open terribly frequently. Now we’re just looking forward to getting proper information on real-time arrivals on mobile devices - hopefully this website is the backbone to getting the high-tech Holy Grail online.
(Image courtesy of the folks over at Helio, an LA-based provided of high-end mobiles)
Discussion
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Please keep discussions civil: exercise Troll Controll.
helio ocean user checking in… same deal, the gps rules when ur on the bus
I still have antique Samsung A650 flip phone that only has text-based net access. Maps and the trip planner don’t work with it. However, I have no problem with the rapidbus.net Next Bus arrival times; now only if they add 761.
This is great. I tested it out on my Helio, definitely much improved from the non-mobile site. Especially appreciate the drop down menu for alternative place names as opposed to the radio buttons that the full site uses. There’s a few kinks, I’ll note them later.
Not very impressive or usable on the iPhone. I’ll blog about it tonight.
That’s disheartening Don. As much as I like the Helio, I’m hugely jealous of the iPhone.
I’ve got the post up with a photo of how the site shows up on the iPhone and what’s wrong with the site beyond appearances.