WAP
Study Reveals Disappointment

Recently, The Nielson Norman Group conducted a study, the key focus of which was WAP or Wireless Access Protocol, which enables handheld devices to gain access to reformatted web material.

They found: Around 20 cellphone users were provided with WAP equipped cellphones for a week. Of these some were regular net surfers while some were just about aware. The 90-page report revealed that the participants were thoroughly disappointed and totally disillusioned. The problem they had was not with the cell phones but with the WAP services.

The text was hard to read, the screen being small, there were numerous navigation troubles, and data downloading took eons to complete. Data retrieval taking so long people tended to switch over to better things. On an average it takes almost 30 seconds to a couple of minutes when downloading material from a WAP site.

The disillusionment was, in part, due to the unrealistic expectations that had been given by the phone companies offering the wireless data services. The general misconception was that a phone could get you to the Internet. The report also suggests that in order to click, the WAP site owners would have to device means to use their sites in an easier manner.

The report however offers some promise. To the query whether they would use the WAP phone within 3 years around 80 percent of the participants gave their acquiescence. Within the frustration there seemed to be some optimism, after all.