March 14, 2001

Welcome to the Wireless World: Problems Using and Understanding Mobile Telephony
Leysia Palen, CU Computer Science/L3D

Abstract.

Wireless devices, like PDAs and mobile phones, call for comprehensive treatment of their usability. As mobile technologies, wireless devices can be used in a variety of places, and therefore must be dynamically managed: software and hardware features have constantly changing relevance depending on the situations in which they are employed, for example. Like other service-based technologies, understanding how wireless devices operate extends beyondthe hardware and software components to include an understanding of network services ("netware") and service provider business agreements ("bizware") as well. Finally, wireless devices, and in particular wireless phones, play a role in the social world. Developing a personal practice of wireless telephony communications necessarily includes attention to how one affects and is affected by one's social networks and locale. Usability of such technologies, therefore, is more accurately assessed if it extends beyond an examination of the devices themselves to include broader attention to the contexts of their acquisition and use.

We report on the results of a study in which 19 new wireless phone users were closely tracked for the first six weeks after service acquisition. The proposal for the study originally called for an assessment of the usability of telephone handsets, and for an evaluation of the process of learning and discovery of hardware and software features. However, we kept the investigation broad in scope, hypothesizing that there was a great deal to learn about the experiences of new users more generally. As we observed our new users, we discovered that fundamental aspects of sales, service, and business communications were critical to their learning and discovery of features. When these aspects were misunderstood by users, it directly affected the use and usability of their wireless telephones.