I'm really interested and excited by this phone and everything seems to fit my needs but one thing. All the videos show the UI in landscape mode apart from when using the phone.
Isn't this a major over sight? Not having a portrait UI will really restrict the ability to use the device with one hand. I hope they fix this and make the UI switch to porttrait or landscape depending on the orientation of the device.
Nokia specifically said this device was a internet tablet first, with some phone functions tacked on. Not to say that Maemo will stay for power users, but this device is gonna be more for the power users and less for the commonman.
Hopefully the future maemo devices will be more streamlined and ready for primetime.
Nokia specifically said this device was a internet tablet first, with some phone functions tacked on.
That may be so but with the market being so competitive I think they may have missed an opportunity here. I see most people buying this to use as a phone as opposed to a pure internet device.
As for power users, what's a power user nowadays? Business users that use the phone for voice, push e-mails, calendar, using vpn to access their servers, syncing with their office schedulers and desktops or media junkies that want to play games, watch videos, listen to music, browse the internet and use social networking? They can both be considered power users depending on which perspective you're looking from.
I'm a Linux user which is what got my so interested in this device. I thought I can now have a Linux desktop and a full Linux phone and hopefully have proper syncing with my desktop apps. But for me the device would be used mostly in a business environment which is why I am hopeing the UI will be modified to work in portrait mode too. I see that was one of the more popular wishes in the recent poll.
It's not a matter of them just deciding to leave it out completely. If they were to add portrait support for every part of the UI, this device wouldn't be available next month. It's coming in a firmware update in December tho. This device is mainly to get feedback on Maemo 5 from developers, power users, bloggers, etc. because Nokia just announced that their mainstream Maemo device will launch 2H 2010
This has been discussed countless times. Many others and I have had portrait mode on the N810 for ages now. Why do people think this will be an exception.
That may be so but with the market being so competitive I think they may have missed an opportunity here. I see most people buying this to use as a phone as opposed to a pure internet device.
As for power users, what's a power user nowadays? Business users that use the phone for voice, push e-mails, calendar, using vpn to access their servers, syncing with their office schedulers and desktops or media junkies that want to play games, watch videos, listen to music, browse the internet and use social networking? They can both be considered power users depending on which perspective you're looking from.
I'm a Linux user which is what got my so interested in this device. I thought I can now have a Linux desktop and a full Linux phone and hopefully have proper syncing with my desktop apps. But for me the device would be used mostly in a business environment which is why I am hopeing the UI will be modified to work in portrait mode too. I see that was one of the more popular wishes in the recent poll.
I see those purchasing this as "just a phone only" being disappointed and returning the phone for a refund. This isn't necessarily a "anyone can use it" phone. Can't there be a phone out there geared for someone who knows how to use it?
As always, an OS change like "landscape/portrait" can be done in a software/firmware upgrade. Upon release, I think this is just fine. I use my Touch Pro 2 in LANDSCAPE mode most of the time anyway. Hardly EVER use portrait mode anymore. Phone even sits in TILT mode most of the time.
IMO portrait is overrated. Didn't the iPhone only have PORTRAIT for EVERYTHING for the longest time? It's about time someone releases a phone THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
This is ridiculous. N900 is already a great phone. All these little things will come with firmware/software updates.
Fair enough. We all use phones differently. My preference for portrait was only that it makes it easier to use the device with one hand, especially for basic things like scrolling through e-mail, contacts, calendar etc.
I'm aware that this is more than just a phone. It's the fact that it's basically a complete computer in such a small device that interested me, especially that it runs Linux
As I mentioned, I use Linux for my desktop. I've struggled enough with Winmo trying to get it to play happily with my Linux desktop so the introduction of the N900 is perfect as I'll be able to sync apps and data just as if it were another pc on the network. It also won't be so cloud focused like Android which is why I've held off going for Android so far.
Anyway I'm happy to hear the UI will be sorted in future updates. This is going to be one awesome device.
It's not a matter of them just deciding to leave it out completely. If they were to add portrait support for every part of the UI, this device wouldn't be available next month. It's coming in a firmware update in December tho. This device is mainly to get feedback on Maemo 5 from developers, power users, bloggers, etc. because Nokia just announced that their mainstream Maemo device will launch 2H 2010
Can you provide a link for this announcement you speak of? It would help.
On the portrait vs. landscape issue...
I don't think it is an issue at all once you start using the thing. There is automatic screen rotation already for phone features and contacts runs in portrait or landscape mode. Community code has been released so developers can add portrait mode to there apps if they think there is a need.
It is hard to imagine the 4 desktops because there is nothing else like it. Widgets with live data and app launchers can be arranged on desktops, sorted by activity. You can have a work desktop or two, a social network desktop, one for weather and PIM functions, and another for games or entertainment. Also, no other phone can keep as many apps open and running in the background that are of no use to you if you can't switch to them easily.
Another thing people either forget or also can't imagine is the openness of the dang thing. If you're like me you have seen cell phones evolve steadily throughout the years but could probably only justify purchasing a new one every 1 & 1/2 to 2 & 1/2 years. In most cases, after the newness wears off on our next "best thing" we are usually left saying " If only it did this...".
Now, instead of waiting for the manufacturer to update firmware and a third party developer updating apps that you may have already paid for, or hoping a meteor will come down and smash your phone to pieces so you can justify buying a new one, you can roll your own apps or become actively involved in community developed ones.
What is interesting is that of the 300 or so devices loaned out at the Maemo Summit, I would say a good third of them went to bloggers or other "net" journalists who are not developers. In their reviews, we are not seeing a whole lot of complaints about "portrait" mode. You are seeing and hearing remarks by people who don't have one yet or have no idea off what can actually be done with the thing.
This whole pre-launch anxiety that has come over some people must be taking Nokia a bit by surprised. I doubt that they intended for it to be so popular so soon.
I'm thinkin' that this must be due in part to some sort of pent up demand and what is already in the market now, must leave customers wanting more somehow.
I typically use smartphones in landscape mode, anyways--especially when browsing. I like the option to rotate-to-launch-dialer; it makes it much easier to make a call than, say, an iPhone. It saves you a step or two on what will be a common operation for most people.
It wasn't an oversight. Nokia designed the N900 based on the previous devices, which were mainly more sit down devices athan on the move devices. They do intend to implement screen rotation and portrait mode throughout more of the device, but that will come around this Christmas, according to various sources.
The N900 is the mobilizing of the desktop while smartphonizing it at the same time. Its best to do that in stages, and allow the users to dictate how best to put that into practice.
I agree, screen rotation and portrait mode is a much needed feature for most smartphone addicts, mostly for convenience when on the go. Many tablet users aren't used to this "on the go" usage model, so it may seem foreign to some users of the old tablets, but the smartphone users' opinions have been heard, and Nokia has commited to adding it to the N900 by q1 2010.
YoDude (hey, my maemo.org brother) knows first hand about the debate about portrait on the N900 in the Maemo Community, and I disagree with his thoughts on bloggers mentioning it being absent. I'm also a blogger, and meet with many of the Nokia based bloggers online on a regular basis, and it has been one of the main issues mentioned, especially by Symbianites, who are used to one handed operation. What I'll add is no one foud it to be a deal breaker, and neither do I. The power offered is something never seen in our space before, which outweighs any trivial feature.
Better to have people returning the phone because of a lack of a feature than because of the stability.
Please don't PM me asking questions that could very easily be asked publicly.
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I said bloggers who were loaned a phone at the summit Chris, not bloggers in general...
And again no other phone has the capabilities that the N900 has...
You are not going to want to run most productivity apps in portrait mode. How do you enter data into fields in a spreadsheet now on a symbian phone?
As far as your "on the go" usage model and tablet users, I got to scratch my head on that one.
The reason I have used a tablet for the past 2+ years is because no phone had anywhere near the tablets capabilities. Plus I can BT tether it to my cell phone for always on data, share files over a WLAN, and use WiFi for ultra fast connectivity where available.
However, I don't reply much to SMS but can receive up to 30 a day reporting project status, work assignments, or just telling me I received the fax I was waiting for. If I don't like what I see or haven't received what I expected, when I expected it, I reach out and touch someone using my phone.
MMS was nice but it also has severe limitations. If I need to send a picture from a job site I BT transfer it to the tablet using a high def camera and then e-mail the dang thing from the tablet using the very same connection that my cell provided restricted the size of the MMS on.
BTW, I lead crews that work on a national account for an International Mechanical Contractor and I am in the field 90% of the time. I can be directed to any number of job sites up and down the east coast at a moments notice and usually only have with me just what I walked out the door with that morning. Symbian didn't cut it and Blackberry didn't cut it for me either. I've tried them both. I needed something that I could develop to suit my needs and Maemo was it. However, YMMV
As a bonus, I can also read, post, manage, and moderate forums from the sucker using standard HTML.
I do think lack of portrait mode seems like an oversight. Including additional screen resolution for app layout and a call to check the position of the device doesn't seem out of bounds for a development team. There are plenty of apps that would benefit from a portrait orientation on a 800x480 screen. For example Twitter is used by some to read posts more than write so scrolling through tweets in portrait mode would be nice. However I don't think lack of portrait mode will stop sales to the target market. Plus if the device is as open as they say then it will be added if there is enough demand.
Of course this is if the device is every actually released....
I said bloggers who were loaned a phone at the summit Chris, not bloggers in general...
I understand that, YoDude, and as for the US, that's not that large a group. I know almost everyone in the US that has one that's a blogger/promoter, believe it or not. The US blogger community is pretty close knit from the Nokia promo side. In almost every preview, it was mentioned, and it was mentioned alot even before. Some had an agenda to overblow the issue before the Nokia World, while I preferred to approach the community beforehand. But it has been mentioned almost unanimously in the conversations we've had over the last weeks.
And again no other phone has the capabilities that the N900 has...
AMEN! THAT'S the N900's USP, and it has it in spades...
You are not going to want to run most productivity apps in portrait mode. How do you enter data into fields in a spreadsheet now on a symbian phone?
YES I AM, YoDude, going to want to run most productivity apps in portrait mode, and so will the most others, like we've BEEN doing since 2007. As the Nokia Conversations poll proved, its important. Are we still not accepting this?!
To input data in fields on a spreadsheet in portrait, depending on which application you use, you merely tap the field and use the OSK to enter the text. Have you ever used the N97 or 5800 XM? Millions of others have, and find it convenient. I'm one of them.
Look at it like this: The N900's biggest consumer group will be former N95/N82, N97, and 5800 XM owners, who've been using ALL apps in portrait mode. What makes you think they want to upgrade their mobile experience by losing their productivity while on the go? What data do you have to convince me that users "are not going to want to run most productivity apps in portrait mode"? I made the mistake of speaking without backing it up with data before, and I'll tell you, its a big mistake.
As far as your "on the go" usage model and tablet users, I got to scratch my head on that one.
You're about to explain it right here in your next statements:
The reason I have used a tablet for the past 2+ years is because no phone had anywhere near the tablets capabilities. Plus I can BT tether it to my cell phone for always on data, share files over a WLAN, and use WiFi for ultra fast connectivity where available.
I agree, but I, too, share files via WiFi on my Symbian device with SymSMB.
However, I don't reply much to SMS but can receive up to 30 a day reporting project status, work assignments, or just telling me I received the fax I was waiting for. If I don't like what I see or haven't received what I expected, when I expected it, I reach out and touch someone using my phone.
I probably get at least 100 SMS a day. My device is in my hands being used at least 6 hours a day, sometimes over 12. I run my blogging activities and do all my research from my mobile, and only use a desktop for music recording tasks. That would not be considered normal for an average user, but I'm also not atypical. More and more power using mobilists do more computing from mobiles.
This is not including the 100-200 emails I receive per day. I only check email from my device, and I see no difference between email, SMS, and IM. I'm always connected with all of these, plus Twitter, at all times. This is becoming the norm, and trying to Tweet, SMS, IM, and email with 2 hands while also walking my dog, shopping, smoking, riding the bus, driving, hiking, driving (I know... so what! LOL) etc. Phone calls are so outdated for many, and SMS or other digital communication methods are becoming more popular. I do more on MySpace and Facebook than on the phone, and in real time. This is where tech is going now.
MMS was nice but it also has severe limitations. If I need to send a picture from a job site I BT transfer it to the tablet using a high def camera and then e-mail the dang thing from the tablet using the very same connection that my cell provided restricted the size of the MMS on.
MMS is for sending a quick picture to someone without email on a feature phone, when email or a web browser aren't as convenient. Just another option, but not a main feature. But losing that small functionality isn't good, because many people still lack email access or web access from mobiles, like MetroPCS subscribers. We don't just communicate with smartphone and MID users. Our friends' and family's technical access figure into what services we need, and that's one of them. Bluetooth won't help when they're miles away. Sometimes, you see a dress at the mall, you send a quick photo and ask her if she likes it. You don't wait for email.
BTW, I lead crews that work on a national account for an International Mechanical Contractor and I am in the field 90% of the time. I can be directed to any number of job sites up and down the east coast at a moments notice and usually only have with me just what I walked out the door with that morning. Symbian didn't cut it and Blackberry didn't cut it for me either. I've tried them both. I needed something that I could develop to suit my needs and Maemo was it. However, YMMV
As a bonus, I can also read, post, manage, and moderate forums from the sucker using standard HTML.
That sounds amazing! I totally understand your usage pattern. But you don't fit the typical user either. I doubt you get 40+ tweets a day, 100+ SMS, and monitor FB and MS from your N810, and even then, is it always connected?
Once the N900 with always on web is in your hands, I expect you to start using it differently than the N8xx. You'll appreciate the smaller size, portrait mode's convenient accessibility without taking 2 hands or all of your attention. I'd be shocked if you didn't.
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Originally Posted by dimsum05
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