The fact that there are two separate threads happening simultaneously in regards to this subject seems very silly to me.

Having a third makes it even sillier.



Thoughts?

I think users that had N810 or earlier NIT's won't mind the lack of portrait and people who haven't been using NIT's before do mind. You really cannot please every single Nokia buyer with just one device. I think portrait would be nice, but for deity's sake don't delay release just cuz of that. And yeah, third thread is nice since there should only be two kinds of opinions, for and against, so this is nice for people who are neither

Right on, soul man!

I personally think that it will be a gradual process. Maemo 5 will slowly evolve into a rotatable environment.



|||EDIT

Just wait until Maemo 6... mofo won't stop spinnin!

Then you don't realize how helpful such features can be to a mobile of the N900's size. And there is a difference between ASR and portrait support.

Fremantle already supports portrait mode, but only for third party apps and the phone app. What many of us are asking for is that the desktops, menus, and all included default apps included in the device (those not added by the user) allow rotation and full functionality in either orientation. This is what is considered ASR.

I think its telling that this subject is actually not new, having caused some debate as far back as July of 2008, according to THIS. Many like myself believe Nokia won't ever add it to Fremantle, only giving support to the third party apps. Its been since July of 2008, afterall, and all Nokia's said is ASR will be in Harmattan. Nothing about it in Fremantle. Not even a peep of official support.

So we don't know what we're getting into. Confidence in Nokia isn't very strong in the Symbian world anymore due to the lackluster devices released since the N95. Many worry they will be left in the lurch on ASR just the same. I guess its panic. We see something we've been waiting for since 2007, and now that its close, we want to make it perfect now, and we're doing it on foreign soil. Its just growing pains.

I'm a self starter myself, and have a hard time waiting for anything, especially if I'm not assured it will ever come. I'll just have to learn to be patient.

I don't know. If Nokia announced a date for adding ASR support for the N900, preorders would blow through the roof! I wouldn't delay the launch of any open source device, either.

I ordered one without ASR, but would get 2 more if it did. Its the Symbian users and a few old head tablet guys that have been patching in a solution that want it. Make the N900 ASR, and the smartphone and tablet communities happily unite, and everyone is happy. I promise. Its the only thing besides QWERTY over T9 I've heard anyone moan about on the N900.

I think its 96% perfect. Just add T9, ASR, and a bigger screen, and its a Moses Phone!

You bring that up as it was universal for every single user how helpful something is or isn't?

I think yelling wolf enough times doesn't make it appear if it isn't there...

EDIT: I know this should be somewhere else but still, Chris, please don't call people unsupportive to your cause if it is not their cause also. And this thread was supposed to be indifferent in regards of orientation

Soulfarmer,
By all means is no feature universally helpful to all. But if it helps some and hurts none, isn't that something that is only helpful to the community as a whole? Growing the Maemo user base would only benefit Maemo, and if ASR were added, it wouldn't affect those that don't want it, only those that do.

Those that do are the smartphone users (mostly Symbian) and some old head Maemo patchers waiting for an official solution. If it gets added, two enormous communities unite instantly! How great would that be? I'd love it.

I read this in a Bugzilla someone shared with me. This is from a Paul M:

Answering Quim Gil

"Personally, the whole point of the nokia tablet is to be a flexible platform to
allow a community to use the device in ways not conceived by the original
maker. Nokia have received a lot of "free" help from the community in promoting
the tablet, as well as debugging/testing and developing the tablets - it's a
symbiotic relationship almost."

We're just trying to extend the functionality for something we hold dear to us. I love mobiles ALOT, and center my life around them. This is who I am, and its important to some of us, probably too important.

@ Jayonthabeat,
I'm hell on devices. My N95 8gb was in my sweaty hands almost 12 hrs per day with heavy use and beat it up training my pit bull. Before the economy fell, I changed devices every 3-4 months just because of wear. Since 2006, I've had the N90, N80, N73, N93, N93i, N95-1, N81, N82, E90, N95-2, E71, N78, N97, and am waiting for the N900. I'm so anxious...

I don't use desktop software unless I'm in the studio. I'm a mobile freak, for real! "Ax about me!" LOL
...by the way, when will i hear some tracks? we need to get together and do something.

My horoscope mentioned silly indifference too. I feel aligned. Hmm, or not. Whatever.

Horizontically or vertically?

Me and the rest of the indifferent community thank you for the leadership that you have shown.
Perhaps you should post a small announcement in all threads with the word "indifferent" in them.

Write it once and just cut and paste it everywhere else. It'll save time.