Re: NITs - what are they good for... ???
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So what I want/need from a mobile computing device:
- small form factor with touchscreen. Smaller than 770, bigger than iPhone, with big resolution, and software that understands that it runs on high DPI/big resolution / tiny physical screen;
- well-designed and stable consumer-level experience; the designed should focus on how one interacts with a handheld device, not how to cut pixels to fit a desktop environment on a handheld device.
- standard mainstream distro, even if not for x86 architecture. Ubuntu mobile seems a step in the right direction. Hildon and propietary extensions seem like an overreach, which bogs down porting programs that actually run well on a somewhat mainstream-ish and standardized interface like GTK.
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You know Ubuntu mobile is not Ubuntu, hence not a "standard mainstream distro", and uses Hildon, right? This can't coexist with the previous point in any meaningful way, until there's more devices on the market for some tablet-specific distro to become standard and mainstream.
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- centralized-database application management. Putting apps on a such device shouldn't be a pain. Maemo.org is a good step, but someone should dedicate lot of time to maintain clean central application database, including the binaries of well-tested programs. If you want bleeding edge, you should be able to do it, but a central database with all the programs that "just works, no tweaks needed" is much desired.
- make use of all hardware facilities you can. On a small device, you have to put to use even the smallest register and not skip a cycle :). Don't let 3D acceleration capabilities or Java hardware processor go unutilized. Also, the least thing you can do is beef up the RAM. It doesn't eat lots of power, is quite cheap these days, and you cannot ever have too much of it.
- working peripherals, be it bluetooth, infrared (I know it's old fashioned, but I could use m105 as extra-fancied remote, I want that back ! ), USB (Think of all you could do with a proper USB host port),
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Well, the N8x0 have a proper USB host port; we can do all those things....
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GPS, TV-Out/Monitor port. I want to be able to play a game using wiimotes connected to NIT with output on that big TV screen. If you add the 3D acceleration and the big memory, you end up killing not only DS and PSP off the market, you actually can go for the Wii !. All in a device that I can unplug and carry on to play/work during commute.
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Well, I hope you saw the noBounds video, right? That's going to be killer on the N900 (step 4/5); you're on the money with what needs to happen, but Nokia's working on it already.
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- if you pack extra RAM, and dynamic CPU frequency management, together with a mainstream distro, you get solved lots of problems from the start on the office front: OpenOffice and Evolution at your fingertips. Now I could read work emails and type half-assessed PowerPoint (bleah) presentations on the go !
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It's unimaginable that the N900 won't have at least twice the RAM; I'd guess 4x; we've already got dynamic CPU frequency, to a max of 400 MHZ; OOo is still slow... But the N900 will get around double the maximum performance, so yes, that'll work. But remember, OOo will violate the "should focus on how one interacts with a handheld device, not how to cut pixels to fit a desktop environment on a handheld device."; that's always a tradeoff, and OOo won't (IMHO) be possible to convert to a nice hand-held app. Still, once the performance is there, I'm sure it'll be available for all who want it, regardless of the OS.
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- Mainstream webbrowser (Firefox) with working Flash. I can't stress out how important this is. Having the Firefox addons available for install really changes the experience of the internet for me. Flash is a must have in the new RIA world. AIR is a must too. By know, you should know that I really fancy Adobe, and I think they will change the face of the internet as we know it (just take a look at Adobe labs website!). I understand that Nokia or anyone else beside Adobe doesn't have a say in here, so I'm looking at you, big A.
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Mainstream webbrowser, and mainstream extensions, again, aren't tablet-friendly; but they'll be options for those who want them. IMHO, Java is more important than better Flash; we've got good enough flash to get through most sites that require it for navigation, now let's get what the real apps get written in! (By now, you should know I really fancy Java; I support Flash support as a necessity to get around some sites, but feel Java's useful in its own right.) But by all means, if Adobe wants to trounce Java, they should get in the fight on all platforms.
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Sorry for the long rant, but I expected and wanted a hole different experience from the new Mobile devices, and I'm not getting it. Decade-old handhelds did a far better (even if more limited) job. I want My Experience Back. Maybe Nokia or someone else will hear.
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Yeah, and you'll get it back; they've heard, and they're working. Just don't write it off for good, because the best is yet to come. :)
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So this far, my NITs silently wait for better days. I have no current uses for them, apart from light web browsing when the browser doesn't crash. And I wonder, do you ever actually use yours beside for the tweaking which every geek needs to do once in a while ?
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Totally; I do use it for that (and I that far more than I should), but it's also essential for my work and studies, when it's not distracting me from them with cool new things to try. I take notes all the time with Xournal, I use it for over 30% of my web browsing, including some when sitting at my desk with a PC in front of me, and I use it always for playing music. It's used for casual calculations, and 90% of IM/VoIP; for navigating in the car, and most everything else... It's got limitations, but none of them really get in my way that much.
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Where do you see the tablets going ?
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Well, in classic backwards fashion, I spent most of the first 80% of these comments answering your last question... Enjoy! |
