Re: N900 specs revealed
 

Android seems to be making the leap acceptably. And, who's to say that there aren't going to be slight variations between the different UI's (Apple's 10" tablet is rumored to run a THIRD version of OS X, a hybrid between desktop OSX and iPhone OSX), each one optimized to the specific hardware in question.

Which is just my way of saying: I'm not convinced by your pessimism about them being able to run Maemo on a range of devices spanning 3.5" screens up to 10" screens. And, frankly, even if it is just a 7"-9" giant maemo display, I'd probably be happier with it than I was with Ubuntu-UMPC on a 7" display, due to the superior and consistent UI integration I've experience on Maemo over Ubuntu (and I _like_ Ubuntu).

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

I do think that maemo would look good on a 8 to 9" netbook. The UI seems perfect to me, simple, usable, efficient ... we could have just slightly bigger icons and top&side bars, but with much more room for icons or applets.

The only thing for a netbook would be to add a native version of OpenOffice ...

Besides the very good UI, the overall architecture with extremely power efficient stand-by would be a dream : a netbook you never really power off, ready to use in 1 or 2 seconds, with extremely short applications loading times ...

Wouldn't you definitively love that ?

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

I want to apologize again, especially to Peter, for my casual usage of a certain noun in this discussion. I shrugged it off because it was already out there but you're right: as an ex-employee I should still be careful with what I say.

On a somewhat related note, I have a job interview with Microsoft tomorrow... let the arrows fly! :D

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

You've described the Palm Foleo, only with a real operating system. Right now I believe it is a nice idea but remember Palm failed at it -- price seems to be a serious issue here.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

When you say "top and side bars", you are obviously referring to the current Maemo user interface? Right? Yes, that would look good on most any device. I think I even recall screenshots of a hacked Maemo running fullscreen on a normal desktop monitor with whatever resolution they had there. It looked as if it was just made for it.

I, on the other hand, was talking about the Maemo 5 user interface. I have to admit I never quite liked it when I saw the first screenshots, so I'm extremely biased and shouldn't be taken too seriously here, but: Everything seems to be bigger in Maemo 5. Buttons, icons... I didn't like it because I thought it was too big and a waste of space on a N810-size screen. So of course I can't think of it on 7". (It all makes sense, of course, if designed for a small phone screen.)

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

as you ignore PMs anyway :mad: , I'll write it here:

Good luck!


:D

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

Oops... I sent it to him in PM, not knowing he ignores them.

Definitely good luck, Texrat. They may be the dark side, but that's better than no job at all!

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

... now. see what happens when the rat takes over.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

Looks like first video with n900. Not as bad as everyone thought :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

Reading ebooks isn't a "niche", if you judge by the number of times FBReader has been downloaded, relative to other apps. And my "workflow" is basically loading and reading a text file off the screen.

By being pocketable, while still maintaining sufficiently sized screen. Neither Kindle nor a netbook are pocketable. And most pocketable devices (e.g. smartphones) have smallish screens (physically).

Yes, I think it will, as long as the Nokia device is pocketable and includes other functions. Kindle is kinda useless for anything but reading books bought from Amazon.

Excuse me for laughing loud, but I have yet to see anyone using synchronization or UPnP in a mobile device. Not meaning any of the forum members, just considering live people I interact with. By comparison, lots of them read books on their mobile devices (phones, PDAs, Sony bookreaders).

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

Well, maybe Nokia's tablet efforts are (were?) tied to Maemo, but MID/tablet oriented OSS platform also exists outside the Nokia universe.

Apart from the proprietary hardware bits and some packages specific to tablets, Maemo is largely based on other Open-Source projects and other interested parties (significant industry names with genuine interest in a more varied and competitive hardware market, unlike Nokia who's interest lies only in selling Nokia's own hardware...) might be more keen on supporting further development of Internet Tablets.

(FWIW, the 3rd hit of "Moblin MID" search is about Skype beta for moblin...)

Considering that since early 2008 (when Maemo 4 for the N8x0 tablet series was put into less than maintenance mode; the SSU feature was delivered last summer but for what??) Nokia has been working Maemo 5 (and later) with their emphasis not on the internet tablet form factor any longer, did they really have to co-opt the Internet Tablet (Talk) community under their Maemo brand?

The fate of the Nokia tablets does seem to be tied to Maemo 4 and Mer, but the future of the internet tablets in general may lie with another (perhaps a more communicative) software platform and other hardware vendors.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

Good luck, especially considering that I have deleted Linux on this eee pc and am only running Windows 7 here (though I am only running Linux on my main desktop at the moment).

If I had the money and business, you'd be one of the first people I'd try to hire.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

Good luck Texrat !

About Foleo : i disagree with Javispedro, the Foleo wasn't able to work standalone and so i found it ridiculous from the begining. I was thinking to something like the next netbooks to come on the market : ARM based, cheaper, less powerfull than Atom based netbooks but with greater battery life ... Like the ones proposed as a reference design by Pegatron.

Maemo would be a dream on such a device.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

!

Geneven, considering some of our exchanges (:D) that truly means a lot to me. Thanks for the boost!

Now back on topic...

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

While I loaded some movies on my tablet and view pdfs on there now and again, these were, for me, never central use cases. But that doesn't mean that I don't commiserate with the rest of you for whom they are central activities on your beloved tablet.

For me, my n800 was my first (and only) mobile web device. I loved getting to know it, finding new things to do with it, new ways it changed my life. It's the first thing I've purchased that I felt was new every day.

But for me, the draw of this community *was* and *is* maemo-centric, not tablet-centric. True, I don't care much about a netbook, but rather mobile web on a maemo device. I've spent so many hours learning about linux and maemo, learning what can and can't be done, and having confidence that, in the end, just about *everything* can be done, and usually by a nice and enterprising member of our community. THIS is the draw for me, personally.

So the fact that nokia is going full-throttle with an open OS that I love is more than a little solace. And while a smaller maemo device is welcome in my book, I'd hate to lose members of the community because a tablet is not forthcoming. Here's hoping those members stick around by finding alternate hardware that can run MER. I can say with confidence that if the bulk of the community spends more time on MER, I will seriously consider abandoning fremantle for MER even on the new device .

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

This has felt like the twilight zone for the past few days. I've already said something positive about the iPhone, and now I'm going to say something positive about Archos: They have a nice range of sizes and they don't have hardware keyboards (I think).

From Peter's and Ragnar's comments, I optimistically predict that there will be,eventually, a Maemo 5 tablet (no hardware keyboard, 4", 5", 6"... screen). Why would they jump to a netbook and then let other companies fill the gap that they're already in? That would be stupid.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

I know, maybe I am one of the few in the minority who isn't that offended by the smaller screen size and the inclusion of voice and still thinks of this new rumoured device as a tablet (i.e. if I do buy it it will replace or compliment my tablet needs).

Again, on the other hand maybe Nokia will bring out a tablet further down the line - and all this love-hate relationship in these threads will all melt into love for Nokia once again :-)

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

Aha - straigt from Maemo to Microsoft - :-)

But all the best to you ! May you join MS and be the protagonist in MS who ushers in opens source culture a bit more ... ;)

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

slightly offtopic, Iknow, but: Good luck :-)

Regards,
Glasswalker

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

The part that gets me is that someone at sometime had a stroke of genius at Nokia. Some designer or team of designers came up with the 770 then bested it with the amazing N800. These devices were ground-breaking and an evolutionary step ahead in technology. Now instead of showing the world why a tablet size screen is the best, and very portable at the same time, they have given way to some guy in a suit who wants to sale more handsets.

I can empathize with what the original brilliant team (hardware engineers) that created the Nokia tablets must now feel. Sometimes brilliant is moot unless you have the marketing to go with it -- after all unseen and untold is unsold. I guess when the marketing division fails, like in the case of NIT’s, it’s easy to save face by just saying it’s merely an R&D project so nor real harm and “that was to be expected.”

I have used the Iphone extensively along with the N800 and N810. Without a doubt the screen size of the Iphone is prohibitive for extensive web browsing -- so much so that my wife grabs my N810 to do her real internet browsing.

Perhaps at this point you need concessions to stay in the game since the part were Nokia "marketed to the masses" never came to fruition (someone dropped the ball).

In the end, the tablets (4.2” screen size or so) should have been blazing a trail for others to follow if they had been marketed properly. I will probably try a smaller screen size and see how it works, but in the end I feel sorry for those that came up with the brilliant idea that created the NITs, which is now apparently diminished by a need to catch up in market share.

Sometimes the best idea doesn’t win and business politics and marketeers carry the day.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

Hmm, I've just had a realisation: it doesn't look like my perfect device (in fact, it's moving away from it in terms of form factor) - but if I was offered one at the right price, it's still something I want.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

Perhaps this is the most economically efficient step to attaining a similar device with a bigger screen.


YARR!
}:^)~
Capt'n/Corrupt

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

I think it's safe to say that you're preaching to the choir on that one.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

Personally, I want the keyboard. Having used an n810 for a few weeks, I got a lot of use from being able to use pidgin to chat to friends, which I can't do on the n800 (can't see anything under the on-screen keyboard). I did the same on an HTC TyTN. But that's just me.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

The problem is the choir is loosing faith. I think Nokia needs to loosen the ropes of its current evangelists. There seems to be two extremes of marketing:

Pandora: big promises, possible zero returns

Apple: no promises, instant returns

But Apple's approach treats their customers like impulse buying children in order create inflated margins. I would rather someone give me a nice, smooth long term plan that leaves little doubt. Then I could do long term planning. Sounds fair to me.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

hhhmmm might be just me but I'm using Pidgin quite often on my N800, fullscreen with stylus-kbd. Works well for me. OK, you will not get as many lines of conversation at once on the scree but it is really usable.

Regards,
Glasswalker

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

I want you to have your cake, but not at the expense of me having my cake.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

Me too. I think an N800 upgrade would be good for the community, but I wouldn't buy it.

For me, no physical keyboard = no sale. (And the 3 row keyboard might also mean no sale... I will probably have to play with one in the store to figure that out)

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

As I feared: the 3G modem made them phonify it. Small screen + dumbed down keyboard renders the device identical to exisiting competitors like the iPhone, G1 (+ its undoubtedly nice successor) and Pre.
Makes little sense when the predecessor fills a more unique niche as the one practical, affordable MID. (Remember that campaign of Intel's that seemed to go nowhere?)

Still some hope, though; this could easily be entirely fake.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

You let me down
You told a lie
You broke my heart
And hurt me.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

For a reader, a large screen without a keyboard makes a lot of sense. For a communicator, a small(ish) screen and a keyboard are mighty useful.

I'm pretty sure that in the future we will all carry electronic reading devices in our bags (rather than books), and communicators in our pockets. Perhaps a "workstation" (aka netbook) in our backpack. I'd like to see free software running on all of them. Maemo and moblin are forging ahead by focusing on specific use cases.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

uh... no. the G1 has a VERY nice 5 row keyboard. Not dumbed down at all.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

And this is why the bad N810 keyboard (and maybe its sucessor's) is a shame.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

1. Come out with ground-breaking R&D device (770) that defines a new nich for internet tablets

2. Lose the metal cover, and follow up this device with a much more capable and versatile internet tablet (800). Add cool features like 2 SD card slots and a FM radio.

3. Shrink the device slightly to make the device more pocketable. Add a keyboard for thumb typing. Lose the radio. Abandon SD cards in favor of mini-SD cards to keep size down. Substitute 2 GB internal storage for removable storage.

4. Release another device. Experiment with wi-max, then abandon it

5. Continue to develop the maemo software

6. ???

7. Profit

It looks like the N900/maemo phone is supposed to fill the gap between (6) and (7). Actually, the fact that Nokia was willing to invest quite a bit and release three devices (four if you count wimax) before they got to the "???" step says a lot about them. I am sure quite a few companies would have dropped out long before.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

No dpad? Is there even an xterm? This looks more like a phone to me.

IT'S A TRAP!!! :)

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

Hahaha.

I think that about sums it up.

I was one who supported adding phone capability, but this is not what I meant. I was imagining a reved-up N810 with a phone stuffed in somehow.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

Welcome to the sixties!
:D

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

I realize what you're saying ... but, frankly, the reason I'm here is for Maemo, not the tablets.

The N800 was great, as was the N810, but they aren't what "sold me" on the platform (and, frankly, while they're great devices, they're not THAT great). Maemo is what hooked me. And when I started looking toward other devices, isn't wasn't Maemo that caused me to drift away, it was the deficiencies of the tablets themselves (nothing bigger than a pocketable, and no pocketables that are also phones).

The thing I like about Mer, isn't "a new, up to date, OS for the tablets", it's the potential for an even more open version of Maemo, on more devices (ie. not just on the tablets).

If Mer doesn't duplicate the well integrated and consistent user interface of Maemo, and ends up looking like Ubuntu (or worse), I wont be interested. Why would I be? If I want to run Ubuntu on a MID, I'll run Ubuntu on a MID. To my mind, the value of both this community, and Mer, is Maemo. If Mer doesn't end up being like Maemo, it's worhtless to me. And if this community becomes just a legacy tablet enthusiast community (like a pocketable version of Edsel or Tucker car clubs), it will also be worthless to me.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

It is funny to me how much people complain. Now, I am not a user from the very beginning, but have had my n800 since the day before it came out. I carry it everywhere and love it. I tether to a t-mobile phone (non-3g, not like they offer it in San Luis Obispo anyway), and only wish it had a few different things... a better camera, a keyboard, gps, video out, and more ram. I know, I know... why not get the n810? I have had the order placed and removed many times, but this upcoming solution seems so interesting that a little loss in screen size is just not a deal breaker. It has, on the whole, so much more than anything else out there. Note, I am far-sighted, and this still doesn't cause me heartburn. My programs are always run windowed (except movies) and I think that once it gets in the hands of users, we will all be pleasantly surprised. I thank Nokia for taking this step -- as opposed to not giving us anything at all... and perhaps forcing us to "the other guys" with closed, "pay to play" systems.

Re: N900 specs revealed
 

Thank you, Admiral Akbar.