Re: Where do we go from here?
 

This is quickly turning into a long personal wishlist.

For the NIT product line to get more attention from Nokia (better upgrades, more accessories, faster developments), it definitely needs more widespread acceptance. And to do that, the NIT needs to be... more ipod\iphone like:

- Simple and clean interface.
- Simple and clear workflows (email attachments, file management, etc as the ipod does with music, video, photo.).
- Communicate the above message clearly to the customers.

This can be implemented as a flash-lite interface on top of the current interface for the masses, while the powerusers can access the NIT platform as we know and love it.

PS: For those too 'elite' to see the merit of apple's simplified devices, just think that if you can sell a version of NIT to the masses, you'll get their money to (partially) fund the further development of the NIT platform.

Re: Where do we go from here?
 

My favorite prescription is for a tiny computer that talks to me and listens to me. I imagine a writer sitting in the sand at the beach talking stories into his cell phone or N800.

And the nice thing about a voice interface, is that the keyboard problem disappears.

My other dream is for Marylin Monroe's voice reading me bedtime stories. I think the time will come within the next 5-10 years when celebrity voices will be extracted from films and will become computer personalities.

Here's looking at you, kid.

Re: Where do we go from here?
 

just to note you can't please all the people all the time....

I recently did some work with a friend's n770 (which I'd borrowed before making the decision to buy the n800). honestly, I found the hard case fiddly. slow to manipulate into position, sometimes tricky to get aligned so it will slide on, then blocks access to the stylus in the 'use' configuration. I haven't got the nokia flap (a.k.a. 'case') that mainly just covers the screen, but that seems more along the protection design I'd hope for.

of course, if the flap were a thumb keyboard that would be my preference too I guess.....

otherwise I'd agree with the comments in this thread.

rob.

Re: Where do we go from here?
 

True, with voice operation, the keyboard problem goes away...

... only to be replaced by the people-standing-around-you-yapping-like-mad problem. You won't always be lying alone on a beach, getting your rocks off on Monroe. :D

So either we all learn to subvocalize really fast (and get used to wearing throat-microphones), or non-verbal interfaces for mobile devices are here to stay.

Re: Where do we go from here?
 

Its not that anyone would oppose improvements in UI design - neither on the ITs nor elsewhere.

It's just that a good-looking UI isn't necessarily easier to handle. IMHO, a UI should make tasks easy, not just be pretty.

I've worked with Apples OSX and there are things in the UI design that better not creep out of this closed world. Others are brilliant and are being copied anyway.

So the same goes for iPhone and the new pods:
There may be some aspects in the UI that are worth investigating (although I'm not even sure about it). From what I've seen until today, though, it's more the look&feel that's being duplicated. While it looks awesome and makes an exciting video for YouTube, I seriously doubt it will improve the handling of an application in any way - quite on the contrary. The experiments I've seen so far make things more complex, time consuming and error-prone.

Consumers will stay away from such UIs in the long run, even though there might be a short-term attraction. We've seen this happen. From the earliest days of Windows 3.x, software on this MS-platform has tried to escape from the dull standard UI and make things more exciting and pretty. Still, all these attempts failed the long-term usability check. We still use basically the same windows, menus and lists today. Not because we think they're attractive, but because they are unobtrusive and plain simple.

Re: Where do we go from here?
 

Yeah, that's the thing. It was a good idea that needed a little improvement for use on the next hardware (which should have been the N800), but instead Nokia took the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone by doing away with the cover altogether. They save a little money in materials and shipping costs, all while "fixing" the many issues we complained about. It was a smart move, but didn't really make the N800 look that much better than the 770 feature wise.

Nokia could have easily kept the cost down for a N800 hard cover by using a hard molded clear plastic one that you could slip over the device and still have access areas (and possibly speaker holes in it) to use the buttons without even taking the cover off in some scenarios. I think there may be a better reason for the elimination of the case now though. Touchscreens are getting to be more scratch resistant and durable these days. Heck, the iPhone and iPod Touch don't ship with hardcovers (do they even come with a soft cover?). I haven't heard many complaints about those devices in terms of screen protection, and to be honest, I don't see much complaining about the N800 screen either. I still think Nokia could have at least sold a cover as an accessory. I know I'd buy one for the 770 if it didn't have one to begin with.

Re: Where do we go from here?
 

While I could read N800 wish lists all day long and we have a week’s worth scattered about the forum, the only point of view worth anything now is Nokia’s. Does anyone have any inkling as to what Nokia’s intentions are?

Will it adhere rigidly to the Internet Tablet concept and let the form factor survive or not on that narrow capability?

Certainly if Nokia is serious about a future for the device then all it need do is peruse these threads and get on with implementing the suggestions.

Re: Where do we go from here?
 

The Million Dollar Question, indeed Rebski. Nokia sure is keeping quiet as it pertains to the Internet Tablet roadmap. It's one thing to not strongly market the tablets to focus on a small group of "test subjects", but it's pretty cold not to provide "test results" and a progress report every once in a while.

I don't mind being tested, but I'd at least want to know what the hell it was all for. :mad:

Putting a rat in a maze without cheese at the end will only give you useless results and frustrate the rat.

Re: Where do we go from here?
 

Exactly. Until Nokia starts taking its "unofficial" IT and Phone beta users (read: Nokia Early Adopters) a little more seriously then what's the point?
I think they are starting to finally "get it" a little bit what with the current NYC-only S60 Agent program, but one fashion-conscious-snobby city does not an entire demographic make. They need to expand it to more US cities as well as expand it to more than just S60 phones. "Nokia Agent" would be better.
Their current bluetooth headset designs and builds are uninspired and clunky. My Jawbone I use at work stomps the crap out of everything so far and the Motorola S9 stereo bluetooth headset rules in the sound quality, stability, and looks department. The stereo bluetooth on my N95 sounds better than the WIRED Ultimate Ears I used to use with the headset jack on the N95!
Now if they would only get A2DP working across the entire N800 instead of the current "hack" we have to use with Kagu then maybe I'd be a little happier.
Well, that and the MP4 video playback issues.
Nokia just feels really splintered to me right now with it appearing that the N800 is taking a backseat to their recent Ovi portal, Music Store, and N-Gage games line. NONE of those three will work on the N800! Well, maybe the portal will in the web browser so - yay - we can look at stuff we can't use.

Re: Where do we go from here?
 

Exactly

Isn't this why we are told to fill out all those bug reports. Obviously we haven't reached the quota yet.

I think that concludes our enquiry.