dylanemcgregor | # 21 | 2013-05-29, 19:39 | Report

I bought a D4 and used it for about a week before returning it. A good portion of that week I was traveling and outdoors in bright sunlight, and my recollection is that the screen was easy to read, and seemed brighter than my N900 (this might not be a fair comparison since my N900 has a screen protector on it that seems to cause a bit of reflection in bright conditions). The D4 also had the best hardware keyboard that I've ever used. From a hardware point of view, I think my only complaint was with the non-removable battery. Would love a device like that running something better than Android.

padmaraj.ravi | # 22 | 2013-05-30, 12:04 | Report

I was thinking about going for a BB10 device .But then does it offer true multitasking like n900?I have heard BB10 too kills apps without user permission once it goes past the system memory.I have heard about an 8 app limit on BB10 too.Does BB10 ever give a low memory warning.?I would prefer a low memory warning like the old symbian days than killing apps on its own.

dylanemcgregor | # 23 | 2013-05-30, 12:38 | Report

Right now it does close apps after 8, but I read somewhere that this limit is supposed to be removed in a later software update, and they are also supposed to open up the ability for third party programs to run processes in the background that would also make this less of an issue. But yeah, it still kind of sucks. Multitasking isn't as good as it is on the N900, but it is much improved over what is available on iOS, Android, or WP8.

Wreck | # 24 | 2013-05-30, 13:41 | Report

Bought an Nexus 4. But I still use my N900 occasionally. I won't ever trow it away

padmaraj.ravi | # 25 | 2013-05-31, 04:11 | Report

So there is no OS which handles multitasking like the symbian and palm .Why cant an OS simply prevent user from opening another app once system memory gets low, instead of killing an app. It can simply give a warning like my old E71.."Not enough memory..please close some apps and try again."

don_falcone | # 26 | 2013-05-31, 04:48 | Report

...having to say that, besides a HWKB (4.3'' is bit smallish for Hacker's KB etc.), UMS, and the better multi-tasking, there is almost nothing i miss from my N900. Instead, i'm able to do things much more comfortable and faster than before - either because not having to wait for slow HW, or because things are more seamless now respectively 'just' working entirely in the background now.
Won't look back, (but understand people who may do so); having found almost all my (better) alternatives by now.

Flandry | # 27 | 2013-10-02, 00:44 | Report

Alright. I bought a MyTouch 4G Slide off Ebay for around $75. It has two years newer hardware tech than the N900 and is one of the last QWERTY slider phones of any quality that will work on my provider network.

I wanted to get it while the N900 is still functional so that i could migrate the data over and compare the two of them:

• I've used the calendar export script from extras to export my calendars as iCalendar files (well, sorta... it's pidgin icalendar but i think it will work).
• I've copied my Conboy notes directory and will open it in Tomboy and then eventually find a way to sync with Tomdroid, which seems to be at almost feature parity now.
• I'm still working out how and what else i should transfer

One of the things that sold me on the HTC Doubleshot (device name for this MyTouch 4g Slide) is that when it came out, the camera was advertised as the most sophisticated smartphone camera ever. One thing i've really had trouble resolving is whether the "Zeiss optics" etc. of the N900 amount to anything compared to newer phones. In other words, has the bar for smartphone cameras been raised enough that this one will better the N900 with its name-brand camera. I did a lot of googling and read a lot of reviews, but at best i got conflicting reports, with a lot of people talking about the quality of Nokia cameras, yet many reviews showing newer (non-Nokia) phones of notable camera design do very well against them.

Because one of my main concerns is that i not lose any quality in the camera when i switch over, the first thing i've been checking is the camera performance.

I thought i'd share with you my amateur comparison...

MyTouch 4G Slide vs. N900 -- Camera, Round 1

I really dislike flash photography, and i usually have the flash on the N900 disabled (it doesn't help that it always gives the image that atrocious blue tinge). The ability of a camera sensor to gather light well is a high priority. From my limited understanding of optics and solid-state sensor technology, the f/2.2 of the MT4GS might mean that it can gather more light for a similar shot than the rather pedestrian f/2.8 of the N900, and also that it can get a wider angle (another plus in my book). However, i discovered that the MT4GS sensor is 1/3.2", while the N900's is 1/2.5". What this does is allow the MT4GS to have a shorter camera module, but it also means the sensor chip is smaller, which could mean more noise etc. In the end i decided that i'd just have to risk it.

Anyway enough comparing numbers and guessing. Here are some quick shots for a real comparison:



Round 1 to the newcomer. There is much less noise and more detail in the MT4GS' image, and the color is better, too.

MyTouch 4G Slide vs. N900 -- Camera, Round 2



Round 2 is a bit closer. The N900 captured the contrast better (for example the floor pattern), but it has a lot of noise both in chroma and in luminance. The MT4GS captured a smoother, brighter, wider image, but there is noticeable fuzziness to the edges.

Check out the detail clips that follow if you can't see it in the proofs.


N900


MT4GS

I'll be taking some other comparison photos but i think it's clear that the MT4GS isn't completely outclassed as i had feared.

Not too surprisingly, it seems like the MT4GS, with its newer, back-illuminated sensor, does a better job of capturing what light there is, while the N900, with its hoity-toity Zeiss lens, gets a sharper/cleaner focus.

MyTouch 4G Slide vs. N900 -- Camera, Round 3

This round is about the software. Right away i am giving a point to the N900 for its unambiguous, no-nonsense camera switch (the lens slider). Getting to the camera on the MT4GS isn't as easy, but it does have a dedicated shutter button. ETA: Oops, my bad: a long-press off the shutter button brings up the camera app on the MT4GS. It's about a tie for ease of access, but N900 still has an advantage with the slider protecting the lens and acting as an off switch as well as on.

However, the MT4GS is much more responsive, and captures an image much faster, too. In fact, the camera software is where most of the magic in the "World's most sophisticated smartphone camera" comes from. The app buffers frames from the time the app is started, so that when you push the shutter button, you get the image corresponding to that moment.

It also has an HDR mode, a timer, etc, and rotates the UI according to camera rotation: things that we didn't get in our stock camera app. There are some settings that aren't accessible in the app, but overall it provides a pretty thorough selection.

One oddity is that the images come out in a 1916x1080 ratio, not the usual 1920x1080 of HD.

I prefer the N900's way of naming the files (using the date), and of course the mass storage mode of the N900 is awesome when you want to quickly access the photos on your PC. ETA: The android phone will expose the SD card is mass storage mode, too. Limited relative to the N900, but that's where Android puts the user content, anyway.


Ruling

So far i'm feeling good about the MT4GS from camera perspective. I may post a follow-up once i've had more exposure to the whole experience, but here are a few quick comments:

The keyboard IMO is not entirely better or worse than the N900s. It is larger and has more keys, but they are smaller and have less travel. The bezel gap on either side is taking some getting used to.

The boot up time is great, and the whole thing feels a lot faster. I don't really care for the stack paradigm of Android: you can only push or pop, not really jump. It's already clear i'm going to miss the UI, but not the sloooooooooow.

That's it for now. If anyone cares for a follow up, let me know. Otherwise i'll probably keep it to myself.

ETA: i can't remember the trick to get the attachments to only appear in the post, so sorry for the mess.

Attached Images

    

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Last edited by Flandry; 2013-10-03 at 16:34. Reason: Overlooked some features on the new phone

AndyYan | # 28 | 2013-10-02, 04:09 | Report

As seen in my signature, my recent companions include a Nexus 4 (to call/SMS and to success N900's versatility, though it's not so close) and a Captivate Glide (to success N900's keyboard and networking abilities, and yes, it does its job better than N900: bigger keys and 21Mbps HSPA+).
I do miss the app switcher, but the damn resistive screen put off my enthusiasm to use it. If Maemo 5 were released with a capacitive screen device with at least 512MB RAM...

Flandry | # 29 | 2013-10-03, 09:55 | Report

Hmm i've been thinking that i miss the precise resistive screen. I'm still not sure what people dislike about it but i definitely don't like not being able to use my nail and/or stylus for more accuracy.

macey | # 30 | 2013-10-03, 10:01 | Report

Why, another N900... Have two 'as new', working perfectly...
This next.http://talk.maemo.org/showpost.php?p...43&postcount=1
Wouldn't use anything else...