Re: 15 hardware changes that would have made N900 physically irresistible – [15 essential hardware features for its successor]
 

^_^ It's good to disagree. Always like hearing the other side.

- 4-row would be taking up more space. But not that much extra. I was just thinking about how you could type much more efficiently in a four row keyboard, where the top was for numbers (and thus, secondary keys too).

When you're typing, the focus should be more on the keyboard. But that's if there's even going to be a keyboard.

- Increased MP count - I don't mind sticking with 5mp and just improving the sensor, maybe improving flash. It's more of a marketing thing. They could of course, if they had bumped up to 8MP, we could have proper 5MP in widescreen instead of the current 3.5MP. (have not worked out the math of what actual pixel count would be)

- Xenon flash and dual Led. - Now, for 2010, phones could probably still live without Xenon flash. In my post, I didn't mean that it's necessary to have dual LED too. Just saying that for me, I'd prefer to just have Xenon over LED, although you could have both if you wanted too. e.g. Satio has Xenon flash and led for video light.

They say that the best camera is the one you have with you. That's more often people's phones, and most often the subject people take photos of the most is people. That again is most often in lower lighting/indoors and that's when you'd need Xenon flash.

Re: 15 hardware changes that would have made N900 physically irresistible – [15 essential hardware features for its successor]
 

No...

Thanks for the FUD, but multitouch resistive technology exists and doesn't make you throw away your sketching apps, handwriting input capability (goodbye 1B+ potential customers in China), and so forth. There are also capacitive-type technologies that accept stylus input if desired.

I would tentatively agree about 4-row keyboards. Arrow keys for all!

Re: 15 hardware changes that would have made N900 physically irresistible – [15 essential hardware features for its successor]
 

It might help prevent some scratches when placed upside down on a flat surface, but not when its in your pocket. Hasn't helped my N97 nor N900 when in pocket.

I did think about having glass but then the whole cracking issue when dropped...didn't want to think too much into the screen materials. (Perhaps just better scratch resistant plastic??)

Re: 15 hardware changes that would have made N900 physically irresistible – [15 essential hardware features for its successor]
 

I don't know, I kind of like the 3-row keyboard. It's already hard enough to reach the top of the screen while typing. I have a better solution: the N900 has enough space on the sides of the keyboard to add an extra column. Then make space one button wide, and you have four new buttons. Would much prefer that layout, personally.

Edit: other things to keep:

-Would rather have better keyboard and lens than slimness. (Although a few mm less would be nice, if you can pull all three off)

-Display tech doesn't matter to me as long as the device still comes with a built in stylus. It's essential for running desktop apps, and I would be very unhappy to see it go just for some stupid coolness factor. I also don't want to carry a separate stylus with me, even if it ships with the device, so keep the hole.

Re: 15 hardware changes that would have made N900 physically irresistible – [15 essential hardware features for its successor]
 

yup @ resistive displays with multitouch. Soz, I didn't intend to suggest multitouch is only with capacitive.

And this is probably going to be one of the worst places to try and convince people about going capacitive - I mean you guys have enjoyed the benefits of styluses with your tablets.

But you are also right, it is also possible to have stylus use for capacitive screens.

The whole "physically irresistible" hardware wise thing is more aimed towards the market carved out by iPhone, newer breeds of HTC and rest of upcoming touch smartphones who will blindly want feather touch capacitive.

Nokia could always make a resistive variant. But it's nigh on vital they make one with capacitive (unless they can make a resistive screen that has the same sensitivity)

Re: 15 hardware changes that would have made N900 physically irresistible – [15 essential hardware features for its successor]
 

Can someone with the N900 tell me... is the "|" key readily accessible yet? I don't see it in the pictures of the N900. I was excited to see it on my G1.

That was my biggest complaint with the N810 keyboard. I really kind of use that key alot.. and flipping through a "symbols" list to try and find it is *so* annoying.

The 3 rows never bothered me.. the Numbers over the top row letters never bothered me.. the only thing I was constantly looking for was that damn pipe/bar.

Re: 15 hardware changes that would have made N900 physically irresistible – [15 essential hardware features for its successor]
 

Agree with all. Some of those are not really important to me and some are.
I would be more than happy with 15mm with qwerty and 13mm without qwerty. I actually like the N900 keyboard alot, but if they can make it better with 4 row, why not.

OLED screen is something that i have learned to love with Omnia HD and with Zune HD so that would be great improvement for the future device and something i'm hoping to see. 3.7inch would be great, but if the device goes 4inch i don't want it to grow width too much. N900 size is great and i would like it to stay that way.

I would be happy to see N86 camera on the next Maemo phone and i'm pretty sure we will see that, but not a huge thing for me. Xenon would be great. You don't need to do anything else than to look at N82 direction to see the impact to low light pics.

Re: 15 hardware changes that would have made N900 physically irresistible – [15 essential hardware features for its successor]
 

It would be best if the new column I suggested above would be OLED keys. Switch to the terminal, and you'd get esc,tab,pipe. Switch to an office program and you get something more appropriate there, etc. On the desktop, shortcuts.

Re: 15 hardware changes that would have made N900 physically irresistible – [15 essential hardware features for its successor]
 

That would be kind of cool... then software could control which set of symbols it will activate.

Although I see that being a little confusing for new users....

"Wait so.. if I'm in here this does that.. over it does that.. but what if I want that other thing?!? HALP!"

Granted.. that will happen regardless :D.

Re: 15 hardware changes that would have made N900 physically irresistible – [15 essential hardware features for its successor]
 

Nope, the pipe is still a virtual key selection from the symbols menu. At least that's the case in the U.S. version.