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maemo.org - Talk (https://talk.maemo.org/index.php)
-   Nokia N900 (https://talk.maemo.org/forumdisplay.php?f=44)
-   -   N900 function compared to G1 (https://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=32479)

sevla 2009-10-06 15:11
Re: N900 function compared to G1
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rushmore (Post 340334)
I ordered the N900 due to the hardware and potential of the OS. I have used a G1 for a year, but am tired of the low app memory, java layer constraint (apps are not as smooth due to this) and the lack of video codec support (due to the java layer restriction).

That being said, I do appreciate the following functions:

1. Texting using the virtual keyboard in portrait mode
2. Voice searching Google in portrait mode
3. Shopsavvy (bar code scanner)
4. Shazaam (ID's songs that it listens to and tags them)

Will I lose these functions with the N900? I would expect to see Shopsavvy and Shazaam, but if the market is not there due to not enough device sales, we may never see those apps.

I guess my main concern is the N900 may be supported almost 100% by homebrew and not by commercial development. I LOVE game emulators and ports (heavy retro gamer), so that will be cool on the N900, but what about commericial apps that also take advantage of the N900 hardware? Majority support by homebrew is great, but need Shopsavvy and Shazaam like apps too.

Please shoot my concerns down in flames :confused:
I'm working on the virtual keyboard.
I assume shazzam would show up eventually.

I'm pretty confident that with in 6 months Maemo will have the features you mentioned. It will just take time to get there since Maemo OS is late coming to the market compared to other platforms

Laughing Man 2009-10-06 16:09
Re: N900 function compared to G1
 
Shazzam is in Ovi already isn't it? (for Symbian not Maemo). If Maemo becomes popular I imagine we could see Shazzam for Maemo in the Ovi store too.

Rushmore 2009-10-06 16:35
Re: N900 function compared to G1
 
I must admit that two basic abilities to be missing for a smart phone type touch device seems odd.

1. No ability to text in portrait using VK
2. No voice search with browser

These are pretty standard now even for Android phones and are basic functions. Though the homebrew and geeks among us will love the device, most other consumers will be concerned with these misses and the lack of these or similar basic functions will result in less sales.

Oh well, looks like the earliest the N900 will ship is the end of the month, so still plenty of time to think about it. My bet is first week of November.

Ayle 2009-10-06 16:45
Re: N900 function compared to G1
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rushmore (Post 340472)
I must admit that two basic abilities to be missing for a smart phone type device seems odd.

1. No ability to text in portrait using VK
2. No voice search with browser

These are pretty standard now even for Android phones and are basic functions. Though the homebrew and geeks among us will love the deivce, most other consumers will be concerned with these misses.

Oh well, looks like the earliest the N900 will ship is the end of the month, so still plenty of time to think about it. My bet is first week of November.
Quote:
No ability to text in portrait using VK
Android did not have a VK at first. And typing one handed on a VK in landscape is not that hard.

Quote:
No voice search with browser
That's an android only functions. On all the other smartphones you have to actually install the google app, and for doing that you need to have actually heard about that function. So I'm pretty sure most non-poweruser smartphone buyers never heard about that.
Android powered phone are still a minority.

Shazam should be easily portable. I mean all it does is accessing the mic recording the song playing and matching the audio footprint to their library.

Rushmore 2009-10-06 16:57
Re: N900 function compared to G1
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ayle (Post 340479)
Android did not have a VK at first. And typing one handed on a VK in landscape is not that hard.


That's an android only functions. On all the other smartphones you have to actually install the google app, and for doing that you need to have actually heard about that function. So I'm pretty sure most non-poweruser smartphone buyers never heard about that.
Android powered phone are still a minority.

Shazam should be easily portable. I mean all it does is accessing the mic recording the song playing and matching the audio footprint to their library.
Thanks! The more you refute my posts, the more likely I am to not cancel my N900 order. Keep em' commin' :)

So you CAN text using the VK in landscape mode and the keyboard closed?

Laughing Man 2009-10-06 17:08
Re: N900 function compared to G1
 
I imagine so, considering there's both the hard keyboard and a soft (on screen keyboard that can be brought up). Though it appears that there's no longer a stylus use on screen keyboard, only the full screened on screen keyboard (which leaves about half an inch to an inch to see what your typing).

On other devices (n800/n810) you could use both the stylus keyboard (a tiny keyboard meant for use with the stylus) or the full screen soft keyboard or if you had the n810 also the hardware keyboard.

allnameswereout 2009-10-06 17:40
Re: N900 function compared to G1
 
There is a thread about 'which applications do you want to see on Maemo'. You could post some of the suggestions you made here; especially Shazam, as its an application. Shopsavvy, is a concept which has room for far more interesting possibilities, but I if such is developed, it will take time.

TedMilker 2009-10-06 18:12
Re: N900 function compared to G1
 
Shopsavvy does not look that hard to duplicate. I gave myself a minute(literally) to look into this on the Internet. There is already an open source barcode from image reader library for Linux called ZBar. According to the tarball, it even looks like it has pygtk bindings already made. Just recompile for maemo, fix the bugs and you got the major input mode accomplished. Then it is just a matter of linking it with a backend database or search engine or however Shopsavvy works(they did not really have any info on their website at all).

Not trying to say it is simply a recompile and you are finished but really, this is how Linux apps have worked forever. Someone scratches an itch with open source stuff that is out there and things get better.

sarahn 2009-10-07 03:57
Re: N900 function compared to G1
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rushmore (Post 340334)
I ordered the N900 due to the hardware and potential of the OS. I have used a G1 for a year, but am tired of the low app memory, java layer constraint (apps are not as smooth due to this) and the lack of video codec support (due to the java layer restriction).

That being said, I do appreciate the following functions:

1. Texting using the virtual keyboard in portrait mode
2. Voice searching Google in portrait mode
3. Shopsavvy (bar code scanner)
4. Shazaam (ID's songs that it listens to and tags them)

Will I lose these functions with the N900? I would expect to see Shopsavvy and Shazaam, but if the market is not there due to not enough device sales, we may never see those apps.

I guess my main concern is the N900 may be supported almost 100% by homebrew and not by commercial development. I LOVE game emulators and ports (heavy retro gamer), so that will be cool on the N900, but what about commericial apps that also take advantage of the N900 hardware? Majority support by homebrew is great, but need Shopsavvy and Shazaam like apps too.

Please shoot my concerns down in flames :confused:
There has been work porting many distributions to the existing tablets, android included.

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=28904

Android has also been ported to other platforms, including the beagleboard. The beagleboard is a hobbyist platform that has hardware similar enough to the n900 that people have been using it to try the new version of maemo.

Given this background, someone will probably port android to the n900, and probably not very long after it comes out.

I understand this is probably not what you want, but It may also be possible (with some pain) to have an android sandbox running on the n900. Then you could run android side by side with maemo. For all I know someone is already working on this.

ruskie 2009-10-07 05:28
Re: N900 function compared to G1
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by hanh (Post 340406)
a lot of suggestions they see as pointless won't be worked on unless more commercial developers see a cash opportunity in it, which will turn off a lot of average users, which will repel commercial developers even more, cycle continues, blahblahblah.
That's easy to fix. Offer bounties for features. Free Software does not exclude making money so if some feature is desired by many users post a bounty for it where users contribute and the bounty goes to the developer that implements it. Or you can even pay to have it developed(just don't forget a contract). Or if you know some coder friends ask them if they want to contribute such a feature. That is all assuming you yourself aren't able to code it up. I know some people have a greater incentive to work when they are payed. Not all but some. Or sometimes that extra cash allows them to take an extended vacation that gives them the time needed to code it up.

There's just so many ways of doing this that people just need to think it through usually.


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