Re: What woud you realistically like to see in the N900?
 

Here are my greetings to the Nokia designers, I hope you are reading!

I have used the 770 and the N800 in the past, and now the N810 for about a month. The one feature I have always missed in these devices is phone functionality. I would gladly throw my phone out of the window and carry just one device in my pocket. And I would gladly pay double the price if that is needed!

Anyway, here's my complete list of what I would like to see in the N900 and the OS 2009:

Connectivity:

• GSM call and SMS functionality
• GPRS/EDGE/HSxPA data
• MicroUSB charging in addition to the conventional one
• Replace MiniSD with 2xMicroSD slots
• GSM/CDMA/WIMAX functionality as MicroSD cards (SIM slot could be integrated in the device). This would make it possible for people to choose which connectivity they really want to have.
• Programmable RFID device, and RFID reader

Hardware usability stuff:

• One extra row of keys for number keys (an extra 6 mm of space is needed for this - it may be possible to slide the keyboard out that much more)
• Add Esc, Tab and | (pipe symbol) keys
• Add a couple of user programmable hardware shortcut keys
• The slide-out keyboard of the N810 is very, very good in my opinion. Please don't remove it in the next version, or replace with a poorer option. Better tactile feedback is always good, but the keyboard usability is extremely good as it is already, not including the missing number keys.
• Accelerometer for detecting motion and orientation
• 256 MB RAM (I'm still running out of it sometimes)
• Vibration for alarms and touch screen feedback
• A place for wrist or neck strap
• If possible after everything else, shave a couple of millimetres off in every dimension (But only if - the current size of the N810 is nearly perfect. Do not make it bigger. The N800 is a little bit too big in my opinion.

Operating system:

• Cryptographic services easy to use by applications (eg. for passwords and personal information)
• Unlimited swap size
• Better multitasking (an application must not be able to hang the whole system for several seconds)
• Bash and Coreutils instead of Busybox
• Make the system more "secure by default". Eg. the root password should be scrambled at initial startup.
• Make it possible to encrypt the user's whole home directory

User interface:

• Wide, thumb-operated scrollbars in every application. This could be an option in the control panel. Another possibility is a little bit less recessed screen (and both would be great!)
• The touch detection should be made more reliable (get rid of the falsely detected double taps and undetected taps)
• Add gesture support - instead of keeping the stylus pressed against the touchscreen, the context menu could open by drawing a small circle around the target item. Much quicker and easier.
• Portrait mode with automatic orientation detection using the accelerometer

Applications:

• Add Calendar, Todo and Notes application with standard open synchronization API
• Integrate Gnumeric (already works in almost a usable way)
• Browser tabs
• Firefox-style extensions in the browser (Adblock is what I particularly want - it could easily be used to block unwanted big flash animations which bring the device to near halt)
• Cryptographic integration in the browser - encrypt the saved passwords and form information
• More shortcut keys in every app
• A better e-mail app, regarding IMAP especially
• More supported protocols in the file manager: SSH, CIFS, FTP, WebDAV
• Almost forgot: OGG Vorbis sound support by default!

Re: What woud you realistically like to see in the N900?
 

I think I know what I _REALLY_ want to see for the next gen NIT:

Modu.

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/0...ic/1#c10410841

(pay attention to the pics at the end of the gallery, where they have a side-slider qwerty handset)


Imagine this:

A device with the hardware layout I already mentioned, adding a modu module port (maybe slightly bigger than the N810 to fit the modu). Bluetooth and Wifi are on the NIT.

Then there'd be 6 modu style modules:

0) Null: just an empty plastic shell to hold the space. Comes with the NIT.

1) Storage: lots of storage/memory expansion (maybe even a 1.8" SSD, if they can make it fit), some or no battery expansion

2) Endurance: no storage/memory expansion, LOTS of battery

3a) Euro-GSM: GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA in European bands, some storage/memory expansion, some battery expansion

3b) USA-GSM: GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA in USA bands, some storage/memory expansion, some battery expansion

4) CDMA: CDMA/1xRTT/EVDO, some storage/memory expansion, some battery expansion

5) WiMAX: WiMAX, some storage/memory expansion, some battery expansion

Adding an LTE version could be new versions of #3, or a #6 of its own.

If you don't want WWAN on your NIT, you can just use one of the non-WWAN modules (Null, Storage, or Endurance). If you want WWAN on your NIT, you buy one of the WWAN modules.

Re: What woud you realistically like to see in the N900?
 

I want to have a true linux on the device from the beginning like debian, ubuntu or gentoo linux.

Then no developper has to waste time in porting apps and users have full control over their device.

Re: What woud you realistically like to see in the N900?
 

The problem with that is that the GUIs of these "true Linuxes" have been designed to use large screens with a mouse. The point of Maemo is to tailor a GUI for Linux (relatively painlessly it has to be said) that efficiently uses a small touch screen.

Re: What woud you realistically like to see in the N900?
 

I cannot renember a linux which is bounded to a specific gui or you confuse something.

Maemo isnt binary compatible anymore to its parent debian. I do not have anything against a "Maemo Desktop Enviroment" (besides the fact that it is much less configurable than kde for ex.).

I just want to use the linux software of my choice without waiting for someone of the small maemo developper community to port it.

Re: What woud you realistically like to see in the N900?
 

My list is short becuase the n800 totally rocks as it is.

A2DP
USB Charging
Maybe 1024x600 res, but only depending on the next two wishes
Graphic Acceleration in hardware (drivers)
3D
Bluetooth Mouse profile.
OpenGL
OpenAL


For software features, I'd really like to see:
Autodownloading of RSS Video Streams (get up and watch the CNN feed each day)
Office Suite
Native Support of most codecs. Meaning; instead of the user having to cobble in ogg and mplayer etc.... this should ship with broad codec support.
Media Box should be default media player
Ability to designate handler apps for media. (Mp3 to Canola, AVI to Media Box, etc...)
Syntax highlighting code editor


Can bluetooth support a keyboard, mouse, headphones and a datalink, all at the same time?

I like the pause/answer button on the headphones, BUT the audio quality sucks. Need a way to add better headphones and keep the features.

Re: What woud you realistically like to see in the N900?
 

Can't really fault maemo/Nokia there, can you? Debian is going to ARM eabi too now, big ships just turn slower. We'll have binary compatibility again AFAICT (I don't see that as particularly important myself, but still...).

Re: What woud you realistically like to see in the N900?
 

This is absolutely not probable (hint: Nokia is a company).

If you think deeper you perhaps realise that what is good for the community is also good for you.

Re: What woud you realistically like to see in the N900?
 

First, I'm not sure what we're talking about anyway, as I'm running some sid binaries on my N800 right now -- we have binary compatibility.
Yeah, Nokia is a company. And we all know companies like to waste money hiring their own programmers to do what the OS community is doing anyhow, just so they can... umm... so they can do what?
What do they gain by keeping binary incompatibility (if they had it)? I really don't see anything.

Your whole claim that this is not a "true linux" is ridiculous.
If you mean that all software should be OS licensed, say so.
If you mean that it should come with a distribution managed and distributed by someone independent of Nokia, say so.
If you mean that it should be binary-compatible with some arch of some other distribution subject to some selection criteria (as your succeeding comments imply), say so. (Saying what selection criteria you use would scarce be amiss, too.) Or better still, notice that it is, and say nothing at all.

But when you say "true linux", the only meaning those words bear is that it runs the Linux kernel, which it undeniably does.

Lardman was polite enough to try to guess a rational complaint you could have meant, rather than simply pointing out how ridiculous your assertion was. His guess was apparently wrong, so could you please explain what you're trying to say?

Re: What woud you realistically like to see in the N900?
 

1 - either NO cellular network, or at least the ability to COMPLETELY turn it off - I have a cell phone that is smaller and built for this function. I don't want to waste battery life on this.

2 - FULL BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY to all 3 previous OS: 2006, 2007 and 2008. No software will need to be rewritten, thus keeping all the programs we are used to.

3 - option to lock only the screen, not the keys - maybe an OS option, but mandatory, if you ask me.

4 - video capture - no explanation needed.

5 - unless it triples the price, a camera zoom. otherwise, keep the device at a relatively low price <500$

6 - a video chipset (looking on the Dell x51v and HP Hw4700)

7 - maybe more CPU - 624 Mhz processor seems more than enough for mobile devices.

8 - IF there is a screen update to a higher resolution - about 800 Mhz.

9 - extended ability to extend ram to the flash card (1Gb Ram from my flash card would look good)

10 - USB HOST 2.0

11 - Video output - through an adapter cable since there is no place on the device to add a jack.

12 - extended USB capacity :
a) when connected to a desktop - being able to reach the internal memory
b) when connected to a desktop - being able to access the desktop from the internet tablet
c) capacity to connect to the internet via USB - for those of us who are stealing our neighbor's connections ;)

13 - for the audio output - a capacity to boost it beyound 100% (it MAY already exist... but I wasn't able to find it in the past 2 month :(

14 - neat, yet pointless features:
a) multi-touch screen
b) wireless charging
c) dynamic screen orientation
d) infrared
they add to the device's price, make it a bit more elegant, yet are not needed for good functionnality. they should NOT be included in order to keep the price low.

15 - better drivers (ex: bluetooth keyboard does not support the number pad on the right :(

16 - of course: DO NOT MAKE IT LARGER
one of the nicest features is its small size, useful for anytime uses, not like a laptop!