Re: Nokia N950 vs Nokia N9
 

No, that's the thing, I'm coming to both touch screen keyboards and hardware keyboards as a total new comer. My previous phone was N95, because before N9/N950 nothing excited me. N900 interested me, but just not quite enough to make the purchase.

I can imagine N900 with vkbd can be annoying because the resistive screen. Part of the better experience for me using vkbd vs crammed physical keyboard on N950 is the capacitive screen, a light touch makes it easier for me to use such small keyboard effectively.

The first project I'm tackling will be a dynamic profile switcher, so that the used profile will be changed automatically by rules set by the user. At the moment the rules I'm intending to implement (or at least explore) are time and location based. Like for example use silent profile when at home during 9pm - 7am at home.

Re: Nokia N950 vs Nokia N9
 

Before I even knew about the N9 or N950, I was using the N900 for my phone and was looking around for other possible options (was honestly assuming the N900 was the end of the line from Nokia). My *one non-negotiable requirement* was hardware keyboard. My first smartphone was a G1, and I switched to N900 from that (and I also had an N800, with which I *always* carried my bluetooth travel keyboard). I type on my G1 and N900 with two thumbs at 60WPM. I have only managed to get to about 20WPM on N950 because the keyboard is a bit weird, and I'm still adjusting, but I know I will speed up.

I've used the VKBD on just about every iPhone model and several Android devices, including the ones by HTC that have Swype (or whatever they call their special inputmethod). After using so many, I've realized that there is no way I could ever be nearly as fast or accurate on a VKBD, especially on a capacative screen (so inaccurate compared to the N900's resistive...) simply because they don't let me hit the keys quickly enough. There is an innate delay that is caused when you hit one key, because it waits for you to lift up your finger before taking more input.

That said, obviously the winner will be N9 for the public, since the public only has one choice (with the N950 limited to a single run of developer only devices that will never go on sale). It can't win if it can't be bought... Also, I am perfectly willing to admit that I am a special case, as most people don't try to code on their cell-phone or use it to chat on IRC all day or as their main SSH client.

Edit:
As I said in one of my paragraphs above, the resistive screen is actually FAR EASIER to use, because it is far more accurate. I can place my finger directly on a key on a capacative VKBD and it wobbles around between three or so keys because it just doesn't understand where I'm actually trying to *apply* my finger, all it knows is where my finger *is*. There's a dramatic difference when the finger is a thumb and has a huge capacative surface, while actually applying pressure in a very small area.

Re: Nokia N950 vs Nokia N9
 

Fair enough, I don't have day-to-day experience with typing on resistive screens so I'll trust you on that. Nevertheless, I've found I'm getting more and more accurate on the virtual keyboard each day, as my motorics are learning which parts of thumbs/fingers make first contact on the screen thus making me more accurate.

At first it was for me like you said above, if using thumbs, quite inaccurat - although word correction helped a lot.

Re: Nokia N950 vs Nokia N9
 

i like the idea of your profile switcher, would be handy.

i had the n95 8gb, found it killed my thumb joint with 1 handed txting because the keys were so far down from the balancing point of the phone.
i went from that to the n900.

i've always been a fan of physical keys because it feels better. a little disapointed not to see the famed haptics on the n9 as it would give me better feedback on typing which i'd prefer. anyway.

there's something i've not seen in a long time, a bluetooth messanger. i used to love sending bluetooth txt's to random people on the bus. nokia had a nice app for symbian which had a BT profile and you could read others and msg them etc. be nice to see that now on maemo/meego.

Re: Nokia N950 vs Nokia N9
 

How do you measure this? All I know is that I am about as fast on the N9 VKB in portrait as my fingers can travel. I am unable to type that fast with the N900 keyboard, because my fingers cannot physically travel and press down the buttons equally fast.

This is not how multitouch VKBs work (certainly not the N9). You do not have to raise the finger from one key before you can type the next. I have tried very hard to type letters faster than the input method would accept, it's not possible.


This may sound right in theory, but it's not right in practice. A resistive screen sends a multitude of contact events when you press down your thumb, causing all kinds of whackiness (the software tries to filter out the worst of this, but it's far from perfect). Most of you have probably encountered this problem on the N900, when e.g. a page would scroll when you just intended to remove your finger from the screen. Resistive screens may be more accurate with styluses, but with fingers they are are horrible mess.

The capacitive screen correctly detects that you put down only one finger, and will activate the element at the center of the surface. The result is that I can put down my thumb as flat as I like, and even on the tiny portrait keyboard, it always activates the button that I would intuitively expect it to activate. There is no wobbling, unless I significantly shift the center of contact. Of course normally I would never type by putting my thumbs completely flat on the surface anyway.

Perhaps you are used to activating buttons by applying pressure rather than contact alone, and perhaps that leads to some weird results. But that would be a matter of practice, not precision.

I have looked for a sample video of what can be accomplished on a capacitive VKB with a bit of practice, and this seems quite accurate (though it seems extra hard to read the words at the same time, the typing speed is definitely possible on the N9):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNcTE5WJGdw

Re: Nokia N950 vs Nokia N9
 

so you don't consider deforming of austenic stainless steel frame as a risk for inside parts?

Re: Nokia N950 vs Nokia N9
 

as a happy N900 user since the day they arrived in the UK; i can genuinely say that i'm not fussed either way, as the inconvenience of a lack of HW K/B is easily made up for by the robustness of the single piece design of the N9.

Re: Nokia N950 vs Nokia N9
 

Just my 2 cents, but the vkb on the n950 is really good. Coming from the n900 where I don't think i've ever used the vkb more than twice in over 2 years, I find myself rarely opening the real keyboard on the n950. I think the main drawback of the vkb is the screen real-estate, but even that is handled quite well (compared to Symbian^3, where the vkb is ok, but it takes so much space you can't see what you're writing).
In my opinion, unless you're writing an essay or coding on there, the vkb seems good enough to justify the width and weight loss that the N9 will bring compared to the N950.

Re: Nokia N950 vs Nokia N9
 

A very important feature I miss in the new harmattan devices, I really absolutely miss that one feature, especially on the NOKIA N9, shipping.
Elop, shipping is a real important feature.

Re: Nokia N950 vs Nokia N9
 

What do you mean by shipping?