What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

I'm right on the verge of buying either an N800 or an N810 but I'm curious to hear what peoples biggest gripes are with either unit. Be brutally honest!! :o

Apologies if this kind of thing has been posted here before! ;)

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

It has, and often. Try a search. :)

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

I don't have many problems, but I do have a wish list:

Stereo audio input, capable of recording at 16bit/44.1khz.

500mA current supply for USB peripherals.

Position mic on right side, rather than center (for making voip calls without earphones/headset)

Removable camera.

Multi-touch, flush fitting, scratch resistant display.

Drivers for IVA and Power VR.

..and of course more CPU/RAM would always be nice :)

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

You mean like the IVA hardware that is built in but for which there is no driver...?

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

Thats easy... NOT HAVING ONE!!!!! :D

Regards,

Omega :cool:

ps... I do have the N800... wish it would turn into an N810 though!

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

Post edited :)

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

Start up time is a problem to me...

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

no TV out is a pity id say :(

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

I keep having to reflash mine. Maybe I'm just dense and doing something wrong. But, my firmware keeps getting screwed up. Since, I can apparently count on reflashing at least every other week just to get it to boot again, the only apps I've been installing and using are mplayer and kagu+dependencies.

Does it have something to do with the battery dying while the unit is "on"? That seems to be the trigger, but I've no clue if it's the cause or just a symptom. And, it's primarily been since official SDHC support, after which I immediately switched to two 8g SDHC cards for storage.

I love my N800, and I wouldn't trade it for anything (Figuratively speaking of course. All obnoxiously generous offers will be given due consideration, I assure you.). I'm hoping OS2008 ends my suffering (dramatic, no? ;) ), but as I've no idea what's really going on in that mysterious cloud of 1s and 0s, I've even less of a clue as to the prognosis with the O/S upgrade.

Maybe it's just my machine, maybe I'm an idiot, or a little bit of both. And, I wouldn't discourage others from getting one, in the slightest, since I still suspect "operator error" to be the primary cause of my woes, lol. But, you asked, so, there ya go. :p

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

I would like either a 3 megapixel camera with optical zoom or a 8 megapixel camera with digital zoom.

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

Well, either you're futzing around in places you shouldn't be, your device is defective (unlikely) or the unexpected poweroffs are leaving enough garbage behind that the hardware watchdog steps in when the cleanup steps past the 30 second limit at startup (assuming you're experiencing reboot loops). My best recommendation would to be to avoid the complete battery drains (bad for the life of the battery, anyway) and try and keep it plugged in when not in use.

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

the biggest problems I see why I am hesitant to recommend someone to buy a N8XX would be:

- flashing deletes everything. and no the back up software is near useless. All it backs up are the settings. Having to redownload apps/tools every damn time after a flash is just a STUPID way of doing things. Imagine having to do that with you desktop computer.

- repositories and apps manager. Having to input each damn repository with that slow and badly designed apps manager is a PAIN. Sure if you have it backed up it's easy, but If you are a new user, it's a pain and confusing . Even the back up method doesn't always work, that's why I keep my list as text on my sd card. But that needs not only the terminal but root to swap it out. Which brings me to the next point.

- Why isn't terminal in the list of apps included in the firmware? Even OSX includes terminal as part of the OS. Again looking at it from a new user POV, not as a seasoned N800 user.

Honestly, unless the person who about to get one is of the geeky sort and has a basic computer understanding, I would advise them to get an iPhone.

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

I hate to say this, because it makes me look like an idiot, but my only real problem with the N800 is difficulty in reflashing. It has seemingly gotten harder and harder, though I've done it successfully about 30 times in the last year. Getting the usb symbol to stay on the screen and thus keeping a steady usb connection is the problem.

I did get the usb symbol to stay once lately, and I was so surprised and had tried so many times that I immediately disconnected to try it again. Of course it hasn't worked since...

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

I would like to have a hspda/wimax chip in there. That would be the perfect combo.

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

With OS2008, it is.

Dunno, I never have a problem with getting the flasher to recognize whatever device I happen to be flashing (aflegg's OS X 770Flasher). Maybe something peculiar about your particular setup?

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

My biggest problems (or better frustrations) are:
-No way to see MS Office attachments on emails so far (excel, word, ppt), crucial because of my job. So email tasks are limited in my case.
-No full streaming media capability (specially the ones based on WM)
Anyway, I love my N800, but at the price I have paid for it ($250). I am pretty sure that's my break price for this kind of gadget.

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

To be fixed in the next major revision, Diablo (IT2009?)

Less of a pain in IT2008 as it includes the extras repository now by default (but needs to be manually enabled).

I would say that a terminal is not something a new user would use (or even understand). IT2008 includes xterm by default now under Utilities in the application menu.

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

If you haven't stumbled across it yet, there is a great repository database with "Click to install" here:
http://www.gronmayer.com/it/

If you save the .install file when it downloads then you have a copy that you can keep as a backup and open later from App Manager when you need it. No Terminal or root necessary.

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

The memory cards going Read Only. I'm sure it will be my MAIN REASON to sell the b*tch and go for the Eee. :mad:

Ton.

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

N800 is kind of perfect for me but as human wants are unlimited, here are my wishes:

1. better video support. if a video has a supported resolution, data rate that the CPU can handle, it should play. codecs shouldn't matter.

2. native device support for switching from landscape to portrait mode and vice-versa. this shouldn't have been left for the application developers to support.

3. support all Google services. I will never ask for PDA functionality if Google Docs, Calendar, Mail, Reader etc are supported with minimal offline-work mode through Google Gears or XUL clients.

On a side note, I would really like to use N800 like a gaming device. For that, the placement of the hardware buttons is crucial. With the direction Nokia tablets are taking, I guess there will be lesser and smaller number of buttons in the future. I at least wish that a lot of touch-based games will be developed for it.

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

I have to agree that Flashing is my biggest problem with the N8xx. It shouldn't be a necessary step except when you need to completely erase the system and go back to a pristine system image.

For software upgrades, it shouldn't be necessary at all. You should be able to download packages via application manager. If they're things that are core to the kernel&gui, then it should say that you need to restart after the upgrade (but let you do so at your leisure). If they're applications that don't require a reboot, but that you're currently running, it should say that you need to close the program before you install the upgrade. Otherwise, it should just install the new packages and that's it.

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

What about LTE?


If I could have my ideals, there'd be a compact flash slot on the top back side of the device, and Nokia would sell modules to put into it. Those modules would be:

0) maybe wifi -- if I have one of the following modules in, then I probably don't need wifi to be active. Mainly I suggest moving wifi to a CF Module to make the space for the modular system; if it would be possible to add the CF slot without removing wifi, that'd be good.
1) WiMAX
2) GPRS/EDGE/HSDPA/HSUPA
3) LTE
4) RTT-1x/EVDO-rev0/EVDO-revA/EVDO-revB

It would basically be your WWAN interface slot. The device comes with the wifi module, and from there you can pick a different WWAN interfac that suits you.

If you don't want to have the wifi module be removable, then other options would be the bluetooth module, or the GPS module (not WWAN, but not on everyone's list of requirements, either). Or the mini-SD card slot -- just have a CF card caddy for full size SD cards.

If you're not concerned about a small/slight bulge on the back of the device, though, you could just add a CF card slot without removing any of the current components. Then you can have both a mini-SD card built in, and add a full size SD card slot via the CF slot. (though, honestly, I think they should just go to micro-SD for the built in slot)

Though, WWAN cf cards that I've seen have a piece that sticks out with a bulge (like the antenna part of a Wifi PCMCIA card). Which brings up two issues:

1) you'd want the "top" of the CF card slot to be the "back of the NIT -- so that the bulge goes away from the user and doesn't get in the way of the N810 screen as it slides up.

2) Looking at the hinge on the latest nokia patent, for the slide'n'tilt screen device that may or may not be a next-gen NIT ... I wonder how that hinge would interact with adding a CF card slot in there. Perhaps if the CF slot was slightly recessed on the back of the NIT. Not sure how that'd mesh with the battery though.

I'd be against having the CF slot on the sides ... that'd make holding the device a little awkward, I think. You'd have to alter your grip when you've got a card inserted. Maybe you could put it on the bottom ... with the current designs, that makes it awkward to interact with the kick-stand and setting the device down. But it should work more cleanly with the slide'n'tilt patent design (since it sits on its back, and not on the bottom edge of the device). Not sure how it interacts with the battery though.


My one major doubt about this plan, though, is that the popularity of CF cards is on the wane. I would want Nokia to make all of these cards, so that they stay on the market for as long as the NIT needs them. It would also ensure that the drivers for the cards were available. That includes having Nokia make the SD card reader.

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

Biggest problem is not having enough apps. Even worse, not having the choice what app flavor you want.

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

I was also wondering about this 'effect'. After flashing my N800 to 08 I have noticed that the unit simply won't hold a charge the way it used to. Before, I could lock the screen and keyboard and leave it in my bag for a few hours, then retrieve and use it with several hours of juice on tap. Now, when i go back to get it, after leaving it on the desk for a few hours, it is dead.

This doesn't seem to happen on the N810, and just yesterday I reflashed to the latest firmware (updated since the device was shipped) and the battery life, while shorter than the it was on the N800 is still acceptable.

So, I'm thinking I'll flash my N800 back to 07 but that won't help the slew of N800 owners who are aching for the 'upgrade':o

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

Sounds like you've corrupted your cards. If you're using a USB adaptor, wait a little while after unmounting the memory card before removing it.

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

I know. Now, if this card is broken again (my third card so far) the N800 goes out of the window.:mad:

Ton.

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

My biggest gripe is the hardware buttons: seriously few buttons, and a very poor d-pad. The d-pad should be usable as a rocker, with only a firm central push able to trip the center button. Right now, the center button sticks out, and your thumb has to "jump" over it.
And right-hand buttons would be nice. (No, not just for games. A diamond arrangement of 4 buttons would function as a second d-pad for, say, scrolling in VNC. Separating scrolling would allow the cursor keys to autorepeat when I'm VNCing into my XP desktop and trying to use an x-term there.
Another complaint is the webcam. Everyone knows that should have been centered over the screen, and still keep the flip-over capability. Oh, well...

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

The only thing that irks me is the missing xvid codec. It's free and unencumbered, include it!

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

The biggest problem for me is I am not able to use DUN thru my Blackjack.
Blackjack (and all WM5) devices have PAN support and Nokia N810 has DUN support - so so bluetooth connectivity to 3G network is a bummer.

2nd problem is the crappy camera - hardly, if ever, used it till now.

Re: What's your personal biggest problem with the N8xx??
 

I agree. The N8x0s should support both PAN and DUN bluetooth profiles.

Yeah, I'd rather do away with the chat cam and just have a back facing picture/video cam, with flash. Both would be nice, but if I had to pick one or the other, it wouldn't be the chat cam.