Nokia Announces the Internet Tablet 2006 OS Update
 

Browser update?
 

Any word on whether the Opera browser will see an update to better support AJAX heavy sites like Google Reader and Google Calendar? That would be particularly awesome, especially if they include better flash support so the thing could handle Google Video. I guess one thing at a time...since they didn't mention anything like that in the press release I'm not keeping my fingers crossed. The new look is hot though!

full screen keyboard? the current layout already takes half the screen.

Sweet! So I don't have to return the 770 I just bought. I was getting nervous there for a bit. Did they say anything about a hardware change in the newer ones that come shipped with the 2006 OS?

artman: Yes and no. In the webcast press conference Andrew Flegg posted, a reporter asked about the next generation of hardware. The response was along the lines of "we're always developing the next generation but it won't be out for a while until it reaches maturity". We're fine for now. :)

They did mention that it's opera 8. I wouldn't hold my breath on the flash 8 support though (and thus google video). Maybe that the new opera will be able to process google cal and reader (and notepad) though.

Too true. Plus, I avoid touching skin to screen like the plague. I can't see how a full screen KB would work for me at all. Very strange.

im trying to decide if i should upgrade or not. I think this version i actually will. I have the original version that came with my 770 beacuse i dont want to lose all of the apps i have accumulated. But this new release should be nice!

Audio Hardware
 

Any word on the audio hardware, will this work from the small hole on bottom of 770 or will there be bluetooth headset needed.

My screen inputs work fine, I agree, full screen keyboard for use with fingers, hmmm

2nd Quarter 2006 isn't that now, so is that by the end of June, 1.5 months max, do you think it will actually happen?

:confused:

Not sure how they can call that look refreshed... It looks like a bad website from the late 80s. Those beveled edges are horrid. Why waste such a small screen with those thick borders? I hope themes become easier to create...

Looked at the images again, SERIOUSLY! They're extremely thick and why does a popup menu need such thick borders???

Here is the current info when you enter "opera:about" (w/o the quotes) in the current opera version:

Version information
Version 8.02 Internal
Build 1.0.88
Platform Linux
System armv5tejl, 2.6.12.3-omap1

XHTML+Voice Not available

Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; ; Linux armv5tejl; U) Opera 8.02 [en] N770/SU-18_0.2006.04-1_PR

So I guess we're stuck with the same old browser that has its limits. : (

Any word on whether or not this update will erase every installed app/setting on the 770? I wish they'd make updates simply updates, not re-flashing the memory.

It'll wipe everything... which - given no existing application will work - is not a Bad Thing[TM].

I can also fully understand why they do it as it makes support trivial.

For reference, with the proper package management in the 2006 OS it'll be harder to move installed apps to the MMC to work around having to re-install them post-upgrade.

So far, the update sounds interesting. As a consumer, they said stuff I wanted to hear. Improved speed and memory performance, added features etc.

We shall see how it really performs though.

They had promised in the past that this update would include a proper means of installing software. This means that all the third-party packages will have to be rebuilt but that there will be dependency checking and package updating. I suspect that they are going to a full apt-get.

No need to suspect: it's a full apt-based system. Documentation for package authors is in Subversion:

https://stage.maemo.org/viewcvs.cgi/...installer/doc/

Username/password: guest/guest.

Full Screen Keyboard
 

Since I'm focused on the keys and the text box when entering text... I'd gladly give up the other half of the screen if they would make more characters accessible without having to punch three keys to get one character.

But, I'm not interested in typing with my fingers at all...

google as the default search provider?
 

I just hope that you can change the default because with T-Mobile as my provider, I can't access google sites at all.

Where are you located? I am in Michigan and my T-mobile works great with all google sites? The 770 has browser issues with some sites, but I can access them all. I have the 29.95 internet plan, but even with my wifes phone I can get to google with no internet plan, and no t-zones needed. If you use wap.voicestream.com and use proxy getmorespeed.voicestream.com 8080

What phone are you using? how is the 30.00 connection plan?

Touchscreen GUIs absolutely have to have bigger activation zones than mouse/keyboard GUIs do. If there's a scroll bar then it has to be thicker, too. All the GUI assumptions are different.

Do I miss PIM functionality (alarm handling) in the new/upcoming 2006-version?

I think that was on the roadmap for the *next* version after V.2006.

So who here uses Google Talk? I don't think I know anyone on it.

Actually, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Talk mentions that Google Talk will be able to communicate with AIM at some point. This should make things very interesting if it does go through.

Does Google Talk support chatting with AIM users? I remember reading that Google was implementing the feature after they signed a deal with AOL but I haven't be able to try the application yet.

On the spec's on the nokia 770/os2006 it says/read that teh nokia770 will support 802.11g (too). Is this is true for os2005 too?

I think it does support G, but due to processor and flash speeds you'll never actualy reach G speeds

you can do that with GAIM:
https://developer.berlios.de/projects/maemo-gaim/

Yea, but Gaim is really buggy. It would be nice if Google would finally incorporated AIM into their client.

gTalk uses an open standard. It'd be nice if AIM incorporated that. Or MSN. or ICQ. Etc.

Yea, you got me there. But Google did announce that they would incorporate AIM connectivity if "certain conditions were met." I was just wondering if it happened yet...

http://www.google.com/press/pressrel..._expanded.html

Yes the Nokia does support 802.11g, my wireless network operates in g only mode but the speeds are somewhat short of 54mb/s.

All these features sound great but with the same paltry internal memory this thing is relegated to 3rd string. I still need my laptop and I still need my PDA and I still need my BT phone. Don’t get me wrong, I like having the tablet when Im on the road, I just wish I got to bring one less charger with me.

that's one reason I got a USB charger, one for a N70 series will work for the 770. it's one more cable, but I can plug it into the laptop if I have it, or take a power brick or 12v car plug if I'm not taking the laptop. kit came with the 12v and AC to USB adaptors.

extrootfs - How will OS2006 affect this?
 

Question for the 770 'gurus' out there -

I used wolframs script to (a) Extend Root and then (b) Create a 24MB swapfile on a 200MB partition on my 1GB RS MMC. Its been working great and I can have loads of aps open at the same time.

Does anyone know if upgrading to OS/iT2006 will:

(1) Wipe out this script and the operation of the swapfile
(2) Disbale R&D mode

In other words - will I have to 'become root' again (not just sudo gainroot but the whole shebang with the flasher in Linux), then re-install & run the extrootfs script? Will I need to repartition the RS MMC?

Thanks!!

New stuff not mentioned
 

I'm sad enough to look at the specs on the nokia site....

2006 vs the 2005 version shows a couple of new things....

1) * Option for extended virtual memory (RS-MMC up to 1 GB)
2) # Headphones (HS-61) now included
3) Brazilian Portuguese, Canadian French language support.

Dave

It will look like old typewrighter: single line for text.

Indeed the line:
"Option for extended virtual memory (RS-MMC up to 1 GB)"
Is very interesting indeed.

Exciting stuff, I must say.

I wonder if it will have any New Zealand cities in the clock now!

I just find it funny they missed a whole bloody time zone :)

Not hard to add it if they missed it. Go back to the threads about the last update and the problem that they had with the time zones. it tells you how to add additonal time zones to the 770. I know you'd rather have it be there stanard. I don't blame you.

Thats a nice theory. But the Treo I've been using for the last several years would argue differently, as would the limited use I've had with Window Mobile.