Just got an n810 a few days ago, and some software doesn't install.
 

I get a number of dependency problems with various software that I try to install from the application manager or from the maemo.org website. I googled and found a discussion on another forum that a user had a similar problem and some one responded that they probably don't have the most recent OS2008 but that was the end of it. So I am thinking maybe I have an old OS, but I don't see any place to know what is the most recent OS and how to get it and how to install it, I see something for reflashing to OS2008 on the maemo download page but it doesn't say what version or if this is how I should update it :confused:.

According to my n810 in 'control panel' under 'about product', it says it has OS2008 version 1.2007.42-19.

Applications I have tried to install were asking for versions of bluez-utils, and various libhildon libraries.

Also I've played with the SDK a bit and the latest version says Chinook, but I have no idea what version of the OS that represents.

Re: Just got an n810 a few days ago, and some software doesn't install.
 

You need to upgrade. 51-3 is the latest.

Google: flash maemo <your OS here>

Re: Just got an n810 a few days ago, and some software doesn't install.
 

You should update the firmware, that should solve your installation problems (it did on my N810).

I've done a step-by-step tutorial (including videos) on how to update tablet firmware:

http://tabletschool.blogspot.com/200...-firmware.html

Re: Just got an n810 a few days ago, and some software doesn't install.
 

Incidentally, doesn't it seem a bit weird that the N810 had problems installing many apps straight out of the box during its launch period?

I'm not even talking about obscure apps, it wouldn't install Skype for example until I updated the firmware.

Skype is one of the main ways Nokia markets the tablet to casual users, surely they should have tested it with Skype before allowing that firmware version to ship with the N810?

Re: Just got an n810 a few days ago, and some software doesn't install.
 

The Skype people aren't known for their intelligence. :\ The software pretty much sucks whatever way you look at it.

Re: Just got an n810 a few days ago, and some software doesn't install.
 

Actually, Skype worked fine on a out of the box Nokia N810 when I tried to install prior to the new OS release for OS2008.

But after the latest firmware, I guess Skype was also updated to support the new firmware. But as the N810 boxes comes with the prior firmware versions, the new Skype does not install on it unless the firmware is also updated.

Ideally, Nokia should start shipping new boxes of N810 with the new latest version of OS2008 already flashed. Then there would be no issue with installing the new Skype version.

Re: Just got an n810 a few days ago, and some software doesn't install.
 

That's called painting with a broad brush !

Re: Just got an n810 a few days ago, and some software doesn't install.
 

People == developers

Re: Just got an n810 a few days ago, and some software doesn't install.
 

I'd recommend gizmo over skype, it has video and it works well for me.
The call quality on skype in the UK seems to be pants (maybe an ISP thing - don't know [don't care ;-)] )
Calling Dubai, the USofA.
Also my parents love the fact they can see their grandkids. And now my inlaws have my old n800 we are all one gizmo connected family ;)
(Of course when the n900 comes out, my wife will have my n810! - Any excuse to buy new toys I guess!)

Oh! and it supports freebie asterisk accounts, which is a sweetner.

Re: Just got an n810 a few days ago, and some software doesn't install.
 

The originating group of developers are actually rather brilliant and came up with one of the fastest p2p communication protocols. Once the closed-source version of Skype opened up, it went a tad downhill with every kid releasing their own client. I don't recall specifically whether or not the n810 client is put out by Skype themselves or not. All I know is the official Skype client runs like a champ on most desktops/laptops without issue.

I don't think grouping Skype as terrible/sucky is the way of going about it either -- since by doing so you're now discounting every client released as well as the API (which is all Skype is anymore). Could it stand improvement? Yes. However, it works for me and I haven't had an issue with it.

It's the same thing as saying "AIM sucks" -- the client, the Pidgin plugin, or the protocol?

As far as the n810 is concerned, it looks more like a glitch from Nokia's end on this one. Especially by not flashing all new devices with the latest firmware. Flash the device and it'll install, cause that's how I went about getting it installed.

Re: Just got an n810 a few days ago, and some software doesn't install.
 

AFAICT, that's indeed all you know.

Skype is not open-source; it is still closed-source, and nobody but Skype makes clients. (Well, there was that incident where someone in China claimed to have reverse engineered it; I never heard of anything resulting though, and it's definitely not "opened up".)

Re: Just got an n810 a few days ago, and some software doesn't install.
 

IMHO their cilent on the tablets is pretty good, it's easier to use than most Maemo apps and it's worked fine for me in the year or so it's been out. Even though there were compatibility problems with the N810 mentioned above, the OS2008 version of Skype has even better sound quality than the previous version.

It has started dropping calls more often lately, but I suspect that's something to do with the networks used by Skype rather than the app itself.

Re: Just got an n810 a few days ago, and some software doesn't install.
 

Well, I find Skype on the tablets rather disappointing. It's lacking send and receive files capability, and it's substantially resolution-dependent, which gets havoced by xrandr. I understand being behind Windows as far as their x86 Linux version is, but it doesn't seem reasonable to me that it should so far behind the x86 version.

Re: Just got an n810 a few days ago, and some software doesn't install.
 

I'm guessing the vast majority of Skype users don't care about anything except free calls.

If it lets you talk to people without paying anything (or by paying a substantially cheaper rate on SkypeOut), then that's probably all that most people would be looking for.

Video chat would definitely be a very popular feature with mainstream audiences, and it's surprising they haven't included that in the tablet version, but it's the voice calls that are the star.

And unlike the PC version of Skype, you can actually walk round the house with the tablet so you can talk in private, or keep it near you so you can receive calls.


Erm... what does that actually mean? :eek:

Re: Just got an n810 a few days ago, and some software doesn't install.
 

Well, "resolution-dependent" means everything is drawn at fixed pixel sizes, in fixed positions, such that it will look nice on an 800x480 display. But if the display is sized differently, and especially if it is smaller in either direction, parts of it will be inaccessible.

xrandr is the extension used for rotating the screen, for portrait mode.

"Havoced" is the past tense of havoc, a noun which I have gleefully verbed to describe the result of trying to fit 800x480 into 480x800:

Note that scrunching the contacts list down (with a scrollbar, if necessary) could have left all controls accessible. But lazy programmers know they're coding for a certain size of screen, and then when someone introduces a new feature, their work is exposed as the junk it is...

Re: Just got an n810 a few days ago, and some software doesn't install.
 

I take your point about non-neat programming, and it's a shame it doesn't support screen rotation, but as before I don't personally think this matters to a typical tablet user.

If you want to see a really really badly done client, check out the official Skype client for mobile phones: it DOESN'T SUPPORT FREE CALLS. Everything else works but NO FREE CALLS, you're charged at the normal call rate, which makes the whole client a bit pointless. It lets you make foreign calls with SkypeOut, but you have to pay your usual mobile call charges on top of the SkypeOut charges.

The irony is that I can access free Skype through my phone, but only by using it as a modem for my tablet.