Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

I've decided to create this thread after talking with AStorm on IRC. We probably all know that the current N8x0 hardware has got a few small but annoying glitches that nag every Maemo user. Hopefully, Quim and Peter will see this threadand relay the list of glitches to concerned parties inside Nokia, so that the upcoming tablet has them fixed.

Ok, let us start:

Touchscreen:
* A lot of touchscreens appear to be somewhat bent. It is easy to see by shining light at the display from a small angle.
* Touch debouncing needs to be improved as the touchscreen often registers multiple touches instead of a single one.
* Sensitivity at the right side of the screen is lower and the screen feels somewhat "mushier" there.
* It may be too much to ask, but can the screen surface be made harder, to protect from scratches and excessive pressure?
* The touchscreen pressure value (as reported to applications) is pretty useless at the moment, most likely due to mechanical qualities of the screen.

Hardware Buttons:
* Screen size and volume buttons do not provide enough tactile feedback in the current N810 hardware. They do not click and do not feel as "pressed".
* N810 front panel hardware buttons also do not provide tactile feedback.

Body:
* Silvery paint used on the N810 body chips off and wears out too easily. Please, consider making unpainted body of some sturdy plastic, even if it does not shine as much. Most users will appreciate a less fragile device.
* N810 metal front/back panels are easily scratched, even with a stylus. Panel texture mostly hides the scratches but you can still see them by looking at the panel surface from an angle.
* The kickstand does not have enough tension in a particular position to hold the unit up.
* The USB port is hidden behind the kickstand in the folded position.

Slider:
* Keyboard slider seems to have some slack at the right side. I first thought that it was specific to my tablet but later saw it happen with other tablets as well.

Stylus:
* Some styluses are reported scratching the screen straight out-of-the-box.

Keyboard:
* The keys are hardly distinguishable when using the thumbs to type. The height difference between the middle and the edge of a key should be bigger.
* The force needed to press a key is too high, which makes typing prone to errors (missing presses or double presses) and tedious.
* The keys get scratched by the sliding display part of the unit.

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

I would imagine that this list would be a bit late for the N900, I assume that the components would have been sourced by now.

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

... seems like what you want is a 770 with a better touch screen. :)

I want that, too, btw. The 770 was probably the most robust tablet in the series and had the best hardware buttons. It would be so good to have something like this again. I'd pay €50,- more just for the large buttons and the sturdy plastic.

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

No, I really want a more sturdy N900 :) Nothing against the style, just want the manufacturer to remember that their style should not wear off after a month of use.

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

I have been careful not to request the moon from the sky: a lot of these details can and should be resolved as part of the manufacturing process. Not the sturdier body of course :)

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

Don't forget to include the defective styluses...my first one out-of-the-box scratched the screen!

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

Keyboard:
* The keys are hardly distinguishable when using the thumbs to type. The height difference between the middle and the edge of a key should be bigger.

* The force needed to press a key is too high, which makes typing prone to errors (missing presses or double presses) and tedious

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

It's a bit of a waste of time making up that list, considering Nokia has a fine tradition of Absolutely Ignoring Every Singly Customer Suggestion.

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

Yes, the buttons are too small on the N8xx, and the D-pad should be on the outside when the keyboard is closed

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

Not discussing hardware design in forums doesn't mean not listen current and potential customers. In fact Nokia invests a lot listening and improving based on feedback. ITt is just one of the many channels they have to gather such feedback.

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

All right, more to the point: Would you be able to relay this feedback to somebody at Nokia who is responsible for manufacturing process and willing to listen?

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

I hope that the design of the d-pad (if there is such a thing) would be more based on the N800 and not the N810. I'm not talking about just the placement (the N800 being the better choice as well), but I find the N810's d-pad difficult to master.

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

My wishlist:

1. Make the USB port accessible when the kickstand is closed. Or perhaps a docking station (kickstand closed, but something with a low profile for audio, usb, and charging instead of the connector nest on the right side of the device.

2. Move the ambient light sensor where I won't keep covering it up with my left thumb.

3. Do a microSD card instead of the 2Gb internal, perhaps like the n800 where it would be in the battery compartment. Or maybe two external microSDs?
4. Some hw/sw bugs - BT killing Wifi, the GPS having trouble locking (until you remove /var/lib/gps/nvd_data). Tablet as wifi AP (master mode, sharing usb network internet link).

Other miscellaneous:
Video output. Higher rez camera. External/attachable hi-capacity battery. EVDO option (sprint/verizon 3G). Maybe GSM 3G option (T-Mobile/AT&T). ESATA. Digital Audio I/O (or at least beyond microphone/headphone)

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

Maybe we need some reverse psychology: "Hey Nokia, we love the d-pad right where it is. Don't even think about moving it outside the keyboard. Or else we'll have to thump ya." That should do it.

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

I prefer it in the keyboard, the only situation where I use the dpad is when I am using the hardware keyboard and I move from entry to entry.
But if deleting it bring us more space for a better keyboard I would vote for it.

In my case Nokia succeeded with this change, even when the first time I saw a n810 I thought wtf...

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

Now you mention the kickstand:

In case it'll still be there, I'll prefere it to have an additional position where you can look down on your tablet from above more easily. The first (upright) position is completely useless to me. The second one is nice if it's on the table and I look at it every now and then to check RSS feeds or the on/off status of contacts (works only if on charger so the display won't turn off). I'd need a third position to actually work with it when I'm sitting at the desk, the tablet before me. Having it flat on the table doesn't work well. I usually put something below the upper par of it and use my left hand to prevent it from slipping away... not very elegant and actually what the kickstand should be for.

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

one thing I'd really like to see is an option to fit a larger battery; Nokia have done this in the past with various mobile phones, there's a 3rd party battery for the 810 which does this.

if there's to be an N900W (wimax), I'd like the wimax module to be removable and swappable with a 3G module or LTE or something.. even if it required a screwdriver to do it.

I think it's unfair to ***** about Nokia. Compare the 800 with the 770; people complained the 770 didn't have enough memory (fixed), didn't have USB host (sorta fixed), had only one memory card slot (doubled, and SDHC too), mono speaker (fixed). The n800 had other bonuses - fm radio, camera (for basic video calling admittedly). In fact the only consistent complaint was that the n800 didn't have the heavy plastic half-case of the 770.
Then people wanted a keyboard and gps, so along came the 810. Then they wanted wimax.
OK, sure, I want the moon on a stick:http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~s...-on-stick.jpeg
But product lifecycles, the volume of sales (minuscule compared to even the highest-end mobile phones) means unless you can stump up 10's of $M, we're never going to get the perfect device!

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

Okay, here's my compromise: The n820 screen slides away from the keyboard in 2 directions along 2 different axis; remaining completely balanced in all configurations of course. The first direction and position is the same as the n810 along the positive y-axis. The second direction is along the positive x-axis so just the d-pad is exposed. Everybody wins except the manufacturing engineers. If it would help these guys, we can force the user to the closed position before changing directions.

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

Actually, that'd be pretty awesome.

I can only think of one sane mechanism for it, and that's a parallelogram 4-bar. You have 3 positions you want it to reach (closed, open left, and open down), so you construct a circle connecting them, and let it swing in that radius, with detents at the three angles.

• Disadvantage: it's not sliding, and it makes significant sideways deviations while opening.
• Cool benefit: there's no reason not to let it swing directly between the two open positions, and if helpful a fourth position (extended both ways) could even be added, allowing the entire left end to be accessed, including any buttons above the dpad.

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

I just tried to imagine that sideways sliding with my N800.. hey, I could live with that! Good idea, and it should be technically feasible too.

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

Is this a "glitches to fix" thread or a gee-whiz *NEW* features thread?

As long as we're talking *NEW* features, why not have a BT (or other RF) "ring" that you would wear that would activate the tablet...making it unusable for all others?

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

In no particular order:

1. The keys get scratched from the top part of the unit, "The display", sliding over it.

2. Unit sags on the right side when slid open (already mentioned).

3. Poor sound quality from either speaker.

4. The "swap button" sticks.

5. The kickstand does not have enough tension in a particular position to hold the unit up.

Fix all of these and maybe make it a little faster and I would be happy.

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

You know you can't keep such topics separate in practice, no matter how different they logically are. :/

Well... that's really a software issue, and not a very difficult one, aside from choosing any BT device to serve as a key. Headsets are probably the best choice in terms of small, cheap devices currently available, but you can tie it to a keyboard, gps, phone, or whatever. The main pitfall is batteries; not only is a literal ring hard to fit much battery life in (a wristband makes that much easier), but sooner or later, you will find yourself in the frustrating situation of having a tablet with plenty of battery life rendered useless by a low battery on the security device.

A reasonable solution is to have it lock on losing contact, and unlock on regaining contact, but permit manual unlocking with a passcode.

Re: Little Hardware Glitches To Fix in the Next Tablet
 

I am updating the initial post with reported problems, keep them coming. Sorry, has not been supposed to be a feature request thread: you will find a lot of those on iTT anyway. The idea of this thread is to collect the list of actual manufacturing/design problems with the devices, which can hopefully be fixed without redesigning the whole device.