RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/08/n...d-in-the-wild/

I don't know if this has been posted yet, just saw it today at engadget.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

Well, they were discussed here before that... ;)

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

Whack 3-row keyboard.

As if the spacebar wasn't hard enough to hit before...

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

Wrong. The spacebar was moved over to the right to make it far easier for you to hit with your right thumb than on the N810 and it's pretty clear it will do the job.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

That's a matter of preference.

"wrong." lol

///EDIT: nearly impossible with left thumb (as I am also a double thumbeded typer ;))

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

I remember Axel Meyer (moderately douche nokia designer) being proud of this spacebar position on the n97. If you ask me sound more like a marketing gimmick to make Nokia feel that the designing department is actually usefull ;) .
Probably it will not make all this difference in usability and will help the device to differentiate a bit on the market

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

I could live with the space (although middle was better for my typing style as I used both thumbs on it).

Left side ctrl is atrocious, though, for the reasons johnkzin outlined.

A note about right side cursors, though... I know from my use pattern I use the DPAD with my left hand as I have the stylus in my right. There goes Midnight Commander speedy use :( I also used a slide-portrait mode in my ebook reader, where I used the DPAD to scroll content (far easier than the zoom keys)... that's gone as well, duh :(

EDIT: On the plus side, at least they increased the space between the lower end of top slider part and keyboard, so it's easier to press the buttons in the top row. The buttons also seem a bit larger, but that might be an optical illusion as the rover itself is smaller than the N810...

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

If it's now completely finger-orientated, having your right hand free for the stylus shouldn't be a problem. I really like the stealthy face design, if it's capacitive and multi-touch, I'm sold.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

Yeah, I guess it sucks for left-handed typers, but it's nice to have spacebar close enough to one thumb instead of too far away from BOTH thumbs as it is on the N810.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

Nice nice nice... the box contains an AV-cable :-)
The pics also confirm the dual-LED flash.
Power button and zoom keys seem to be in very similar places to N810
Stylus not found yet (bottom right perhaps?)
Is the stand functionality given by the "ring" around the camera module?

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

Oh, my gawds. I've so gotta get one of these for review when they become available. This thing looks incredible!! :D

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

*annoyed*
I hope they release another model with different/better input layout. They made it more of a phone than a portable computer. I want more physical buttons not less. Also would like to see a dedicated tab button, pipe, etc. Plus getting rid of the dpad, meh. Now if they replaced it with an analog stick/nub(s), I'd be all for that. But as it is...I'm hoping that this will be like how the N800 was replaced with the N810, similar specs but different format. Though I can see why they did what they did. Now to wait for release, reviews and the ridiculous MSRP to be announced.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

i wonder how they'd put non-english keyboard layouts on this mini-mini-"keyboard".... probably the same way they did on the N97, hiding characters you need as often as "e" and "r" behind two-key-combinations :(

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

I guess this may be one of the trade-offs that Nokia has made to bring this product into mainstream. Exchanging a 4-row, terminal friendly keyboard with a... err... what's great about this design again?

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

It doesn't matter if it's finger orienged or not. I will want to use my RIGHT hand finger then (instead of right hand with stylus) which precludes simultaneous screen and cursor usage unless I become ambidextrous or serious finger gymnastics.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

Lets hope. the keys are not as hard to press as on the N810. I always have to use a lot of force compared to, say, the HTC Touch Pro and with my wide thumbs I often accidently press two keys because of it.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

I wouldn't go as far as calling the N810's keyboard "terminal friendly", but this is definitely a step too much in the wrong direction. With the stylus keyboard gone, command line use just isn't workable on this device. Very disappointing compared to almost every competitor's QWERTY phones, and it's not like Nokia don't know how to make a proper keyboard.

Here's hoping the RX-71 will be better. I'd love an OMAP3/Fremantle device but I can't see myself spending money on this one.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

I wish they would include some HDMI/DVI compatible output instead of low-quality analog video-out. The possibility to connect to any computer monitor could turn the device instantly into a smallish desktop PC together with a proper USB/Bluetooth Mouse/Keyboard.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

these days, a flat screen tv is a monitor. Something thats deliciously roundabout when considering the 80's...

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

Well, it's not as bad as we feared and could have had far less physical buttons in going for that new, modern sleek design look. We sort of guessed it was going to be a phone and that they were going to take away the dpad. But we still have directional keys, the zoom keys, and some others - lock key(?), fullscreen key(?), menu key(?). Not a bad result when compared with expectations a few months ago.

What is a dedicated tab button, pipe, etc? Is there another device which has that?

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

The E90 for one.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

Let's not proclaim the end of the world just because some of our favorite command line characters aren't on the keyboard (which most of the public would never use anyway). I'm sure there's an easy way to input them. Just wait until Fremantle is released.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

I don't understand. Is it just tab button? What is meant by "pipe, etc..."?

http://www.google.com/search?q=E90+p...ient=firefox-a

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

The pipe is this character here: |
It is often used in Linux to redirect output from one command to another.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

As long as it's not "fixed in Harmattan"... :D

@SD69: pipe is |

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

Thanks. Why is it on E90 (a non-linux device)?

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

I have no clue why it would be on the E90. Completeness?

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

Because | is used in various operating system (yes, even dos, I don't know about symbian) to pipe the output of a command as input to the next one.
Or you can use it as a column separator in ascii art (much better that an uppercase i).

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

I think this displays the awe-inspiring completeness of the E90, including provisions for ASCII artists.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

I guess if I keep it short, my subtle comments can be picked apart. haha.

The pipe key was just an example, I actually usually it fairly rarely. I do find Home and End to be rather useful (terminal). Non-English/Non-Roman-alphabet speaking people should be infuriated.

It was just the point of Nokia headed in the phone direction rather than mobile computer.

Perhaps they think UMPCs and eventually MIDs would corner the market and they likely want to push smart phones. I'm sure they see this as an opportunity to try Linux instead of Symbian to compete with Apple, Palm, etc.

I laugh at my friend's N97 and it's feeble touch-screen keyboard (T9 seriously?!) But at least it's better than the N95 (same friend has a couple versions of it).

I hope those of you that purchase this device will be elated.

As for me, I will not. I will not purchase another NIT until they get it right. Perhaps the fabled RX-71 will be that device, if not I'm sure another company can earn my money.

[Oh and I have another thing to rag on about concerning the n97 (too early to tell what they did for the RX-51) - the N810 has a built-in stylus holder, genius (yes Palm and others did this years ago), does the N97...no, they include a stylus the size of permanent marker with a "convenient" cellphone strap. hah. what a kick in the face.]

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

^ I am also disturbed by the direction this device is headed, the attraction of the NIT's to me was the *lack* of gsm radio. I just wanted a wifi enabled PDA equivalent. The PDA is a dying species.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

Same thought here. I won't pay for a GSM radio that I'm never going to use, unfortunately.

I am interested in seeing how much of that front face is the screen, but judging by the Nokia logo and the speaker, it's probably a pretty big bevel. (From which comes the thought: is the case any smaller?).

I also get the scary impression that Nokia is positioning Maemo as a direct competitor to Android and Palm WebOS. While the platform is really nice and open, I fear it could get clobbered as a phone. (I guess what would save it is a really good development environment that makes it easy to port stuff, since porting desktop apps is where Maemo shines).

I can't wrong this too much, though. That camera is beautiful.
I'll just quietly sit here and cross my fingers for an N910 that strips the phone stuff, gives me a big screen and a four row keyboard. Maybe I'm just afraid of change :)

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

3.5" is not so bad.. only about 12-13% shorter on each axis compared to my n800.. (looking at the 3.5" on my iphone).

I don't think Nokia can sustain a cellular-less device..

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

Valid point, I always have thought the NITs were a proof of concept for the MID. More of a hobbyists device, Nokias business lies with mobiles.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

For the $15-25 more to include a cell radio subsystem, they can be sold to a much wider audience to get the required quantity to qualify for 'wholesale parts prices' ;)

It's better to demand (ask nicely?) for the product to be designed to be fully usable without activating the cellular portion\without a SIM inserted.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

If they add a bar at the bottom of the terminal which has all our favorite buttons, it would be the best of both worlds. That way you won't even have to press a modifier key to get buttons like pipe or tilde.

Also: I see no reason not to have cellphone capabilities. I assume everyone already has a cellphone, so why keep lugging it around when you can get all the ufnctionality and more in the tablet you already take everywhere with you. THen theres the whole 3G thing that makes the "walkaround web" actually real. Since this is progbably going to TMobile, thats a $25/month charge for unlimited internets and 400 SMSs. It's not bad(AT&T charges 30/month for internet and an additional .20/each sms, or 5/200, or 15/1000, or 20/unlimited).

Edit: Unlimted text/internet from TMobile is $30 combined, but with Google Voice, I doubt I will be sending old school sms.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

Quite true but the device seems to have been limited as a MID (smaller screen, keyboard) in the attempt to make it more phone-like.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

I just remembered that the n800 already has keys like Tab/Esc/PgUp/Contrl on a bottom bar. I would say it is almost guaranteed to be there in Maemo 5, so I personally no longer have any issues with the keyboard, other than the space bar.

It is personal preference, but I hit it with my left hand exclusively and I imagine it will be tough to get used to.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

Guys, the phone thing has already been beaten to death. Too many times. It's not just the cost of components, with voice capability you're switching markets (see if that 15$ will buy you an upgrade from an iPod Touch to an iPhone). The fact that the Touch, Archos and others exist prove there actually IS a market for non-voice (potentially with cell data) devices. It's a completely different question which market you want to be (not) in.

Re: RX-51 Tablet picture released at Engadget
 

you know, sometimes i just think we should put 2 touch screens and use one as keyboard... like a Nintendo DS, just better