OS Suggestion
 

I have a little suggestion for those who are or are able to work on the N900's future system software. One of the key issues people have with the N900 is smoothness. Compared to the iPhone, its visibly laggy but N900 lovers point out (perhaps correctly) that the N900 multi-tasks while the iPhone prioritizes the UI.

Well, how about a "UI Performance Optimized" mode for the N900 where multi-tasking could be made limited (maybe even one or two applications at a time) while making the UI smoother? Is it possible? I think it'll be an AMAZING feature to have!

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Maybe not the ultimate solution, but I just reflashed and everything is much better now. Besides Maemo is not really designed to be 'smooth', while iOS is(IMO).

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maybe you buy an iphone?

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I don't understand this "If you don't like this, buy an iPhone" sort of behavior. For one, I don't have money to shed on a new expensive smartphone every few months and secondly, it is actually something a lot of people would want to see. Whats the harm in having two modes on this "mobile computer"? Just like you tweak display settings to automatically optimize performance or appearance?

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What you're asking for is probably NITDroid(Android for the N900). It *should* feel 'faster' than Maemo.

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1. Tweak your phone(swapiness, move stuff to different flash memory)
2. Install theme with custom transitions. I forgot the name of it, but it makes the phone UI look UBER responsive.

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and the funny part is, ntdroid is still under development..
it'll get faster later on

its the black plastic theme and its addons
and oh, dont forget to overclock
i used 500-900 in stock, works perfectly.. *battery might be an issue though*

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NITDroid is a joke. It will never be as functional and complete as Maemo.

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Sarcasm, right ?

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What about to close a application yourself before you open the next one? :confused:

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Thing is, something like iPhone has an UI probably smoother than my PC has, and that is equipped with a dual core processor@~2GHz, 2GB of RAM, and drains 100W of power when idling. N900 design being closer to a desktop PC than an iPhone, trying to make it super smooth will only cause nightmares to anyone involved.

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Nokia should have learnt to not build the crucial parts of the phone OS on beta-stage open source components that perform badly even on a desktop PC. Most notably pulseaudio for audio hiccups and tracker for finding (losing?) media files.
I hope they have learnt.

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It would not surprise me if it never gets certain functions like tv-out and fm-transmit, but on the other hand it sounds like NITDroid development will outlast Maemo development.

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So, let's get this straight - you are saying that the fundamental function of the n900 should be reduced because you want the graphics to be smoother?

That is very, very, very, very, very, very funny! :D

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with full functionality, ntdroid is waay better than maemo and i can find **** load of ppl who agree with this

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with full functionality, maemo is waay better than maemo is currently and i can find **** load of ppl who agree with this

:D

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You have the option - in terms of smartphone OSes - to either do full multitasking (like the N900), no multitasking (like the older iphones) or service multitasking (like the new iphone OS). The latter 2 mean the CPU is free to handle UI tasks exclusively (or almost exclusively in iOS4) so you get a smoother experience.
With full multitasking you still want your apps running so you need to allocate them resources as well, you could reduce those resources but how far? You still want background music/video playing at full speed, webpages loading in the background at full speed so how do you scale those resources?

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Not exactly the solution you're looking for, but you can always renice the process you want it to run with the most resources.

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or renice the ones you want to have less resources.

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renice will only partially address the problem. If you have a bunch of memory hungry apps that you're switching between then it may involve swap which will slow things down somewhat.

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I don't understand the negativity around here. Why do people sound so offended by just a suggestion?

Surely its a powerful device with multi-tasking capability but would it not be amazing to have the option to go for UI smoothness when you want to? I'm sure there are technical obstacles and it definitely easier said than done but its all about ideas. Why not? It might be difficult and might not make the N900 smoother than the iPhone but smoother for sure I would say.

I'd agree with pycage. I don't know about the reliability of the open source components used but the audio stuttering and media tracking are noticeably horrible at times.

fahadj2003, with full functionality, the crap I laid out in my bathroom would be better than Maemo. The real question, however, is whether NITDroid will ever have the full functionality of Android OS. I, for one, doubt it. Maemo will remain the most appropriate OS for N900.

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Could you be more specific what exact things need improvement?
"laggy" is a bit vague...

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I mean it lags literally, not metaphorically or in the sense of lagging in development. I meant UI smoothness there. Smooth transitions, fast responses, no audio stuttering, fewer slowdowns.

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Grab Black Plastic Theme and enable custom transitions, overclock the N900 and your all set.

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shanrizvi, why don't you create a poll?

Q. Would you prefer a smoother ui and limits on multi-tasking or leave mutli-tasking as is - ui scrolls just fine for me?

1) Yes
2) No


BTW:
Comparing the n900 to the iphone is stupid. They both address different markets.

iPhone is more an entertainment device (e.g. likes to wave it's man-boobs in front of you and show how sexy it is).

N900 is more a practical kind of device (e.g. keeps it's man-boobs in a bra but handy to have around)

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I have a lot of stuff installed on my N900 (kernel power 40, multiboot 0.2.9, nitdroid flying world, sygic mobile maps, psx4all, conky, cuteexplorer, fm radio, recorder, queen beecon widget etc.) and my phone is smoothness switching from one to another (i have also many widget on desktop).

Actually, the only way to obtain smoothness is overclock.

Mine is set to ideal (500-850) and my theme is R-Type Blue.

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This is still vague.

There are smooth transitions in the UI.
It is responding fast.
There is no audio stuttering.

If you notice any slowdowns, please describe exactly what action you took to experience it.
The way you are explaining things now, we could be chasing ghosts and get similar results.

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The problem is he is comparing it to the iPhone.

The scrolling on the iphone is very, very silky smooth and plenty of "fade" effects thrown in for good measure. This is a consequence of it's design - the UI must do this is a priority.

The scrolling on the n900 is nowhere near as smooth as the iphone but for most people is smooth enough. This is consequence of design too but unlike the iphone the smoothness of the ui was not a priority.

Comparing n900 scrolling to another n900 makes sense. Comparing to different device all together does not.

This is totally a non-issue (unless a particular user's n900 is not scrolling properly).

I think it is highly unlikely he can be specific about it. He's used to the perception that a device must have "silky-smooth" scrolling to be deemed a "usable & acceptable" device.

He's a product of Apple programming marketing.

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And of course you all remember the transitions in iPhone UI was introduced for the exact purpose of covering down slowdowns?

Ie. If it takes an application 2 seconds to load and render UI, let's make a 2 seconds transition after starting the load - it will occupy the user and app will be ready right in the moment the transition ends.


Please let him speak. Maybe he could actually provide some useful input.


P.S. I do agree though, that screen-follows-finger is a major thing in touch UI and breaking it breaks the experience of interacting with a physical surface.

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johnel, you're just not getting my point. I mean seriously. FOr the millionth time, I'm not suggesting that Nokia CHANGe Maemo 5 and implement a smoother UI replacing the computer style multi-tasking.

So yes. Create a poll but the question should be "Would you appreciate the option to switch to a *UI Performance* mode in Maemo 5?

I'm not comparing it to the iPhone. I'm just using the iPhone as a reference point. Whats wrong with that?

When did I say that a device MUST HAVE "silky-smooth" scrolling to be considered "usable and acceptable"? However, on an absolute level, who'd say "silky-smooth" scrolling is bad? Sure I might prefer the hardcore-ness of the N900 but whats wrong with an option to priotize smoothness?

smoku, I suppose smoothness and fastness are very relative then. I'm talking about the occasional breaks in smoothness that maybe you don't notice. I suppose I'm talking about the "silky-smooth" transitions. N900 is not as fluid as well, other phones on the market, and I don't understand why people get all insecure about that.

One particular situation where I get a heavy slowdown and an audio stutter is when an application installation finishes. The UI sort of halts for a second or so and the audio sometimes stutters.

Transitions often break. I have the Black Plastic theme installed and was using custom transitions even before that but the whole experience isn't fluid.

I don't know why people around here are so cocky about the N900. It was just a suggestion. Its supposed to be an open device that can do pretty much whatever you want it to. Whats so wrong about having the option to prioritize UI? Just like in Windows, you can tell whether you care about Performance or Visual Effects and it tweaks things accordingly. Its not a perfect analogy but it still shows what I mean.

I'm sorry to say but a lot of people around here seem to be inflicted with something similar to a small cock syndrome. Its like they know the iPhone is more successful and good at what it does so every time someone appreciates something the iPhone IS good at (UI smoothness), they start throwing tantrums. Its almost as if they would shatter their phone screens if iPhone implemented break-proof screens next year, just because they hate the iPhone.

Seriously, there is nothing wrong in taking another phone as a reference point.

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Of course these are subjective matters.

But I do know what you are talking about.
Unfortunately this is the price we are paying for real multitasking. There are times that swapping activity or cellular network activity hogs I/O so much, that it reaches noticeable level.

I'm going to investigate could we port some interactivity-patches and io-schedules patches to MeeGo to make user experience more pleasant. There is a lot of good work done to improve desktop experience of Linux. We just need to try whether it is useful for us.

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I've also noticed that sometimes it slows down noticeably when a message is arriving and the whole arrival notification isn't swift. Doesn't stutter but it sort of lags. You can see the system slowing down is all I'm saying.

Sure its the price we are paying for true multi-tasking. The whole point was to suggest an alternative mode if possible.

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shanrizvi you make some good points:

I think there is a case for a device like N900 to have two modes - one for the 'mass market/everyday user who seem to favour sexy transitions and will only make limited demands of their device, and one for 'advanced/multitasking' use. The ability to switch between modes at the flick of a switch (so to speak) would only enhance the appeal of a device across market segments; one hardware package, multiple sales opportunities.

I'd be interested to hear how jailbroken iPhones perform - anyone have any experience to share?

Your other points about, shall we say, entrenched positions and opinions on Maemo OS and comparisons with other devices are equally sound. MOST people will compare N900-type devices to iPhone, BB and Android because they consider them to be PHONES first and foremost. We have to get over this bug up our collective backsides...

All this 'it's an IT with phone functionality' is sounding as lame as the iPhone antenna excuse. N900 is sold as a PHONE in MOBILE PHONE shops. It's listed on Nokia's website with their other PHONES and is critically reviewed across all media as a MOBILE PHONE.

That said, I find it to be a pretty damn good 'phone. Desktop dialing icons, apps and widgets like K9 Call, MyContacts and Horizontal Call add functionality way beyond other devices. My (iPhone) friends are amazed that I can play back all old calls (Recaller) and are impressed by how easy it is to find contacts and select media.

To get back on message, the concept of a dual-mode device is appealing to everyone by its very definition - but I think that may be a whole new concept for a future device.

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I'm kind of sick of this rationale again and again.

Fact: N900 is an internet tablet with phone functionality scotch-taped in the last moment. You cannot deny it.

As for the "it's sold as a phone" argument:
If somebody painted a horse in black-white stripes, marketed it as a zebra, and sold to your zoo as a zebra. Then someone comes to you and says, "yo know, this is really a horse painted black and white", you're saying "I bought it az a ZEBRA and want it to behave like one", just kind of doesn't make any sense.

I truly sympathize with you being tricked by Nokia into thinking N900 is as good mobile phone as other mobile phones. Marketing did a hell of a job here advertising it as a phone. Many people bought this. But... it's really a horse and the paint does not stay long...

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Smoku,

It is possible to agree and disagree at the same time, you know. Far from sitting on the fence on this one, I'm trying to burn the damn fence down:

Far from being a victim of Nokia's marketing, I have simply spent time getting to know my N900 and trying out new concepts. As a pure PHONE nothing will ever replace good, old-fashioned physical buttons for ease of use in my book because they offer tactile feedback - I could unlock and speed-dial my old 6210 Navigator blindfolded.

However, my N900 allows for multiple desktop contact icons and widgets like K9 Call and MyContacts allows dialling options way beyond anything I have ever seen.

Phone Speaker Switch allows me to automatically activate the excellent loudspeakers when I open the slide to search for a contact or open Conboy whilst on a call. Recaller allows me to replay & review all my old calls (unless I'm on BT headset)

These are real, tangible and valuable improvements in the PHONE that my friends' devices just cannot compete with - so I'm afraid your argument just does not hold water with me.

I have even been largely untroubled by the incoming call bug reported elsewhere. I can get a solid signal when other manufacturer's devices fail. Maybe I am lucky, but I am certainly not stupid...

To me N900 is a very good phone that can do so much more courtesy of its computing and input abilities (resistive touchscreen, physical buttons).

To you it may be something else - but these are our opinions and we should respect them mutually. What is fact is that N900 is almost universally regarded as a PHONE and is inevitably and almost universally compared to other PHONES by manufacturers, retailers, media, prospective and existing owners alike.

I just don't think we need to make excuses for it being a 'bad' phone anymore.

A zebra may not be a horse, but they are of the same Equine genus. There are people who have broken them, saddled them, and ridden them.

Incidentally, the word Zebra derives from the old Portugese word for 'Wild ***' - something you may care to reflect on...;)

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I don't think people compare the N900 to iPhone, BB and Android because the latter are "phones" per se. They do so solely because those are the N900's competitors. The lines between "mobile computer", "phone", "smartphone" and the likes are fading and its futile to delve into definitions here. Imagine Apple had released the iPhone priced the same but without a browser and an e-mail application because its a phone and not an internet tablet.

To be honest, ironically, I think most problems with the N900 are NOT related to the phone functionality, which seems quite fine to me. So you say its an internet tablet and not a phone. What do you have to say about the fact that the E-Mail Application on the N900 is shittier than those on other "phones"? What do you have to say about the fact that other "phones" are getting Flash 10.1 support while this "internet tablet" isn't? What do you have to say about the fact that other "phone" platforms have better and more applications than this "open" "internet tablet OS" community?

The analogy of a Zebra and a painted Horse may be true; whether you blame the buyer for getting fooled or the seller for deceiving is another story.

I, for one, still love my N900 (writing this post from it) but I just think it has been treated carelessly. I just need a quality e-mail application, quality maps application, smoother UI (though I could live without it), Flash 10.1 support and quality applications.

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Yep - better email would on my list.

The lack of an effective Satnav (like just about any Nokia featurephone) is a major drawback, IMO and I think Nokia should work to redress that.

Flash10 and smoother UI are not so important for me, but I can see how N900 has gone from 'Look - we have full Flash' to 'Wot no Flash?' in a few months.

With Meego just around the corner Nokia have a last chance to redeem their reputation by fully sorting N900 before the first Meego device. This would disarm the critics who will point to N900 and N97 and say 'Nokia are just going to do it again with Meego'

Unfortunately, Common Sense and Business Sense do not usually concur...

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Tell me about it. It is horrible for GPS navigation and Maps. It just hurts me when I see someone using Maps on an iPhone. It seriously does.