making an N800 into a clamshell
 

people have discussed docking stations for the N800 (someone here posted pics of their home brew one which I thought pretty impressive).

I was wondering whether it'd be possible to make a clamshell using an N800 and a nano keyboard. (http://www2.multithread.co.uk/mtcsho...-_USB_main.jpg)

Take the back off both devices, and make a hinged backplate to which the N and the KB are attached, something like this:
http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...1&d=1182894145

the backplate would of course need to have some sculpting on it to get a good fit for both items. there would be space by the hinge to allow for usb cable, possibly even a tiny USB hub. there would have to be some sort of spacer ring round the N800 so that when the case was closed the keyboard wouldn't touch the screen.

of course, you could leave the backs on the devices but that would make them quite bulky and add weight; I suppose a halfway house would be to only mutilate the keyboard and leave the N800 stuck or strapped on?

if it were done professionally and a kit sold which was basically keyboard plus hinge thing, and all you did was attach your N800, would anyone buy it?

Re: making an N800 into a clamshell
 

Given how many people come here whining about keyboards, I should think there is a humongous market for it.

Personally: Nèh... It would make it too bulky and/or quite unfit for the three main tasks I use it for: ebookreading, movie watching and music listening.

Of course, if we had a proper word processor and database manager, a built-in keyboard would make a whole lot more sense, wouldn't it?

Re: making an N800 into a clamshell
 

Nokia does have a clamshell n800. It's called a communicator, or now they call it the E90. I use to have a communicator, it was a lot easier using the keyboard, but the screen was too short, it was wide...but short. Now a slider would be nice, and probably room for more screen.

Re: making an N800 into a clamshell
 

if they did a linux version of the E90, then I think a lot of linux fans would be happy.

Re: making an N800 into a clamshell
 

Naa, I want a phone that works. Not one who's apps are almost at an alpha stage, with only one developer that may or may not release an update. :D

Re: making an N800 into a clamshell
 

n800 + real keyboard = lots of options as far as applications.

Re: making an N800 into a clamshell
 

I have a Nano keyboard, and have tried various MacGyver-esque permutations : inside a modified ring binder, inside a modified CD sleeve case, and whatnot. As Karel pointed out, none of those semi-permanent arrangements worked out, because they were too bulky and too laptop-like, not mobile tablets anymore. And not fluid enough to swap in and out of, because of cables and batteries etc.

Actually I do know what would be the ideal solution (for me). There just isn't anyone to build it anymore.

What I would like is the keyboard part of a Psion 5mx (the 1997 mother of all clamshells, still unequaled, just like the Newton in its class), with just an AAA cell and a BT interface. The screen would be replaced by a hollow cover, that would act as a snug holder for the tablet when open - but keeping, of course, the bit of genius of the (patented) slider hinge.

In short, something like the current BT keyboards, only done right. Past Psion5 users will know what I mean :-)

Nokia already has the Symbian (ex-EPOC32) license ; maybe they could license that keyboard design too...

Re: making an N800 into a clamshell
 

persoanlly , my dream would be a new device from nokia , that.....

1. looks almost exactly like the n800 except for having 4 buttons on right hand side for game or anything else assigned

2. make it just a tad thicker and have a sliding keyboard

Re: making an N800 into a clamshell
 

ex 5mx user here, and I was just thinking what a great idea it would be to have some kind of clamshell idea with keyboard... plus, imagine a 5mx running maemo...

Re: making an N800 into a clamshell
 

hmm, take a 5MX, rip out the inner, rewire the keyboard using the electronics from a usb keyboard, built in the electronics of an N800, and you end up with, well, a Frankenstein monster of a machine!!! :D

Re: making an N800 into a clamshell
 

I like a lot my thinkoutside bluetooh keyboard, why do i need a builtin keyboard?

Re: making an N800 into a clamshell
 

Really? How is a real keyboard different from the virtual keyboard we have now? How does that generate more options as far as applications?

Ton.

Re: making an N800 into a clamshell
 

That's pretty much how I feel with my BT keyboard... sometimes I just want to use the tablet and not bother with any keyboard, other times I can whip out the BT keyboard - fullsized - and make use of it. Chicklet sized thumb boards are ok, but really pretty useless to me for any serious text entry/editing, and just add weight and bulk when I don't always need it.

R.
==

Re: making an N800 into a clamshell
 

I would think if Nokia wanted to add a clamshell like keyboard to the N800, it would start feeling, & weighing like Casio's Casiopia A-11 HPC, which I used for years and still do on occasion. The A-11s keyboard was very useful while I was in school, to quickly take class notes and such, and was much smaller/lighter then my laptop.

However in my day to day usage of the N800 (out of school now), I rarely have a need/desire to use a full keyboard on the N800 (once fav sites are bookmarked & passwords saved). Since most of the time, I simply want to surf the web, check some email (see if anything important came in), look at the occasional RSS feed & do a little IM'ing once in a while.

And I feel that unless the user replies to a lot of emails & enters a lot of data into their N800, a clamshell physical keyboard is not really necessary; especially for the basics/casual web surfer (which is Nokia's target audiance from that I read).

The lighter weight, less thick N800, and lack of physical keyboard are some of the points of why I selected the N800. And since bluetooth keyboard solutions exist for the N800, is adding a physical keyboard directly to the N800 really necessary?

What I believe would be a better immediate solution is as follows:

-- add a way from the main app menu to force the virtual keyboard to appear. This way no matter what app you are using, you can still send keystrokes to the whatever program is open and in focus. And this works around the whole issue of recognizing input fields within remote apps (like when running apps remotely over an SSH connection or VNC session), so the virtual keyboard can pop-up.

-- add a way to easily create/callback custom keystrokes/macros within the virtual keyboard. As such, you can use this to send a commonly used lists of commands (for you sys admin/hacker folks) or a single special key combos (for us more average users) to whatever app that has the focus.

I feel these 2 things would really go a long way, in resolving the current usage issues with the virtual keyboard & make it more useful overall for users.

And should Nokia add a clamshell keyboard feature in the future, perhaps it should be designed in such a way that it can unclipped from the N800. This preserves the current N800 tablet/virtual keyboard usage, but also includes the extra physical keyboard when its needed by those more demanding users. (for example, in school, I could use the clamshell keyboard to more easily take notes with & during weekends when I'm out and about, I can unclip the keyboard, and be left with a more streamlined, lighter tablet device.)

And to ask the all important question again, is a physical keyboard really necessary or is simply resolving some of the current virtual keyboard issues required to make the N800 more user input friendly?

Since there is no real office suite (i.e. OpenOffice/MS Office) available for the N800 right now, I don't really see much high demand situations where a physical keyboard feature must be built into the N800.

After a complete office suite has been released, I could defiantly see extra interest being drummed up for a possible included physical/clamshell keyboard. But for simple web surfing, occasional email replies, some RSS feed reading, maybe a little IM'ing, I see little benefit for the average/casual N800 user to be forced to have this ability.

Of course this is just my 2 cents. And I'm just basing my comments on my N800 usage; which I have used for about an hour or so each day, over the last several months - on top of my normal linux desktop, laptop & HPC usage. Other viewpoints are of course appreciated & considered... :)