Comparing our 'wish list' with actual N900
 

Now that the N900 has been out for a few weeks, I reviewed the 'wish list' many people contributed to some time ago to see how the actual device measures up. I'll use blue to mean we got it, red to mean no, and orange to mean 'sort of.'

GENERAL
* Wireless Charging, Solar charging, USB Charging
* Full USB - Mini or Micro (two usb ports?)
* Centered Camera/light sensor with 2-5 MegaPixels, zoom, flash, video.
* Two cameras OR rotating camera.
* Have camera be optional OR removable
* Two SD cards (Full OR Micro) OR SSD support
* Faster CPU (OMAP 3440 at 600 OR 800 mhz), More Memory, OpenGL hardware drivers
* 12 hour battery, even with WiFi and GPS running
* Hardware video decoding, no video issues
* Video out (no-bounds project)
* Scanner attachment or software to use camera as a scanner by picture-stitching (This could be done in software. Anyone up to it?)
* Hardware battery checker
* Temperature and other sensors (tricorder?)
* YAW sensor (accelerometer)
* Vibrating alert

RADIOS, IR
* FM Radio, FM Transmitter for in-car listening
* WiMax and/or GRPS, EDGE
* Unlocked cellular (OR no phone)
* Improved GPS
* WiFi with packet injection (Does N900 have this?)
* IR for remote control

SCREEN
* More colors in LCD, 1024x800 or 1024x600 resolution
* Screen size: same size, 5 inch, 7 inch
* Multi-touch, transreflective or OLED screen
* Haptic touchscreen

FORM FACTOR
* Flush screen
* Rubberized back
* Hard Cover
* Wrist strap connector
* Smaller, lighter, sexier looks
* Tilt screen instead of kickstand; only the screen slides so that the D-Pad is well positioned.
* Scroll / volume wheel or Scroll strip along sides
* Hardware buttons moved to sides
* Accelerometer based screen rotation and/or cursor control
* Gaming buttons with keyboard closed (D-pad, O-Pad, or track-ball, both sides?)
OR clean iPod look with no buttons.

SOFTWARE
* Gesture support
* Works for finger only (large items) OR stylus (many smaller items on screen)
* Efficient A2DP and avrcp
* Java Support
* Codecs: OGG & Theora, Flac
* Fully Open Source OS
* Printing built in
* KDE built-it
* Transparent on-screen keyboard
* Solution for "fat finger" problem // I don't know about this since I don't have large fingers.

Overall, the N900 is a very satisfying device.

Here are what I consider to be features from the list (sort of) for next time; green=very important, other items would be cool, but not essential or can be added via software:

* Full or OTG USB
* Full video out (e.g., No Bounds project)
* Compass

* Software to scan using camera and create a PDF.
* More sensors (ideas: temperature, particle, medical)
* Built-in printing (So that apps include printing)
* Extend touch-surface to edge of device for scrolling/virtual D-pad)
* More pixels, larger screen (same size or smaller device).
* Multi-touch (but without giving up the ability for a stylus for sketching, selecting from a list of small-printed items, etc.)
* MMS support

Re: Comparing our 'wish list' with actual N900
 

I thought this was the wishlist :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udlxr8t1nZM

:P

Re: Comparing our 'wish list' with actual N900
 

Thanks for that :) - good list :) Few recommendations though:
Use a traffic light system?
red=no
orange = partial
green = yes
Blue = Available/supported with extra software/apps/patches - ie. Ogg support


Good review of the list :)

Re: Comparing our 'wish list' with actual N900
 

R-R, I forgot to add 'coffee maker' to the list too! My <= 5 year-old sons think it should have a light saber.

Noobmonkey, I started out with green, but it was a little too Christmasy for the day after, and can color-blind people tell the difference between green and red text? The "available with extra software" is good idea. I should have done it that way!

Re: Comparing our 'wish list' with actual N900
 

I was expecting another iPhone video...

I LOLd.

SMS to Toast was the best.

Re: Comparing our 'wish list' with actual N900
 

What's this?

And this?

There's an internal temperature sensor, but I don't know how to get sensible readings out of it.

Yaw sensor? The accelerometers can't detect yaw really, they can detect pitch and roll though...

Re: Comparing our 'wish list' with actual N900
 

Actually there is a light saber apps in devel somewhere called msaber, wow him! :-P

Re: Comparing our 'wish list' with actual N900
 

The N900 is a phone, no matter what Nokia wants to calls it. I guess that wish list was made when the N900 was still envisioned to be an internet tablet by most people.

As a phone, it needs MMS, and I didn't even see that on the wish list. I would love that xphone by the way :D

Re: Comparing our 'wish list' with actual N900
 

I'm wondering why you put video-out in orange. There is real video-out on the N900, not limited and requiring receiver-hardware like what was demonstrated with the no-bounds project on the N800.

Re: Comparing our 'wish list' with actual N900
 

The "yaw" sensor means accelerometer. When this list was made, people were calling it that. (I didn't create these items, I just compiled the list from a thread on the topic).

"Hardware battery checker?" I believe this was a response to the N8x0's awful estimate of remaining power. I marked it blue because the power indicator seems accurate to me, meaning that the problem was solved another way.

Bsving: You're absolutely right about MMS. I'll add it.

Pycage: By video out I mean an external monitor connection w/accelerated 3D. E.g., 1900x1600. AFAIK, the N900's video out is limited to low resolution. I would love to be wrong about that.

What else should I add to the list?