I'm ok with "chunkier".

The thing I really liked about the compal prototype is that it has enough buttons on the face (dpad, what looks like the sidekick 'trackball', home, zoom in, zoom out, etc.) that you can use it closed ... and then only open it for actual keyboard use.

If a MID comes out that has:

• generic x86 linux support (xterm, ssh, easy to use generic debian packages, build on an x86 debian desktop or server box and use the binaries on the MID, or build from source on the MID)
• a finger friendly GUI (stylus included, but entirely optional, for precision work only (like drawing, but not navigation))
• dpad on the face, and not under the slide
• functional buttons on the face (home, back, +, -), or a second programmable dpad (so you can swap the functionality between left and right dpads, while also having the other dpad used for things like home, back, and menu)
• more ergonomic keyboard than the N810 (less pressure required, more of a click for tactile feedback)
• compatibility with firefox and thunderbird for contacts, bookmarks, IMAP, plugins (incl. sunbird, and syncing with gmail and google-calendar), PREFERABLY actual Firefox and Thunderbird, perhaps modified to fit the smaller screen
• Wifi
• Bluetooth (DUN, PAN, FTP, and hands-free modes for completely controlling a phone)
• EVDO or HSPA versions, with SMS and MMS support
• WiMAX version (dunno if it makes sense for that to have SMS and MMS support)
• decent battery life
• updates without having to re-flash the device, or at least without having to re-install add-on software, and without having to re-do settings and preferences.

Then it'd be really hard for me to pass that up.

Add on a few things like gobs more memory (maybe even a 1.8" SSD with 30 or 60 GB), at least one full size SDHC slot, micro-DVI out (with DVI-A support), charge via USB-Client*, plus a USB-Host/OTG port ... and make it still be "pocketable", even if it's a little bit larger than an N800 ... then I'd really have to buy it.


(* which also causes it to export the SD card, and SSD memory, to the USB host it is connected to, in Mass Storage Device mode; oh, and, the USB-Host port should support USB keyboards)

Of course, I probably wouldn't buy such a thing before 3rd quarter, say September-ish... so if Nokia addressed all of that by September-ish, I would just stick with Nokia's offerings.