I used an itouch for the first time this weekend while at an Apple Store. And I've gotta say that I was really impressed. Of course, this comes as no surprise: that's what Apple does, it impresses on initial use. Of course, I am an n8x0 user for all the good reasons already canvassed above. And there's no danger of my switching. But man o man I would like to see as responsive a browser on the tablet. I was really blown away by that aspect.

But as I was playing around with it I realized that I couldn't figure out how to make the browser do what is for me one of the most important things I can do with tablet, and that's fit width to view. When I asked the attendant how this is done on the iTouch, he just looked at me and said, "Obviously we can't make the screen bigger, so when you zoom in to make the font bigger, you'll need to scroll horizontally to read the text." And when I said that he had misunderstood me, and that my nokia internet tablet can do what I was talking about, he responded, glibly, "Well, this is a full web browser." Um, ok. I just walked away, not bothering to disabuse him.

But this raises an issue that I know has been treated at length before. As I said, for me, the fit width to view feature is absolutely essential. I wouldn't have an IT/iTouch/whatever without it. If Diablo doesn't have it, I won't upgrade. I read most of my news on the tablet, and read blogs through bloglines mobile, and none of these would be remotely enjoyable to do without "fit width to view." I simply wouldn't be able to use a device with so small a screen unless I could easily set the font to an eye-friendly size (without making that the default font size). But, it seems, most users really detest "fit width to view." Indeed, the eminently knowledgeable and helpful neoncherry calls it an "abominable option on the tablet browser.", and others have echoed this. And of course I realize what this feature can do to the browsing experience when one isn't so much interested in reading things like news articles. But this is why it's so great to have it as an *option.*

Anyway, basically I am saying that I'd love to have a browswer on the n8x0 that is as pleasurable to use as the iTouch's. And of course I'm looking forward to diablo. But the lack of "fit width to view" in the touch is sufficient reason for me to say no thanks (even though there are plenty of reasons to say no thanks). And I sure hope that the maemo folks don't do away with the feature, even though so many seem to find little use for it.