Is this thread still going?! Wow!

I do think the tablets should switch to a canola-like interface, and hope that this is what Nokia are secretly doing.

On the subject of Nokia catching up, it's easy to say "go for a new interface" but it's not so easy to do when you're the market leader and your market share is growing.

Nokia's phones currently make up 40% of the global market, more than double their nearest rival's share, and higher than they've ever been AFAIK. Their smartphones continue to outsell the competition put together. It's difficult for businesses in that kind of dominant position to make radical changes in case those changes cause them to fail. (Radical interface changes don't always go according to plan, remember when Microsoft experimented with "Bob" as an alternative to the Windows interface?)

Microsoft and Apple have tiny market shares globally for their phone OSes, so it's much easier for them to try something new as they're not risking as much. That's why competition is so good, because it automatically gives small companies a reason to innovate, and if that innovation succeeds then it discourages the big ones from being complacent. (Before people claim Windows Mobile has a huge market share, it doesn't outside the USA, and most smartphone sales are outside the USA.)

This is why I think the tablets are the best way forward for Nokia. The tablets have a tiny market share, so it's the perfect place for Nokia to try new interfaces and other technologies. They get to play being a bright new startup, they can take risks more comfortably. As far as the tablets are concerned, Nokia is a small company again, which is a good thing.

If you put this in terms of films, Nokia's phones and smartphones are like big budget blockbusters while their tablets are like indie releases. It's the indie releases that are responsible for most of the innovation, while the big budget blockbusters are terrified of taking risks.