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qgil's Avatar
Posts: 3,105 | Thanked: 11,088 times | Joined on Jul 2007 @ Mountain View (CA, USA)
#92
Hi, hardware is not really my thing but here we go with some opinions as N810 user trying to complement what has been said.

- I like the new device. It doesn't make me dislike automatically the two previous tablets but I like this one. I think many people that didn't like the previous tablets enough to buy it will think it twice with this one. I think people that don't have seen the previous tablet and are heavy Internet users will look at it more than twice. Buy or not... well this is another science.

- Hardware keyboard, of course not having it you don't miss it or you don't feel you need it. Until you have it an use it. Then you feel lazy about the virtual workarounds, although they keep being useful when the tablet is not expanded.

- But you know what, you end up spending a lot of time with the keyboard out, if you happen to be a heavy Internet user. Browsing only? You write emails, URLs, jaikus, comments... all that stuff. With the keyboard open the device falls well in your hands. I even handle it a lot with the stand open between the middle and ring fingers. Feels good. Oh, my hands are relatively big but I'd say that most users have no problems reaching the keyboard and most areas of the screen with the thumbs. The keys in the top with the slide out were a bit tricky to me at the beginning because I was applying my same N800 principles, but then you start using your hands differently and then it goes smooth again.

- I'm not a gadget guy (and look where I am now) so I can't compare really to other keyboards in mobile devices. But I can type decently and in any case much faster and efficiently than in the thumb keyboard (I don't like the stylus much so I use it the less I can with the N800). Avoiding the thumb keyboard up&down moves feels comfortable for continuous browsing/writing. Seeing in the real web page what you are writing while you are writing without the stylus feels go. I'm not a good keyboard typer even with the 105 full size ones so I'm waiting for the opinions of those of you able to type fast while saying clever things.

- Yes, with the keyboard in scrolling pages is sometimes a bit tricky, specially when the page is full of links. This can be solved in the software side, Hildon and the browser have some challenges ahead. My guess though is that the trend is going to be to browse etc with keyboard out and concentration in two hands, while more casual action on the move will be done with the compact tablet handled with one hand, playing specialized interfaces (native apps with or without connection and such).

- Sound is pretty good. Speakers are in a right place. I'm sorry to say that some of the most hilarious posts I have seen refer to this. Guys, Nokia designers know what they do. You might argue with preferences and style but... It doesn't matter the visible speakers point to the sides, they sound just good. It doesn't matter you fingers might interfere sometimes (they don't): you can press with your thumbs both speakers and music keeps flying. With top volume this thing feels like bringing sound from its heart (in a quite place i.e. your room/office).

- Screen, maybe it's a placebo effect but things look better for me on it. This light sensor thing is amazing. You define your default preferences as usual, from top shiny to battery safe minimal light. Then the sensor fine tunes according to light. I have this improvised test the N800 fails to pass: being in the train, walking through the platform, going down some stairs, walking under a bridge with no light, then walking under open sky, another smaller bridge... You can't keep reading under the sun but with the N810 you get a very good experience. The thing adapts in 1-2 seconds to whatever light context it gets, and I keep reading your posts in ITT while doing this routine walk. Alright, sun today in Helsinki wasn't as in Sevilla in August but still I got direct light at 3pm and I could keep reading.

- Camera and GPS and calls and stuff, still haven't got into it really. (bringing a cool platform for developers takes more time than you might think) This LED in the corner is somehow cool. It changes colors and intensity smoothly. I'm waiting for the garage project porting some kind of twiki language to let the device tell you nice silent colorful stories at night before going to sleep.

- All the rest has been commented here and there. Is it clear now that the stand doesn't conflict at all with the keyboard out? About memory cards, USB port, charger etc I believe it's not easy to please you while offering the device with the size it has. Apart from this, Nokia has also an idea and an opinion about hardware trends, but of course you might disagree with those.