What would make it "perfect" in portait mode? The column would be even more narrow as that's the variable width column in their layout. So then you would be back to zooming or changing the font size just as you could in landscape mode. The only difference is that you would have more vertical size, but that would come at the cost of column width also. Far from perfect IMO.

And that Texrat guy? Give him a raise.

Same reason why FBReader allows portrait mode.

Did you even try the site?
Even my Palm in 480x320 portrait mode displays slashdot.org much better than the N800 in _any_ mode. Whatever you do in the N800's landscape mode you can't get that site to show more than a small amount of information at the time. In portrait mode you'll simply adjust it sideways until you have the articles screen filling the whole screen (with or without zoom as you prefer), then page down with the D-pad (if you have that one properly configured). Much much better than what's now possible.

Ah, and I don't understand what you mean by 'the cost of column width'. The whole point is that with portrait mode you adjust the N800 to the site's enforced column width. As a reader I don't care about the _other_ columns - all the information is in the central column.

Best suggestion EVER!

But on a serious note, ladies and germs... the biggest gripes about the tablets center on the missing enterprise support. Lack of anything other than the "N series aren't designed for that" responses can provide the impression that Nokia is ignoring that space entirely with this product line. Nokia's methodical (read: glacially slow in internet time) pace of development isn't helping the public perception of inaction.

I wish I could yack with you more about that, but with WOM spying on the thread... well...

Why not just install the Greasemonkey script that gets ride of the columns and header?

Portrait mode would be a fine 'option' in the browser menu. An internet tablet should at least have a browser that is the best and most powerful app on the device bar non. To be able to switch orientation may not be a top ability to some, but its little choices like that for the end user that counts. i personaly have come across websites where i wish i could just flip the view to enjoy it beter...e.g. webcomics. plus, its abit more comfortable holding it verticaly ovver long periods or just pulling it out of you pocket for a quick view....less chance of dropping it.

There certainly are lots of improvements to be made to the internet tablet (n800 in my case), but if nothing else then it should be the built in browser and rss reader. imagine the fluididity of the itouch's browser coupled with the immense power of mozilla or microb as you call it.
the minefield browser is a step in the right direction, and i hope it gets finished soon.

senior members, please understand its only feedback to help in the evolution of the platform and bring it more closer to mainstream, non-xterm users and spread the love of a potentialy wonderful device. open source? open up!!

just my two pence.

With a high-res screen like the N800's, I'd like to use portrait-mode web browsing even for this site. Of course, then they'd have to let it scale smaller than 80%... Seriously, why let me zoom in to 300% (Is there anyone who uses that?!) and only out to 80%?
Someone mentioned slashdot. Other sites following the same narrow-column-of-content scheme include:
The Washington Times
SteynOnline
... and many other news sites.
Engadget
The Corner on NRO
... and many other bloggish beasts.

and, rcadden, on ITOS2007, there was a setting for the touch pressure threshold for which keyboard. Just updating my N800 now, so I don't know about OS08 yet; look in the control panel. If it's still there, perhaps it will alleviate the thumpishness.

I agree that adding a Portrait mode should be an option. No reason to limit the user experience there IMO.

However, I think that for the most part the better option would be bringing most websites out of the imaginary Land of Unlimited Real (screen) Estate and reducing their layouts to tablet-friendly formats as much as practical and possible. Do commercial websites really need to be wider than 800 pixels? Do they really need to contain over 200 objects per page? Or can more designers get creative with the user experience they present, like I'm doing with www.jablet.net? Sure, I still have a lot of work to do (I'm still learning and experimenting) but I think both tablets and PCs can benefit from a return to basics.

I don't know how it would look, but the main reason is that I'm still in OS2007 (and will be until there's an updated OS2008) and Opera. But whichever way you look at it, introducing an option of switching between landscape and portrait mode can only be good.