@sachin: you mean it's a twit from a nokia employee?

Hmm I thought they've been rather lukewarm (at most) about this whole portrait issue. I'd imagine if it's to be taken (more) seriously, there'd be more discussion on their part than it's been.

So has Apple resorted to stick guns at people's heads now?

I really don't understand that one. My SLR has no portrait mode either, yet I am able to shoot portrait mode pictures. What keeps you from doing so with the n900?

@range: you shoot single handed with your SLR?

If adding proper portrait mode to the device would take only a couple of weeks, believe me that this thread wouldn't exist.

Ummm. No. But in both cases shooting portrait mode pictures is just turning the camera 90° to the left or right. And then pressing the shutter release button (which is there in hardware - on my SLR as on the n900).

I do the same on my phone, although I hold that in landscape normally, when taking pictures

@range: ok.

This use case is based on single hand use, as mentioned previously, when you have your other hand preoccupied with holding an object, person, etc.

And, yes, there are ways to hold the device single handedly and still get access to the side button or whatnot, but that means you have to take it out with that sole purpose in the first place. By putting shutter\primary buttons near the 1/4 bottom of the screen, you can still possibly switch between different programs and maek use of them, single handedly.

Well, at least that was the aim anyway, if we want to have usability parity against most (90+%) other handheld device\phones.

From personal experience of using the device for n months now (and YMMV), I don't find the lack of portrait mode in most apps a major problem.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I have a suspicion that many people automatically equate portrait mode with one hand usage. However, if you look at for instance iPhone users and their usage, the vast majority of the use is two hand usage. One hand holds the device, the other operates the finger. That's 'no better', really.

Something like my E71, I can do a lot with one hand, because it has the rocker, i.e. Scroll and select UI style. The key control are located below my thumb. There i can operate the device with the same hand that is holding it, because i don't need to much move the fingers around.

But on most touch UI's the control are all over the place. Yes, in theory you can reach them while holding the device, but it isn't very comfortable anymore. You'll drop the device sooner or later, trying to press a control in some bottom corner of the screen.

(Anyways, this isn't to say that portrait mode support isn't still a good thing. Just a viewpoint.)

I.e. I can switch songs with one hand on my n900 by holding it in portrait orientation. It's painful, partly because the UI is 90 degrees around, but then again, that's not the main problem: I recognize the prev/next buttons just the same. The operation wouldn't be much less painful if the icons would be rotated 90 degrees around, if they're still the same size and in the same position on screen.

Yep. That is because of the capacitive touch screen, which requires that you operate the phone with your finger and not with the tip of your nail (skin leds electricity, nails don't). And since few of us have thumbs which are small enough we have to use, for instance, the index finger of the other hand. That is, as you so correctly stated, ”no better”.
I would never buy an iPhone, because to me it's imperative that the phone can be operated with one hand.

Now, the N900 has a resistive screen, which means that you can operate it using the tip of your nail - even your thumb nail. But that doesn't do you any good if it only works in landscape mode, since in that position it's impossible to hold and operate the phone with one hand...

Sadly enough.
Will have to stick to my HTC's...

I hope all the Maemans here realize how important one handed usage is to Symbian and its users. S60 was designed with it in mind from day one, and it is something that keeps Symbian in demand in half of all smart devices sold in the world.

FYI, ALL apps work in portrait or landscape on S60 3rd AND 5th Edition. On the N95, it was activated with the slide before the accelerometer was used to do ASR. And the preferred mode of text entry with Symbian is T9, not QWERTY (top S60 devices of the last few years: N95, N82, 5800, all feature one handed usage), though this may be changing thanks to the Americans. Like many others, I am able to type 40+ wpm with T9, nearly as fast as my full size typing skills. I had the N97, and hardly ever opened the slide, and mostly used it in portrait mode. It takes less hands, is easier, and makes people with one hand and active lives more happy and productive.

With all due respect, Jaffa, you have to listen to the new users, not try to outsmart them. New users, and any users that have been using ANY touchscreen smartphone of recent note, EXPECT automatic screen/UI rotation out of the box. The fact is portrait mode IS NOT SUPPORTED by the device via the UI, just the developer. That will hurt the N900, and if 30+ pages and various articles on the web and in print about it isn't enough to show how important it is, the Maemo community won't have much success appealing to new users.

The N900 has widgets, and is set up so you don't have to alway launch an app to get the data you want. Well, if I have to use two hands just to whip my device out and check the NBA scores, we have a big problem! Before I joined the Symbian Freak community, I had a blog with all of my content created while walking my dog, and most of my Symbian Freak content was created in the same manner.

Portrait mode is for saving time and increasing productivity. If I can't look at the screen while driving, shopping, burping the baby, or holding a hungry tiger at bay, I'm just using a laptop/netbook. Isn't the N900 supposed to be good enough to leave my lappy at home? If I need 2 hands, I may as well get a baby netbook with 3G and run Gizmo with Google Voice. Where is the advantage, pocketability? Is that it? Why not add to the advantage that smartphones have of one handed usage?

Nokia and the Maemo community have to take the lead on this and provide the things users want or need. Part of that is learning from Symbian, which is still the world's favorite mobile OS. We have alot of knowledge about mobiles to teach Maemo, evidently. By not having a totally rotating UI, it is on the developers to do it, and that's unacceptable. Remember Mobitubia, the Forum Nokia Champion app for viewing YouTube? Remember the UI was landscape only? I loved everything about the app except that, and most people preferred the no longer in development emTube app, which supported ASR along with the UI. Had he stuck with the normal UI of S60, he'd have had a much better app.

Try that while putting your baby to sleep, checking a map for directions while driving, walking the dog, or texting while cooking

It isn't portrait mode that makes people think one handed usage. It is S60, which was designed for one hand usage in most cases. However, when using a device in one hand, expecially one as large as the N900, portrait is the preferred mode. Landscape is too unwieldy in one hand, and try entering text with one hand in landscape. It is almost impossible on the N97 with the on screen T9 pad in landscape, and I doubt anyone does it.

Landscape is for when you have time to stop and get down to business, but for someone on the go, portrait it the best. Don't use the iPhone for an example. While many of the users here have them, many Symbianers hate that device because of the way it has set back hand computing. Using an iPhone with one hand is nearly impossible because of the screen and multitouch gestures, and even still, it had ASR out of the gate so you could get some one handed usage out of it.

Don't use the iPhone for comparisons much unless you're ready to hear how immature that platform is. It LOOKS slick, but its far behind Symbian in most aspects. Why not look to the N97 or N95 for inspiration? Those platforms have over 10 years of development, and it shows when you use the device while active.

I hope all the Maemans here realize how important one handed usage is to Symbian and its users. S60 was designed with it in mind from day one, and it is something that keeps Symbian in demand in half of all smart devices sold in the world.

FYI, ALL apps work in portrait or landscape on S60 3rd AND 5th Edition. On the N95, it was activated with the slide before the accelerometer was used to do ASR. And the preferred mode of text entry with Symbian is T9, not QWERTY (top S60 devices of the last few years: N95, N82, 5800, all feature one handed usage), though this may be changing thanks to the Americans. Like many others, I am able to type 40+ wpm with T9, nearly as fast as my full size typing skills. I had the N97, and hardly ever opened the slide, and mostly used it in portrait mode. It takes less hands, is easier, and makes people with one hand and active lives more happy and productive.

With all due respect, Jaffa, you have to listen to the new users, not try to outsmart them. New users, and any users that have been using ANY touchscreen smartphone of recent note, EXPECT automatic screen/UI rotation out of the box. The fact is portrait mode IS NOT SUPPORTED by the device via the UI, just the developer. That will hurt the N900, and if 30+ pages and various articles on the web and in print about it isn't enough to show how important it is, the Maemo community won't have much success appealing to new users.

The N900 has widgets, and is set up so you don't have to always launch an app to get the data you want. Well, if I have to use two hands just to whip my device out and check the NBA scores, we have a big problem! Before I joined the Symbian Freak community, I had a blog with all of my content created while walking my dog, and most of my Symbian Freak content was created in the same manner. I expect the screen to show my data as it orients to me, not as I orient myself to the device.

Portrait mode is for saving time and increasing productivity. If I can't look at the screen while driving, shopping, burping the baby, or holding a hungry tiger at bay, I'm just using a laptop/netbook. Isn't the N900 supposed to be good enough to leave my lappy at home? If I need 2 hands, I may as well get a baby netbook with 3G and run Gizmo with Google Voice. Where is the advantage, pocketability? Is that it? Why not add to the advantage that smartphones have of one handed usage?

Nokia and the Maemo community have to take the lead on this and provide the things users want or need. Part of that is learning from Symbian, which is still the world's favorite mobile OS. We have alot of knowledge about mobiles to teach Maemo, evidently. By not having a totally rotating UI, it is on the developers to do it, and that's unacceptable. Remember Mobitubia, the Forum Nokia Champion app for viewing YouTube? Remember the UI was landscape only? I loved everything about the app except that, and most people preferred the no longer in development emTube app, which supported ASR along with the UI. Had he stuck with the normal UI of S60, he'd have had a much better app.

Try that while putting your baby to sleep, checking a map for directions while driving, walking the dog, or texting while cooking

I hope all the Maemans here realize how important one handed usage is to Symbian and its users. S60 was designed with it in mind from day one, and it is something that keeps Symbian in demand in half of all smart devices sold in the world.

FYI, ALL apps work in portrait or landscape on S60 3rd AND 5th Edition. On the N95, it was activated with the slide before the accelerometer was used to do ASR. And the preferred mode of text entry with Symbian is T9, not QWERTY (top S60 devices of the last few years: N95, N82, 5800, all feature one handed usage), though this may be changing thanks to the Americans. Like many others, I am able to type 40+ wpm with T9, nearly as fast as my full size typing skills. I had the N97, and hardly ever opened the slide, and mostly used it in portrait mode. It takes less hands, is easier, and makes people with one hand and active lives more happy and productive.

With all due respect, Jaffa, you have to listen to the new users, not try to outsmart them. New users, and any users that have been using ANY touchscreen smartphone of recent note, EXPECT automatic screen/UI rotation out of the box. The fact is portrait mode IS NOT SUPPORTED by the device via the UI, just the developer. That will hurt the N900, and if 30+ pages and various articles on the web and in print about it isn't enough to show how important it is, the Maemo community won't have much success appealing to new users.

The N900 has widgets, and is set up so you don't have to alway launch an app to get the data you want. Well, if I have to use two hands just to whip my device out and check the NBA scores, we have a big problem! Before I joined the Symbian Freak community, I had a blog with all of my content created while walking my dog, and most of my Symbian Freak content was created in the same manner.

Portrait mode is for saving time and increasing productivity. If I can't look at the screen while driving, shopping, burping the baby, or holding a hungry tiger at bay, I'm just using a laptop/netbook. Isn't the N900 supposed to be good enough to leave my lappy at home? If I need 2 hands, I may as well get a baby netbook with 3G and run Gizmo with Google Voice. Where is the advantage, pocketability? Is that it? Why not add to the advantage that smartphones have of one handed usage?

Nokia and the Maemo community have to take the lead on this and provide the things users want or need. Part of that is learning from Symbian, which is still the world's favorite mobile OS. We have alot of knowledge about mobiles to teach Maemo, evidently. By not having a totally rotating UI, it is on the developers to do it, and that's unacceptable. Remember Mobitubia, the Forum Nokia Champion app for viewing YouTube? Remember the UI was landscape only? I loved everything about the app except that, and most people preferred the no longer in development emTube app, which supported ASR along with the UI. Had he stuck with the normal UI of S60, he'd have had a much better app.

Try that while putting your baby to sleep, checking a map for directions while driving, walking the dog, or texting while cooking

MOST touch UIs, but not the good ones. N97 may be "clunky" as they say, but it works with one hand just fine. Well thought UIs don't have to always be cute, but if they aren't thought out well, they are counterproductive. Think about all of the S60 devices and think which one CAN'T be used with one hand...

Notice your choice of words: "PAINFUL" If a device pisses you off using it, you use another. Don't make the N900 my home device and the N95 8gb my mobile when I'm away. I'm fine with that, but I don't see why Maemo isn't capable enough. Nokia has equipped the N900 with the necessary hardware and software. WE need to get Nokia and the Maemo team to get it where we need it to be so it becomes a standard for computing, not just another choice.