This is how I think they would have made better use of the space on this device:



I talk about some of the other problems that I see with this product over on the Archos Fans forum: http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?t=8212

The worst thing being that Nokia still hasn't announced any internet tablet with built-in HSDPA although I look forward to the Nokia internet tablet with built-in WiMax.

Anyone tested video support, has it been improved now with the 400mhz overclocking or does it still not support DVD resolution DivX and full screen Youtube flash video streaming?

has anyone tried fitting an n810 into the hardcase from a 770 yet?

Obviously the keyboard negates a 770 type cover on this model, and the wonderfully woeful n800 camera was probably the reason it was dropped in the first place, but now the camera is in the place it should have been all along can't we actually, really start a petiton for the n900 to see it's return, even as an optional extra maybe?

I am tempted to join the Archos forums now.

I just visited your link. It looks like user "billbipper" liked your posts as well!

I largely concur with your mockup.

Yes, they should have used the keyboard exclusively for the type keys, thus making every key a little wider. That is, I would keep the return key and backspace keys on the slider. [edit 'flag' buttons] Looked at hi res images - it's the menu button ... so you have three menu buttons?

I personally think the camera should have been on top in the middle.

And, since the camera no longer swivels ... how about a two megapixel camera on the back to take pictures? I had started to look at the N800 as a little mobile blog machine, but the N800 images are many times of unacceptable quality and when saved with the camera app take 250KB of space??

I don't see the dpad location as a "problem". I agree with the rationale given: that it makes sense to place it close to the keyboard.

Rather than crowding more buttons on the face, IMO the solution is a change in the interface to minimize button use and encourage/support increased touchscreen interaction.

Oh, and I like how you created an account just to complain about the device and draw members to your forum. Nice.

I agree that the thumbpad belongs on the front, not on the keypad. I use the thumbpad and function keys when I browse with my 770 and rarely need to use the stylus. I think it's ridiculous to deploy the keypad and double the size of the device in order to navigate.

A handheld GPS device is useless outdoors unless it has a transflective display that is viewable in direct sunlight.

Make the camera truly useful and put it on the back of the unit so that it can be used to take photos.

Ron G

Who says you need the keyboard to navigate? I quit using the dpad on websites looong ago.

Also, someone commented in another thread that the screen IS transflective.

Finally, I don't see dual use for the webcam as a big deal myself.

Well it's definately nice that they made it smaller, and adding a keyboard is cool. It just is too bad that the keyboard isn't using the whole width. In my mockup it's not three menu buttons, but I were thinking there could be some different kinds of shortcut buttons there. Maybe the space, tab, shift, ctrl, fn, del, backspace, alt buttons could also have been somewhere on the top part of the device next to the screen or under it, I figure that the way you are holding it, it would be a problem to move your thumb over to the side of the screen to do such things as hitting Enter or the space bar. Thus the whole area of the keyboard should just have been for the letters of the keyboard and the most important of the ,.:;-_ type of characters. In my mockup the keys are about twice as large as the way Nokia made them on the N810.

It might be OK for people who like to use devices such as Blackberries and such, I just think that if they cannot have a full sized keyboard in there, then at least it would be important to make the keys as large as possible.

As for the multidirectional button on the left side of the screen like with the N770 and N800, I think is useful for fast scrolling without having to use the touch-screen when the keyboard part of the device is closed.

I'm not complaining, I'm just posting my suggestions for the N900, that Nokia hopefully will show at the CES in a couple of months. I would actually prefer a device without a built-in keyboard. To me adding 30gr, removing the two SD card slots and removing the speakers was not worth adding a sliding keyboard, especially such a small keyboard. Or maybe it would be nicest to have somekind of compact foldable keyboard design be the solid screen protector like the sliding screen protector of the N770. I prefer the external full sized foldable keyboard for any serious typing.

And especially for N900, I'd expect Nokia to provide better video support, tv-out, DVR, transflective screen, built-in HSDPA and WiMax.

The Dpad covers the location of the keys on the left, so they would have to moved somewhere else. Also the size of the Dpad shown would not be possible as the actual screen extends beyond the visible area, and the location of the dpad would still be over the screen under the facia.

All the extra buttons on the front make it look very messy.

Yup, I'm not very good at using the GIMP image editor. The idea is just to have buttons on each side of the screen, so that when the keyboard is closed, it could be used nicely for doing most of the stuff without having to use the touch-screen and that's especially useful for gaming where you prefer not to have to touch the screen. And that's one other thing for N900, Nokia should add somekind of 3D accelerator in there, something like a new generation low power 3D graphics processor. Emulating N64 games (legally through a Nintendo partnership of course) would be nice.