Nokia has a new survey, apparently looking for what to do in the next device. I love the n810, but several things I find annoying. I'm curious if others find the same things or have other things they dislike. They are few, but I do wish they were fixed and are things I can't easily bypass.

1. Ambient light sensor where the left thumb often goes.

2. Application manager (slow with many archives, the version has priority and will squeeze the app name into the first few characters so I get pages of "lib|1.2-osso-beta-4-based-on-ubuntu-5|0.1". It also refreshes too often and doesn't remember manual apt-get installs. And it doesn't have an indication it is busy, except if I click again and get "operation already in progress", not what operation is, how far, if it is stuck... (Some of this is allegedly fixed, but I have to wait for the next release).

3. File manager always starts with internal memory and opens it to take up over 1/2 the left column though I never store things there. Much scrolling, tapping, etc.

4. Kickstand covers the USB port.

5. Media player doesn't include OGG support by default.

6. App manager related, but it doesn't cache the DEB install archives, and often "restore" will fail to restore all the applications because it can't get them or find them

7. Connection lists (Wifi/BT) can't be prioritized, so things I use often tend to be at the bottom and things I rarely use at the top.

8. Map application (with wayfinder) can't do both sides of the Mississippi in the US at the same time. This works as long as you aren't nearby and often cross.

9. I can't get a second car mount.

10. Internal flash is limited to 2Gb (v.s. a mirco SD which has up to 8 as of this writing).

11. I never use yen, pound or euro, and I often use the vertical bar for pipe. This is on the keyboard, but also on the virtual keyboard (which has plus instead of minus for numbers!). There should be a settings that would allow reassigning these easily and be saved as preferences and restored. I know about xmodmap, but it doesn't restore automatically, and I have to research how to write the file each time.

Suggestions:

1. A scroll pad (ipod like only straight) for scrolling on the right when I don't want to try to use the thin scrollbars. Perhaps something similar for the left side. Or just more buttons without popping out the keyboard.

2. Make host mode semi-official - add the filesystem and device modules.

Scroll bars too thin on browser (there is a wide scroll bar hack though).

The applets running bar on top is not finger-friendly.
While the N810 is billed as a mobile device and stay connected device - on the car while driving I have it connected online thru BT over my phone, but trying to select the connection icons or volume control icons while driving using your finger is a daunting task. Using a stylus while driving is a no-no.


The oft repeated complaint - GPS lock-on takes time.

As I use the N810 to video-chat often, the camera could have been a bit better - to little resolution for decent quality video.

Lack of consistent user-interface thru all in-built apps.

Change the placement of the ambient light sensor - the left thumb often goes there thereby locking the device (I use the autolock app).

The directional keys on N810 keyboard is difficult to press with fingers - got to use nails. The N800 directional pad is much better.

Have the directional pad on the body instead of on keyboard (N180).

Maybe the keyboard on N810 a bit more tactile for easier feedback.

Remove the 'loose battery' syndrome on N810's and make it tighter.

OTG-mode is official; you just need the right cable for autoswitch, and it will work (with USB mass storage, USB HID keyboards, and I think some others). The things they could do are: include a software switching tool (which I don't think is wise), add more drivers for more stuff (which would be good), and make X support mice (which I would kill for).

Why would including the software switching tool be bad? Even if both connected devices are set as hosts, there won't be any hardware damage. (USB OTG is fairly resilient...)

Honestly, USB host mode is one of the reasons I purchased the n810. Something like the USB statusbar plug-in should be included in the OS.

Sh**! I had to patch my kernel to get USB host mode working. (see bug #3026)

this kind of thing should be built-in.

Just my two cents,
kernelpanic

Sure, there's no hardware damage, but you wind up with the whole FM radio scenario, wherein:
Things don't work, and you don't know why. Turns out it's because some piece of software you're not using decided to make some changes to hardware configuration and not put it back. As simple as disabling that software? No, of course not! You need to go uninstall it. ******.

Right now, there's a community solution, and it works. (Like the 770 BT statusbar applet, but that was before my time.) Nokia takes it, scrambles it, and hands us back a half-way functional, integrated to make it difficult to disable and replace, and we are better off how? Builds character, I guess.

If I were to add something, it'd be an adapter (either a cable, or short adapter) in the box. Then things just work, which is good. Crude workarounds for suboptimal hardware are OK at best, and likely bad in Nokia's hands.

As for that bug, it's interesting. That should not be happening, and fixing it in new devices should be a pretty high priority.

When I'm within range of a WiFi connection I've told my tablet to remember, that connection appears at the top of the connection list. Saved Bluetooth DUN connections appear next.

I suppose what I'm saying is the existing system works well for me, and I'm having trouble visualizing the problem you're having. Would you please elaborate?

I agree that software itself shouldn't make hardware changes that affect other apps without warning the user. But a USB mode status bar applet that doesn't keep changes upon reboot, and doesn't make changes unless clicked?
I also agree that Nokia's implementation of some features leaves much to be desired... But they are a business. They are making money off of the hardware only. I for one, don't mind picking up the slack on this end. (That is, as long as Nokia upstreams the fixes from the OS community.)
I hardly consider the hardware suboptimal. I got my n810 for $330 + tax at CompUSA when they were going under. For the price, I couldn't ask for a better piece of hardware. Not that I wouldn't love to have had a OTG-USB micro-B cable included in the box.
Honestly, I do think it's a hardware bug as not every n810 has this problem.(after I defend the quality of the hardware above, LOL...) The pulldown switch in the USB controller sticks on some units. My patch fixes it. But the problem is in the hardware, not the software... (I'm thinking either the mode pullup or pulldown transistor is getting burned on the USB chip...) No big deal for USB OTG, but a pain if you're setting mode via software.

Cheers,
kernelpanic

In my experience, while it's scanning, they are added without much effort to sort them.

Once scanning completes, they all sort, primarily keyed by remembered/not remembered (and presumably BT in the middle, but I haven't got that) and secondarily by signal strength.

There may also be something about ad-hoc vs. infrastructure...

The main trouble is a basic design problem: you could insert new APs in sorted order, but then someone scrolling through the list might miss some. You could leave them in order of detection, but then if you let it finish scanning and try to find the one (out of dozens, in spots) that you want, you have no way of quickly finding it. What is the best course of action? I don't know, but I'm inclined to suppose that a larger window and smaller font would go farther than an improvement of any other single aspect.

USB host mode - Assuming you get 3rd party software or hacked hardware, and then only for FAT formatted flash drives (and doesn't it still pop up a "not recognized" message?). I've added stuff for CD-ROM, and iPods could use mac partitions (which can't be added on, at best loopback with offset works). And cdc_acm for serial/modem/gps and a few others. Do mice and keyboards return things back when unplugged now? A lot of things almost work. And only after some effort on the user's part.

Another big one for me in the browser is there is no "open in new window" support. Some things do (often when I don't want), but when I'm using the RSS reader, it will overwrite the frontmost browser window. A web clipboard of temporary bookmarks would serve the purpose (so I could just keep selecting pages I want then read them in order later).

I'm not sure about the GPS. Something needs fixing, but I don't know if it is me (don't try it indoors), the hardware, or the software.

The camera could be a lot better.

Or a FM radio applet that needn't keep changes on reboot, and shouldn't make changes unless playing? I don't say that it would be bad to include as it stands. But what assurance do I have that if I clamor for them to include it, they won't "improve" it? So I won't clamor (for that) and advise others the same.

OK, but I'm discussing the possible (and I know it's only possible, not foreknown) situation where Nokia adopts a program, and it works out like the town drunk adopting a little orphan girl. It's happened before, not out of malice, but out of clumsiness with software; it could happen again. If they were to leave it under whoseever control it is now, and bundle it (submitting any needed changes upstream), I wouldn't have a problem. But I don't really see where they gain; they could just link it on tableteer, and everyone seems to be just as well off.

I'm not complaining about the tablets; using a
micro-B (plug) -- A (plug)
A (socket) -- A (socket)
assembly instead of the correct (but very hard to find) single cable:
micro-AB (plug) (OTG-wired) -- A (socket)
is what I meant by suboptimal. Since those cables are hard (but possible) to find, you'd think Nokia c(/sh)ould have contracted a batch and put one in each box, or at least sell them as an accessory.