Unregistered wrote:What an excellent piece of objective common sense. Some have condemned the keypad because the space bar isn't where it is expected on an aincient keyboard layout (qwerty/azerty) but any intelligent human is highly adaptable and moving the space bar slightly would take all of 10 seconds of adaptation before it becomes second nature. Some will find any excuse to criticise. Makes life slightly more difficult for innovators.
Hehe.... well said man, well said...
All people want change, but then when it comes, they are not willing to accept it. 😊
I'm not sure I agree. I don't have an N97 (I have an E90), but I still don't see the need for the space-bar to be located off-centre. The "I can hit it with my right thumb" justification is a bit like those apple fanboys who claimed "you don't really need copy&paste" because the iPhone didn't have it. It's always possible to find some kind of justification for a particular design choice, but it still doesn't mean it's a good choice...
What I find particularly odd about the N97 d-pad is its location; ie. only available when the keyboard is exposed AND on the left-hand side. To me, these are both odd choices, as I would expect game playing to be easier with the screen closed and with the d-pad on the right-hand side (for right-handed players). If they had put the d-pad next to the screen, the keyboard could have been wider AND the device could better support both left- and right-handed players by enabling the screen to be rotated accordingly...
buster wrote:I'm not sure I agree. I don't have an N97 (I have an E90), but I still don't see the need for the space-bar to be located off-centre. The "I can hit it with my right thumb" justification is a bit like those apple fanboys who claimed "you don't really need copy&paste" because the iPhone didn't have it. It's always possible to find some kind of justification for a particular design choice, but it still doesn't mean it's a good choice...
That's an odd comparison, not having cut and paste compared to a displaced space bar. I would understand it if there were no space bar. If there is no cut and paste you simply can't do it. If the space bar is somewhere else then you adjust, but you still can press the space bar.
Just how difficult is it to press the space bar with your thumb now it has been moved 2 cm?
Steve, Steve, Steve... you poor misguided man. You are so off-base. Nokia has not positioned this product as a replacement of your beloved E-90. Just because it has a flip out key pad, all you bloggers are treating it like an "E" Series. The N97's keyboard is for texting - hence design, hence no "E-series" quality e-mail client. Its an "N" series -not an "E" series.
All that you are doing is giving the N97 - N96 syndrome. Shame on you.
Ted
That's an odd comparison, not having cut and paste compared to a displaced space bar. I would understand it if there were no space bar. If there is no cut and paste you simply can't do it. If the space bar is somewhere else then you adjust, but you still can press the space bar.Just how difficult is it to press the space bar with your thumb now it has been moved 2 cm?
The point I was trying to make is that it always possible to justify any particular design choice; that does not make it a good choice though. And it's not a question of "how hard it is", more a question of "was it really necessary in the first place?".
I for one think the odd location makes the N97 look strange and badly-designed, particularly when there doesn't really seem to be any justification for it.
If you're going to go the trouble of designing a complex hinge mechanism like the N97's, at least put a halfway decent keyboard in. Let's face it, a lot of the comments posted on AAS by N97 owners seem to be along the lines of "it's not as bad as I expected" which is hardly a glowing recommendation.
buster wrote:Let's face it, a lot of the comments posted on AAS by N97 owners seem to be along the lines of "it's not as bad as I expected" which is hardly a glowing recommendation.
Or the reviews are exaggerating problems with the keyboard that actual owners don't seem to be having after a week or so of use?
Personally I'm not having a problem with the N97. I would have preferred a full size keyboard like the one my desktop PC has, but I can understand that you have to compromise 🙄 The space bar location is simply not a problem for me, took about 30 mins to get comfortable with it. What is more of a problem with the N97 keyboard is the need for symbol shift to access some punctuation and the short key travel. Again, it's a matter of adapting.
As an earlier posted noted, this is an N-series phone, and I'll be using my N97 for texting, web browsing and data entry and the odd long email. Won't be writing any novels on it, so I think the balance of device size weight vs keyboard functionality is good. I couldn't carry an E90 around with me all day, even if it did have the best keyboard.
I'm extremely happy with my E90, and the keyboard does still seem to be the best of the Symbian devices (not as nice as the Touch Pro's keyboard though). I don't have a particular problem with the E90's size, though this is the time of year where finding somewhere to put it does become more of a problem :con?
Frankly I would be embarrased to admit that the N97 space bar caused me any problem at all. IT simply doesn't. You need a space character, you press the space bar. What more does anyone need? If it doesn't look right, that's the user problem.
Perhaps a bluetooth space bar adapter that can be placed between the teeth so that every time the user needs to type a space he closes his mouth.
I've got the thing!
2 days ago.
N97. I replaced my E71 with it.
I am very positive about the hardware and software, except the plastic back plate. Can't understand why they couldn't put a metal back plate as in E71. It would be a perfect phone then.
Also I think the hinge will be broken soon (despite being careful, it's plastic!)
To the keyboard:
I was growing in my irritation as I couldn't find dot and comma sign on the physical keyboard but only as Fn-keys! I just wanted to start a rant how they could do that, to put all those much less used % or & keys on the physical keyboard and put the most used dot and comma in the Fn-keyboard!
And right now... I found them on the physical keyboard... Gosh, I think I need new glasses or what? TWO days in stress and irritation...
The rest is fine, as everything new will require some getting used to.
Software has stabilized and matured through last years, I'm impressed. (my most stable phone until now was... 9500, that was slow but beautiful software)
Kazio
I think there's a real lack of innovation going (or not going) on.
Whatever happened to the chorded keyboards of the eighties? Yes, a bit geeky - but so was a PDA, and that's fast moving to mass market. Multi-touch touch-screens would lend themselves well to an intelligent learning chorded keyboard, or even something like a QWERTY which makes the key you are more likely to hit next larger than the ones you are least likely to hit. Get those patents in, and you owe me a pint.
I'm basically going to heartily disagree with a lot of you: the keyboards of the N97 AND the e71 are both bsically shite!
The former has been extensively noted but I am personally amazed at those pushing the idea that the e71's keyboard wasn't a retrograde step. Having owned the e61, I was pleasantly surprised by the keyboard, which has only been bettered by the e75 and e90 if we are sticking to current devices, in reverse order.
The e71's keys are MUCH TOO CLOSE TOGETHER and I find it almost completely unusable just like my combined 40-odd mins of playing with the n97 completely underwhelmed me. In fact. I found that I wrote far less gobbledegook using the i8910 HD/ Omnia HD even though it's an onscreen keyboard!!
The e75's keys are fine, even though flat with little travel but both the compromised screen size and resolution AND the hugely compromised outer alphanumerical keypad mean that it could never replace the e90 for all-round usability even if it's other hardware specs were actually on par.
The only thing to dislike about the e90's keyboard (assuming the device cannot be made WIDER - to the associated benefit of the internal screen, is the "hardness" of the keys. If this were about 30% less, it would be close to perfect; maintaining it's robustness and solid mounting of course.
still 9110 is the grand vater of all ... and 9210 is the king..
Today e90 still rules
Uk User, started with a 6820 and moved to a 9300, and as yet have not found a decent replacement.
E90 (and my 9300) keyboard was perfectly suitable for use, and enabled easy transfer of all office keyboard typing styles to the phone, (without having to relearn how to type) which was what it was designed to do. Most users want to be able to pick up a phone and start typing, and having small buttons and a non standard layout (compared to a pc/mac keyboard) just won't do.
Depending on your thumb size and dexterity will determine how easy it is to use the keyboard, but it is hard to disagree with the conclusions found here.
Reasonable sized keys (i accept that they aren't perfect for everyone)
5 seperate rows (including numbers) and not requiring a shift/function key to access many things that you wouldn't normally need
Have tried a number of alternative phones as a replacement for my 9300 (as its 2.5 years old) and only the e90 had the same keyboard layout, and wasn't a downgrade in capability. (e75 e61 etc..) thus until nokia release a new communicator that matches or surpassess the e90 i shall keep mine working!
Regards