Products & Services
Nokia N900 in-depth video – plus Maemo browser tips and tricks
By Mike on 05 October 2009
GLOBAL – As the launch of the Nokia N900 draws closer, and appetites grow heartier, we’ve managed to track down a brand-new video that goes in-depth on the N900 web browser and highlights a few neat tricks.
Broken into two easy-to-swallow chunks, the first half of the video sees Mikko Korpelainen, a Senior Product Manager at Nokia, give you a rigorous close-up look at the core features that make the N900 the best pocket device for browsing the web. The second act sees Martin Shüle, Principle Designer in the User Interface design team, show you some smart tricks and gesture touch controls that help make exploring the web even easier on N900.
Click through to watch the full six-minute in-depth video of the Nokia N900 in action, and to share your comments.
Mikko Korpelainen takes us through the five things you need to bring the full internet into your pocket. He highlights the latest web technologies as being the first thing you need – in this case Mozilla technologies and open source approach (the N900’s browser is based on the engine that powers Firefox and Fennec). Second up, is full flash support – the N900 comes toting Flash 9.4. This is closely followed by performance – as Mikko demonstrates in the video, pages have got to load fast, be responsive and have good frame rates when showing video. Screen real estate is fourth on his list (and more specifically pixel-count), with the N900 host to a large touchscreen with an 800 x 480 resolution. Last on the checklist is being able to interact in a more advanced way with the content on-screen, as illustrated when Mikko presses on a part of the screen to bring up a contextual menu, in what he calls a “hover and manipulation mode”. What do you think about what Mikko has highlighted in this video? Are these the core components required for a great web browsing experience (in a pocketable size)?
Martin Shüle steps in front of the lens for the second half of the video to showcase some smart tips and tricks for web browsing on the Nokia N900. You might already know that there’s kinetic scrolling, and that when you double-tap the screen it zooms into that particular section you’re interested in. But did you know that if you swirl your finger in a clockwise gesture on the touchscreen it gradually zooms in on the web page, with an anti-clockwise motion zooming out? Also, you can share info from a web page by bringing up a cursor, and then simply dragging your finger across the text you’re interested in sharing, such as an address or telephone number – you can copy and paste text into an email or any breed of message. If you want to find out more about this stuff you can visit maemo.nokia.com.
Watch the video above to see all this in action, and as ever please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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- Video: Nokia N900 in-depth – plus Maemo browser tips and tricks
- Finding Maemo – the new Nokia N900
- Subtle flourishes of the N900
Tags | browser, Maemo, Maemo 5, Mozilla, N900, Nokia N900, web
October 5th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
This is great!
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October 5th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Cool stuff
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October 5th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Awesome demonstration of the power of this “Beast”, but still..
(ok, rant mode on)
Using 3G network to show how fennec would behave isn’t clever..
We (the users) want to know how fast is the browser/phone processing webpages, and if you used wi-fi, that would give us a better idea.
Now we all have a question: Was this deliberated? Did they use 3G connection so that they could disguise N900/fennec bad performance?
sorry for this, but i felt i had to say it.
About all the rest…I’m astonished with it. (and yes, we do need all those things, and probably more)!
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October 5th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Actually I never had a phone capable of surfing on the web, and to know it’s that fast on a 3G connection is going to convince me to buy one, since it’ll be even faster over wifi. The phone/browser prestations look good anyway, even if possibly limited by the connection speed.
Of course, a test with both connection types would have been better, but I think the purpose of the video was more to show the capabilities than the speed.
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October 5th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
I can’t even resist to comment first on the n900 maemo browser features before finishing the last 3 minutes of the video.
This n900 is truely the innovations of mobile computer. I can put my world in just my pocket because of this N900. I can’t say no more, because there is much words that fits to n900.
First is technology, it defines what software engineering brought to us in 2009. Second is mobility, this one of the feature that a mobile has to be fitted with the capabilities of computer and put it on the go, wherever you are and whenever you need your buddy.
Lastly is pride, I can kiss my elbow when I have my n900, surely it will bring fun and excitement. This is the beast that needs to be in the spotlight. I wish n900 can be my best bud techy!
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October 5th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Seeing this video just make me want N900 more and more. I’ve seen too much N900 video and my skin start to itch to touch the real N900.
The sad news is: I somehow believe that N900 wouldn’t be released in my country. At least not in the first wave (October). I can’t find any news about N900 and Indonesia on 1 sentence.
Anyway,
I really congrats nokia for giving us a great device. I just hope that nokia can bring better device FASTER.
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ade Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Well, your post seem to make #4 in Google for “nokia n900 indonesia”, that’s how I get here …
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October 5th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
would anyone like to play the devil’s advocate & tell me if there’s any feature this phone doesnt have..
cant figure it out myself coz I believe it has everything… 5 mp camera, bluetooth, wifi, 3g, quad band, music player(mp3/wav/wma + online music store), video player (real/mpg/wmv/3gp & avi which n97 didnt have & xvid!), gps, radio, fm transmitter, usb, 3.5mm out, video out, qwerty, big screen (16:9)+ pocket form factor, email client (esp. exchange support), geotagging(!), doc readers… finally the new processor, bigger memory, n a new os.. more powerful than my first pentium… damnnn!
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c Reply:
October 8th, 2009 at 4:05 am
Here are a few (that may or may not be important to you).
It doesn’t have MMS (although it could be added…) and also the Nokia spec page says “Video calling: availability will be announced later”.
Things like a lack of J2ME (java mobile) ability could be an issue for some people if they have specific applications that they use in the J2ME format.
However on the hardware side, there is the lack of directional pad, and some people users would prefer a xennon flash (such as that found in the N82).
There will always be future features that the current generation of phones such as this do not have, such as wireless charging (but this will appear in a future handset).
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October 5th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
I really love the look of the N900 but I am worried there appears to be no MMS support…WHY??? If it is as good as it appears, it will be simply amazing. Seeing it working in the real world will be the real test, on WLAN and also on the move. Battery life will be the final thing, will it eat the battery? As good as the phone looks, it seriously needs a reasonable battery life for me.
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October 5th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Am pasting few relevant CONS of N900 which I have swiped from a slightly bigger list from recent website article which I found interesting.
• no handwriting recognition
• storage memory for installable applications limited to ridiculous 256 MB, all the remaining gigabytes available for documents and data files only
• the display seems to be easily scratchable; screen protector or carrying case are recommended to protect it
• lens cover does not scratch the lens (like on the N97) but it does scratch the part of the casing it slides over
• since the memory card is hot swappable, why there’s no access to it from the outside?
• some sort of hardware “Home” button quickly switching to the Desktop would be really useful
• no audio equalizer
• no voice dialing!
• no Java support, even just Java MIDP
• very limited support for Profiles, only “General” and “Silent”, no possibility to create own profiles, no timed Profiles, etc.
• the touch display “de-calibrating” from time to time on the tested unit, probably due to early, pre-release firmware.
• no MMS support.
Additionally , very importantly: Whats the power consumption / battery life like ?
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Flandry Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
That list isn’t accurate. It’s based on prototype software and prototype hardware.
Some real cons that are part of the final version are:
No USB host mode
No UMA support
No digital compass
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JayBomb Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 1:20 am
@Bobby
Some of those “CONS” are valid (though some are nitpicks at best), but a few of them, especially the “ridiculous 256 MB” thing, have been thoroughly debunked.
I’d recommend maemo.org for vetted and the latest information.
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illusionado Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
YOUR WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
* hand writing recognition can be develop easily in the resistive touh screen
* U can install ur apps i.e. ur GAMES on the memory card and will just eat up ur 256mb a little ( i have an NSERIES phone)
* touch screens would be nicer if u feel something and if u dont want to be scratch then dont use it
* scratch again? its engineering dude! think again
* wats the USE of the removable micro sd card 16/32gb??
* home button with real keys u mean??? do u know the skill of the linux-maemo?
* equalizer? voice dialing? its SOFTWARE dude so its on the PACKage
* JAVA??? wats the use of JAVA if u will be loving the apps and features of maemo?
* profiles??? again its software…FirmWare Update is the TREND
* de-calibrating? maybe they dont know how to use the phone
* No MMS? wats the use of being CONNECTED WORLD? mms can be ignore and just attach it on the email..its 2009 now how come
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Andy Reply:
December 9th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
1: Try to speak legibly.
Now, responses to your argument:
1: Lack of “ready-to-go” apps can hinder a user’s first impression.
2: (They have since changed to 2 GB application storage)
3: If you’re talking about response, the N900 has the option to vibrate when you press the screen, otherwise, I have no idea what you mean.
4: ???
5: Easier transportation of music, videos, etc. Also more space for hacking.
6: Most touch-screen centric smartphones have hardware home buttons. Second part: ???
7: The amount of written software depends on how many Maemo 4 developers are willing to switch to Maemo 5.
8: That is completely beside the point. Java, aside from offline programs, is used quite extensively in the web as well.
9: As stated above: Lack of ready-to-go software can degrade first impressions, and can potentially lead to lower sales.
10: De-Calibration is very real. That’s one of the reasons why they have the calibration software in the first place.
11: Remember: Outside of smartphones, other phones have very slow/unreliable e-mail, whereas MMS is somewhat more widespread.
There’s my set of counters.
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October 5th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
“• storage memory for installable applications limited to ridiculous 256 MB, all the remaining gigabytes available for documents and data files only”
As far as i read this will change to about 2GB in the final N900.
Also repartitioning should be possible for a bit advanced users.
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October 5th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
“Am pasting few relevant CONS of N900 which I have swiped from a slightly bigger list from recent website article which I found interesting.”
Would have been much more interesting posting a link to that article.
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October 6th, 2009 at 3:15 am
@Bobby, the cons you posted were from a review of a device with pre-production firmware. The hardware issues could be valid, if the production unit isn’t different, but the software/firmware side should definitely be fixed. Given the delays in shipping, there may be some slight hardware changes as well.
@Nuno Pereira, the N900’s browser is not Fennec, but it is based on the same Gecko engine. If anything, I think using the 3G connection shows real-world usage for those who have access to it, as opposed to Wi-Fi, which of course would be faster and isn’t available everywhere (not in the U.S. anyway).
Every video and review I’ve seen (a lot of them) has shown that this device is extrememly fast in operation, even the browser.
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Nuno Pereira Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Yep, someone told me the same: It isn’t fennec.. But, i’m way far from understanding it.. For me, it is simple: I use firefox, and i won’t trade it for no one. If N900’s browser is look-a-like, i’d say it’s fine by me!
Anyway, thank’s for the heads up!
About the 3G connection, i know most of the users don’t have access to wi-fi, but we could have a better “picture” of N900’s power if it was used on this video.
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October 6th, 2009 at 4:24 am
I think, there’s no doubt that the evolution has become!!!,
@bobby, the critics are truly valid but only if they’re constructive, you seems to be a granny from the competence yelling some bla-bla because you are scared, sorry but I got to say it.
@nuno as a matter of facts as we all know tha wifi is 10 times faster than 3G, so what you gotta do is multiplicate what you’ve already saw per ten and then you are
and this goes for @nokiaconv, when the heck it is going to be out? I can wait men, to put my hands on this monster?
here’s my speculation, not for my consolation
If n97 mini comes out in oct 23rd, the N900 comes in December?
Thanks in advance for your responses
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Nuno Pereira Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
@ juan lunar,
I knwo wi-fi is impressively faster than 3G, but that wasn’t what i meant.
In the video, with 3G speed, browser takes about 4/5 seconds to load youtube’s page, but if it was made using a wi-fi connection, it could probably take about half a second to do it. But… If the processing speed was slow, Nokia would have all the reasons not to use wi-fi. Got it?
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Juan Lunar Reply:
October 8th, 2009 at 4:25 am
gotcha, but I guess, it is not in this case, I think like this: when you got a 15 inches, you only show his head, that’s it, that’s it
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October 6th, 2009 at 6:42 am
I found the “hover and manipulation mode” part of the video uninformatative– I’m not sure what it does yet or how it compensates for shortcomings of a handheld compared to a desktop computer.
As a web surfing machine, the N900 looks great and should be super for email. I hope it does as well with integrating office applications, such as Microsoft Word, calendaring, and .pdf files. Of course, everyone wants it to carry only one device, so it’s telephone qualities must excel also. So far, the marketing seems directed more towards Facebook and Twitter freaks. That might be enough for it to sell well, but at the end of the day, if this mobile computer can’t take on Blackberry, well, that’s what is staying in my pocket and my so is my money.
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October 6th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Check out talk.maemo.org for specific technical info about the device. The maemo community is very active and knowledgeble.
Don’t worry about the 256MB installable issue, the beauty of these tablets is that like any linux system, you can customize them however you want.
I currently own an N800, and have it booting from my 8GB SD card. I have partitioned it to have 1 GB of space for installations, but I could have just as easily have given it more.
If you are concerned about software issues, all I can say is the maemo community has come up with some pretty impressive solutions to all sorts of customization desires regarding the previous tablets.
The original N800, N810 were capable of doing some things, since their appearance, and with the work of the community, they are now capable of doing a multitude of tasks that make them incredibly impressive. With the N900s potential, I can only imagine what it will be capable of doing in the near future after some of these guys have had it a chance to use it.
My only concerns for this device are two: 1 I wish the screen was bigger, 4″ or more instead of the 3.5″
and 2, I wish the keyboard had a better layout, more rows, more keys.
again: TALK.MAEMO.ORG is your friend for any technical questions you may have.
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October 6th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
I pre-ordered a Nokia N900 here in Germany. I’m American but been living in Berlin for 3 years. I was told that the phone will be shipped to the distribution center in the Netherlands October 13th and it will take 3-5 business days for the phone to reach European destinations. As for when it reaches the states or other countries, no idea, but I hope that helps other people out there waiting for it like kids on Christmas Eve.
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October 6th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
The CONS were on the prototype and the software, hopefully, should get tweaked – as in – maxed out for super performance. The hardware may still be an issue (I too am of the opinion that the 256MB WILL be changed).
@JayBomb: Shall skip to maemo.org for more. Thnx !
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October 7th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Hmm. So it came to this? The N900 is now a super powerful, smooth, very desirable, buzz-generating, fully featured, in your pocket, full computer. But the N97 is… a… some lesser multimedia computer? Now, how do you bridge that gap?
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October 7th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
So…let’s see it in portrait mode. Does that even exist?
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October 8th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
ah, so it pronounced “my mow” not “may mow”
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October 10th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
I love this phone already, the only thing that will stop me from getting it will be the radiation level. If it is high I will not buy it.
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October 13th, 2009 at 10:04 am
I agree with many others, the nitpicks are silly.
How can anyone compare a Linux computer to a cell phone. Sorry but if you can not install at least one Linux distro on the device it just is NOT smart. There are already two distros that can be installed on the Nokia N900 and you can count on many others in the future. Not that you would need to do that thanks to Maemo. Remember that there are multiple Linux distros that will run very, very well in only 128MB of RAM. Memory is a non issue for a decent Linux computer and the Nokia N900 is leaps above!
Can you say tethering…not a problem with Linux, any distro.
As for memory and storage, please, my N800 had two Micro SSD slots, one internal under the GPS module and the other external under the stand. I have been using two 4 GB Micro SSD cards since I bought the N800 years ago without issues or problems. About six months ago, I saw a sale on a website, Amazon I think, were I could pick up either a 16 GB or 32 GB Micro SSD card for about $16 per. Buy two, pop one Micro SSD card into an adapter(they come with the Micro SSD memory cards), put one internal (make it permanent and grow the file system / memory as you can do with Linux) and let the second Micro SSD memory card + adapter use the external memory slot for quickly moving things between this device and other computers when WiFi is not available. (The Nokia N800 has two slots, I hope the N900 does as well!) Most people who have Micro SSD memory cards also have USB adapters for them. I use those SSD cards in everything, Camera, Nokia N800, Asus Eee Netbook (running Linux of course) and my Tower PC.
I think many people mistakenly assume they need 512MB or 1 GB of RAM to do anything. After all in the Windows world, post XP, you better have multiple GBs of RAM! This is simply NOT true with a good embedded device running one of many Linux Distros. Which Maemo is one! And as for applications, there are well over 400 software applications (go to maemo.org for a current count) already developed and running on Maemo. Remember that the first version of Maemo came out in 2006, after the Nokia N770 was released in 2005.
A very stable and robust platform it is GREAT to see the Nokia N900 continue the family. The future does indeed look bright! And “smart” devices are back on the menu, thanks to devices like the Nokia N900 that will run a Linux distro like Maemo!
Pretty much anything you can do in Linux can be configured to work on these devices. You sure do not have any hope of configuring software applications for other platforms like you can with the Nokia N900 and Maemo.
I predict in the near future that the mobile market will be dominated by “smart” devices (really small computers) running Linux distros (Android, Maemo, slackware, Lubuntu, etc…) and the other 30 – 40% of the market will be left for the dumb (can’t run Linux) devices. Say by the end of 2010, mid 2011.
To date I have shown my Nokia N800 to hundreds of people, showing them high definition video running on a H.264 codec and they are literally amazed that you can get a computer/phone in that size.
Everyone I show it to, wants one! That tells me all I need to know about the future for this platform!
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October 24th, 2009 at 12:24 am
i am amazed its quiet nice speicially the zooming control through your finger everything is really nice,but i would like to add the main thing about N97 i was not happy coz its music player which couldnt satisfy me as compare to N95 8gb thats was the mega hit of nokia.i dont know why nokia dont consider the music they have to put quality music like winamp do and loud as wel….they should ask their customer if they like their product or not rather than reading diff veiws…thanks
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