Read about the new Nokia communicator running Symbian OS 7 and Series 90 UI:
http://press.nokia.com/PR/200310/922404_5.html
and
http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,6771,47550,00.html
The screen is rather Revo size, though slightly wider. It does not have keyboard, but I would anticipate that a Bluetooth keyboard profile will open up for such options very soon.
This new UI could also be a contender for the netBook Pro Symbian OS along with the modified UIQ ("UIn") option. However, involving Nokia will complicate things contractually, so my best bet is still UIn.
cheers
Martin Maxwell
albaker
10-28-2003, 11:20 PM
Originally posted by MartinMaxwell
Read about the new Nokia communicator running Symbian OS 7 and Series 90 UI
ER7 + Series 90 = Nokia 7700. The first touch screen device from Nokia.
Well, IMHO, Nokia 7700 is not the New Communicator that has been anticipated. 7700 falls under different category and was described as a Media device. It is also targeted to different market. Nokia 9210 Communicator is categorized under Symbian Crystal Device Family while 7700 falls under Symbian Quartz Device Family, right Martin?
I quote from The Register:
"Nokia is expected to take the wraps off its new Communicator at two 'Mobility' events next month. The new device will be the first 'instantiation' of the Hildon project and a showcase for its new Series 90 PDA platform.
Hildon has morphed much since it began life at Psion as a user interface project. Like the defunct Series 5 and Revo PDAs, the new Communicator will feature pen and keyboard input for the first time in the series, which Nokia launched with the 9000 back in 1996. "
When I looked carefuly at the new 7700 Media device, I cant help myself to think that there are some similarities between 7700 with Psion netpad like the landscape mode screen, touch-screen interface, Symbian OS, MMC storage etc. Could the HILDON project was actually referring to netpad concept?
For some 7700 pictures in action, visit HERE (http://www.mobile-dreams.net/1/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=134&mode=&order=0&thold=0 )
And according to The Register, the new Communicator will be announced at two 'Mobility' events next month (November). Well, 7700 was announced in NNMIC in Nice, France on Oct 28th, and if I'm not mistaken, there will be another event on November 4 (which I dont have the details). I mean, I dont like to speculate about the new Commuinicator but a lot of anticipation has been showed towards Nokia's successor to 92** series. So, there is still "hope" for a new Communicator....
The Register also said about "pen and keyboard input" for the new Communicator which is totally what we (Psion lovers) have been expecting and hoping for the last couple of years. Maybe this will be true, maybe not...
So, how many Symbian varieties we have now, seven? eight?...
ER6 + Series 80 (e.g. Nokia 9210)
ER6 + Series 60 (e.g. Sendo X)
ER7 + Series 60 (e.g. Nokia 6600)
ER7 + UIQ (e.g. Sony Ericsson P900)
ER7 + Series 90 (e.g. Nokia 7700)
ER7 + UIn :: In development :-) (e.g. netBook Pro Symbian OS)????
Rgds
daredevil
10-29-2003, 01:55 AM
ER7 + UIn :: In development :-) (e.g. netBook Pro Symbian OS)????
Not possible from what I know if we were to expect it from Psion or Psion Teklogix.
MartinMaxwell
10-29-2003, 10:37 PM
Well, IMHO, Nokia 7700 is not the New Communicator that has been anticipated.
You're absolutely right, further substantiated by the choice of numbering. A Communicator product would likely be a 9xxx. I would anticipate, however, that the Series 90 will in the future appear in Communicators as well. Furthermore, the 7700 could easily 'become' a communicator with the addition of a Bluetooth keyboard. If not, I am sure someone at some point will, say, buy up 5mx:s with broken screens, remove the defunct screen, put the keyboard in a new casing, add a Bluetooth serial chip, and there you go...the perfect communicator keyboard...
One thing that makes me really excited, and makes the 7700 a potential "Communicator" is that, according to the specification, the Nokia 7700 comes with Symbian Word and Symbian Sheet. This is *amazing* news for the netBook Pro Symbian proponents, because it means that these two applications are still supported in ER7!!! Not knowing this, I was considering QuickOffice instead, but honestly, the reviews are not that good. Symbian Word and Sheet are still superior.
It is also targeted to different market. Nokia 9210 Communicator is categorized under Symbian Crystal Device Family while 7700 falls under Symbian Quartz Device Family, right Martin?
Hmm. No Quartz was really meant to be portrait. This one is like having 3 Quartz UIs side by side :-).... No I would say it's rather Crystal. Crystal had the pen input option. In fact the aborted ER6+Eikon project also counted as Crystal. However, I am not sure how relevant it is to talk about those anymore, they served well as Symbian's first take what UIs it would support a few years ago, but now they have crystallised (no pun intended) into UI designs and the next wave of Symbian OS devices are coming, devices which were only vaguely envisioned before...perhaps we need to add Jade, Opal, Sapphire, Bernstone, Granite...just joking.
When I looked carefuly at the new 7700 Media device, I cant help myself to think that there are some similarities between 7700 with Psion netpad like the landscape mode screen, touch-screen interface, Symbian OS, MMC storage etc. Could the HILDON project was actually referring to netpad concept?
Most of the pictures on Hildon prototypes that have leaked out have shown devices both with and without keyboard. Some looked like Communicators, one looked like an elliptic netPad. Perhaps, the answer is that the Hildon project originally encompassed a cluster of devices based around the Series 90 UI, and that only later, the marketing people came in and decided on positioning, market segments, differentiation and branding.
So, how many Symbian varieties we have now, seven? eight?...
ER5 + EIKON (e.g. netBook classic)
ER5 + ECK (e.g. Ericsson R380)
ER6 + Series 80 (e.g. Nokia 9210)
ER6 + Series 60 (e.g. Sendo X)
ER7 + Series 60 (e.g. Nokia 6600)
ER7 + UIQ (e.g. Sony Ericsson P900)
ER7 + Series 90 (e.g. Nokia 7700)
ER7 + UIn :: In development :-) (e.g. netBook Pro Symbian OS)????
The only released omission I can think of is what sometimes has been referred to as FFUI (Fujitsu FOMA User Interface). So that would be:
ER6 + FFUI (e.g. Fujitsu 2051)
Then, of course, there was the fully developed, but never released:
ER6 + Eikon (e.g. Psion "Conan")
cheers
Martin
albaker
10-30-2003, 03:34 AM
Originally posted by MartinMaxwell
One thing that makes me really excited, and makes the 7700 a potential "Communicator" is that, according to the specification, the Nokia 7700 comes with Symbian Word and Symbian Sheet. This is *amazing* news for the netBook Pro Symbian proponents, because it means that these two applications are still supported in ER7!!! Not knowing this, I was considering QuickOffice instead, but honestly, the reviews are not that good. Symbian Word and Sheet are still superior.
With regards to Symbian Word and Sheet support in Nokia 7700, according to Nokia's Developer Platform 2.0 for Series 90 : Introductory White Paper Version 1.0; October 29, 2003, Symbian Word and Sheet are included in Series 90 and they are not only viewers but fully functional Word processor and Spreadsheet applications respectively. This of course very interesting because IMHO, Symbian Word And sheet is truly more powerful than Quickword and Quicksheet (like Martin said) which was just released for UIQ platform (www.quickoffice.com).
Here are what the paper said about Word and Sheet in 7700 :
"The word processing application can create, edit, and view formatted text documents, and includes Microsoft Word compatibility."
"The Sheet application can create, edit, and view spreadsheet workbooks. The usual spreadsheet capabilities, such as numerical calculations and formulae, are supported, along with the ability to create multiple sheets in a single workbook. Charts can also be created. The Sheet application is also compatible with Microsoft Excel format spreadsheets."
7700 also have a built-in Presentation viewer for viewing Powerpoint files, not editing.
I have extracted the important features of Series 90 at :
Most of the pictures on Hildon prototypes that have leaked out have shown devices both with and without keyboard. Some looked like Communicators, one looked like an elliptic netPad. Perhaps, the answer is that the Hildon project originally encompassed a cluster of devices based around the Series 90 UI, and that only later, the marketing people came in and decided on positioning, market segments, differentiation and branding.
Does this picture refers to Hildon? I tried to attach it so that it could be visible but it only shows the links instead. I mean, the one which looks like netBook is probably Jedi (netBook prototype) and the one which looks like the netpad is netpad prototype of course but what is the one with large screen? EPOC historians :D, can you please enlighten us...
MartinMaxwell
11-02-2003, 08:08 PM
Does this picture refers to Hildon?
As far as I understand, Hildon is an all-Nokia internal project. The picture seems to be all-Psion and several years before Hildon. Clearly all are ER5/Eikon.
The picture seems to show two netBook-derivatives - a "netPad" and a "netTablet" along with a netBook, or Jedi as you say. The "netPad" looks like a consumer version as it does not have the rugged design and rubber body.
Passing thought 1: This version of "netPad" looks almost like an Apple Newton.
Passing thought 2: Why Psion failed to package this already existing technology with a keyboard and sell it as "Psion 5xc" or similar is one of those major historical slipups.,,,,..well we're not here to cry over spilt milk.
Several people in Psion or ex-Psion have mentioned about the existence this "netTablet" prototype, which literally is a netBook without keyboard. At one point I think it was even considered for the infamous Malaysian school project. The idea has been mooted again for netBook Pro. But I have actually never seen it on picture before, where did you get it?
albaker
11-03-2003, 11:34 AM
Originally posted by MartinMaxwell
But I have actually never seen it on picture before, where did you get it?
I got the picture from:
http://www.zen7228.zen.co.uk/editor/nbook.htm
which documented some interesting facts about the early netbook.
Please take note also that the netPad was codenamed Quantum when it was in early prototype stages. I also found something interesting from Psionwelt.de site where there are some more pictures of Jedi, Quantum and the " netTablet" The link is :
http://www.psionwelt.de/events/cebit99_3.htm
It is kinda cool you know to revise EPOC's history for our reference :D
Regardless of whether the machines were really came to production or not, I think it is safe to say that Psion's vision and belief in EPOC was truly futuristic. I mean, look at the "netTablet" concept, it was what Bill Gate$ wanted with the introduction of Tablet PC in 2002. Microsoft announced what they called as Mira (or Myra???) concept which turns out to be the Tablet PCs.
Nokia, Sony Ericsson, BenQ, Samsung, Sendo etc believe in Symbian but why Psion Teklogix doesnt? A neverending story I could say....
With regards to Nokia's Series 90 interface, I cant help myself to think that if the devices are carefully designed, and if Nokia secured some licencees, Symbian would be very strong and hold some serious threat to M$ in Smartphone business. There is no way M$ can penetreate the Smartphone market to compete with a vast varieties and flavours in Symbian camp.
Rgds
eriksandblom
11-04-2003, 07:48 AM
Just wanted to point out that Psion followed through on the tablet, it's called the Netpad.
Ah... Yes. There were three prototypes as mentioned by Mike:-
i. Jedi prototype becomes netBook
ii. Quantum prototype becomes netPad
iii. "netTablet" prototype which didnt see the light of day... :D
________________________________________________
Move to Series 90 topic. If you guys fancying to look at some screenshots of Series 90 interface, please visit :
All About Symbian Gallery (http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/gallery/Series-90?page=1)
Rafe of AllAboutSymbian have prepared some very nice screenshots taken from Series 90 emulator. The only word that I can say is :: Beautiful :: Some of the screenshots showed Words and Sheet in action and functioning very well. I also noticed that the screen can be customised to show or hide the toolbar on the rightside of the screen so you can have a wider screen. Nice touch. Here are some direct links:-
i- Menu Structure (in Sheet)
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/albums/Series-90/sheet3.gif
ii- Spreadsheet in action :)
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/albums/Series-90/sheet11.gif
iii- Word (without toolbar)
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/albums/Series-90/word1.gif
iv- Word (with toolbar)
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/albums/Series-90/word14.gif
Cool aint it?
MartinMaxwell
11-04-2003, 07:12 PM
Nics pics! Thanks AlBaker. Since I am, and many of my colleagues are, true OPL affectionadoes, I can't help thinking how this would be implemented in OPL for Series 90.
Some reactons:
1. It is really nice to see that the classic Eikon ToolBar concept is back again. Not that I am against the CBA concept in Series 80, at least it saves some screenspace. However, only three buttons now, but I am sure that can be extended to four. In comparison, Eikon offered three in Revo, four in S5, GeoFox One and netPad and six in S7/netBook, while Series 80 has four command buttons.
(Looks like a future OPL implementation will have to revive ToolBar.opo again!!! Looking forward to that.)
2. The menu expands downwards and not sideways like in Eikon and Series 80. I am not sure I like it, less user friendly perhaps, but not a big issue.
(Should be a trivial matter to adjust in OPL anyway.)
3. The application command bar at the bottom, hmm, another thing to get used to. I have always been thinking that having command bars at the bottom is not user friendly. When Win95 was originally developed, MS had to put it at the bottom to minimise similarities with Macintosh who had it on top. Think I read a UI ergonomics paper years ago that clearly said it's more intuitive to have it on top. Therefore, MS smartly made it movable. I hope this is configurable also in Series 90 so that you can have the application caption and document name at the bottom and the commands on top instead.
cheers
Martin Maxwell
PDA Street
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