ARS Technica had me a little worried about the keyboard input on the N810. I think the form factor is near-perfect for a MID (bar 2 cm on the screen diagonal) but a ‘mushy keyboard’ is not what’s needed.
Nice to see that Nokia have included the car mount in the retail pack though. If you think about UMPCs, those accessories run to $80 or more but how about this….”the free mapping software is disappointingly limited” They don’t say why it’s limited. Is it mapping detail, speed or what? I need to know more!
Here’s what Ryan Paul, the reviewer, says about the keyboard: “I was extremely frustrated with it at first, but after a day of typing I’ve gotten used to it and my accuracy has improved considerably.” I think this is a common issue with UMPCs. All the keyboards have a different size, a different feel and a different layout. It takes a lot of time to get used to one. Weeks in most cases. Take the OQO and Everun as examples. The OQO keyboard was frustrating to use for nearly a week but then it turned out to be one of the best thumbing keyboards I’ve ever used! The Everun keyboard is confusing but once you get used to shortcuts, its also fast.
More images and chit-chat over at ARS Technica. Looking forward to the full review and looking forward to getting an N810 myself in a few weeks.
