Keyboards
It's nice to know they aren't ditching the physical keyboard.
Research in Motion announced display resolutions for its upcoming BlackBerry 10 models this week, allowing developers to crack on immediately with app development. While Rim's first release will feature a display with a res of 1280 x 768, the company has encouraged developers to 'letterbox' their content to 16:9 proportions ( …
One wonders WHY RIM are still yet to grasp the fact that a large-screened LANDSCAPE SLIDER with qwerty would cover practically ALL the bases. Keeping the sae resolution, they could release a 4.5-/4.8-/5.0-inch screen in a Nokia E7/N950- alike slider and radically increase the potential size of their market/fanbase.
Thus, the lineup should consist of the large screen slider, small-screen Bold-alike and possiblly a large touchscreen-only version for keyboard refuseniks. Forcing buyers to choose between large touchscreen and titchy portrait keyboard allied to sall square screen is *stupid* and reeks of the kind of thinking that has led the to their current state. Was the dictum that keyboards (physical) must ONLY be presented in portrait orientation part of some Masonic oath that all BB product designers had to make or suffer decapitation of their firstborns?
The poky screen/tiny keyboard is the AIN thing that kept me from buying either a Blackberry or a Nokia N900 in spite of all the fantastic Linux goodness they possessed; hopefully they can exorcise this demon as I want BOTH a great screen and a useable keyboard. Even Sasung and Motorola see to be stuck on 4- inch WVGA screens on their sliders coupled to decidedly mid-range SoCs and liited graphics and RAM.....
I have a Nokia E7 on loan right now, and it isn't a problem if you hold it right (does Jobs have a trademark on that?).
Middle fingers underneath the phone, where the screen is attached, index fingers behind the screen, and type with your thumbs. It's actually quite comfortable to type on.
On that note, I *really* wish Nokia had continued to develop phones like this.