Video: N9 Review – Calculator, Documents, Feeds, AP Mobile
Nearing the end of my initial reviews, we have Calculator, Documents, Feed and AP Mobile.
CALCULATOR
Very simple to use, no explanation required. Only criticism is no option for scientific mode, yet, like I say in the video, they are apps for that.
DOCUMENTS
Since recording the video, I have used documents once. Again, very simple. Well polished UI. Not sure what files are supported as I only opened up some system files ( .ini, .conf) but i assume it will open popular text documents such as .rtf, .txt and .doc.
FEEDS
The Feeds app is a bit redundant, especially when the feeds can be added to the Events homescreen, but it still looks good. I guess Feeds is needed as when you add a new feed, you are given the option to add that feed to the homescreen. It is also needed to add new feeds to the device.
AP MOBILE
For those of you unfamiliar with AP, AP (Associated Press) is a news company, similar to CNN. This app simply displays news content, and allows for that content to be integrated into the Events homescreen if you wish. It’s a nice looking app, with a UI almost identical to Facebook (only real difference is colour scheme).
Thanks for reading, stay tuned for more. I think there’s only a few more to go. Then I’ll post more sparingly reviews on day to day use, overall user experience, issues I have, etc. as well as some comparison videos.
Michael
About the Author (Author Profile)
Hi! My name is Michael. Like the others, I'm also a Student, living here in Sydney. I have a real passion for the latest technology and I'm a real Nokia buff! My aim is to keep those of you, like myself, updated with the latest in what's going on in the Nokia World. Currently sporting an N8, N9, N950 and Lumia 800. Send tips to me on Twitter via @MFaroTusino or the site's page @MyNokiaBlog, or even simply drop me an email at MichaelMNB[at]hotmail.com.au or tips[at]mynokiablog.comSubscribe
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Sites That Link to this Post
- TechFan.org » Nokia N9 Faqs | October 11, 2011
Will you show us Swype on the N9 soon?
it’s not available in the first firmware.
I haven’t read or watched any of previous articles about N9. I would like to know if there will be one full review, where everything will be summarized?
would probably be best just to go through michaels youtube account or look through the site for his postings on it currently i think they’re all on the 1st load page
although, i imagine Michael would probably post links to his previous articles of his review saga when he concludes his initial overview
best way is to keep up with the postings
Documents:
I’ve tested both .pdf and .docx files, and they work fine. Performance is very good, scrolling, rotating the screen landscape/portrait and zooming are butter smooth.
Only peculiar thing is that you can only scroll straight, vertically or diagonally. I guess it makes sense when you are in fact looking at a document file, I found it very good when trying to read for example a scientific article in pdf format (text stays aligned when scrolling).
What comes to reviews of the phones you should actually really take the phone as your everyday use for week before making the reviews to get actually comfortable with the phone and UI.
I know it’s kinda hard to wait and make it out there fast. These videos just feel a bit like rushed out and person behind the camera seems to be too excited. =)
see response below
In my opinion, Nokia Australia has done more harm than good by giving him the phone to review in my opinion. He doesn’t know what he’s doing with this phone. A week of using it before throwing it in front of a camera is essential to understanding any new OS.
It would have been smarter to give the phone to a more professional reviewer like the guy from The Phones Show to review first. http://stevelitchfield.com/sshow/
This kid has no experience in reviewing phones and does a clumsy job of it.
I’ve tried to follow each ‘review’ part as it came, but it is really fragmented.
Also, it seems that everything you show you also do for the very first time. While that is understandable when you do an unboxing it makes it a little harder to follow when each feature is shown that way.
Not meaning to ‘bash’ or anything, but why not run around with the phone for a week or so and try out everything before making a video? Also, try to comprise it in one video, maybe two. And of course also make a written review that talks about the exterior, general performance, featureset and how it is to use on a day to day basis. Don’t forget to do a summary at the end that lists pro’s and con’s in a small way, otherwise the TL;DR thing will tend to crop up.
Just some pointers, you’re still doing a great job in providing N9 fans with their fix.
because we the masses want to see it all NOW not a week from now etc etc
Hence my last sentence, there are some major N9 addicts that just need their fix.
Hey can some one do a video about skype, and does the skype support video?
Thank you for posting the videos, saved me some money for sure. Nokia made it look so smooth when they unveiled it, but now it seems pretty clear why they abondoned Meego.
The hardware is absolutely stunning but that OS is a total dog.
Well would not be that hasty about the OS until you actually try it out.
But I agree that price for the device is too high if think about support part from Nokia for this current device. No idea what it is about the price but I guess it is something to do with the demand and speed of production. Early adaptors always pay extra to get the device.
Selling point for this device is the Design and looks of the UI. SW is not perfect and there is room for tweeks in performance. I know there has been a lot improvement but that does not help current users until Nokia makes the new one official update to all.
I can sure you everyday use for phone, maps, messaging, browsing, email, social this really works really well.
I will definitely try it if I can get my hands on one. And I agree that future updates are an even bigger concern. I suppose in their own way Nokia tried to tell us Meego wasn’t working but the hype was too strong.
Almost seems like it was released just so the people that put so much work into had something to show for it because it doesn’t not look even close to being complete and we all know now that it never will be.
It’s the swipe UI they had to get out. If not others would eventually get the idea and use it. That would been the biggest lost for Nokia everything they have done with the design to a phone that can be 100% display.
Don’t know if N9 will be last high end open source linux phone from Nokia or could they have swipeUI in windows phone in future that would only be Nokia feature.
Swipe ui would not have any effect on apps because it gives 100% freedom to apps to have any kinda of buttons there. So in theory Nokia could use swipe in windows phone even would still use buttons.
Windows 8 already has what some could argue is an even better version of swipe so I am sure we will see more of it. Actually Windows Phone design pardigm is pretty much built around swiping to show data. I always found the N9′s version of swipe to be unintuitive simply because it acts like a form of a back button but does not work that way inside of apps which is where the user spends most of their time.
I am glad N9 is out and done with so Nokia can move on but it is sad that the vision of so many will never be completed.
we will see which vision is going to be completed. i have seen the n9 yesterday in the wild. it’s an amazing device.
and a phone without 16:9 screen and with buttons is hardware wise very different to the n9.
Yeap the N(sun) looks clumsy those 3 buttons on the front ruin the look, plus the of center tiles do not match the overall look
Honest question you are paid by? Your MS avatar says something but not all..
i’m quite sure. he always commented on windows phone topics in the past.
And you’re paid by?
Oh right, there’s nobody putting money on Meego, lol.
I wish I could get paid for posting comments haha.
As for the Sun, it looks like an N9 to me. And I personally love the fact that it has buttons. Especially after watching these videos.
I get so frustrated in those videos watching him try to hit the virtual back or home buttons, that should never happen, much rather have buttons I know where they are and get feedback when I press them.
Give it up mate. No one’s going to take on your thought bubbles.
Why? Because you’re in no way objective.
You try to frame yourself as though you are sometimes.
But other times it’s blatantly obvious that you’re broken.
Normal people can appreciate two or even more OS’s.
For you, it’s tunnel vision all the way…
You’re not even a Nokia supporter, it’sMS 1st & foremost for you.
Nor are you a good tech supporter, for tech’s sake.
Don’t give me crap that you use other OS’s.
All you ever talk about is WP…
Yeah sure you may have “used” 1-2 others, But to nowhere near the same extent.
Me:
iPad2, iTouch4G, SGSII, N9 (any day now), iP3GS (used to). WP (next, Titan, unless nokia really wows), N900.
Well the swipe gesture in windows phone if used with the swipe gesture in N9. might be more easy for mistake swipes.
There is too much of swiping around side ways to my taste in the apps. Also in windows phone UI the text based “buttons” are confusing for user if ask me.
Windows 8 tablet UI has more room than small phone screen so it’s not really the same.
Do you mean the long press on some headers in the first version of WP7? If so I agree those are confusing, although none of them really led to anything very substantial thank goodness.
Some apps in Windows Phone 7 really make the swiping difficult that is for sure. They often register clicks when you want to swipe and etc.. This is not an issue of the OS though thank goodness, it is just poor programming by third party developers. Swiping in any Native apps especially is done extremely well, I think you will be pleased!
Well I have Nokia windows phone also that I can use. I have use both N9 and windows phone.
I will go for N9 and there is a lot reasons why even WP7.5 is super smooth what comes to UI it just still missing things I need.
What is sad is that Users loose in this game. If MS would go semi open source with Nokia and actually make a new OS from WP and Harmattan users would get perfect OS out there.
@jesse…+1. I couldn’t have said this better myself and I agree!
I am glad that the N9 is out as well, and hope that those who purchase it, enjoy it for years to come. But I am really ready for Nokia to focus on their primary OS, which is Windows Phone.
The OS looks pretty good to me. It looks better than WP7 and gives you more options and freedom as well.
hehe i have read some of your posts in the past and i highly doubt that you ever thought of buying the n9.
i have watched the videos too – and im sure that i will get this phone.
I buy pretty much buy all tech, even IOS devices and I really dislike Apple. I have an obsession, plus I enjoy writing programs for pretty much anything.
N9 is a really tough sell though becuase I don’t think it is finished and I also don’t think it ever will be.
I mean look at it? I wouldn’t put that kind of a user experience on my worst enemies.
Can you be more specific? What exactly is unfinished in the “user experience”?
Go comment on your precious closed Windows Phone, astroturfer, and stop bothering those of us who have a genuine interest in this device.
Clicks don’t register, native apps like Maps have really poor load times, system becomes unresponsive after opening apps, memory management is non-existant, marketplace is small, no universal way to navigate in apps and OS, swiping makes scrolling difficult etc…
I can put up with most of that stuff but the performance is unnecceptable. I want to throw my monitor out the windows watching this poor guy tring to use that OS.
I know I shouldn’t feed the trolls (or astroturfer in this case), but how about giving it a try before knocking it, especially before you get into such specifics as memory management.. My N9 arrived today and admittedly I’ve only had a few hours with it so far, but I can seriously say that so far this is the best phone I’ve ever used.
Written on my N9 btw, I love the keyboard on this thing, I always missed the keys on my previous phone so I was a bit hesitant about getting a phone without a physical keyboard, but on this one I rarely hit the wrong key.
Well that’s what happens when you decide to fire, or let those people resign, while in the middle of finishing a product..
Shouldn’t there be like just 3 posts of the N9 in total?
It’s a lot of post for just 1 phone. It’s a lot of fragmented information.
It should be all compiled once, the viral fragmented posts should stop.
Ok, as you might guess, I’m not buying this phone, lol
It is not just one phone. It’s quite an important phone for Nokia. As we say in Windows Phone, Symbian, MeeGo and any posts. If you don’t want to read it, don’t click on it.
As for fragmented information, that’s a valid concern. But regular readers seem to be ok with this, plus I think this is just lots of mini previews leading up to more concise posts from Michael.
Exactly right Jay. Doing a summarised review of the major aspects of the OS to be posted tomorrow
Thanks for your replys! I just meant to express my concerns about the massive amount of N9 related posts.
But it’s nice to see you get it as a constructive critic
I welcome feedback. As I say repeatedly in the videos, leave comments. I think that practice makes perfect, so when you tell me things to improve, I take it on board and improve it.
Strange tikking noise comming from the video in the beginning, heard it in other videos too.
Maybe the continuous autofocus…
It was. Different to the one in the video where I stop filming. I think that was an induction current in my N9 as I was charging my N8 via a usb that ran within mm of my N9
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