Multitasking with Nokia N900
One of the most disturbing features of a smartphone is that most of them do not support multitasking, which means, if you need to browse for something while texting, you have to close the SMS option and then open the browser. But Nokia's N900 allows users not only have multiple programmes running, but have them on multiple windows, just like a computer. The Nokia N900 is one of the latest mobile computers to come from the Finnish mobile device maker. The N900 comes with a slider with a large WVGA touchscreen and a landscape-oriented keyboard. The touchscreen is also of the resistive variety, which means it's pressure-sensitive and requires a firm finger press. The screen is fast and responsive with a gentle, reassuring haptic response. It's also bright, colourful and pin-sharp thanks to its high-resolution of 800x480 pixels way more than the iPhone's same-sized screen. N900's spec sheet has the same highlights as the N97, including 32GB storage and a 5MP camera, but the N97's Symbian engine has been stripped out in favour of a new Linux-based Maemo 5 operating system. The device has a three-row keyboard which ingeniously integrates directional keys on the right side. Adapting to the QWERTY will take only a few text messages or an e-mail as the keys are bold and offer easier blind typing, though the keys are closer together. Like the previous N97's QWERTY, the N900 utilizes the function key to access numbers and additional symbols. Predictive text is enabled system-wide and many applications respect this functionality. Once getting past the weight, shape, and large touchscreen, one can see the top of the device has a volume up/down, power on/off/lock, and camera capture buttons. The 3.5mm headset jack includes a TV-out (PAL/NTSC) which is joined by a dedicated screen-lock toggle button and a well hidden stylus. The N900 has a 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss camera. The camera is covered by a simple slider and has two LED flash blubs for better low-light pictures and video usability. The browser is good. Tapping the bottom right corner will display options, while zooming is achieved with a clockwise twirl of the finger laborious but neat or by pressing the volume key. Strangely, the browser only works in landscape mode but it is capable of displaying Flash animation, unlike most smartphones. The N900 has multiple home screens, which you change with a swipe of the finger. For example, you can keep The Daily Star's website on one page, and then brush it to one side by moving onto your Facebook page. Unlike the iPhone, it's easy to multitask with the N900. You can, for example, launch Facebook, then minimise it by tapping the icon showing two folders Facebook will then shrink into a list view, allowing you to swipe over to, say, Ovi Maps. If you like a smartphone that you can probe and tweak at your whim, the N900 is certainly worth a spot on your shortlist.
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