[maemo-users] OS 2008 Bluetooth keyboard problems (was: Move from 2007 to 2008 Questions)

[From: Norman Ramsey]

 > Thanks, Tony, and to everyone else.  Because I rely so heavily on my N800
 > for day-to-day operations, I'm very hesitant about doing anything that will
 > impact that.  I have no problem with re-installing the software (although I
 > don't want to) but wanted to make sure the tools I use are there.

I would definitely encourage you *not* to upgrade.  In addition to the
touch-screen problems already mentioned, my OS2008 'upgrade' has had
the following disastrous effect on my Igo Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard:

  1. Based on random criteria I haven't been able to figure out, the
     Bluetooth keyboard sometimes activates the word-completion
     feature used with the stylus keyboard.  This is so slow (I type
     75 words per minute on a kinesis so probably half that on the
     stowaway) that the keyboard becomes useless because the N800
     can't keep up.

  2. THE KILLER: Once I have connected a bluetooth keyboard, the
     on-screen stylus keyboard and thumb keyboard no longer work.
     Even when the BT keyboard is put away and turned off, attempts to
     use the stylus keyboard produce only a black bar at the bottom of
     the screen with the letters Abc at the far right.  The only cure
     is to reboot the machine.

     I can't tell you how angry I am about this.  For me one of the
     great benefits of the N800 is that it's always on, always
     connected.  I mostly use the stylus but can easily connect a
     keyboard if I have to write a long email.  Now that's all gone;
     every time I think about the external keyboard I have to think
     about whether I'm going to give up all my external state and
     reboot.

If these problems aren't fixed in the next release of OS2008 I'm just
going to punt and go back to OS2007, which at least worked.


Norman