#JollaLoveDay: Q&A
Just earlier, we got a chance to be involved in a Q&A session with Marc Dillon and the rest of some of the heart and soul who keep the Jolla cogs turning.
The Q&A gave us a chance to skip over all the obvious stuff which is pretty common knowledge and delve a little deeper into what makes Jolla really tick.
Unfortunately, I was a little ill-prepared as I had turned up earlier not to find anyone around but then later discovered it was all going on in a secret back room. Fortunately I caught most of the good bits. :-)
There were some interesting topics discussed at the Q&A, and Jolla were very open with all of us about their history and future plans. The funniest moment for me was when my N9 rang with the Nokia ring tone = epic fail! But hey it’s an N9 and at least a lot of the Jolla guys were involved with the production of that so it could have been a lot worse!
One of the topics that was discussed in length was regarding the ‘openness’ of Sailfish in its current state. Jolla defended their strategy by saying that if they made it completely open for all right now, they risk plagiarism by some manufacturer copying their Sailfish code and releasing a device running ‘fake’ Sailfish even before the first real Jolla handset hits the market later this year which I tend to agree with.
From what I could gather, the plan therefore is to wait until the device has been released and then open up the code once the hard work has been done which makes sense.
Following on from this topic, I raised the fact that if they could team up with a large manufacturer, this would really aid their cause and allow them to pursue ongoing software development without being caught up in financially crippling potential lawsuits etc.
Marc added to this point by saying that the important part was to get their handset out there so that other potential partner manufacturers could see how great Sailfish is for themselves. He also reiterated that they had got this far as a company on ‘merit’ alone and that is clearly what sets Sailfish apart from other ecosystems which stick with a ‘walled garden’ script and are less connected with the people that really count and the communities who support them. Jolla = malleable = Unlike.
Jolla are where they are because they listen and work with communities not because they have an infinite investment fund to play with and ram hugely expensive advertising campaigns down peoples throats. You, me – we can all help Jolla exist and equally, Jolla can help us by listening and providing us with something #unlike the rest.
There were many more topics discussed, but I really better get back to the party in case I miss anything important. :-)
In the meantime, if you have any questions you would like me to ask any of the Jolla guys please comment below.
Thanks and Sail On!
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I have a question: will there be a physical landscape qwerty keyboard “other half” available for the phone? If so, will Jolla provide this “other half” on launch?
Another thing i’m wondering is if there is a landscape mode in the OS at all? In every video I watched, the OS was presented in portrait mode.
+1 to both questions: landscape qwerty is very important, and of course wouldn’t work to well without landscape OS support. :-)
+1 for the keyboard other half question!
Ask for it, please ask for it! :D
+1 to the above!
I’m getting a feeling the hardware qwerty other half is one of the most coveted questions by now – everywhere I look people are complaining about it missing.
Jolla, the community needs to know this! Say yes and increase your pre-orders by thousands!
I’ve seen a lot of negative comments disliking the large bezel including mine. Since the screen resolution is not set yet can you get Marc to agree that the bezel is very large and needs to be shrunk?
Or at least utilize it properly and mount that pair of stereos on the front, at either sides to truly compliment the display (ehm.. like One.. cough cough..)
Hi Aaron, I had the same criticism and had confirmation from Martin (Chief Designer) that the bezel will be made smaller. :-)
Will there be a qwerty other half?
my questions:
- will there be an attachable qwerty keyboard on launch?
- why not unvield full specs at the event?
- is it really necessary to have such big bezel on the top and bottom? i know, there should be enough space for the gestures, but realy THAT much? i highly doubt
- will there be ever a low power mode standby screen just like the nokia n9?
- why you always used the nokia n950 device in earlier presentation – which has a qwerty hardware keyboard – and havnt showed us a qwerty device? wouldnt it make more sense to use the nokia n9 – which doesnt have a keyboard?
Jolla are being far too vague on the QWERTY keyboard. Ask them whether it is something that is actively being worked on or not.
I suspect that if they announce a physical keyboard, then they’ll double their pre-orders. It’s the one thing we hear people demanding right this minute.
What I would like to know how much Jolla is committed to privacy. This is my main criticism on Android. It would be good, to have detailed information on how Jolla is going to handle it, in Salfish. E.g. will it be possible to install/update (free) apps from the Jolla Appstore without being (permanently) logged in, without Jolla collecting Information like Name, IMEI and phone number. Also I would like to know, how much one will be able to control/know what information the phone/apps are collecting/ transmitting and if Jolla will provicde easy ways to backup contacts, apps and everything locally or to an online service of my choice, instead of Jolla (like Android) pushing me to push everything to their services, if I do not take care about this?
The other thing what annoys me about modern smart phones is that compared to the pre-smartphone area it takes a much longer time to just take a call, return a call or place a call. Will Jolla make it faster again.
I feel we’re on the same wavelength here. This is why I don’t use any apple/google products. They don’t care about privacy at all. Great question!
I hope Jollatides and Jolla will reply on this question.
What language support will Sailfish OS provide initially? What kind of input methods are provided in Chinese, Japanese and Korean markets?
Will there be a hw keyboard for the phone?
Where is the qwertz slide-out-keyboard?
As you localize handsets, it seems that there is a discussion going regarding a keyboard,i anticipate that if you plan to release an accessory keyboard or a built in physical keyboard there will be an azerty keyboard for France and French speaking countries.
Arnaud
I’m really big fan of Swipe UI and N9 and probably sucker for “lost causes”. ;) I would REALLY like Jolla to succeed and I’m ready to dish out 100 EUR for preorder, BUT…
I have few major concerns that are keeping me from preordering;
1. Lack of phone spec details – I mean, cmmon, if you’re selling something accurate and precise information about your product are important. I know Jolla is focusing on OS experience more and on hard specs less (like Nokia in their best time) but really, “4.5″ HD-ish screen and dual core processor” are hardly valid information. You can’t expect for buyers to rush preorder something they vaguely know, especially in todays relatively rough times.
2. The Other Half – as above. They said a lot about it but basically they said nothing. All we got are hints to something but nothing solid except rumors and speculations. Judging by the info on their site at the moment (which is nicely done, by the way) I’m getting a feeling “The Other Half” is nothing more than a gimmick – more a fashion “uniqueness” than something bigger. At the moment I have a feeling The Other Half is just a plastic back cover with memory chip implemented in it that holds various pictures, sounds, videos and gestures which change phone theme. And that’s it. I mean, if they have a revolution in terms of modular expandability (real hardware expansion) than why not come out with it right away ? That would be the biggest selling point of this phone, not just smart interchangeable back covers which may or may not be likeable by critical mass that would buy the phone.
3. Release date – End of 2013 ? And now its end of May. It seems that Jolla guys carried something with them when they departed from Nokia: their strange timings and long pauses between product announcements and actual release. 6 month is a long time in phone world today and there’s a big risk of releasing a product that’s already “outdated” when it finally hits the shelves. Again, this and preordering setup feels flimsy, like buying time (and money) to bring something out of beta status. Both above points (lack of proper hardware details and scarce info about main selling point, The Other Half) are supporting that thought.
4. Major app availability and Android app compatibility – Jolla people are reluctant to talk about support for Sailfish from biggest and important app makers. If Sailfish doesn’t get few dozen native major apps on release it will be hard to compete on the market. Even Microsoft and Blackberry have that kind of problems and they are big players in smartphone market. You can have revolution in various forms and shapes but if you don’t have software side ready to backup that revolution then you have nothing. N9 is genius phone but what good is it if you are left in the cold with app support. On the other hand, android app support via Dalvik Turbo need to work flawlessly in order to avoid app shortage. I mean, what good it is if you can run Whatsapp on Jolla if you can’t receive push notifications and other stuff (for example) ?
Again, I stress the fact that I really like the Sailfish OS, that I’m all for a radical change, for choice, for something different finally, for a successful new Meego and N9.
But really, Jolla people, if you want me in your tribe then give me more info, don’t keep me in the dark. If you do that then I’m yours.
Okay guys sorry it’s a little late here and I will be sure to address all questions when I get back to ground zero. In the meantime, I will try to address what I can given this late hour.
QWERTY was certainly mentioned in the Q&A and given enough demand is feasible… but
you have to bear in mind that there needs to be a solid case for QWERTY before it would be considered.
And by that I don’t mean 5 people replying with 100 different IP addresses but a viable demand for Jolla to integrate it in to the ‘other half’. All I will say is I have a common held belief (as many who read this blog will know) the QWERTY option is the link that could make Jolla reign supreme and make a huge name.
But that alas is resting with powers beyond me, and if I’m honest, I’ve learned a new way of dealing without QWERTY which perhaps we can all manage what do you think ? (and please if you are coming from only using a symbian touchscreen keyboard or something else equally bad, please give a bigger screen device with fast interaction and good prediction some time before confirming either way).
That’s actually slightly insulting and counters the argument about mutating the phone to the user, instead of forcing the user to conform to the phone. People are saying they want a hardware keyboard and you’re sort of saying “this will change your mind” or “you’ll find another way, if forced to live without”.
First off, the screen is not so large that you won’t be looking at the whole thing while you use it. So an on screen keyboard detracts from the active visual area. I for one, like a larger visual area, and don’t particularly care to watch my fingers type, I know where they are and what they are doing. Admitting an on-screen keyboard requires being in-sight for effective use is tantamount to admitting inferiority over a decent keyboard. This is not a good strategy to convincing the target audience that the device is taylored to their needs.
A projected keyboard would be nice and hopefully add less bulk to the phone. However, I know that I often type where I don’t have a clear tabletop for the projection. Nor do I want to type in free space, particularly if I have to hold the phone too.
As for real usage…. Writing longer messages in any environment. Remote admin/maintenance of machines. Working on papers or other significant documents, whether locally or remotely. Playing games with more controls that are more sophisticate than a bit of tilting or single finger taps/swipes.
I’ll often drop a tree on my phone (or grab it remotely) with whatever latex and other sources for a paper I’m working on. I’ll work on those documents while stuck for a short while in a waiting room or on a bus, train, car, etc. It might not be as efficient as working on a laptop, but there are enough situations where the convenience of a pocket device easily outweighs the inconvenience of typing on such a device. If anything, I’d love a phone that is more efficient for getting a little work done.
Well the wording “we can manage” is very telling here. It means that a hardware keyboard is the real thing, and on-screen typing is a way to “manage without it”.
I think it’s become more or less pointless to argue about what kinds, speeds and improvements there are to virtual keyboards. If, like me, you’re a person who wants a hardware keyboard, your gonna want a hardware keyboard, because you just like it better, it’s what suits your needs and anything else is a trade-off. If you’ve decided to be content with other solutions, you “won’t mind” it not being there, but there are other who want other things.
I wonder if Jolla look at any of the discussions going on in a number of forums about their new device. If they do, it would quickly become evident that the demand is there.
However, I have not seen a single video yet that shows how on-screen text input is handled in Sailfish OS, and just because very advanced technologies exist to ease the pains of a virtual kb (as seen for instance on BB10), it doesn’t mean Sailfish is going to employ any of them (they’d have to license them at a high cost or develop it themselves, which would take too long to reach a state-of-the-art level).
Implementation of vkb was terrible in Maemo, bad in Symbian, and not very good in Meego – it just seems to be a topic that traditionally doesn’t interest the Nokia developers very much (many of the Jolla devs Jolla aren’t anymore, but used to be in Nokia’s service). With all the shiny, innovative UI awesomeness if the Sailfish UI, I rather expect them to keep focussing on that while upholding the Finnish tradition of neglecting the on-screen typing issue and present some backwards, ready-made solution…
I can deal with that if they just give me a real keyboard instead!
…if you need to wipe on the toilet, there is always the option to use your bare hands. toilet paper is not a total necessity.
:-D
Briliant remark!
Funny analogy there Ben….:-) the point is, I’ve been advocating QWERTY’s since the birth of this blog so I’m on your side and understand your POV. I was just saying that maybe the people who shout about QWERTY’s do so without having had a good experience with a decent touchscreen keyboard. I know from personal experience, that my view of touchscreen keyboards was tarnished by bad implementations in maemo (not really needed), meego (not bad but not great) and symbian (awful). Having had the benefit of using a really good screen keyboard, I was just playing devils advocate for all those people who may have been in my shoes. I still wholeheartedly believe that if Jolla provide a snap on QWERTY keyboard as an option with ‘the other half’ this would definitely be the best of both worlds. /2012/07/19/my-dream-jolla-mobile-with-detachable-modular-slide-out-qwerty/
There is always the option to use a Bluetooth keyboard for those needing to write their memoirs on a phone. Works for me:)
Richard
A Bluetooth-keyboard is onl ypossible to be used if you dont’t have to hold the phone n the hand.
I’m realy often using the keyboard in the subway, bus etc.
Softkeyboardson the screen are a big shit because they use to muxh of the screen.
Thats not usable if you use a ssh- or a rdesktop-connection to a server or something other.
I’m afraid that his phone will just be a lifestyleproduct and not a realy compareble product for working like my n900…
I agree completly
I’m still using my N900 an nothing in the phone market to this day can beat it
I’m planning to by a N9 because its the latest Linux phone just in case (because i can’t find any N950 nearbe)
though the N900 is a little bit thick but it had no problem sliding in my pocket as opposed to other touchonly huge screen phones
if the N900 had a screen as big as its frame like the N9 and was little bit as sleek
it would be the perfect profesionnel phone
I agree as well. I’m still using my Nokia N900 ( on my second keyboard ) for phone duties, music and podcast broadcasting in the car and occasional terminal access. I’m holding out for a physical landscape keyboard in a new (ideally unix-like) phone. If the €100 “other half” is a keyboard Jolla can have my money now. (An FM transmitter would be nice as well!).
I am one of those who is still using the first n900 because there never was a good device coming out after it featuring a linux with hardwarekeyboard. As it is getting older and older it starts to make troubles and I really fear the day ifJolla won’t come out with a hardwarekeyboard. but I think there are already plans for it from a company. I hope it will have backlight keys, too.
How much longer must we wait to get the remaining major gaps of info cleared-up…