Let me make a confession first: I am a gadget freak and love to get geeky with electronic and computer toys. In this context, it is not difficult to understand why the N800 Internet Tablet appeals to me. However, I will be the first to admit that it is not easy to find a good reason or excuse to purchase this toy/tool. Capable as it may be, this item defies pigeonholing and does not readily fall into just one product category. It is a tablet PC, an Internet terminal for email and chat, a media player, a "phone" - if you use SKYPE, a radio, an eBook reader, etc. Like a Swiss Army Knife, the N800 does all of these well enough, but none so exceptionally well that makes you want to throw away your phone, laptop, etc.
The thought process behind choosing N800 over N810 was quite simple. The main differences between the two models are:
-Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
-Built-in GPS receiver
-Mini SD cards vs. Standard SD cards
Since both models can run OS2008, and I already have a portable Garmen GPS navication unit (
http://www.epinions.com/content_325737942660) and one of my vehicles is already equipped with one (
http://www.epinions.com/content_402868178564) a GPS receiver in the tablet PC simply was not a motivation factor. At the time of purchase, the N800 was available for approximately $200 and the N810 was priced at close to $400. The N800 was clearly the better choice, hands down.
Features
The N800 was released early in 2007, replacing the N770. The N810 was launched late in 2007 with a new O/S and the price of N800 just plummeted overnight. The N800 is exactly as the name implies: an Internet Tablet PC. Here are some of its features:
- Open Linux O/S
- Built-in WiFi
- 4.1” LCD touch screen with 800x480 resolution and 65K colours
- Built-in 256MB of RAM
- Bluetooth
- USB 2.0 interface
- Two SD card slots, SDHC compatible
- Built-in FM radio receiver
- Pop-out web cam
- Built-in microphone
- Built-in stereo speaker
Software and Applications
As mentioned before, the unit runs a Maemo version of open Linux that is customized for Nokia. The unit comes in OS2007 as well as the following applications:
- O/S2007
- Opera based, Flash-enabled web browser
- Email client
- SKYPE
- Chat
- Media Player
Form Factor and Physical Attributes
Weighing in at almost half a pound and measuring 75x144x18mm, the unit is not small or light. It is about the same size as a Nintendo DS Lite but thinner, and weighs just as much. It looks and feels well designed and well built. The dominating feature in the front is the 4.1” high density LCD screen. There are navigation buttons on the right as well as some shortcut buttons. There is a built-in retractable stand so the unit could be propped up. Once the retractable stand is extended, USB port and a trap door for one of the SD cards are revealed.
The unit is heavier than the iPhone or iPod Touch, and definitely not as slick and sexy looking. However, it is a solid product, and it looks (and works) like a computer.
The Screen
The screen is bright and clear, a definite differentiator compared to media players and other similar platforms. The sensitivity of the touch screen is just right, without prompting the user to use excessive force to interact with the computer.
When playing video clips or displaying JPEG's, the image is surprisingly vivid and vibrant. The screen is just big enough to make the N800 a very comfortable eBook reader - more on that later. This is definitely a bonus if you are planning to use the N800 on the plane for entertainment purposes.
Internet Access and Web Surfing
One of the much touted attractions of the N800 is its WiFi capabilities. I find the WiFi adequately sensitive but not comparable to my Thinkpad. However, getting connected to a WiFi network is painlessly simple. It is intuitive enough to log on to my home WiFi network automatically aupon returning from the office. Connections are easy to set up in just a few steps and profiles could be stored on the unit for different locations. As a result, connectivity is almost ubiquitous in the N800 - it is like having the Internet at your disposal wherever you go.
In an area void of WiFi access, the N800 could be connected to the Internet through a cell phone via BlueTooth. This is of course expensive and slow, but in a pinch, it is an viable option.
With connectivity comes a host of possibilities, and the N800 has just the applications to take advantage of them. From web surfing, gmail, all the way to streaming media and web video calls, the N800 can deliver without a hitch.
The Mozilla-based browser in OS2008 does a really good job rendering web pages, compared to other hand-held devices. It is reasonably fast, and the sharpness of the display makes up for the smaller font. The only drawback is the lack of Java support.
The bundled email client is a quick-and-dirty affair, adequate for POP3 mail but not quite there for those who need to access IMAP servers. However, this is where the abundance of free applications comes to rescue. I use "Modest" (garage.maemo.org/projects/modest/) and it works beautifully with my work email server with embedded sub-folders and more. Another popular email client is CLAWmail but I found it unstable and not very suited for IMAP.
OS and Applications
I purchased the N800 in 2008, well after the launch of N810 and the accompanying OS2008. Nokia provides an on-line tool to upgrade the N800 from OS2007 to OS2008. This is highly recommended. The upgrade took less than 20 minutes and it was completely hassle-free. I completed the upgrade almost immediately after I had the unit fired up for the first time, so I have had almost no exposure to OS2007 at all.
One can say the N series products are perfect for showcasing the flexibility and versatility of the open source Linux community. Nokia, with investment of its resources, created an ecosystem for the N series with a vast library of officially and unofficially sanctioned applications, managed under a very slick Application Manager program built into the OS.
The Application Manager works on a catalog concept where applications available for installation are grouped into catalogs for review and selection. Once an application is selected for installation by the user, the Application Manager will download it from it sources according to the coordinates specified by the catalog, and install it immediately into the unit. Slick, simple, and convenient. The Application Manager can work in reverse as well to un-install applications already in the N800.
There are hundreds of applications and applets out there, some are officially authorized by Nokia and the vast majority of them are user-contributed - the essence of an open ecosystem. I was able to find a host of useful applications from utilities (CPU load indicator, weather forecast, etc.) to must-have such as document readers, etc. I found and installed a Cisco-300 compatible VPN client for OS2008!! What I do not understand is how come I could find a Cisco client for the N800 but not for Windows Vista-64????
One can also find many unexpected software for the N800 such as DOOM, QUAKE, etc. There is even a media player that endows the N800 with a iPod Touch-like interface.
And they are all FREE.
N800 As a Media Player
With a sharp and high-resolution screen, the N800 is a superb video player. Combined with a pair of 8GB SDHC cards, there is 16GB of storage for media-related files. The battery life is around 4 hours but additional batteries are readily available since the N800 uses the common Nokia BL series batteries.
The N800 could also be used to access streaming media via WiFi connection and that's something that iPod and/or iPhone cannot compare. If you have a UPnP setup at your house, then you can access your media files anywhere via WiFi using the N800.
In the world of media streaming and other digital representations, the N800 also comes equipped with an "old-fashioned" FM radio receiver and the reception is not bad at all for a computer. The headphones cord doubles as an antenna for the FM receiver and FM Radio applet allows you to switch between the internal speakers and headphones.
The built-in speakers are good for what they are but not very loud. The N800 is not very loud with the headsets either. If you are seriously thinking about using the N800 as a MP3 player, you may want some noise isolation/canceling headsets.
N800 As a eBook Reader
With its wide screen and tablet format, it should not be a major leap of logic to want to use the N800 as a eBook reader. Strangely, I had a really hard time finding the right eBook application to do the job. I finally found one called FBreader and it has all the right features. However, it does not read .lit ebooks. So I found another utility to "explode" a .lit file into its core components (which are really just a bunch of HTML files), zipped them up into a file with an "oebzip" extension, then loaded it into the N800, and viola, my N800 was turned into a real eBook Reader!
N800 On The Road
This is where the N800 really shines. Unless I need to work on documents and spreadsheets, otherwise this unit is all I need from the moment I leave the house till I arrive at my out-of-town office or settle in my hotel room. With the N800 I can work on my email and review pertinent documents (in PDF or RTF format), read an eBook or two, watch movies, and even play games while on the plane. If you have a spare battery or two, this one unit is all you need even on a long flight!
Granted that it strains the eyes after a while, but the sheer convenience and the unit's relatively small footprint offer a reasonable trade-off. Just imagine, before you settle into your airplane seat, all you need to take out of your briefcase is your MP3 player, noise canceling headsets, the N800 (let's not forget you need to bring your own meal these days on board) and some paper-based device (e.g. book or a document in hard copy so you have something to do during takeoff and landing) you are set for the whole flight.
Likewise in airport lounges and hotel lobbies, instead of whipping out the Thinkpad (
http://www.epinions.com/content_428291821188), I use the N800 to stay connected, surf the web, check my stocks, etc.
Cons
The N800 comes with a pouch made of suede-like material. Without an elasticized opening or a drawstring, the unit has a nasty tendency to fall out of the pouch - the smoothness of the felt/synthetic wool inner lining accelerates the speed of departure and the unit usually flies out with velocity that surprises even those with the best reflexes. On a brighter note, given the material used to construct it, the pouch could potentially be used as an emergency mitten for a small child. I have no idea what Nokia designers were thinking when they came up with this ingenious piece of accessory.
Speaking of accessory, the case/holder selection for the N800 is rather limited. However, this unit shares similar physical attributes with Nintendo DS Lite, and there is no shortage of decent cases for the DS Lite.
The second complaint I have is the charger. In the days of standardized USB charger, Nokia went against popular trend of combining data exchange and charging functions into one USB port. It is not difficult to find after market chargers, but the fact that I have to bring an additional charger on the road annoys me. Fortunately, there is a clever little after market cable that allows the N800 to communicate with and charge from the same USB port simultaneously.
The Open Source approach is definitely a double-edged knife. While it offers flexibility and versatility unmatched in the MS-dominated environment, a lot of the Maemo-ported applications have a "beta" (or sometimes even "alpha") quality to them. Nokia did a fantastic job shielding the average users from the complexity of the Linux O/S, equipped the unit with a very impressive load of well designed applications, created a fairly well controlled environment for application sharing and distribution, such that the N800 can immediately deliver on its strengths the moment it comes out of the packaging. However, to really coax the full potential out of the N800, one needs to be a little bit of a geek and willing to experiment with different application packages. It is not a drawback for someone like me who enjoys fiddling and “nerding” out on a new toy. However, for someone less technically inclined, it could be a show-stopper. The appeal and potential market for the N800 are thus limited by this factor.
Summary
Getting back to the question posed at the start of the review: what exactly is the N800? It is a great gadget that allows you to stay connected via WiFi and offers a host of interesting and time-saving functionality. Once configured to one's liking and purposes, the unit can become indispensable just like a cellphone or MP3 player.
