Reviewer deems Nokia's N800 web tablet much improved

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Feb. 15, 2007

When it shipped its N800 Internet Tablet, Nokia redressed nearly all of the earlier 770's shortcomings, writes Eric Bangeman in a detailed, well-written online review at ArsTechnica.com. The N800 still isn't a "must-have" device, but it sure is nice to have, he concludes.

Bangeman notes that the N800 has a faster processor -- an ARM11-based TI OMAP2420 clocked at 330MHz -- in place of the 770's 250MHz ARM9-based OMAP1710. The N800 also has more RAM -- 256MB instead of 64MB -- and two SD card slots for greatly expanded user file storage.

Deeper computing resources enable the N800 to function more like a small computer, and less like a cell phone or PDA, with fewer long delays in switching between applications. However, the N800 still can't render Flash-based video at framerates beyond about 1-2 per second, Bangeman notes -- a high priority improvement on Ari Jaaksi's Roadmap for Tablet OS development.

Bangeman raves about the N800's high-resolution screen, which is unchanged from that used in the 770. He also likes the newly discovered built-in FM radio -- for which Nokia recently released a control application -- although he wishes it could be used without plugging in headphones (which serve as an antenna).

Handwriting recognition benefits from the added horsepower, but still isn't that great, Bangeman reports. He also criticizes subtle details about the stylus- and finger-driven keyboards.

Fewer community and third-party applications support the N800's Tablet OS 2007 operating system, Bangeman notes. However, that situation is changing rapidly, he suggests. In particular, he expects Skype to deliver an N800 client in Q2, which could be a big hit if it includes "Skype-Out" capabilities, according to Bangeman.

Additional highlights and observations from Bangeman's review include:

Finicky about Bluetooth keyboards
Excellent multi-tasking
Four hours of battery life, and several days of standby time
Nice looking device
Costs $400 -- $50 more than the 770

Bangeman's review also includes many nice photos of the device. It can be found here.

LinuxDevices.com's recently published developer perspective on the N800, meanwhile, can be found here.

In other news, Popular Science recently announced an N800 innovation contest.

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