Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Can't really speak for .net, as I don't use it, but I disagree with the Java sucks comment. There are some REALLY useful apps out there written in Java.

R.
==

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Useful apps don't make it a good language...

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Actually the company did give me one, they didn't ask :)

And JAVA (or .NET) is what we program here. For us it's C(++) and Phyton that "suck" guess it's to each his own.

One still hopes the N900 WILL finally be abel to do what a Windows Mobile 5 (or 6) unit can do for a non-Admin this days. In that case I would even accept "Wannabe Unix"(1) based on the "whatever OS does the job" concept.


(1) Unlike many here I don't care much about Linux or GNU. Add in that I keep getting special versions of MS-Software that don't crash every few minutes and I am quite happy with WiMo 5.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

One must wonder about a company that gives out devices that don't fit their infrastructure....

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

My wife isn't a sysop/sysadmin. She's not a unix person (she was a unix _user_ back in the day, but that was 10-20 years ago; these days she never opens the "Terminal" app on her mac).

Yet, she loves her N800. She doesn't have Xterm or anything like that installed on it. Her biggest use for it: pidgin and web browsing, some note taking (lists and stuff). She'll stay connected for IMs, so she doesn't have to carry a laptop nor be tied to her desk ... she'll check things on the web from wherever she is, etc.

For her, the main drawbacks are: she's limited by WIFI (she doesn't have a tethering phone), and she also wants a PIM that she can sync with .mac/iCal.


But, my point is, anyone who thinks that the fact that this is a linux device means in turn that you have to be a unix/linux/sysop/sysadmin to fully appreciate it ... isn't completely in touch with reality.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

New words for you: "Experiment" and "Tryout". Add "Looking for possibilities" Got a nice MDA II at the same time since that was a "Known Good" System that I got a lot of use out of (Now replaced the the follow-up with build in GPS etc)

Nokia Tablets had some interesting possibilities back than but failed to realise any from our PoV. Today it is "one among many" and big PDA systems like the Advantage or Shift from HTC look a lot better for many jobs including cross-plattform programming (JAVA)

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Well, one can say the same about many a Linux user... But insults aside, most "fans" here go to length showing that they can run XTerms and shells and controll other systems. That is Admin work, more exactly UNIX Admin work.

And maybe whereever you are has better WiFi than I have here in Germany. Fact is I'd be better of with GRPS or UMTS in most cities than with WiFi. Most of our customers don't use WiFi either since they consider it a security risk.

Fact is the stuff I and most of my co-workers need is either not there or not very good.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

On the newbie non linux/unix user base (which is probably over 50% of the IT owners ;P), i find it extremely nice to be able to sit around wherever i am, get on the internet and check out the sites i enjoy, or talk on aim via pidgin, and do little pda stuff like todo lists and calenders etc.

I have no use for terminals, scripts etc. Hell i don't even know how to use em haha! But for me the IT is perfect.

I was looking into the eee when i first started shopping, i disliked the flip open design and for my uses a mini laptop really wasn't as portable as i had wanted. I looked into UMPCs which gave super functionality, but since i'm just starting the working world... i don't have a grand to throw at one, then i found the N800 which had what i needed, it was open source and linux (which i am interested in learning more about) and most importantly it could play the role of portable media player, internet browser, instant messenger, AND then i could even play around with all these useful little apps that i normally wouldn't touch.

I can understand why somebody would want an eeepc, i came really close to buying one, but i guess in the end to each their own. We all take what we want out of our devices, the most important thing is keeping them open so we can do with them what we want! :D For that (and the community of devs and helpful people) i am grateful!

Hey, at least the OP isn't going to an ipod touch from the n800, then you guys have a right to shoot him! :D

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

"Any"???

And who is this "our"?

:p

EDIT: okay, lest the Mr Pedantic posts begin again, I realize you must be referring to your work environment.

And not to be an ***, but given the N800's well-understood wide-open potential, if an IT organization grasped that, wouldn't it be in their best interest to start internal custom development for it?

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

I think the N770, N800, N810 are nice pieces of hardware. I never really looked towards Nokia for software, but that being said, they make valiant effort at giving us something to play with. I know that for some these efforts aren't good enough and therefore you look for other more polished software and hardware to use. Really, it is no reason to shun people that actually enjoy and love their device.

I agree with the points that Mr. Patleeman listed for the usefulness of this device.

For 200 to 250 dollars for the N800 is quite a nice bargain considering other alternatives costs somewhat more. I found out that I get bored of hardware that doesn't allow me to add anything. Playing with the same programs and utilities over and over again makes me lose interest no matter how shiny a gadget is.

Development for IIT devices sometimes seems slow and no progress is made, but a lot of the developers for the ITT's have jobs and are kind enough to spend their time on this device. I applaud their efforts.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

In my eyes many people miss the point in the EEE vs N8*0 "war". The EEE is a really small very cheap laptop. The N8*0 is a pocketable addition to your mobilephone. The EEE always needs some sort of bag. The one thing really missing on the N8*0 is a nice PIM. That's it.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Have to agree.

Just give me a good PIM with Outlook sync. and auto dial on the phone through bluetooth etc. and I'm happy.

Zuber

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

I have a sony TZ, which Im guessing is the same size as an Eee, but Im still getting a n810 because it is pocketable. No other reason really. While I have one of the smallest laptops I dont always have it with me because, its still a laptop that you cant aways take with you. An Eee and n810 is two totally different things.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

In that case, I offer my previous laptop: a Fujitsu P1120. You can get them really cheap now (used) and the specs are similar to the EEE but you get the full 8.9" of screen real estate and its a touchscreen to boot. They are built like tanks and will outlast any EEE "toy." The size is almost identical and so is the speed, or lack of it :0)
Plus it has a PCMCIA card slot, let's see the EEEs... oh wait, it doesn't have one :0(
If you haven't used an EEE sized PC yet, you will be surprised at ow BIG it really is. Sure, it's smaller by far than the boat-anchor 17" widescreen laptops americans gobble up. But it's really not everyday-portable at all, unless you carry a big purse.:eek:

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

The EEE is smaller than a TZ. But you are right, niether one can fit in a pocket!

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

The Eee has a PCI-Express slot. Unless that rumour they removed the free internal slot from later production batches is true -- I never checked.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

I've mentioned before that they're simply different classes of machine. But there's one reason why that still leaves the EEE "out in the cold" for me. If I want a laptop, then for less than the price of an EEE, I can get an ubuntu compatible wallmart special. And if I want a laptop, the size of that wallmart special is just fine.

So, why would I get an EEE?

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Methinks this may be the most crystal clear explanation of what the N series tablets are, and, I'm suprised Nokia has such a hard time getting this message across.

If people realized that they could choose just about any phone they wanted feature wise and still have all the capabilities of a smartphone (and then some) it would certainly make the purchase easier to justify.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

nice try, i got excited for a second. but that thing is bad in many ways - ugly, thick, onboard memory, mini vga port, that ac looks the size of my old 486dx charger. no thanks. my 8GB eee comes with mini PCie slot and the 8GB ssd is swappable.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Good point. I have tried to convey to certain people in Nokia that more and more people are looking at the N800 as their "smartphone" device and the phone as its bluetooth modem. Yes, that oversimplifies the situation, but I think this reversal of roles is what the user base is determining. So, as the other post addressed, add a PIM and an N800 + simple bt phone combo is killer.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

That's kind of what I was aiming at, Texrat. Looked at a Blackberry, but didn't like the form factor, and was tired of squinting at WAP pages. So I got a normal thin phone and the N800. Problem is, I don't want to pay Verizon the $60 a month for a data plan, so I'm waiting/hoping they come out with a different price structure that I can afford, and then use the phone as a BT modem so I can surf whenever/wherever.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

It would be nice IMO if land service providers could also offer an extension to solely address the wireless data plan element. But-- in my case that's not practical, because Verizon provides my land service under contract while AT&T provides my cell phone service, also under contract. A shame we can't piecemeal what we want in the US.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Hey, the Eee looks cool, and quite handy. x86 architecture means you can run a ton of programs directly. It's cheap, and just the solution needed for a second PC.

Microsoft and Asus' announcement that Microsoft would be supplying a windows-based OS for the Eee shows that Microsoft is paying attention, and is quite worried about the success of the Eee. It also shows that they don't get it. A big draw for these devices is the quantity of free software available. Heck, given the BSA's recent shenanigans, it's becoming a big draw for businesses too. In an environment where software companies interpret "copyright infringement" such that some clown's inaction (such as failing to uninstall software on that obsolete hulk gathering dust in the closet) can result in serious financial penalties, and where those same software companies share those penalties with former employees who were most likely the ones responsible for the "infringement" to begin with, proprietary software, especially the sort with complicated licensing, carries an intrinsic liability.
In other words, the hardware's cheap, but the total cost of ownership is even cheaper, and getting more so. The Eee class of computers (and bigger versions) can be used for all those tasks that don't require the unique things that Mac and Windows platforms still offer, and they can provide better performance with much less hardware. And those cool-Windows and Mac-only programs (games, GIMP is not Photoshop, etc.) generally do better on desktops anyway.

But the Eee is still a laptop. It runs an x86 processor, and that means that when it's on, it's using plenty of power. Its battery life is measured in hours on vs. off, and not hours of use. Its design means that, when someone is using an Eee, the user's focus of attention is the computer.

The ITs are entirely different. VoIP (and video calls) are not tethered to a location. I can, and do, walk about the house while on the phone -- and on a device that now costs only slightly more than a dedicated WiFi phone (and on a device that finally works well as a Skype Phone). When I'm working on something, it's not in front of me; it's by my side. If we need a fact checked, I can do it, and pass the results, rather than force someone to stare down my screen. Sharing video works the same way: go to youtube, or whatever, and hand it to someone. The pocketable bit means that I can pull it out in any number of improbable locations.

The implementation leaves something to be desired. While Nokia has grasped that F/OSS projects work best when the various professional, semi-professional and volunteer efforts have a directed and fully funded framework in which to operate, someone needs to get the maemo that volunteers don't maintain repositories over the holidays, a period that's kinda important in the consumer electronics world.

So, no, I don't administer unix boxes with it.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

spot on, Texrat! Not a simplification at all. I've been saying pretty much the same since the 770 came out. Back then Nokia only had BT+3G in those ridiculously overpriced smart phones, so it's pretty safe to say that this use case was not predicted (a pretty big fault, considering the depth of the product line otherwise). The 770 forced me to get my first non-Nokia phone.

Give me a small, spartan phone with good data capabilities and a long-lasting battery, and I'll be a happy camper.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Limited in-house resources and a concentration on the .NET/PHP/JAVA side of programming in our company means that a platform that supports neither of those gets left behind when/if there are other platforms that DO cater to those needs. And since there are WiMo Alternatives to the Tablet (The two big HTC systems i.e) it's easier to concentrate on those.

No need for .NET/MONO (also throwing together some quick VB stuff might be nice) but at least a decend and official JAVA would have been nice, even more so given the CPU's capabilities in that area.

Given the lack of "necessary" capabilities (YMMV, here Sync with Exchange is "necessary") makes the device even less interesting in general use, same for the "needs extra phone" element. Germany might be different but getting twin cards (two cards, one number) is easy and UMTS or GRPS far more common than open WLAN's. And using a TelCo Hotspot is as costly as a good data plan from the providers if not more so. Without a "phone" ability it's somewhat hard to sell online solutions for the beast even more if your average end user isn't an IT-professional but rather "Joe Average Enduser"

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Understood. Theoretically, though, a company that saw the potential in the tablets could throw the right resources at in-house enterprise development for it.

And within the organization, phones aren't necessary. For instance, we are (finally) getting to where the tablets can be used as wifi voip "land" lines in house.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Uh oh. Has Nokia created a polymorphic proverbial blob of clay? Yes. Yes they have. While I think cell phone tethering is cool, as is playing an ancillary role to a cell phone, I don't have one. Did I miss the point? Absolutely not. My tablet gets hella offline usage during my commute and when I'm out and about hits random WiFi hotspots to supplement my coffee with the internet related headaches I've gotten addicted to (like this forum). :)

Sorry to interject on this, but I just wanted to make the point that while people feel strongly about their use case scenarios and can't understand this or that, there are other types of users out there and our corporate overlords had to take everything into account.

You can't please all the people all of the time. :)

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

I'm not pleased with your opinion.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

For Nokia to come out with the device and include a sim slot, they would first have to include a proper contacts application :)

Preferabley one that also syncs with Outlook, since that is what all other Nokia 'phones' do. Especially the N series ones.

Zuber

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

on the topic of sizes and dimensions. (first page or so :))

i find tiny laptops appealing. size of a laptop bag is part of a problem, but general handling and weight is also issue.

couple of years ago i saw a Dell Laptop that had about 12 inches of screen or so, maybe less, did not have a CD/DVD drive and looked very thin and portable. seemed ideal for on the go business applications. i don't think it was marketed for home user, more for corporations. does anyone know which model i'm talking about? i sort of still want one, maybe i can get one somewhere on the cheap.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

It was probably Dell Latitude X1.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

If only!

Alas freely available wifi is as rare here in Australia as cheap phone data plans.

And while my employer has limited wireless, they use a Cisco setup that requires a windows program to run, so I can't use it. (As so far, no Linux port from Cisco and no hack from anyone else.) They also use exchange for mail and turn off IMAP, so while I might boot to 2008 and use wired networking, I can't do much with it!

I dislike 2008 for many reasons mostly to do with UI - the thumbscrolling in FBreader, the small usable real-estate in xterminal, the Fisher-Price icons, the huge thumb friendly but eyeball hostile menus, those are the main ones.

If I worked somewhere that wasn't so goddamn Windowscentric (and me a Unix admin, I gnash many a tooth) I would be using the N800 a lot at work. As it is, I might work a bit more on easy dual boot to 2008 so I can use a wired connection to talk via crossover to reluctant servers but that's about it.

Wired networking for 2007, I would be happy!

(better looks for 2008 I'd be even happier....)


Zebee

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Not any more, at least in the major cities.
There are a few options around A$30/month now.
I'm on A$15/month for 1GB with '3', though voice rates are a bit high, and data roaming outside the 3G areas is $1.65/MB (The phone is set not to allow this!).

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Canadians are getting hosed by hosers (eh). Just a short look at google pops up newspaper articles showing how high cellphone rates affect business around here and if it affects business, it's not too hard to see how it affects the spending habits of individuals; ( http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/te...s/economy.html) and an associated comparison of Rogers' Canadian plan with AT&T's US plan (http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/2087/125/)

I don't know if I'd qualify as an 'average' N800 user in Canada (the fact I'm female alone probably drops me out of that segment), but I never did and highly doubt I will ever use the N800 with a cellphone.

So the cellphone+N8xx = SmartPhone line of reasoning is dead to me, personally.

After owning PlayThing now for three weeks, I can see its strengths and weaknesses from a totally non-geeky (in the best way) perspective.

Pros:

1. It works well (once you get the hang of it).

2. The programs are free and do the basics.

3. The public forum support is friendly (here, at least).

4. It's cheap for on-the-go internet cruising and great for internet radio.

5. It's got that neato video camera (that I don't use) and a camera (that is fun to play with) and I can record (good for using in court, if I ever feel the need :rolleyes: ).


Cons:

1. I. Can't. Read. The. Fonts. The screen's just too damned small for comfortable reading and increasing the fonts just means I'm scrolling back and forth a lot.

2. Keyboard issues. The Ultra-Slim bluetooth one I got is fine. But it does mean an extra bag to carry around. Pecking at the onscreen keyboard is slow and I tried the N810 keyboard and found that to be too cramped.

3. PIM issues. There's nothing out there (yet?) that'll allow me to easily sync with my mac's Address Book. My mac. Not a windows or linux set-up. A mac - without running bootcamp. I want to sync directly with my Address Book (or at least find something that will accept an exported multiple-card file instead of individual cards and sync *all* the info, not just one name, the first phone number detected and an email address).

You know, in another year or so, I'm seriously going to check out the EEE PC and see what's improved on it and compare and contrast it with the N800.

In the end, I realize that if I really *am* looking for on-the-go travel internet access, the N800 doesn't really fit my needs totally - at least while I'm in Canada and while I'm dealing with eyesight strain.

If the EEE PC keeps down in the $300 level and has most of the qualities of the N800, has an integrated keyboard that doesn't make my fingers squashed, has a screen large enough for me to read without straining or excessive scrolling and no big ol' warning signs, I would consider getting it. In a year - I figure a year's worth of use is worth the price of the N800.

The EEE PC is appealing to me 'cause it's small and light enough not to take up too much room in a bag, it seems to do the basic stuff I'd want and what the N800 does (i.e. everything everyone else is doing in coffee shops with their laptops - cruising the 'net, writing off emails and maybe writing more substantial), ... .

Of course, *I* have a bag (a leather courrier bag but a bag, none the less). Which, when you look at the pretty colours the EEE PC comes in, makes it pretty obvious that the company is aiming for a lot of women like me.

The N800 certainly has a place in my heart now. In the future, I see it spending most of its time as an alarm/internet radio/bedside internet tablet. Which is a good vision since this means it'll be used for years and I will always think of it as money well-spent.

But I'm not slavish enough to a brand (or I would have just marched into an Apple store and bought an iTouch without thinking) and the N800 will have competition with the EEE PC - next year.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Maybe you need the wimax tablet, Betty?

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Something I don't understand.... Why sync? THe tablet's small enough to have with you all the time, so make that your primary source of information.

Sure, if you have a work calendar that has enough on it (and what's there you need away from your desk) then I can see it, but for most people it would seem to make sense to use the tablet as their diary rather than their desktop.

Zebee

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Some of us have to sync, based on our work needs. I'd like to make the tablet my primary source, but it's not even designed to work that way as of now. Nokia still purposes it as a companion device (ie, secondary) and that's all too apparent to business users.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

Huh. Maybe I do? So many of these things haven't hit the average consumer's consciousness. I've never heard about it.

But, then again, I'd never heard of the EEC PC, either, until I read about it in this forum.

Alls I know; my eyes hurt after spending some time reading online on the N800 and that, ultimately, will be the deciding factor aside from price.

I'll have to take a look, though. Thanks!

[edited to get some spelling mistakes made because I was using the iGo Ultra-Slim and, well, squinting :D]

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

I'm far more likely to be sitting in front of my Mac than in front of the N800 during the regular course of the day. I also have an automatic backup system going (not that I've ever had a hard drive crash :::knocking on wood:::).

I'd just prefer to use Address Book to be my primary contacts list than the N800.

And if it's a pain to sync the N800 now, I don't want all the contact info stuck in the N800 waiting for me to have the time to refigure out how to sync it back to Address Book.

Re: I'm off! Have fun with the N8x0!
 

What was the name of that wimax tablet, again?