Internet radio devices -- what a good/bad idea
 

Re: Internet radio devices -- what a good/bad idea
 

Great article.

i am amazed at how much redundancy i see i all my devices. I have a gps that has cpu/memory/display, then i have psp which has cpu/memory/display + gpu, then theres pdas (which i no longer use), ebook readers, ipods, and other items you mentioned. (As a side note they all have apparently incompatible power adapters so i own every variety of dc and ac adapter and plugs known to mankind... except the one i'll need next.)

Your article makes a good statement at product marketing being centered around applications but what if it were centered around form factors which incorporate every technically feasable feature for that particular form factor.

I think my perfect blend of devices would be to have an emergency microformfactor cellphone/ipphone/internetradio/gps device which i could connect to common voip account... daily use would probably be a n800 type device doing everything but limited to maybe 1280x720 on a 5-6" screen (no wasted packaging)... when at home i might lug around a larger thin screen/tablet which can do just about everthing yet still be solid state so weaker... and finally power computer/video processor/server with no real limits... this could also be a server to the other computers. Since i'm into home automation it would also adjust lighting when come home, control other appliances/devices.

Developers would then need common runtime environments across each form factor.... like java or .net runtime and target that screen size. With linux becoming more important/utilized for these new breed devices they will need to all be compatible (at least within each form factor).

Ok enough of everyone else just give me 1280x720 with 3d games like pc (cant carry around 50 diffent optical discs like psp) i guess you could fit a keyboard and psp style thumbstick or trackball into it, and make permanent 4g net connectivity, and built in gps... and provide me a software api like java or .net where i can run 1000s of (possibly pre-built) programs. I'll just take that and my server/power computer and be ok.

Re: Internet radio devices -- what a good/bad idea
 

Well, I've found the Internet Radio application on my Nokia N95 to be more stable than internet radio streaming on my N800.
I've let it play for 6 hours non-stop on my N95 once and it NEVER skipped/dropped out whereas on the N800 it can only go for about 30 minutes without erroring out completely.

But for eBook reading the N800 cannot be beat.

Re: Internet radio devices -- what a good/bad idea
 

I love the Internet Tablets, and I agree that the whole multi-device function and feature overlap is a bit sickening. There is one thing that I think this article, while pretty great, overlooks though. Simplicity. Any single-function device is a lot simpler and easier to use than a complex multi-function device. Especially when that multifuction device is a 770 or n800 internet tablet. While articles like this really make n800's seem like such a brilliant choice considering all the money youd save by having such a flexible device, it really only applies to you if you are tech savy. No it doesn't take a genius to use or install things on a Internet Tablet, but your average person would find it daunting and distasteful. People like to buy their electronics, turn them on, and have them do exactly what they bought them for. Linux is scary. People without an affinity for computers or electronics could quickly become frustrated by the quirks of the tablets when trying to expand their functionality. Yes the n800 does internet radio out of the box. But it takes some trickery to get certain kinda streams to work, and this and that. I'd definitely recommend the n800 to anyone i knew who wanted to get an internet radio device, but it isn't too hard to see why people arn't rushing to the stores to grab n800's so they can listen to the radio. With a UI overhaul and a marketing epiphany, and the inclusion of certain software with the unit (mplayer, fbreader, even though i guess that might cause lisence issues?) maybe.

Re: Internet radio devices -- what a good/bad idea
 

I was listening to SomaFM and using FBreader earlier on today and then decided to skip across to the internet and came across this blog post. Gave me a chuckle then I just switched tasks and continued reading. I agree though it would be nice if the device were a little more novice oriented.

Re: Internet radio devices -- what a good/bad idea
 

The form factor is great.

The CPU seems underpowered. (They "stepped up" from the 770 when they should have 'leaped"- a big opportunity lost!)

Word processing? Where's the word processing?!

It's been said a kazillion times, but if Nokia would just pre-pack a software suite similar to Palm and stop trying to avoid the term "PDA", they'd have an instant pool of potential customers who have no upgrade path available to them.

Re: Internet radio devices -- what a good/bad idea
 

I bought N800 exactly as alternative to Sony Reader. In addition to reading e-books I received the whole world of Linux. Which I don't really need. And I would happily buy Sony if it wouldn't be so damn expensive ($500 at the time) - relatively to its pitiful feature set. It's lighter, e-ink technology is amazing and power management rocks.

So it really comes down to the question of target markets and pricing. There is a lot of people who would buy single-function device if price suits them and its main function is great.

It's all Econ 101 stuff, nothing more.

Re: Internet radio devices -- what a good/bad idea
 

Nokia, are you listening? I think it's time to come up with the Nokia N800 Entertainment Pack. Just bundle the best apps found on in the Garage and the best content on the web (radio stations, video streams, news portals, RSS feeds, etc), stick them on an SD card (512Mb should be more than sufficient) and sell them for € 29,95 as Nokia N800 Entertainment Pack from the Nokia website.

Ton.

Re: Internet radio devices -- what a good/bad idea
 

I was just thinking about the one-device per function idea, and a cartoon showing someone with multipocketed utility pants, saying

"here's my ipod, here's my book reader, here's my gps, here's my cell phone, here's my calculator, here's my...
Oh my gosh! I forgot my wallet!"

Re: Internet radio devices -- what a good/bad idea
 

Interesting views here- I actually have an N800 and the Sony eBook reader, and I see them as devices with very separate and defined functions... sure, you can read eBooks on the wonderful N800 display, but will the battery last a 24hr flight to Oz? And then a 3 week holiday after that without needing to worry about taking a charger? The Sony is fantastic at the job it's designed to do, and IMO is a great example of where a more convergent device does a poorer job.

The N800 on the other hand... what a fantastic device, and I absolutely love mine for browsing, email, news, Skype, Messenger etc. But... it's a terrible movie player and the audioo quality ain't that great. Am I complaining? Hell no- the N800 is great at what it's (broadly) designed to do. For movies, I have my Archos 605 Wifi :D

So... I have three devices, all with decent screens (in their own way), all with decent battery life (by their class standards), and all brilliant at the job they were designed to do, but limited when pressed into serving a purpose they weren't designed for. And I can pretty much carry a library of 1000 books, 30 films, and a world of connectivity in one hand. Personally I don't think I'll see a single device that does all of these things as well as the individual devices do for a good 10 years.

Re: Internet radio devices -- what a good/bad idea
 

Well, here you got a definition of N800 as a single-function device for providing major web based operations :) The rest of it is just added value - and still in many cases it will be fine for the huge segment of the market named "occasional mobility users". Was Nokia deliberately targeting this market with N800? If so - my hat goes down for that. If not - I can easily see a grim future for the device.

Re: Internet radio devices -- what a good/bad idea
 

The problem with that is the cost, not in terms of money but in terms of power. A faster CPU automatically uses more power. A faster CPU (e.g. the new embedded "low power" x86 CPUs) could easily drop the 10 days/7 hours usage pattern down to 2 days/1 hour, which would have made the N800 pretty much a pain to use.

Re: Internet radio devices -- what a good/bad idea
 

This is a great article. I have just had my n800 for a few days. At first I was disappointed but it is now growing on me.

I have never had any experience with Linix before, so there were times when I felt at the low end of the learning curve. I have over 40 years of experience with computers, so was anxious to dive into something new. I think this device has a lot of potential. My fear is that the OS and software installation procedures may scare off more potential buyers than it will bring. However, some of the functionality such as the Internet Radio (and even the built-in FM) will draw many of the more technically capabile users like myself.

Things such as the camera, FM radio, MP3 capabilities, eBook readers, etc. will give us something to do with the device when we are not near a hotspot.

I think Nokia could have done better by providing more software on the device or readily available. I was fortunate to find the Maemo.org site or I would be still disappointed.

Re: Internet radio devices -- what a good/bad idea
 

There is a ton of available software now, mostly not from Nokia. And Nokia's stuff hasn't been that good -- I don't use its email program at all, and I stay away from its RSS reader, though I don't hate it as passionately as some seem to. I think that the very best program for the N800 is Maemo Mapper, though there are many other nice ones.