I have some computer smarts, but sometimes I'm baffled by the Nokia Internet Tablet.

There are some things I just don't understand about the tablets (or their OS or the pre-installed apps):

- Why I can't construct a playlist in the Media player?

You'd think this would be a no-brainer. I just want to grab 5 or 6 of the 80 songs on my N810 and play them together, even though they're by different artists on different albums.

- Why isn't connecting to my PC via Bluetooth really easy?

Sometimes I'm at my office, where WiFi is verboten. I want the tablet to use my PC's direct connection to the internet -- I've done it plenty of times laptop-to-laptop in meetings where only one person was plugged into the wired network. Why isn't this a snap with the NIT?

- Why is Linux made so hard?

OK, it's clear that Nokia doesn't want to support unsophisticated users with all the things that can trip them up in Linux. But why doesn't File Manager have a simple switch (Show hidden) that lets me see the whole contents of my drive? Even with the trick of adding a symbolic link to root (or any directory), I still can't see hidden directories (eg, whose name begins with a dot).

Which leads me to my next question:

- Why can't I easily add fonts to my tablet and use them in the browser?

Right. I had to make a /home/user/.fonts/ directory and mail myself a font and then jump through command-line hoops to put a simple font on my tablet. And go through contortions to tell the browser to use it. (Except I haven't succeeded in that yet. Emoticon with amazed look of disbelief here.)

Might as well ask the real puzzler here:

- Why can't OS2008 et al just let you be root when you need to?

If us unsophisticates need so much protection against our careless actions, shouldn't we be wearing goalie gloves when we handle scissors? Why isn't there just a switch that says, "It's OK. I'll take the consequences. Just please let me make a directory or use apt-get without having to acquire developer-class knowledge."

Heck. That's the deep side. But what about the glam cam that arrived with the N800?

- Why isn't there a face-to-face cam call capability yet?

It's only the most amazing possible use of this walkaround-web device -- unlimited cam calling via WiFi without having to sit in front of an anchored webcam.

It's visual IM -- just leave the call connected and talk when you want to talk. It's IM taken to the next dimension.

Btw, don't tell me this is here. My wife has the N810 and I have an N800 loaner from Nokia, and we can't manage it. It needs to be click-simple and using Skype. *

- Why does upgrading the OS obliterate every manually installed app I've put on my tablet?

I know, if I go from Windows XP to Vista (and I haven't), I'd have to re-install my apps. But every upgrade and patch in WinXP is managed without that requirement. Shouldn't it be possible in this marvelous Linux world?

- Why can't the application memory be extended to one of the memory cards?

Is swap the extent of this? You know, I'm willing to risk the possibility that my flash card will get the same spot written to 100,000 times and fail.


Yeah, there are more things I don't understand about my tablet's design. Just getting the answers to Why not a model with a keyboard? and How can you call it an internet tablet without handling Flash and YouTube? have really lowered my orneriness. I won't pick and pick and pick.

On the other hand, it's your turn. What behavior or aspect of the Internet Tablet makes no sense at all to you?


[Added later]
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* Tablet-to-tablet cam calls via Gizmo apparently arrived during my recent period of submersion. I'm happy, even if it isn't Skype. (I mean: even if the five friends I know with VOIP all use Skype instead of Gizmo.) Me-to-wife cam-IM is plenty great.