Here's an N800 testimonial I never thought I'd write.

Last week I encountered a range of medical symptoms that made it impossible to sleep, notably abdominal bloating and pain with intense full body itching. My doctor ran a series of blood tests which confirmed elevated liver enzymes and bilirubin, in the absence of hepatitus or other known risk factors. Yellow eyes and other factors completed the classical picture of jaundice, normally treated by procedures that restore bile flow by removing the impeding gallstones and/or the entire gallbladder itself.

I checked into my local hospital Friday June 8, carrying my Nokia N800 (+2 8GB SDHC), ThinkOutside SuperSlim Bluetooth Keyboard, and Verizon MOTORAZR V3m w/data plan. Connection Manager instantly found an open "Patient and Family Nework" access point which presented one page of terms and conditions followed by free unlocked unlimited internet access. From here on out, I declare it as indispensable as the telephone, if not more so. Google, WikiPedia, Medscape and the local specialist sites are in my pocket, even in my hospital johnny between appointments. I look up each new provider and greet them from their mug shots. I backfill my understanding of new and experimental protocols, drawing the medical professionals into more extensive discussions of details and options.

When I'm overwhelmed with the technical stuff, the Canola audio player is a welcome relief. The internal speakers are entirely adequate for the hospital room environment, and if I felt the need for more isolation, I'd bring ear buds.

By June 13 my case had become more complex and I moved to a specialist unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. Once again I was greeted by ubiqutous WiFi. To me, the N800 form factor and basic functionailty are nearly ideal for this usage case. I only use the external keyboard rarely (such as for this email) and unlike a laptop, the main unit can go practically anywhere without raising an eyebrow. Those who do take notice tend to respond favorably. iPodders appreciate the big display and built-in speakers. My surgeon sees many advantages over the Palm Treo "they make us carry," whose web browser he finds next to useless, and its overpriced $110 data plan.

To me, the benefit of instant access to information in the middle of one of the most isolating and possibly scariest situations we are likely to face is incalculable. My heartfelt thanks go out to NOKIA and to the Internet Tablet community for making this device what it is today.