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Posts: 255 | Thanked: 15 times | Joined on Oct 2007 @ United Kingdom
#1
I really can't decide which to buy. I'm getting this primarily to browse the web, read ebooks, listen to Internet radio, and possibly watch movies. I might get a Bluetooth keyboard for a little note-making when out and about too.

Here are the pros and cons of each, as I see them. Please chip in with anything I might have missed:

iPod touch: Pros
  • Cheaper than the N800 here in the UK by about £40 ($80)
  • Faster processor than the N800, so no video lag and generally snappier system response
  • 8 or 16GB storage as standard, compared to 128MB of an N800
  • Legendary Apple ease of use and attention to detail, such as pinching for zoom, or flipping to switch to landscape mode
  • Integration with iTunes (not a biggie for me)

iPod touch: Cons
  • No Flash or RealPlayer support, although this might come later
  • Closed system, although everybody is betting that the touch will be hacked soon, to the extent that some of the more useful iPhone apps will be copied across, including the Maps app
  • Memory not expandable
  • Crappy Apple hardware that'll turn-up with niggling faults, and then die the day after the warranty runs out
  • No built-in speakers
  • No internet radio support?

N800: Pros
  • Genuine computer, rather than a media player with ambition (Apple has made it clear that they don't envision the touch as a PDA but as a media player with some lifestyle extras)
  • FM radio receiver built in
  • Open hardware, so installing new software is a legitimate and encouraged
  • Tonnes of additional software
  • Better screen resolution than the touch
  • Better browser? (Subjective, personally I like Safari)
  • Comes with that useful stand so can be used on a desktop, maybe as a second browser window alongside your main computer (can a VNC server be installed on the N800? Then it could even be controlled from a desktop computer too!)
  • Built-in speakers
  • Bluetooth keyboards work with it (touch has only a limited Bluetooth implementation)

N800: Cons
  • Slow processor; good enough for everyday use but you're at the limit of its power
  • Limited memory and storage, although expansion slots provided and inexpensive
  • More expensive than the touch here in the UK
  • Rough at the edges operating system, although usable
  • Poor battery life at only 3-4 hours with heavy wifi use