I need a device, touch screen, open . etc. But here are my confusions -

The n810 is pretty old, outdated. (I would prefer getting a used one now, if at all)

There's Maemo 5 now, and I believe n810 runs an older OS. As a result, I don't want to be left hanging the minute I buy the device (as in, no technical support, no updates, etc)

The excitement on these forums seem to all be for the n900. It's like either the n810 users are forgotten, or don't exist.

The n900 doesn't work on my AT&T 3G.

There's no definitive word on whether the n900 can tether to my n series Symbian phone (and I am not keen on wasting battery life with Joikuspot)

What sucks is that there's pretty much _no other device_ on the market that even remotely resembles the n810 in terms of functionalities, capabilities, features etc.

So, is it a good idea for me to get a n810 now? (Maybe from someone in the Buy&Sell section of this forum). Or maybe something else? (The Viliv tablets look cool .. but no Linux support etc and no community etc)

Or should I wait for the next-cool-thing-since-sliced-bread-in-MID device to come along?

(Oh .. and first post!)

welcome !!!
well, you have 3 options:
a) get the N810
b) get the N900
c) wait somewhat a year (give or take few months) for a new Maemo device

i personally don't have internet tablet, but im getting the N900
it has all i need, does it well and im sure there will be updates/fixes to things it needs polished

If you consider a N810, also reflect why or why not a N800. Each has its advantages. Bottom line is: it really depends on what you plan to do with the device!

[EDIT]Lord Raiden has compiled some links to Amazon.com sales of Nokia 770, Nokia N800 and Nokia N810.[/edit]

Use case is key. I will set up my N810 once I get the N900 as my 'home' phone and have Skype and Dialcentral running 24/7. I have an N800 thats a dedicated alarm clock/ internet radio and ebook reader. These tablets are so versatile there are many uses even after the announcement of maemo 5/n900

If it were me, I'd get an n810 off ebay and take my chances. You'll get your $150 out of it, which will hold you over until another internet tablet is released (or some of the alternatives come available), and the lack of official support will be negligible.

Frankly, for what it sounds like your needs are, the closest alternative would be a netbook.

While I do agree with this for the most part, what I really want is a
1. touchscreen <-- with stylus at that.
2. pocketable ! (most important)
3. hardware keyboard. Even 3 rows is fine.
4. OPEN! I like a good community backing, I am a fan of Linux for precisely this reason. I have more friends on forums and IRC than real life

5. Not a cell phone, has WIFI and can tether to cell using BT
6. Large screen !

If the first 4 reasons were all that were important to me, I could have simply bought a Android phone or something, but the (5) and (6) make the n810 the ideal option for me. There's absolutely nothing else that comes close to this !!!!

I would say it is, I use my N810 every day without any problems. Most review boards and others will judge the N810 on it's base apps. If you were to do that I would say that the N810 is very outdated.

But the power of Maemo comes in the community and the developers and the testers. The 3rd party apps make the N810 a better device than mostly anything out there. The hardware is great, the OS is great, the apps make it worth buying.

And if your curious as to whether you'll lose support check this out.

http://wiki.maemo.org/Mer

It's called Mer. It's the future of the N810. If this falls into place, your device will be useful for at least the next couple of years.

I use my N810 all day. E-mail, web, music, audiobooks, podcasts, little games. It travels with you everywhere. They're available for $200-$250, right? That's not bad when you compare it to a netbook. Less horsepower but more portability & a touchscreen, for example.

Yeah, Nokia's practice of dropping support of earlier Maemo versions is exasperating. But their cooperation with the community & the community support ease this a bit.

Yeah, I agree that usecase is key.

In my case, I've already got an n800 and already put in my N900 preorder, but I'm also looking for a like-new N810 at sub-$200 range to fill the role of "Skype phone + Web tablet w/ hardware keyboard at home" role

From the usage you have listed here, it sounds like you should be shopping for an N810. I was in your boat about a year ago, only for me it was a decision between the N800 and N810. Like you, I was not particularly interested in a netbook.

What I would recommend, based on the use case above, would be to get a used N810 (I got an open box for $200 last year, you should be able to get one for about $165 now, and the price may drop as the N900 gains traction, if you are willing to wait). I would also get a BT keyboard, regardless of whether you get the N800 or N810. The built-in keyboard on the N810 works for short things, but if you are scripting, sending emails or anything more involved, it is nice to use a "regular" keyboard.

Just my 2 cents...
--vr