Many universities have various programs that purchase equipment that students can check out for free to aid in research, etc. For an example, check out the equipment available at the University of Washington here: http://www.css.washington.edu/EquipmentDescriptions

What's missing? An N900, of course

I personally use my device often in research, for taking quick notes, as an electronic dictionary/translation service, and for photographing and tagging pictures of documents instead of transcribing log notes. I plan to also use it as a voice recorder when doing oral interviews.

I imagine, though, that there are many other uses for it in many disciplines that could not be fulfilled by a laptop or any of the other devices on that list. In addition, properly configured it might be a good alternative to a combo of larger devices -- a n900 instead of a camera/voicerecorder combo for someone doing travel research, maybe in difficult terrain where they couldnt haul around a bunch of stuff.

Anywho, I'm thinking of writing a pitch (they have a place where students can submit proposals -- http://techfee.washington.edu/) and would like to know how you have used / would use a smartphone or internet tablet to aid in academic work. Also, I'd like to know just for make it more useful to myself!

Note I'm not limiting this to just maemo/n900 -- although I feel that for academic work the NITs have many strengths, I think that there is a lot that any smartphone/internet tablet can do to aid in research; perhaps a more general appeal would increase the possibility of adoption.

I've done similar work you've mentioned with it. Also edit papers with OpenOffice or Google Docs (Powerpoints in gdocs since oo's powerpoint app is smushed)

I've also installed gnuplot though I've yet to use it. Xournal is another great app, I use it to annotate PDFs I have to read or when doing a literature review.

The N900 is also great as a usb drive. I save my work to it when on university computers and sync it with rsync to my other computers (which then syncs it to dropbox). I run Window apps off the N900's storage so I can take advantage of bigger screens to annotate Pdfs with xournal or any other useful window apps that can be run off a flash drive.

lastly I've used the N900 (and before that the N800 for presentations). no, not the video output though I've been wanting to give a presentation off my N900 doing that. but as a slideshow remote (bluemaemo, vnc, or any other control method), or to have my notes on there.

I use it mainly to ssh to my workstation to see how my simulations are going when I'm not at my desk. I do also quite often take the results and plot some graphs in gnuplot on the N900 itself. Brainstorm ideas and equations in xournal. Download and read papers on it. There are many libraries for stats analysis and even viewing Solidworks models in capsule 3D on the N900. I hear that latex has also been used on it but I personally haven't used it because I don't know how to set it up.

For publication quality graph I like rlplot on easy debian. When finalizing your academic research it might be useful

I'm still in High School. (Freshman, actually. ^^;

Still; I use my N900 for/as

1. USB Drive*
2. Document Editor (via OO.o)
3. Note Taker (When I somehow run out of paper...)*
4. Recording Lectures*
5. Video Recording Demonstrations
6. Dictionary (QStardict)

Also as remote control for computers at home. (Linux box connected to TV for family viewing.)

The NIT family has truely been the Jack(s) of all Trades.

* = Previously used with N800 as well in Middle School.

Thanks for the replies. I'm very glad to hear about the graphing/stats analysis abilities; working in the humanities I'm not too up to speed on those but will want to include them in the proposal as potential uses (and maybe play with them myself for my economics seminar this quarter).

@laughing man -- I've been trying to figure out the best way to sync my n900 with my dropbox -- so do you bring your usb cord to plug it into university computers (it works fine for that without admin privileges)? then rsync when you get back home, or over some sort of ftp/ssh?

I also had never thought of using it as a presentation remote, but that seems like a great use. Does anyone have experience running presentations directly from the device? What resolution does it put out?

If this could be done, this could easily be a great all-in-one conference/symposium tool, replacing a 1) laptop for running/editing presentations 2) video and sound recorder 3) remote 4) hmm gps so you don't get lost on the way 5) digital camera for taking to archives, documenting trips, etc

I don't know hardly a thing about GIS, but I wonder if a portable GPS unit has some valid academic uses...

One big thing for my research that is still missing is Zotero (an open-source bibliography/note-taking add on for Firefox). There's some talk of porting it to Fennec, but I'm not certain when that will be done. Do standard firefox add ons work on IceWeasel under Easy Debian?

I teach and connect the device with tv-out to show short films and demonstrations. Our classes have built-in projectors but not computers. I don't have to carry a laptop around - I just plug in my phone and show the movie...

I am missing Jabref, but since it is a java program not sure it is going to work. Zotero would be awesome too.

Other useful academic applications (mostly scientific):

ATI85 - Emulates various TI calcs
Copernicium - Highly detailed periodic table
Orrery - Night sky mapping
evopedia - Offline Wiki (Standard disclaimer about possible misinformation applies)

All the standard firefox addons including experimental add-ons I've tried seem to work in IceWeasel so Zotero will probably work too.