Ah, so I was right. It is smaller than the 770! The new button configuration on the top sounds interesting also. 2 x memory card slots? Seems a little odd that they would need to put an extra one in the thing. Any other details you can think of and share with us?

It is not really smaller. The buttons are smaller. It is a little wider and may a little shorter.

The two slots make perfect since when you see them. One under the battery cover for stuff you always keep on the device and one on the bottom similar to the 770 for stuff you don't always keep on the device.

Crappy Samsung camera phone.(Not my phone)

I hope you don't mind, Yakko, but I wrote all about this.

http://thoughtfix.blogspot.com/2006/...lspicture.html

Gave you full credit/blame of course

Yes that's great. Perfect for rootfs on internal MMC. SD has 4 data bits path so the system will fly. I guess 10MB/s for reading is possible. There were a lot of hints about two slots in IT2006 firmware if you look carefuly, nice to see it confirmed in this device :-)

One example is gconf values (think they were also in first release of IT2006)
/schemas/system/osso/af:
usb-cable-attached = (no value set)
internal-mmc-used-over-usb = (no value set)
mmc-cover-open = (no value set)
internal-mmc-device-present = (no value set)
mmc-device-present = (no value set)
mmc-used-over-usb = (no value set)

Another is that /media/mmc2

The question is still wheteher it still has 64MB of RAM or at least 128. And whether it is still OMAP 1710 and thus cpu speed is same (I guess so, it is probably too early for 2420).

I'm quite happy about second slot, that makes this (ugly) device almost perfect for me

I like that it has a second memory slot, although this isn't really a make or break feature. It should be nice to be able to use my 770 to upload pictures from my "real digicam" (not the POS they are incorporating to add a bullet point). I sure hope it has a faster proc (or a faster clocking of the same proc) and more ram. If they don't incorporate useful amounts of ram (128+) , I will not purchase it. That one definitely is a deal breaker for me. I really like the idea of the idea of an integral stand. I can't really state an opinion on the button changes until I have played around with a demo unit. In general I would have preferred a few more (and bigger) buttons for application specific use and am kinda disappointed they are actually consolidating buttons and making them smaller.

Can anyone who has had a chance to play with the new model comment on the software capabilities of the new unit? As much as new hardware would be nice, improved/refined software capabilities will be the big sale/no sale determinant for me.

It is yakko dammit!!

One thing to correct one thing in your blog. The second slot is not under the battery but in the battery compartment. The part of the cover that comes off is roughly the lower two thirds of the back. Also the headphone, microphone and charger are on the right now since being on the bottom would make the built on stand not work.

Is there any information suggesting if it has a faster processor or any thing improved over the 770?

Yes, that would be the more important information to me, since my opinion is that the actual weakness of the 770 is the OS (and it appears it'll be the same on the new tablet). Too much crashes overall (yesterday, just opera running, and it crashed the whole tablet).

So the only thing worth the change would be the more horsepower, since I do not need the camera, and the OS will be the same (as long as they support both the 770 and the new one)

nokia needs to just come clean and release a press release already

As far as an improved version of the OS, I believe IT2006.2 is what they're going to use (a guess). In another thread on the developer mailing list there was some discussion of the significance of kernel changes mentioning a headset; one is included in the box with the "870". It would make sense to use a publicly-released version if the OS as this would allow the new device to use the same third-party software without changes. If the "870" is to be released soon (before Christmas?) they'd want to have a stable-yet-updated version of the OS on the shipping device. I imagine this was one of the reasons for IT2006.2 as much as bug fixes or other problems.

I don't know about anyone else but I'm going to be lined up to buy the new device! I've really enjoyed the 770 and plan on giving it to my wife when I get new device. Two memory slots on-board would be great! I love the changed positions of the charge/headphone connectors as well, since you can now listen to music with it in smaller pockets. Being able to use and charge it on a stand at the same time is sweet too.

Larry