I am currently serving with the U.S Army in Afghanistan and I just ordered an N800. At my post we use wireless internet and I think this IT will do everything I need over here. I can use the VOIP instead of buying expensive calling cards to call back to the states, I can IM friends and family, and overall, the features will definitely come in handy! Who knows, maybe I can scout out enemy positions on Google Maps! LoL

For what you describe I think the N800 will be a great choice and much less expensive to use than calling cards or cell phones. I live on the other side of the planet and won't use the crappy cell phone system so I can't imagine what it is like using one over there. It is a VoIP world for me.

I can't validate that you are actually a soldier but with benefit of the doubt let me say thanks for being there. I hope you and the other boys and girls there and in that hole called Iraq can get out really soon. In fact I insist you folks get out of there pronto. Your leaders back home are insane and evil but thank you to the boys over there.

My buddy stationed in Iraq loves his N810 with Gizmo and skype for the same reasons. Get your family to download Gizmo and you can video conference with them. Stay safe!

watch your back...and im sure that the n800 will suit your needs...get a good case for it,the leathe one from proporta is nice...get an extra battery...or the proporta backup one...works for me...my brother was in the 10th mountain and was there a fer years back...

10th Mountain out of Fort Drum! New York is my home state. I actually mobilized for this deployment out of Fort Bragg which is in your neck of the woods and I'm going back there in December hopefully.
Good to see that there is this whole community for this device! I will probably need some help installing things and getting things to work straight. I did buy a case along with the N800, and also an 8GB SD card and a few screen protectors. Is there an included mic with the N800 and can I use my samsung bluetooth earpiece for the voip?

there is a mic built in on the top of the device (you will see a small slit there), and a bluetooth earpiece should work iirc.

There is a built-in mic
You can use a BT headset
You can also use a wired headset ( may require slight modification to work right )
You can use regular headphones and the built-in mic ( works quite well that way unless you are trying to be quiet ).

Most of what you will need to get going can be download from "Extras" which takes 30 seconds to enable. I'm sure people will happily suggest what apps you need. When you are home, if you are from the capital district area and really need help, drop me a pm.

I downloaded the theme editor from maemo.org and I tried to photoshop a theme, but that might be a little too optimistic right now. But I definitely want to customize it as much as I can.

1st, Thank you for serving....

A few items.....

My Plantronics BT works with Skype on IT (N8x0)

Get a 2nd SD card, largest you can afford

Get a Solar charger (with the connectors for the IT and your BT) very sunny there....

Setup Google talk, the best video connection IT to IT (N8x0), you might search for my posts on this

You could both have DVD's from home of "family/Friends" as well as upload to YouTube for back home

Also Flickr (others as you wish) AND if you had a Nokia N82 (other cells also do this) your pictures/Video could go to Flickr right after you take them (wifi the best), however, I send photos all the time when I travel on my data plan and it works in the background while I use the N82...

In a pinch, should you need and IF your cell phone connections would allow, you would be able to "ET call home" any place you find your self.......while costly if you do not have the data plan, not sure how/if that would be allowed as I have the data plan and unlocked cell(s) and always get a local SIM, (China/India/UK/Mexico/etc), in the places I go.


Might I suggest you also get a GPS, that way you will know were everyone is near you........on a more serious note, I am not sure having not been in that part of the world, while just about everywhere else, how the GPS connection is.

Feel free to contact me if you like....

actually my "thanks" is for your service
the n800 will work as you describe