I must disagree. Perhaps at the beginning this was the case but Apple Inc. has made it clear that it intends for the iPod Touch to be an "Internet tablet." Think of it as an IT for the rest of us who don't want to fiddle with the OS and install what the Tao considers dumb "useless" apps.

I think it would be a huge mistake to not think of it as competition especially since, as pointed out earlier, Apple is stating that it intends for it to be competition. Currently the Touch's screen is too small. I saw one and that bothered me about it, but it is the size of my current iPhone knock off and I really can't complain to much about it (screen size, the OS is a whole other subject).
Currently the biggest problem with it is:
No Bluetooth (iPhone has that)
NO GPS (Which could be overcome with GPS).
Limited CODEC support (Probably the biggest reason next to lack of Maemomapper that I haven't touched the Touch).

Grr... Apple is using the "internet in your pocket" slogan. That's Nokia's baby!

I still don't see Apple's stuff as a direct competition because, as has been mentioned, they don't have the same level of codec support as a reasonably open platform like Maemo can give us. (+ More since I don't have to use Maemo, if I feel insane some day). When I was choosing between N800 and iPod (still waiting for the former to arrive), I realized I had plans to use either device for lots of audio / the occasional video. People can say all they want about the iPod being a more streamlined interface, but I don't buy that claim until I can literally drag and drop an audio or video file from my computer to my iPod and expect it to work. With Maemo, that looks reasonably possible, with the major limitation being decompression and resizing. As streamlined as my desktop PC which I use everyday; no need to divide the two into different markets, unless you're a company like Apple which has a true reason to create a distinct split in the available solutions. (That is, to sell double the devices and double the software).

Also, as sondjata mentioned, the screens on their current gadgets are very small. Great screens - particularly the seamless design, which would be perfect for an NIT - but I for one could not use them comfortably. I think they are pushing the multitouch angle a bit too hard, since most of the stuff one can do comfortably on that small of a screen can be emulated in software with a resistive touch screen. That is, pinching stuff... and pulling stuff. Rotating is about the only truly significantly fancy gesture, and that is replacing a total of two small context-sensitive buttons. Most of their "advanced multitouch gestures" are really just done with single contacts, such as kinetic scrolling or double tapping. Granted, they have it working really smoothly, but that is nothing which can't be done here.
What is unique about their screen is not the multitouch part, but the high responsiveness and solid feel, as well as its being made of glass. While we kind of lack those three, I think it's worth considering that they are superficial and most of the iPhone's fancy interface features can be implemented here using a little bit of imagination. (Modify GTK to do kinetic scrolling for scrolled windows, eliminating the scrollbars in all native applications, anyone?)

As for graphics capability: I just remembered (and I'm sure everyone else already knows) that the iPhone / iPod Touch have the same graphics chipset (PowerVR MBX) as the N800 tablets. Thus, I for have no concern about its graphics power being fancier than ours except that the iPhone has a smaller screen resolution (-> that funky bandwidth issue crops up around here, I believe?). Both are theoretically capable of OpenGL ES, unless my understanding of this stuff is about to be flipped on its head. (Likely).

Having said that, I for one am also delighted to see such a popular and visible platform using OpenGL, regardless of it being closed or not. The more developers learning that one, the less Windows and DirectX we see out there. The moment the majority of Windows games starts using OpenGL is the moment we have them running happily in Wine... and I think we can all agree that less Microsoft can only be a good thing. (Especially given Apple's heavy reliance on open source software; they are stuck with a certain level of obligation).

Back to the real world: I bet Nokia sees a particularly good reason to fix their graphics systems now.

Pickle:

I don't agree with you on the interface issue. I prefer to use a 'manager" app for moving video and audio. having a product that relies on drag and drop I am really annoyed when I have to use it. Navigate here, drag here, set up file structure here and there. No, the iTunes interface wins hands down. Would I like an option to that kind of stuff manually? Sure, and I've downloaded apps to do just that. They rarely get used.

Let me say this though, I find that a lot of "tech" people such as ourselves really really underestimate the "feel factor" of a product. High end products are priced the way they do because people like how it feels to interact with a product. Where we tech types may see a difficulty as a challenge, the average user says "this is dumb." Look at stick shift usage in the states. Stick shifts are dead because by and large people are too lazy to shift by hand. They prefer to have the ease of a smooth auto transmission that makes their life easier. The iPod touch is the 8 speed auto tranny and the Nokia is the Manual transaxle. People who like to "engage" the machinery and "master" the machine will purchase the appropriate product. Those who "just want it to work" will buy the appropriate product. Don't expect the tablets to get far so long as they are the Manual tranny's of the industry.

Funny... how I feel exactly the opposite: I want to drag and drop my media files to the N8x0 memory card instead of use any extra application to do so... That's the main reason I ditched the iPod nano I got as a gift, since I got so frustrated with the mandatory iTunes software to manage the media files.

Funny how you referred to this auto versus manual... Now I understand your point, since I personally do prefer manual transmission over automatic. The automatic is just plain boring to drive. So with your analogy iPods/iPhone is the "family minivan" and the Nokia tablets are the Ferrari... No wonder I like the Ferrari better... (I do not own Ferrari, but I did have Mustang GT with manual tranny few years back.)

Fair enough.

And after you get those media files on the sd card, what do you do to manage them? DO you make playlists there? Do you put them in particular folders?


Now how many of those steps did you do in iTunes before syncing with the NANO?

Same here. I just hate the itunes syncing. 6 months back my friend wanted some songs from my laptop and i just connected mine to the ipod and to my utter bemusement he told me that i cant add some songs to the ipod since it only syncs with his laptop.

I still dont know how people are living with such ********!!

No fair; I use to drive a "family minivan". Dodge Caravan (original short-wheelbase) with 2.2l I4 engine (sad, I wish I had had the 2.5l turbo I4 that was available then) and 5-speed overdrive. If you never had one, you don't know what a family minivan handles like.
You're speaking of the "Mom's minivan"; the new ones, not available with any of: short wheelbase, stick-shift, or small-displacement turbocharged engines, only 3.x v6s. (Or even 4wd, though I didn't have, need, or want that.) And as a result they drive like honking boats.

But I do use that transmission analogy a good deal, regarding Linux/UNIX vs. Windows, Mac, and any other user-friendly slushbox.

I have organized those in my PC to directories based on artist/album. I just then copy the whole directory to SD card as I feel like doing. I do not create playlists, but just play by directory. I'm not a mass consumer of music or videos, but use those once in a while while in airplane etc. If I have internet connection I normally listen Shoutcast stream radio.

I agree with you that the iTunes approach may be more convenient for "general public", but do not make assumptions that everybody wants to work with files the way Mr. Jobs has decided. The requirement to use iTunes etc. to manage the files is very too restrictive. What if I want to exchange music files with my friends? I just can not plug in my iPod to his/her PC and copy files... In order this to work I need to install first the iTunes to his/her PC... and that is way too much hassle for just one time use. In case of the Nokia N8x0, just hook it with the PC and then start drag and dropping!

Syncing with Nano... I don't really know what it did, I asked it to copy my songs to the nano and it did as requested. After that point all my media shown in iTunes become disorganized the way iTunes thinks they should be organized... likely because most of my media files are old and do not support proper ID tags etc... so the iTunes was completely confused. Since that point I lost faith with that system and put the iPod back to its box and it has stayed in there since.

Well as far as i know even if your friend has itunes installed he cannot do that. That is what i learnt from my friend. Please correct me if am wrong. As far as i know the ipod syncs with only one computer at a time. So if you want some of your friends songs and think you can just install itunes and get them ... then forget it, coz the moment u attach the ipod to his computer and sync it will remove all your songs already in the ipod. So you either have your collection or your friend's collection.

I seriously cant understand how apple can get away with that??

I really hate apple and steve jobs. The products are good but it is the company i hate. They are way too restrictive and the frustratiing part is fanboys still make them be like that.