I acknowledge what I see to be valid and take exception to the rest. Note that I was very specific in what I quoted and addressed. I did not say that I believe Brontide and GA are wrong in toto (I highly value their analsyis).

Time will indeed prove who is right or wrong vis-a-vis HSPA in NITs, but I'm not the one making absolute fatalistic predictions as if they are foregone conclusions. Think about it.

EDIT: I do find it funny and not a little ironic that some people fear Nokia will cave to the whims of carriers just because HSPA is added to the tablets. This is the same Nokia that is constantly castigated for NOT catering to the carriers but instead adding features that USERS want.

This much at least :-(

I was talking about the original design, and the existence of those functions. Sorry for not being clear.

Yes, carriers can and will disable included features, but again, this is typically for subsidized devices. It remains to be seen if future NITs are ever subsidized.

I think perhaps you to should agree to disagree and let the thing die.

None of you know what's going to happen. All you can do is speculate based on your knowledge and experiences. You weren't born together and do not work in the same office so. Your thoughts and perceptions will vary. That's what makes the world interesting.

When the device is released then perhaps you can come back to this thread the say I told you so.

But for now your both wasting each others time.
So can it.

Adding HDPA and even a SIM slot is not the same thing as inviting the cellular carriers to drive design. Nokia already sells N series devices with no carrier support.

I think this makes the internet tablets have half a chance of becoming popular going forward. Most people just don't seem to understand a device which is not a phone, or they don't want to carry 2 devices. I am really excited about this and I also hope we'll get more enabling HW features such as accelerometers, native hdmi out, etc.

WOW!
so incorrect...
I know the cellular carriers try hard to have people believe this is the case and to believe that they have to buy carrier sponsored devices, but I am still amazed to see such a comment here..

Exactly.

edit: but i agree that this comes with subsidizing the device.

My INITIAL thoughts after reading this thread...

Three years ago I was against including a cell chip in the 770. I wanted it to develop into a highly mobile computing device that would suffice to allow me to be without a laptop. And I didn't care if it ever became a cell phone because I was carrying a laptop+cell phone and I would still be carrying a 770 + cell phone afterwards. I knew that the key was whether the 770 could duplicate most of the laptop's core functionality and that SW development was sorely needed to get to that goal. And I wasn't willing to risk that being distracted or compromised because of cellular issues.

I still want the NIT to be a computing device first and foremost, taking the place of what used to be a laptop. But the most significant thing missing from this thread is that the market for mobile computing devices has changed dramtically in the last three years, and will change even more in the next year. The NIT has to compete successfully with Apple, netbooks, MIDs, etc., and even full-size laptops with 3G cellular chips in them, and regardless of what you or I are looking for, the market is saying otherwise. So nowadays maybe a NIT has to have a 3G chip to take its place in the new world. The other thing that has changed in the last three years is that (somehow) we don't now have that ubiguitous, open, WiFi/BT Internet connectivy everywhere that we thought we would, and like it or not, 3G is the next best thing.

So I am now not so opposed to a 3G cellular chip. Some good points have been made suggesting that it may distract if not necessarily take away from SW development which is still sorely needed. So I will listen closely to see if the cellular will indeed drag development of the NIT away from being a highly mobile computing device but at the moment I think it's possible that it won't.

I agree with those comments that the commercial environment of the cellular carriers is highly toxic and it's hard to enter that environment without being bogged down into their guicksand of walled gardens and lack of innovation. But Nokia is one of the few companies that possibly can independently develop and produce NITs with a 3G capability without being dragged into the cellular guicksand.

Good topic, interesting reading. Try to keep it friendly

I have to agree with some of the comments about it being a little hardware focused. Something that is already a strong point (video playback/GPS flaws excluded). My gripes have been software.

Still, if they add a sim slot, it should grab more market and so hopefully more software development. I think better PIM integration will become an inevitable follow on.

What does concern me if anyone can shed light on it.

When the good Doctor talkes about "Data Only" initially. Would that be simply a software restriction that could be addressed rather quickly or could this be a Hardware thing. Meaning having to wait for another device to be released.

I'd much rather just have the 1 sim and contract and use a BT headset to get round the Ear Wax on your display problem.

Also, on a different note. Those that use "Laptop" Data Only type contracts. Do you get a greater range of services available. i.e. The networks support/don't block various ports etc.

I've got a real problem with not being able to get WayFinder traffic updates over T-Mobile (UK). Switched sims with the wife recently when she got an iPhone (does not support 3 network) and I found that 3 would let me get traffic updates for about a week or so. And then suddenly they started blocking it...

If you get real "unrestricted" access with Data Only, I might look at switching to VoIP come contract renewal time. And a new N900 would be just the ticket in that case.

Zuber