:: if I should post this on another thread please let me know.

Hi, I’m new to the N800 and to Linux. I’ve used PDAs for >10 years (HP200 DOS; then Psion Revo; then Axim X51v with WM5.0), all good in their own way but a compromise – I’ve been looking for a PDA with PIM and application support, superior music and video support, WiFi for browsing and mail. Well the N800 seems near perfect, the same size my beloved old Revo. (And I’ve a feeling that Linux is the future – but only if it becomes consumer friendly).

But I have a long way to go before I can turn off my Axim X51v. Can anyone help me out? I’ve been using the N800 for a few months now as a consumer rather than as a techie. I like it enough to persevere. I’m using OS version 4.2007.26-8.

What doesn’t work for me:

(1) the browser (Opera?) is poor – it doesn’t work for a number of sites: BBC radio requires a Real Player plug-in (I don’t see how to do this and there isn’t anything in the Application Manager or Maemo downloads); the Roland Garros tennis site needed Flash 9; as did Wimbledon.org; even on the Nokia web site the 3D images e.g. for the 6300, don’t work nor the videos.

(2) I have issues with the Media Player. The new one with OS2007 is better but still judders playing some .mp4 video podcasts and is very slow to resume after pause; I have Pocket DVD Wizard (for Windows) which can convert my DVDs to various formats. Works for WM5.0 Media Player and for PSP. The mp4 files do not play in the N800 Media Player. (I’ve seen http://tabletblog.com/2007/08/dvd-to...two-steps.html - is this the way to do it or should Pocket DVD Wizard do it?)

(3) How do I find and install 3rd party applications? Maemo.org seems very thin on the ground for apps. On my Axim I’m a heavy user of the following. Where can I find the equivalent software and how to install it?
:: Synch (ActiveSynch) to MS Outlook. No getting away from that need, both to business and home PCs. Calendar, contacts, tasks, files, with different profiles for each PC
:: HP10B financial calculator ( a favourite of mine for a long time)
:: Pocket Informant – a great replacement for MS’s WM PIM software
:: City Time from Code City - world time software, sunrise sunset etc, dialling code directory
:: Mind mapping software
:: Spreadsheet and word processing software

I guess I need to figure out how to live in the Linux world as an end user (consumer). Any pointers how to quick start this educative process are welcome. Looking at various blogs and web sites it seems I need to use a command line (go back to DOS??!) and learn loads of hieroglyphs to do what can be done on Windows / OSX / Linux desktop via dialogues.

Hopefully with your help I can make progress …. Thanks.

Please search the forums. You will find answers to all your questions with a little effort. If you still have questions after doing that, I'm sure plenty of people will help.

Good luck.

Oops! What is the official name of the N800? What is this forum called?

Ton.

There are lots of apps now; I find myself updating and adding new ones every few days. You clicked on Software at the top of this page and went through all the software listed there? That's not all of rhem.

Yes, mind mapping software would be nice. The closest you can come is Maemopad+ and draw your own maps.

You don't even mention the Microb browser. That was a giant addition to the available choices.

Have you updated to the latest firmware?

You can run the Gnumeric spreadsheet or, with the Microb browser, Google spreadsheets.

Read the messages here for a clue to what is available.

Oh, btw. I'm having a problem with my Windows laptop; can you help me? I can't find a free Gps map program with features like Maemo Mapper.

I'm sorry to say, but I don't think that N800 is quite there yet. Nokia is selling it as a Internet Tablet, so most of the PDA-functionality isn't supported by Nokia because it is developed by others and just ported to N800. This is a relatively new platform, and I strongly believe that in time it can do all the things you described and more, but at the moment it is still a work in progress.

I think that the main thing is to keep an open mind and remember that some things are done differently in Linux. It's common to try to use it like windows, and then curse when it doesn't work the way you expect it to. If you're interested in linux generally and not just the N800, you could check out Ubuntu. It is a linux distribution that is created for end users and has a great user friendly community base. Both Ubuntu and Internet Tablet OS are based on Debian, so knowledge of ubuntu will help you better understand your IT too.

It is often easier to write instructions using command line instead of taking tons of screenshots or explaining the sequence of buttons to press. So if the guide is only for command line, it doesn't mean you can't do the same thing with dialogues. Anyway, you shouldn't look down on command line. It is really a powerful tool once you get to know it.

Based on the description of your needs, I'm not sure the N800 is what you're looking for. I believe you'd almost be happier and better off with an S60 type device like the N95 with QuickOffice, RealPlayer streaming, sync functionality, etc. While Symbian is not Linux, it's still more open than WM, and is desktop Linux friendly using opensync tools. There is surely no actual, reliable sync capability for the N800 at the present time and I'm not sure there ever will be. And like Naranek said, as far as productivity apps go the N800 is still a work in progress as it is not marketed as a productivity device and relies largely on third parties for these types of things. Rather than go on about the reasons for this, I'll defer to what I believe is a very valid point made by Rocketman in a previous thread:

I believe that this is also for the most part due to the fact that independent devs are catering to the majority of consumers who purchased this device for it's intended purpose, which is internet communication and entertainment. Productivity type functionality is coming along, but I'm afraid you may end up waiting longer than you'd like for it.

I think it is exactly what rocketman said, ultimately it is more fun to write a game than a word processor. Word Processors are things you write because people pay you to do so, but they are big, complicated and frankly a bit unexciting to program

This is speaking as someone that works in documentation systems.

Thanks for all your replies, esp Geneven, Naranek, HeebieJeebie – I think you understand my issues, probably been through the thought process already. I had spent quite a lot of time searching through these forums before posting my first post, but was still struggling.

Regarding software, I had tried the icon at the top of the page and looked at the site (http://downloads.maemo.org/) but it is very light on the applications I want. In the Windows world (please don’t shout if I swear!) there are many applications, some well documented so you can judge whether there is a chance of the package doing what you want before installing – and that is typically done by an .exe file.

Taking Naranek’s point about Linux is just different, what is the normal way of searching out and downloading & installing applications (like add/remove sw). It looks to me that this is done by an application manager on the N800 which looks at repositories – my N800 seems to have 3 – two Catalogues from Nokia and the Maemo Repository. So does clicking on “Browse installable applications” show me everything there is out there (not much) or should I add other repositories? If so how do I find them? If there an alternative way in the Linux world? I guess I can then experiment with various packages.

Flash 9: I thought that this came with the latest OS (I have 4.2007.26-8) but when I go to the US Tennis Open site I again get a message that I must install Flash 9, like the others I mentioned earlier. I think another site said I had to download a .tar files, whatever that is. Any ideas how I get Flash 9 capability for web sites?

Real Player plug-in: as above for Flash 9.

Geneven mentions the Microb browser. Is this better than the browser that comes with the N800? Do these browsers need plug-ins and if so how do I get & install them?

Thanks for you help. Like some others on this site I’m a consumer rather than a techie and don’t have a lot of time to experiment. I’m going to persevere as this form factor is ideal for a portable device. To start with I need to get the wifi browsing working properly (not for home use, more for hotspots – I’d go for something like the PepperPad for home-couch use as it has a bigger 7” screen http://www.pepper.com/solutions/web-devices.html) and also some off line apps like watching my DVDs and typing up notes while travelling (trains & planes). I’ve already found it good for watching video podcasts I’ve downloaded.

Like some others, I think that there needs to be v. good sync’ing with MS Outlook to get the take up I assume Nokia are looking for when they release a device like the N800 (unless this is an R&D exercise). Interesting comments & thread elsewhere on this site from Jeff Mings The N800 _MUST_ have a good PIM to succeed http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...ead.php?t=4788. I also saw this on the web - Adopting Linux mobile devices in the enterprise http://www.itrportal.com/absolutenm/...4302&zoneid=40

Other philosophical issues: most people need to eat and live a little, which takes money. The best apps will come when you programmer guys & girls can earn some money from them. I for one don’t mind making donations (and have done) for software that is truly useful to me, that save me time during the day. (Not games!!)

As others have mentioned, I came to the view some time ago that I need two devices (and just two). One a slim line phone with BT for calls (I have S40 & S60 phones) and another for everything else. The N800 can make it if the software apps are there, not until. Until then my Axim X50v lives on.

Most people like the Microb browser better than the Opera browser, though it isn't perfect. You need to install the latest firmware (available from the Nokia site, among other places) to run the Microb browser. If you haven't installed the latest firmware, you aren't up to date yet.

There is a list of repositories somewhere; there are scads of them. Someone will tell you where they are; I just browse till I find them. It's on the Maemo site.

Deciding what you want when you are running Windows and then looking for it on the N800 is like looking for someone who has all the virtues of your last girlfriend and none of the faults. It doesn't happen that way; each has its own good attributes and you have to decide if you like the whole package based on itself, not on a former package.

Browse installable applications shows you all the software on these 3 repositories. You can get more by adding more repositories to the list. The good thing about repositories is that when there is a new version of a program, you can upgrade to it automatically using the Application manager instead of periodically checking the developer's website for upgrades. So using repositories should be your #1 choice of install.

If you can't find a repository, look for .install -link. I don't know them that well, but they seem to add the correct repository to your list and install the software.

If you can't find a .install link, look for .deb package. These are like windows installer files. You can open them with application manager or file browser and install the software from them.

When I need some software, I usually just search the ITT forum for it. Pretty much everything is covered here in some form, so it's an easy way to get started. It's good to try to find the official website of the developer or program so you can get the latest version and installation instructions. Some programs have two "latest" versions - the stable and the unstable. Stable is the one that should work well. Unstable is the bleeding edge version with all the new features and bugs.

Many programs depend on others to work, so from time to time you'll probably get error message stating that program can't be installed because some packages are missing. In that case you'll have to check the details of what's missing and install them first. Ideally everything should be in few big repositories so installing and upgrading would be a non issue, but we're not quite there yet