Hey guys! This is my first post. A friend of mine introduced me to these internet tablets, but I'm having trouble figuring them out. I already own the T-Mobile dash. It is a great phone, but I am seriously considering purchasing the n800. Here are my questions:

1) Do internet tablets work like cell phones as far as communication goes?
2) Can I still make calls the same as i do with a regular cell phone?
3) Will it cost extra to use my tablet as a cell phone?
4) Is the n800 a good replacement for my Dash?
5) Do they use SIM Cards? If so, are T-Mobile sim cards compatible?
6) Can I transfer my contacts to my tablet?
7) What is Voip technology?

Thanks in advance!

The Nokia N800 ( and the older N770, and the newer N810 ) are NOT cellphones. There is no SIM, there is no GSM radio inside the Nokia Internet Tablets.

May I suggest you do a Wiki search for a good explanation of what VOIP is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_over_IP

Very simply VOIP is a way to "talk" to another person or persons using your voice, but not using a telephone or mobile phone (cellular phone). VOIP uses the Internet to connect you with others and they with you. Most VOIP providers also facilitate connections to PSTN and mobile networks, so you can connect to landlines and mobile phones and they, you via the Internet.

I use my N800 for VOIP everyday. If you want to look up a few things, do a google search on Skype and Gizmo Project, and GoogleTALK.

The Nokia Internet Tablet needs a way to connect to the Internet to do VOIP and web browsing and email and get maps for the GPS mapper goodies (if you want to use the GPS capability). The two most popular ways for a N800 to gain Internet access is via the N800's built in 54 megabit per second wireless WiFi (at your home, office, eatery or a coffee shop etc. WiFi cloud), or by the N800 tethering via BlueTooth (also wireless) to a capable cellular phone which has a data plan, presumably your cellular phone.

The N800 is not a cellphone, it is complimented by a cell phone as well as being a fantastic stand alone device most of the time. The big, bright screen is 800 x 480 resolution, so most web pages render like they would on a laptop / desktop computer screen. The N800 doesn't do the "mobile" version of the Internet like smart phones, and PDAs, the N800 gives the real Internet....full width screen shots. Where the Nokia Internet Tablets really shine ( IMHO ) is when you are in a WiFi cloud during usage. That is how they were designed to be used. Unlike a Pocket PC, the Nokia IT is running on Linux (Pocket PCs are Microsoft Windows based). I've owned both. The Pocket PCs come very loaded up with applications and functionality. The Nokia IT is something you take out of the box when you get it and it has powerful potential, and has basic functionality you'll enjoy immediately, but you will install applications you want one after another in a "roll your own" fashion. Instead of the IT being choked with anything and everything you "might want" to do, it is ready for you to mold it into what you wish it to be.

They are consumer oriented devices, where Pocket Pcs and smart phones are more business oriented (Nokia Internet Tablets are not really personal organizers or planners or schedulers, contact managers....yet). I love the GPS functionality of my N800, and the VOIP, and the media players, and the web browsers. I also love the scientific calculator (Free42) and the built in webcam for live video chatting using GoogleTALK.

Hope I have helped you get a picture in your minds eye of what the Nokia Internet Tablet is, and is not.

M5

Thanks, you really broke everything down for me. So if I do purchase the n800, I would use a service such as Skype or that gizmo Project thing to make VOIP calls, and I can tether my cell phone to my n800 for internet use? Sounds pretty sweet to me. I mainly want the n800 for the internet portability purposes. I just wanted to know if it could make calls as well.
How would that effect my bill?

So can i have all my cellular calls come to my tablet?

There is a way to do that but I don't see much of a reason to do that. It would require you purchase one of Skype's premium features called Skype-In ( I have Skype-In), then forward your cellular number so calls would divert to the Skype-In number. That is costly in my opinion. The only reason I can see to do that is so you wouldn't miss any calls coming to your cellphone while you where tethered (using your cellphone as a tethered data device precludes it from receiving cell calls because the phone is acting like a modem for data traffic).

To use Skype or Gizmo or GoogleTALK oon the N800 you will either need to be in a WiFi cloud that has an Internet connection ( not all WiFi clouds do, but most do ), ---or--- use a cellphone WITH A DATA PLAN as your N800's connection to the Internet.

The N800 cannot receive calls made to your cell number just because the N800 is linked (paired) to your cellphone. You'd need the Skype-In or equiv. I describe above.

Your cellphone (it has to have bluetooth) and a data plan WILL give your N800 access to the Internet when you are away from a WiFi cloud. (Technically you could connect to the Internet with a cellphone that doesn't have a data plan but you are charged high fees from the cellular provider, so don't do it unless you are Paris Hilton or equiv.)

Gizmo offers a free USA telephone number that you utilize but the area code is going to be 775 ( a Nevada area ). Go here to learn more:

http://www.gizmoproject.com/area775.html

Gizmo works on the Nokia N800 ( when the N800 is off or offline calls terminate in a Gizmo voicemail box ). You could forward your incoming cellular calls to a Gizmo 775 number whenever you like, and I suppose you could do that when the N800 is using the cellphone as a data modem. I have not tried this so I cannot guarantee calls to your cellphone routed to your 775 Gizmo number would arrive on the N800 running the Gizmo client, but in theory it can be done.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

You stated you were thinking about the N800 as a portable Internet access device. It is great for that.

Goto Skype and read all about it too..... Skype offers free Skype to Skype all over the World and there are millions of people using it. I paid for Skype-In and Skype-Out and Voicemail and there is other powerful stuff you can do with it too. I encourage you to research it and all the VOIPs.

Regards

M5

My Nokia N800 came with a card in the box to get free Skype calls in the US and Canada for three months. Pretty sweet!

I am waiting for the new OS before downloading many programs because I just got mine a couple of weeks ago. (I am using it now!) This tablet has already been extremely valuable. I also have a Go Phone (pay as you go cell) but it does not have bluetooth. I haven't had a problem connecting with or finding WiFi. The N800 is also my mp3 player and I love getting BBC 1.

Enjoy!!!

Yes, an easily redeemable voucher for 3 months of Skype calls comes inside the box with N800s sold in the USA, but people who read this should be informed that these calls are outgoing calls to landlines and mobile phones in the US and Canada. There are no free incoming calls from landlines and mobiles included in the 3 months. Unless you purchase "Skype-In" you will only receive calls from other Skype users ( Skype to Skype ). The voucher also does not provide you with Skype voicemail, but it is inexpensive to purchase.

I used the Skype voucher that came with my N800 and my one year subscription to Skype-Out has been extended 3 months by the voucher.

Something interesting about the way Skype does the voicemail is that if you have not purchased voicemail capability from Skype, and a person who has Skype (w/ vmail) calls you, that caller is able to leave you a voicemail message because they paid for voicemail on their account. In other words, if both - or either party paid for voicemail, the voicemail works for that call regardless of which party purchased it. Pretty cool.

For anyone considering Skype, it is more than a Voice Over IP client, there is P2P data file transfer functionality, connection / presence status indication, text chat / IM, you can send SMS (for a per msg fee), there is a web commerce function with BitWine, there is a "send money" function allowing Skype users to transfer funds between them with PayPal, you can do conference calls, video calls between Skype users with webcams (not with the N800 though, yet, and not in Skype for Linux, yet.) the Skype video calls are only in Windows for now. There are many third party plug-ins, and gadgets to fool around with, like a voice changer plug-in, and call recorders, games like backgammon & checkers. SkypeCasts can be enjoyable. You create a topic for a SkypeCast, schedule when you want it to commence, a room is created and your SkypeCast is added to a "directory" where people can find it. People (at random or by invitation) come in and participate / collaborate while you (the host) moderates, or dictates the action. Some people even create SkypeCasts as a one way flow means of communication, like a radio show (PodCast?) where no one calls in, but listeners tune in without interacting. I think I'll create a SkypeCast after posting this, and the topic will be the Nokia Internet Tablets. I'll see how many people join in for a chat. Anyone in the World can enter and contribute (SkypeCasts are unavailable on the N800 for now, it is PC only, and Linux I think).

One interesting aspect of Skype is that you can be logged into your Skype account on many computers simultaneously. When a call comes in, the computer device you answer the Skype call on, is the one which the incoming call is routed to. I have six computers here and the N800 ( so that is seven machines ) all running Skype with my one account logged in on every machine. I reach for the closest machine when I hear a ring tone to answer a call, and I grab whatever is closest when I wish to place an outgoing call. Lately the machine closest to me has been my Nokia N800 Internet Tablet.

I dropped my landline service almost two years ago and bought a couple USB (wired) phones for Skype. I am strictly a Skype and cellphone guy for voice now (and I use Gizmo occasionally too). One of the reasons I purchased the N800 was to use as a wireless Skype device to augment my wired USB Skype devices. The N800 was about the same price as many WiFi phones that I was looking at which can do Skype. The N800 is actually less costly than the fancier WiFi phones that have browsers in firmware for authentication in Hotspots that require logins, and/ or agreements to terms of service. The N800 was an easy purchasing decision for me. A no-brainer even if all I use it for is Skype and nothing else, but of course I use the N800 for much much more daily.

I was glad to see Skype for the N800 was written for thumb touch (instead of "stylus only").

I look forward to the OS2008 if it adds a bluetooth headset profile (which I'm told it will). It is really important to me that I be able to use my bluetooth headset with Skype on the N800. I was shocked when I realized this functionality was missing.

Skype is a big deal to me but Maemo Mapper has been as big an application for me as Skype is, and I had not even considered this before owning the N800. When I ordered the N800 online, my mind was on how I was going to use it with Skype, and browse the Internet and do some occasional web-mail stuff. GPS wasn't even on the radar. Within a couple weeks of receiving the N800, I was online ordering a bluetooth GPS rcvr.

You have to have something wrong with you if you receive a N800 and dislike it. I know a number of people are not thrilled with the fact that Skype is not open source, and that Skype is not SIP compatible. Skype may have those aspects that turn some people off (Richard Stallman?), but I use Skype and I use it heavily, and I like it. I am using my N800 heavily too, and I probably would not have considered buying the N800 if it did not do Skype.

Regards,

M5

Slightly off-topic, but I'm a bit curious about this:
How does a subscription to Skype-Out work? I haven't heard about this. I've used Skype Out for a couple of years, and I simply purchased Skype Out credit.. whenever I call a few cents are charged from my credit (it's cheap enough that I can't seem to spend the credit I bought for a long time yet).

I spent $30 for the ability to call people's phones without them belonging to Skype. It seemed worthwhile to me. (Unfortunately, so far I haven't found Skype to be of as good quality as I expected. But it was still worth a try.)

I guess this is the subscription you are asking about. It just buys a year's worth of calls in the US.

Being the Early Adopter that I am, Skype had been giving away Skype-Out capability the balance of 2006 free. Early in 2007 Skype offered me one full year of Skype-Out for a flat one time fee of $14.95 (plus no taxes). I bought it for my and my two kids ( two times $14.95 ). I also have been buying Skype-In in 3 month chunks. The Skype-In isn't quite as low priced but it still beats the landline company and Vonages or equiv.

I don't mind that I can't use my old analog phone hardware. I found these great desk units ( they look like telephones and act like them too, but we know that they are not telephones). I also purchased a wireless phone to work with Skype but I was disappointed with the quality of that wireless phone. If you want a good working, good looking device for use with Skype I cannot recommend this more:

http://www.xactcommunication.com/Cor...Phone-118.html

They call these corded Internet Phones. I can buy them at my local Wal-Mart here in Upstate NY for $26 each (plus tax). I have bought three of them. I love them.

I also bought one of these on eBay:

http://www.xactcommunication.com/Cor...Phone-119.html

I used it with a laptop when I was out and about for Skype. Now I use my Nokia N800 and don't see much use for the XVP640 anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am a heavy user of Skype so I was quick to jump on the $14.95 deal they offered in the USA. I am probably going to have to pay double that in May '08 when I have to renew. It is an awesome deal to be able to call any telephone number in the USA --AND-- Canada flat rate for under $30 a year with no taxes, no FCC surcharge, so recovery BS, no 911 surcharges, none of it. I hate the 911 system entirely and am so glad Skype offered me a way to "opt-out" of it (I still get socked with it on my mobile phone though argh).

Skype-In is $18 for 3 months, or you can buy a years worth and get a discount. You get a telephone number in your area code.... you can even chose the last seven digits yourself form a list of avail. #s. I have three Skype-In numbers. You can have many and you can scatter them around the Country so loved one's can call you in their area as a local call even though you are long distance. My incoming calls find me where ever I go. I can be in Florida, connected to the Internet running Skype, and someone can call one of my Skype-In numbers (they may think I am home) and the call rings me in Florida, thousands of miles away from my home. I can also forward incoming calls to my cell, or any other number I chose, and because I have unlimited outgoing ( Skype-Out ) the call gets forwarded at no additional cost to me, regardless of the duration of the call (so long as the call is forwarded to a number in the USA or Canada). I can forward the incoming calls to a foreign country too but then the Skype-Out rates apply to the call per minute......most places that is 2 cents a minute, but there are some remote areas on the planet which are very high.

If I knew more people who used GoogleTalk, I expect I would use that also, but nobody I know has it. Skype did have one outage that lasted a couple days back in August 2007, and I put $10 into Gizmo, and used that for outgoing calls. It is all good. Without even asking Skype gave everyone a two week extension to all services ( Skype-In and Out, and V-mail, etc.) as a way of making up for the two day outage. They are a good outfit.

As far as call quality, anyone who claims it is poor is smoking something. The call quality is superior to landline and cellphone quality / fidelity. Anyone who has trouble either has a poor network connection to the web, a slow computer (like a pentium 2 or slow P3), or they have some other corrupt hardware issues. I have been using Skype as my landline replacement service for over two years and I have zero regrets. In my home / office I have a WRT54G (Linksys) with factory firmware. Some of my computers are CAT5 wired, others are WiFi. I have no problems on any computer here with Skype call quality or fidelity. I may encounter occasional degradation in Skype when I am at Hotspots in the wild (public hotspots) but they are what they are. My simple LAN here works well with Skype. I have only one problem and Skype is working to resolve it. It affects many users I think and that is DTMF. If you have to press a key on your keypad to send DTMF, it doesn't always work perfectly with Skype (but it does work much of the time too). I have no idea what the problem is but it isn't a show stopper. I have not experimented with DTMF tones withing Skype on the N800....maybe that works better. I'll try that later today.

Regards

M5