I posted about the skynote 600 over in the competitors section. (the 680 is basically the same convertible tablet netbook, just with Andoid on it)

It's downsides are: 128M - 256M of RAM, no more; and 1-4 GB of storage. Not that bad compared to existing NITs, but pretty anemic compared to other netbooks. Even though it's a bigger screen (7"), it's still only 800x480.

Though, their current estimate for price in the US is $150, and it's definitely a convertible tablet netbook based on an ARM-11 533MHz CPU.

I do wish they had a 9" model with larger resolution, as well as options for more RAM and storage. But, at $150, it might be cheap enough to just use for cannibalization for a beagleboard and Mer, or something along those lines. That doesn't solve the screen size, but it would address any other shortcomings, I think.

They haven't returned my email asking questions about availability or options for more RAM and storage. Other messages sound like they're looking for a distributor in the US. Or suggesting that they contact the Mer team about porting to the 600 model.


Otherwise, it sounds like the Always Innovating Touchbook will be a good option.

Here's a request.

I love using my N810 as a phone, but it 's not without its shortcomings. For example, sometimes when I have my Bluetooth headset in, I'd still like to play music over the loudspeaker, but take calls on the headset. Similarly, I may want to listen to tunes using my headphones, but when the phone rings, I just pop in my headset (I hate keeping this thing in my ear) and automatically the sound is piped to that device.

The wish?

I wish that some of the N900 apps (namely RTCOMM) had the ability to pipe sound to different devices, based on the users setup. For example, you could have the phone ring over the loud speaker regardless if your headset was plugged in, so you wouldn't have to keep them in your ears to hear the phone. Similarly, you could play music via headphones and have the phone ring in the headphones, but take the call in a to-the-ear manner.

Currently, my N810 will ring the alarm over the loud speaker regardless of weather the headphones are plugged, the headset is plugged in, or my bluetooth headset is connected. This is a very good feature. It would be nice if it spilled over to different applications.


YARR!
}:^)~
Corrupt Sandwich

goodluckwiththat

OMAP3 has better powersaving and a faster CPU, so it's going to spend less time on and doing work and more time idle for the same tasks, but the SoC isn't the only thing using power, and if you expect the screen run for 10 hours on a 1500mAh battery, you're not being realistic.

An ARM11 netbook isn't worth discussing (especially one with Android on it).

OMAP3440, OMAP3640 or nothing.

The DSP audio on the N8x0 made things . . . complicated. PulseAudio should be a bit more accommodating.

The 680 has Android. The 600 has a generic linux dist on it.

But, that's partly why I suggested using it as a home for a beagleboard. Then you're pretty much bypassing whatever their motherboard limitations are. I just don't know how feasible that'll be. I may buy one just for that purpose.

Exactly.. if it's a pocket-sized computer.. I can understand living with some limitations.. but if it's going to be a netbook, I should expect that with the increased footprint should come some more capacity (battery, RAM, CPU speed, etc.) Otherwise, why bother with a netbook form factor?

We can hope.

Modern GPS receivers should give you better resolution than this. I highly recommend the N900 use one.

Physical size.

The N810 can do just about everything I would want/need, in terms of CPU, RAM, and storage, in a netbook. It's just too small, and not ergonomically suited for it.

If the N810/N900 had:
1) Easy way to support an external full size USB keyboard (full size in terms of the key sizes, it could be one of those "full size keys, but no number pad)
2) Easy way to support an external 7" or 9" LCD or OLED display (and such displays were easily available accessories for the N810/N900)
3) Support for displaying larger resolution on external displays

(or, instead of those, redfly compatibility)

then I probably wouldn't need/care about a netbook.

You can sort of do #1 with some adapter magic, but I seem to recall it takes more than just a USB size adapter. And, if you're ok with portable bluetooth keyboards, you don't have a problem with what the N810 does now ... but I haven't found a portable bluetooth I really liked. But I do love my folding mathias USB keyboard much better than I did the stowaway I also have. I would definitely want to be able to use THAT with an N810/N900.

But the real gating items, IMO, are #2 and #3. Without those, I need a netbook for many situations. I don't really need more CPU, RAM, nor storage than my N810 has (and the above netbook DOES have more storage potential than the N810). Those would be nice, but they aren't necessary.

With all of that in place, I wouldn't have any problem plugging the keyboard and display into my N810, and taking notes on that while I'm in a meeting (anywhere I have a table or desk). Or hooking it up to my KVM switch on my desk. I could easily forgo a netbook in that case.

High-quality receivers cost a lot of money.