Last year I bought iPaq hx2495's for 6 employees. I spent more on each of those than I did on my own n800 a couple of weeks ago.

My first thought was "wow, it would be great if everyone ran these at the office." I was thinking of all the cool apps and some custom Python stuff I could have written for them. The mapping software, etc. I'd love to do that.

Then I realized it just can't happen. Here's why:

1) Installing Python is a pain in the butt. I have to manually add a repository to get Python to install. My users wouldn't be able to do this. (there's no correct 1-click install for Python without adding a repository by hand) I've run into many issues installing software so far, including not being able to install most of the games visible in repositories on a brand new because of missing requirements that generates a cryptic "Package file not found" or some such when you try to install them.

2) There's no sync. I can sync my personal calendar with Google, but there's no sync or decent contact management software bundled with. They should gobble up GPE and make it standard, then create a Windows sync utility for it - or heck even sync contacts with Google would work for a lot of people.

3) They couldn't use Word or OOo documents on them.

I know it's partially open-source and the end-users can solve some of these issues. For my own personal use, NONE of those are issues because I'm technically capable.

But, I couldn't imaging slapping down another $3000 on these ($500 each after mem card and leather case) without some sort of contact sync. In the meantime, my employees will continue to use PocketPC.

Yes, I know it's an "Internet Tablet" and not a PIM. Unfortunately the market (i.e. my users) seem to expect PIM features in a handheld device for some reason.

I understand that Nokia has targeted the home user / hobby user with this product, but in so doing, I'm not able to expose my users to such an amazing device. And it's people like me who really spend the money on handheld devices in the US anyway. I've had 5 different handheld devices, and not once has my personal money gone to buy them. Former employers provided them, and now that I have my own business, it provides them to me and my staff who would benefit from them.

So, the day an average user can run average software and sync their contacts without dependency hell is the day I start considering these as my next replacement handhelds for employees.

In the meantime, I'm lovin' mine!

And, I'm thinking I might overcome this in one way... There's software for Linux that reads barcodes using a webcam, and I have a LOT of barcodes in the warehouse... I think I might set one of my programmers to write an app around zebra for the n800.

Which personal calendar are you talking about? I'd love to be able to sync my calendar info on the N800 with whatever Web-based calendar, but I've been out of luck so far. Any advice would be appreciated.

I must agree. If there's anything I loathe about the N800, it is the lack of PIM features. Yes, I can use the GPE apps, but they don't sync with any desktop PIM apps. That is a major drawback for me.

I agree on the repository hell. Why does it have to be so complicated and haphazard?

The stupid apps manager refres craps out when one repository is down? How stupid is that? Also having to edit one rep at a time instead of a laundry list is just as a pain.

Also why the hell does an app become uninstallable with a missing lib, yet go into red pill mode, you can find the lib and install it? Why can't it just find the lib regardless what mode you are in?

Yeh, as much as I love my n800, I hate the lame dependencey hell that has become "unix bureaucracy". Why can't .deb "packages" be self contained?

I don't know, I kind of like it. If it craps out, go to the log and find what repos are bad and fix it. Otherwise, I like it when theres updates the are almost automatic. Registering a Windows program or PDA program doesn't do a thing, they won't tell when theres an upgrade.

well I sync my N800, through googlecalendar to my iCal which then syncs to my Fossil wrist PDA. I only enter events on the N800 so I don't worry about other things. BUT there is software available that will allow 2 way syncing between iCal and Google Calendar (through a third party server though) so I could potentially sync back and forth.

Now you know why it's called the N800 and not the E800.
Honestly, why is it that some folks think every single handheld device HAS to have business features?
You've totally gone about this the wrong way. You don't try to bend a device to work for your company you look for the best device that will already work with your company.

You're better off getting your "employees" E61i or E90 cell phones instead. If you have an Exchange 2003 backend then they can sync email, contacts, and calendar wirelessly with Mail for Exchange.

How many damn times does it have to be said already?
The N800 is a consumer-oriented device, not a business-oriented device!

Evidently, a lot.

the idea of a package-system isn't bad. it way it is done here in maemo must simply get better. but many popular errors are simply caused by the graphical package manager, not by the repositorys (even when some of them are temporary down). there are popular systems as the debian/ubuntu repositorys which shows how uncomplicated it can be.

i find it curious too, that there are for example by far not all applications from maemo garage in the maemo.org repository.

believe me. it is good the way it is. no deb package should contain all-necessary components. thats the reason why you split components into different packages. so, you can manually choose which parts gets updated. perhaps it should now where possibly to find the needed things (but there are security reason against it). but in the end, packages MUST stay alone, or one day you will have similar situation as you have on windows.

you are right! the graphical frontend of the package-manager is simply crap.
it simply leaks with the following things.
- when just one respository is not availible the whole update process failes
- the mentioned thing with the lib you can't install in normal mode
- sometimes the package-manager just can't find all files in a repository. (server closed connection #bug) but console apt-get works flawless

greetz,
loki

I don't think mail/contact/calendar synchronization is necessarily business-oriented. I'd like to be able to create/update/delete contact information, calendar events and what not on my desktop PC when at home, and be able to view them on my N800 on the road. Likewise, I'd like to be able to add a new entry using my N800 and sync it right up with my desktop PC once I get home. They are personal needs and have got nothing to do with business.

Sure, you are right!

But, a nice PIM application/suite would make the device (as you can see) also interesting for companys and there are many normal users (i know much of them personally in real-life) who simply miss them.

So, in the end the argument that the device is just for consumers and for that reason it don't needs a pim app, is a way to weak for myself.
people simply expect from a device of this mini-computer-style that it can at least organize your life...

So, ask yourself... why are there so many people out there which are complaining about missing pim applications?
I think the answer is simple: they are consumers and they miss a pim!

greetz,
loki