Linux Tablet to be Released in Two Days

Rambo writes "Nokia has finally set a November 17th US shipping date for the $359 770 Internet Tablet. It features a Debian-based distribution called Maemo, which includes kernel 2.6, X.org/Scratchbox WM, and GTK for easy porting of applications. Hardware specs are: 800x480 ) screen, 220 MHz TI OMAP ARM processor (with DSP), 64M of RAM, 128M of flash, USB slave port, 802.11b/g wireless, Bluetooth, IR, and a RS-MMC slot. Even more details at LinuxDevices and Internet Tablet Talk. It sports a battery life of 3 hours for continous Wi-Fi usage, and accepts common Nokia phone batteries. Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Nokia, and am anxiously awaiting my own pre-order!"

Comments

And the phone?

[hajo]

Where is the phone? My PDA saved my life professional life 10 years ago. Since then the best convergence has been with a phone for me. Now I would need to go back to a separate phone? No Thank you; I'll go for a pocketPC running skype and a functional phone build in.

Re:this sucks,

[wpiman]

The gp2x doesn't have the wifi support nor does it have Bluetooth. I would consider this for a wireless browser to control my home automation system.

Re:this sucks,

[hibiki_r]

Sure, redundant if you think that a directional pad and 8 buttons is a better input device than a touchscreen. The problem is that, outside of some games, it just isn't. You might as well claim that you don't want a modern computer because you can do the same things with an Atari 2600.

Those specs...

[Anonymous Coward]

are weak. A low end Pocket PC device will cost you about $110 these days. And those specs are on the low end of Pocket PC devices these days. The only advantage is a bigger screen and the notion of running a free OS. The flash memory that thing takes is uncommon and not larger than 512MB. Why not an SD/MMC slot? Or better yet, Compact Flash? From the sounds of it, my Pocket PC device with wireless on also gets better battery life. 3 hours? Get a laptop with battery life like that. Not to mention the software support. I know it runs Linux but exactly how hackable will it be? It sounds like you can't put your own programs on without a memory card to transfer between your desktop and Nokia. I was sold on this little device when it was 4 months ago and $200. In those 4 months, I researched my alternatives and wound up getting a WiFi enabled Pocket PC with specs that are nearly THE SAME for $165. The only thing I lack is the 64MB Flash card. And those can be had for nearly nothing these days.

Re:Those specs...

[Big Jojo]

...are weak. A low end Pocket PC device will cost you about $110 these days. And those specs are on the low end of Pocket PC devices these days. The only advantage is a bigger screen and the notion of running a free OS. The flash memory that thing takes is uncommon and not larger than 512MB. Why not an SD/MMC slot? Or better yet, Compact Flash?

Those low end devices don't come with 802.11 support though. And if they support CF, they suck battery power up the wazoo. I far prefer having this longish battery life.

The SIZE -- physical dimensions, weight, etc -- of N770 are actually quite nice. Much bigger and I'd feel uncomfortable putting it in my pocket. Much smaller and I'd not be able to use it in the can ... ;)

One of the interesting things about OMAP is the integrated DSP. I've been lax, and haven't checked out how my N770 uses it (or if it does) ... but I'm certain that the VOIP codecs will be using it, even if some of the current audio/video stuff might not yet use it.

Why would you want SD, anyway? Espcially on hardware where you're shaving every ounce of weight? Nokia doesn't use SD, so far as I can tell, just MMC. It's unrealistic to expect them to change corporate policy just for this product.

As for adding software ... just download the packages from the web, over the wireless link. No need for SD.

Admittedly a 220-odd MHz ARM isn't blazingly fast. But it's not like it's used for number crunching (that's what DSPs are for!), and this is certainly fine for web browsing at my local coffee shop. Or even at home.

Good In Hospitals

[blueZhift]

This might actually be of some good use in hospital settings as a replacement for PDAs (which are too small) or Tablet PCs, which are needlessly complex. I've been pushing web based forms for clinical research data entry for which a device like this would be perfect because it doesn't require making the forms microscopic and this internet tablet is much cheaper than a Tablet PC. I also found that Tablet PCs tend to run hot and are still a bit too heavy for the typical nurse to lug around for too long. Unfortunately, hospitals tend to be very Windows-centric, so this will still be a hard sell.

Re:Which is great...

[grasshoppa]

Or maybe you haven't seen the need?

I work at a dental office that's trying to go chartless. We use these things in the op for office visit documentation.

My staff didn't want to use them the first week, then growled at me when I needed to take it for maintence ever afterwards.

There are uses for tablets, but they aren't flashy or glamorous.

Re:I can't be the target market

[bfree]

I don't get it. What would I use it for? Is it for people that can't afford laptops but want the web on the move?
How many people is that exactly?

How about people who won't lug about a laptop (weight) but need access to web/email. As others have mentioned, many business applications look viable where browser based clients do the work.

And its not like you can just use it anywhere. You're either using it on your home network, where it would be a toy not a tool (why wouldn't you use your real computer?) or your using it in an expensive access point, or do they expect you to steal other people's connection?

First, I could see myself using one of these at home, the alternative is to lug around the laptop, or cover the house in a bluetooth netork for pdas (unpleasent to surf on anyway) or put a computer in every room! Use it as a remote for mythtv, read email or /. while you eat breakfast and check imdb to settle a bet on what films the actor you are watching is in.

As for where else to use it ... Work. Many free/cheap hotspots abound (e.g. some MacDonalds here would let you online for buying anything). Your friends/business partners may let you onto networks. It has it's own storage so it doesn't need to be online to be useful and finally you could just use your mobile when you have to get online and have no other choice.

3 hours battery life?

3 hours of surfing on 802.11 wireless sounds fine to me! I'd rather not carry around too much weight, and if I had to have longer battery life I suspect I could carry extra batteries. The entire unit probably weighs less then the two batteries I have in my laptop, in fact it's probably about the weight of one.

$400?

Yes, $400. Look at the prices of mobile phones (not subsidised ones), pda's and laptops. The 800x480 touchscreen alone is worth $100 in my book, any general computer (as opposed to a locked device) another $100, another $100 for low weight, power and small form factor and you can choose to argue the last $100's worth (is the software, or even just supporting the idea of it, worth it or perhaps the 802.11/bluetooth).

Whenever a form factor like this starts to become popular you can expect a rapid price drop as I'm sure the main part of the costs are the attempts to recover the fixed costs and the marginal price is low. At present screen options were probably few and far between for nokia, but if 10cm 800x480 touchscreens (or any size/format/resolution) take hold another manufacturer (of both the screens and devices) will likely appear quickly. Right now there's still a bit of "early adopter" to the price.

I guess this might appeal to PDA people, but don't they have everything that this offers for less, in a smaller package with the same or better battery life?

Show me a PDA with a comparable screen? It's as simple as that, what size/resolution screen do you want to surf the web with. 800 pixels wide should mean you are using something more akin to a laptop web browser then a pda one and make things much more pleasant.