Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Nokia 770 Alive and Well

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the underdog-success-so-far dept.

anon mouse-cow-aard writes to tell us the Register is reporting that the Nokia 770, originally scoffed at by many as useless, is doing quite well. There is even an open source platform development site, maemo, that offers quite a bit. It uses wlan for connectivity and has 'cpu transparency' so you can build apps for normal Debian (albeit with a custom set of libraries) and then run a sort of 'checkout' for the ARM processor, and it will run on the handheld. There is ssh and VOIP coming soon. Overall it is shaping up to be pretty cool.

8 of 171 comments (clear)

  1. Re:But why no cellular connection? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    But what mobile phone networks would want to sell it if they do add a SIM card slot? They're not going to make any money out of VOIP via 802.11b/g.

  2. Re:UI looks amateur by Eustace+Tilley · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think you are out of your mind.

    PSP screen resolution: 320 x 240.

    Nokia 770 screen resolution: 800 x 480.

  3. Didn't reveal exact sales figures by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    If Nokia only began a 5000 unit production, and then it had a 6000 unit response --- that's considered higher than expected demand.

    It really means nothing until Nokia reveals how many units are sold.

  4. Re:Some early reviewers scoffed by Doug+Jensen · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The 770 and Pepper Pad are cool, but lack the killer feature: an EVDO modem or at least a PC card slot for one.

    --
    Doug Jensen
  5. Re:Some early reviewers scoffed by NitsujTPU · · Score: 4, Insightful

    At $800, I could just buy a laptop. Why would I want this?

  6. Re:But why no cellular connection? by Saanvik · · Score: 3, Insightful
    I've got one and I don't feel it needs a cell phone at all. If I need network connectivity and there isn't a WiFi hot spot where I'm at, I use my bluetooth cell phone.

    Add a cell to the Nokia, you're making it more expensive and giving it a shorter battery life. In addition, they'd have to make changes to meet FCC requirements and user needs.

    The only way I'd want a cell phone link is if the form-factor stays exactly the same, and the only way you use it for calls is via a bluetooth earpiece and the battery life isn't impacted at all.

  7. Re:Some early reviewers scoffed by jfftck · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This thing will do more than the current high-priced remotes for TVs, DVDs, etc... Also, it is priced well compared to PDAs and other devices of this level. Remember this thing is not designed to be a laptop, it is a hybrid of PDA and laptop and as such it is doing what PDAs can't do (because they are too small) and laptops can't do (because they are too big). I see this thing controlling simple tasks around the home, one thing that would be cool is a bluetooth fridge that would send a shopping list to the device instead of the current smart fridges that show it on a screen on the door.

    --
    I need a break!
  8. Good reasons for no cell phone embedded by DemonWeeping · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I can think of several good reasons to keep this APART from cell phones:
    • I already have a cell phone
    • I already have a cell carrier and contract
    • It keeps the price of the unit down
    • One internet tablet can work on all carriers
    • I go through cell phones faster than I go through pants
    • Carriers will want to lock down the device and "get in on the pie" with software releases
    • Carriers are greedy and don't like open-source
    Good enough?