http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/0...-source-phone/

http://www.openmoko.org/

I'll rather have this than have an iPhone and I think its going to gain a lot of traction ... much more than Maemo (3 version confusion) has gained so far.

I'm also very excited about this project. From the info we have, it seems more open than maemo is today - even though the phone-specific parts need to remain proprietary.

There are specific use cases for both kinds of devices in terms of form factor/screen etc., but I doubt that in the end each of these devices will have its own platform.

I wait for the day when I can replace maemo on the 770/N800 with a distribution that also runs on other portable devices (OpenMoko, Ångström, whatever) without sacrificing functionality. (No, handwriting recognition is not functionality *g*)

Isn't that funny? It has PDA functionality on it. Hmmm.

Maybe that's because it's a phone, which typically has at least some PDA capability (address book, alarms), as opposed to an internet tablet, which (at far as Nokia is concerned) doesn't have or need PDA capabilities.

The idea behind the internet tablet, as Nokia defines it, is to use it in conjunction with a phone. Let the phone handle cellular connectivity and PDA functionality, and let the IT handle surfing the web and email.

Sure, I'd love a PIM on the Nokia devices, especially since I don't have a phone, but since they never claimed that it had PIM capabilities, I can't really complain about that. I can only request, and I'm sure they'll ignore me. I can complain about browser or email client problems, though...

In that case, we need something to access the PIM apps on the phone from our tablets.

Actually, come to think of it, if that could be done, I'd be pretty much settled; I don't need no corporate syncing stuff.

Ideally the PIM apps should all be web 2.0 and the tablet and phone should be able to access that...

Phones do a lousy job as anything other than a simple means of communication. Their form factor should be small and pocket-able and have BT for DUN when a broadband is not available to the tablet IMHO.

The screen size of the N800 is just about right and the size and battery life make it perfect for casual toting in a purse or inside jacket pocket.
It doesn't or shouldn't have to be with you all the time and could spend a lot of time in a car dash pocket or briefcase.

Even folks like me who watch cartoons and read comic books can understand this by just looking at D. Tracy, George Jetson, and Capt. James T. Kirk... These dudes from the "future" did most of their away data communications from their vehicles but their personal voice communicators were so small you hardly noticed them.

I like the direction the N800 is going. I have been trying to accomplish this for the past two years with WinMo 2003 on a WiFi/BT iPAQ.
Everything needed to be reloaded if the battery went dead, commercial apps left a lot to be desired, M/S apps needed to be translated to and from the device, development was stopped on the OS after only 2 years, and the new OS would not run on the old hardware...

The only problem with that idea is that for some reason a lot of people want these devices to be able to make and receive traditional phone calls. They'll rather have a phone they can surf with than have a more appropriate Internet tablet.

Factoring in the form factor (no pun intended), hardware and software; nothing stops the Neo1973 from being an "Internet Tablet". iPhone hype will also fuel its rapid adoption.

No! Because I don't always have access to the Net, and I don't see that happening for the forseeable future either.

Actually, having the phone as your PIM-base is not too bad an idea: I have my phone with me always -- OK, almost always -- and my tablet most of the time, so close interaction of those two seems logical to me. And having the data on my phone means that I don't have to hope and pray for an internet connection whenever I want to check my schedule.

It sounds good. Why carry 2 or 3 devices when one can do it all...

This thinking works when trying to capture consumer money for devices in developing markets.

Much like the 3 or 4 in 1 printer, scanner, fax, toaster ovens did.

They sold a boat load of them because consumers in these developing markets didn't know how much the would use any one of them and it somehow made "cent$".

The fact is although they did the jobs required of them, anybody who used any one of them often learned that a dedicated laser printer and a stand alone fax was the most economical in the long run... With the advent of digital photography and USB 2.0 as well as FAX to email, I can't remember the last time I needed to scan something.

Yet I know I have at least 2 of these all-in-wonder devices collecting dust because parts are required for one of it's functions and I can't justify the expense for replacement.

The cell phone market has matured. Carrier subsidies will soon drop by the wayside and with it their built consumer rational to drop one device in favor of another with the latest feature.

Consumers may be soon realizing that cell phones are a part of their life and will eventually chose one that works for them and stick with it.
This wasn't the case 15, 10, or even 5 years ago when cell phones were considered a luxury by some. Now they are almost a cradle to grave consumer product. Hopefully this will force manufacturers to provide small yet durable phones with BT that last longer than the 18 months they average now.

I believe the same will happen as consumers discover the need for a secondary device... This device can be the "all-in-one". It will replace the need for iPODS, navigators, watchmen, PIM's, et al.

The N800 has the potential to do a lot of these things well and replace many secondary devices.


Nothing wrong with a small apps on a phone and J2ME fills that need just fine... However, 20 + years of PIM's and there is still not a reliable standard format adopted so the info can be synced and viewed on different platforms. Besides, changes need to be logged to a server and a web app fills that need nicely.