Here's some more "info" to fuel the rumors of new hardware to come...

Clubic, usually not a bad source of tech-related news in France, published this today :

http://www.clubic.com/actualite-3929...ation-gps.html

The story is mostly about Nokia trying to set foot in the mobile navigation market, with new GPS-enabled phones (6175i and N95), the Gate5 buyout, etc. But there is also this snippet near the end :

"Also, our information leads us to believe that Nokia is about to release in the European market its first autonomous GPS navigation system, derived from its 770 Linux/Wifi tablet, which benefits from a tactile screen, but with its own design". (price unknown, but before end of year).

What such a vague pronouncement really means, of course, is anybody's guess...

Some people already use their 770 as a Garmin or TomTom equivalent with gpsd or Maemo Mapper.
There are a few web sites around that present the build.
db

Of course I know that, I'm part of the maemomapper users myself.

The main point of news here was the perspective of a new, 770-based hardware platform from Nokia themselves.

If it's just a GPS, that would mean they're downgrading the hardware in the design rather than beefing it up, right? (I'm just guessing). This is no good for those of us waiting for a slightly faster version of the 770, like me.

I haven't taken the plunge, but for a year now I have been looking at every PDA, cellphone, MicroPC and UMPC in existence (or in development) and I keep coming back to the fact that the 770 is the closest thing to what I really want. Only thing holding me back is the possibility of a hardware upgrade, and perhaps the lack of support for Asian languages...

Check this out, GPS navigation and 770 from Nokia and Navicore!

"Navigation on the move and on the net
Your Nokia 770 can also turn into your navigation device as Navicore and Nokia bring easy to use GPS Navigation to Nokia 770 Internet Tablet. Go to Tableteer to find out more and sign up for information on availability."

More info from Navicores website. Looks like availability is slated for Dec 2006.
Oh Well i guess i can wait a couple more months.
Navicore N770

DaScud

Does this mean one of the first commercial pieces of software for the 770? (I discount the PIM sync thing, as that's a service.. one that I'm loathe to use) I can't tell from the press release if the software itself will be free, or at a charge. I'm wondering how much better than Mapper it could really be.

I have used Navicre and it is very good. Easy to use, voice directions, maps are clear and readable even in phones like Nokia 6630, N70 which have small screen. It is a commercial program and what will be the price...who knows.
In that press release was that 770 and software will be available in bundle so that means there will be many who will just buy 770 for navigation. Price for that bundle is very interesting because right now Nokia sell 770 and 6680 bundled also via internet in reasonable price.

Anyway, Maemo Mapper is very good software and it is free. It will be competitor for those cmmercial softwares and that gives people possibility to choose between commercial and non-commercial software. It's good to have alternatives. Keep on going!

Oh I see now, it's just software for the existing 770. The press release at least makes it sound like there won't be any redesign/modification of the 770's hardware...

...which is good for those of us with 770s already.

theKompany released some 2005 OS software commercially, no idea how successful it was. Presumably it was to test the water to consider investing in their larger, more productive applications.