A few n00b questions...
 

Hi, I just began researching different internet tablets, and I have a few questions:

How easy/difficult would it be to transfer files from a macbook pro to an n800? Could bluetooth or wifi be used, or would I need to get some sd cards?

Does the n800 have any handwriting recognition (like for taking notes in class)?

How well does it work for streaming video like youtube?

Also, is there some amazing feature that the n810 has but the n800 lacks? It seems like the dual SD card slots and lower price make the n800 a better deal, but maybe I am missing something...

Sorry if all these questions have been asked many times before, and thanks for your help.

Re: A few n00b questions...
 

Welcome
I will try to answer as best I can, you might find some better detail in the wiki.

1. you can plug in into and it mounts the SD cards as removable storage, flash drive like. This is slow for me though. There is also a SAMBA addon that would let you share stuff over wireless with that.

2. there is handwriting recognition but many say it is sub-par, I personally find that it is just the same as a palm, but then again I am was never good at writing consistently.

3. After the new updated OS comes out(any day now) it has been shown to play youtube files just fine, there are also apps that can d/l videos and store them for latter.

4. The N810 is new it looks a little nicer has GPS(built in), slide-out keyboard(if you want that), and only takes 1 smaller SD card, as opposed to the N800 that has 2 full SDHC slots, O and they say it has a better screen for sunlight viewing(I find my N800 just fine,not supper bright but ok)

Re: A few n00b questions...
 

2. Forget handwtiting recognition. You can scribble notes and make drawings in Xournal and recognize your own handwriting. Or you could use a $30 bluetooth keyboard.

3. It works ok for youtube; it varies from pretty good to barely watchable.

4. The N800 is the better deal all-round. Buy a gps unit and a bt keyboard with the price difference and have a lot of cash left over.

Re: A few n00b questions...
 

For taking notes in class, get a bluetooth keyboard. There was an iGo ThinkOutside unit at Amazon for $30 recently. Or the Apple bluetooth keyboard (doesn't fold but is a better keyboard) works as well.

I would get SD cards. Check an earlier thread in this forum for discussion of a deal that was going on at Newegg and may still be available. Unless you need a small keyboard with you at all times AND a GPS, I'd look at the N800. The other possible reason for the 810 is reports the screen is more visible in direct sunlight. Not a big problem if classes are indoors.

The macbook will give you a high-end platform when you need applications that everyone else uses. The N800 or 810 will give you portabilty.

Re: A few n00b questions...
 

Ah thank you for the advice.

When I mentioned taking notes in class, I meant physics-type equations and diagrams, which it sounds like Xournal would be able to handle, then I could transfer to the macbook with an sd card to edit or print out the image files. Would that work?

Since I am pretty slow at typing, and I don't like carrying the large laptop to class, now I take notes on paper. I was thinking that if I could take handwritten notes on a small tablet thing like the n800 it would be easier to archive and organize my notes, instead of having piles of paper everywhere.

Would the n800 be suited for this? or is there some other product out there that would be as portable but better (and not too expensive)?

Re: A few n00b questions...
 

You're looking at a small screen area (even in fullscreen mode) and would be saving .jpg's every couple of mins. I'd stick with paper personally.

Re: A few n00b questions...
 

I'd agree with taking notes using one of the graphics programs over handwriting recognition. Obviously, handwriting recognition is an aquired taste/skill that I haven't grasped yet. Above that I agree with Hedgecore, pen and paper is still best.

Writing on the tablet is a little funny, since it sets above the surface and you can't rest your hand on it or the desk, my stuff looks like childs scribbles. Some people might be able to do it though.

Re: A few n00b questions...
 

As others have mentioned, if you purchase an N800, having reasonably sized* SD cards for both slots will be helpful for storage regardless of how you transfer files to and from the device.

For the transfers themselves, I prefer Bluetooth when copying files between my N800 and the Mac Pros and PowerMacs at work. I only move a handful of small files a week though. Connecting by USB will serve you better if you're copying more.

To perhaps give you an idea of when Bluetooth might be useful to you, I'll give a few recent examples:

• Yesterday, I used Bluetooth to copy a 436 MB video file from a Mac Pro to my N800. It took a little less than an hour to complete the transfer.
• Today, copying a 730 KB audio file from the same Mac to my N800 via Bluetooth took approximately 20 seconds.
• A month or so ago I tried to copy a 3.something GB video file from the Mac Pro to my N800 using Bluetooth. Unsurprisingly, the transfer failed. That was under OS2007 though, and maybe it would work with OS2008. I'm in no rush to check.

* You'll need to determine "reasonably sized" based upon your budget and needs.

Re: A few n00b questions...
 

***************** snip *********** (ouch)

Sharing FROM a desktop or to? Can you give a bit more info?

Re: A few n00b questions...
 

Orb lets you do that wirelessly.