Re: Please help me decide: n800 or iPod Touch
 

i have played around with the touch and even though i have an 800, i still think that the touch might be better for me mainly because i don't know anything about linux ... i mean zero ...so owning an 800 means learning at least _some_ linux

the main difference as i see it is that the ipod touch is a media player first and a computer second
the 800 is a computer first and media player second ...

the 800 is clearly the better machine in terms of what it can do as time goes on and it gets more apps and a bigger user base .. it has a much bigger upside whereas the touch will do pretty much what apple says it will do

in theory the 800 could become your _only_ pc (meaning it doesn't need to be tethered to a "big brother" to function) ...this is what attracted me to it in the first place

Re: Please help me decide: n800 or iPod Touch
 

The N800 has really become my primary machine here on vacation. Sure, it's not quite as convenient as browsing on a desktop, but it's damn close and not having to drag around a laptop or (god forbid), my 60lbs G5 is worth the small pain of the extra-small computer. :D

Re: Please help me decide: n800 or iPod Touch
 

Thanks for all the responses. They still leave me with some questions, though:

Assume I would upgrade to OS2008.

1) Memory on n800: Can SDHC cards larger than 8GB be used when available?

2) Can ANY of the current PIM apps "ring" an alarm while the n800 is off? Does the iPod Touch's calendar do this? I have the short-term memory of a brain-damaged parakeet and I need the device in my pocket to alert me when it's time to go to an appointment.

3) How hard is it to install these things? I am definitely a Linux newbie.

4) How is the earphone sound from the n800?

5) How obsolete is the n800? How long will it be updated/supported not just by Nokia, but by the community?

Thanks for your input.

Eric

Re: Please help me decide: n800 or iPod Touch
 

I feel the same way. I know virutally nothing about linux, and as I've gotten older, I find I'm less interested in learning. The Touch's out-of-the-box experience appeals to me, as does the whole "click and install" concept that I'm sure will be there once the SDK is out.

Yeah, the n800 CAN do more, but do the distribution methods and software really get non-techie users to that point? Take me: I'm a total Linux newbie BUT I am relatively computer savvy, especially when compared to the average person on the street. At work, I'm the guy people come to when there's something wrong with their computer and they don't want to wait for our tech people to get there. Still, I am confused and put-off by Linux's methods of obtaining and installing software, which may THEN still have major issues.

I know that MS stuff also has issues much of the time, but if one is willing to pony up some $$, one can almost always find a solution that does work, and it's not that hard. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I like computers, I can deal with technical stuff, and still Linux scares the heck out of me. Maybe the Touch would be better for me at that point.

Eric

Re: Please help me decide: n800 or iPod Touch
 

FWIW software installation and updates on the tablets (for mainstream items) is point and click through Application Manager which is built in. (and not closed off too just Nokia repositories)

My mother got a 16gb Touch for xmas yesterday that I helped her setup. Small, slick and easy -- yes. But I would be bored with it within a week without the "additional apps" that people are now counting on being here in Feb. iTunes drives me insane as it's bloated and picky about formats and requires an iTunes account (with Cc) for things like coverart downloads. It would be the first thing I would look to replace.

It's not t say the NITs are perfect for everyone, but IMO they are much a more powerful platform right now.

One last thing I found funny. NIT users often ***** about the "usless" case that comes with it. Well at $399 the Touch came with no case, and no way to charge from a wall socket out of the box. Just a special USB sync/charge cable.

Re: Please help me decide: n800 or iPod Touch
 

1. Yes. 2. My N800 is "off" about as often as my celphone is.
3. Theoretically quite easy. The more esoteric you get, the rougher it is. 4. It works. They're earbuds. Quality is pretty good on real headphones. 5. The N770 folks will complain about abandonment. The N810 is largely the same as the N800 spec-wise (except for keyboard and GPS), so I'd expect the thing has some life in it.

Don't fear the Linux. It just means that A) almost everything is free, and B) nothing works really well, but you can get what you need done with some tweaking.
With your stated skillset, you'll be fine.

Re: Please help me decide: n800 or iPod Touch
 

Up to 16GB. But that can be upgraded also.

GPE Calendar (http://www.cobb.uk.net/NokiaIT/index.html) can do that.

Most apps are available at http://maemo.org/downloads/, you only have to click the http://maemo.org/midcom-static/style...tton_small.png button. That's it. Really.

Average.

The N800 has the same hardware and OS that new released/to-be-released N810 so it would be fully supported in the short-term.

Re: Please help me decide: n800 or iPod Touch
 

But does this work for EVERY application? It seems like everytime someone on these forums has a problem, the first answer is something like "but did you reflash the os and then download the tarball from this guy's site and blah blah blah..." OR the answer is simply "Yeah, that's buggy. We'll ask the Linux gods for a new one and hopefully they'll comply."

I don't mean to get snarky, and I really appreciate your post. However, I have yet to see anything on here that convinces me that I should want to deal with the rather constant headaches of an n800 at this point.

For what it's worth, I have tried Linux on my desktop and my laptop before, and I did not find it to be the Windows killer everyone says it is. That doesn't mean it was worthless, but my experience tells me that it is not for everyone.

This is a very helpful portion of your post. I'm really not looking for something I can tinker with--I want basic internet and PIM functions, specifically a calendar and an alarm clock. I want a portable media player. I have iTunes right now (but no iPod, believe it or not) and I have already given them my Cc# because I used iTunes for watching BSG last season. (Not so much in the coming season, of course, but that's beside the point.) So I guess it's pretty clear that, just like Linux, the iPod Touch is not for everyone.

Thanks again.

Eric

Re: Please help me decide: n800 or iPod Touch
 

"Nothing works really well." That's becoming a key thing for me as I consider the choice between an n800 and a Touch. I may very well buy an n800 (or an EeePC) for travel, for "sit-down and work without a bulky laptop to carry" situations, but that's not the decision before me right now.

When I carry something in my pocket day-in, day-out, I want it to be small and reliable. I want it to work every time without hours of work on my part at home. I'm thinking at this point that I'm going to have to settle for the limitations of the iPod Touch to get that kind of reliability. With the SDK coming out soon, I'm guessing that some basic expansion of functionality will happen pretty quickly. That said, I can do what I really need to do with a Touch right now, so all the rest of that is gravy.

Thanks to all who have responded to my specific questions. I know that the basic question (n800 vs. iPod/Phone) is an old one around here. Thanks for the distinct lack of flames.

Eric

Re: Please help me decide: n800 or iPod Touch
 

My experience the other night with a friend who was trying an iTouch was that it had no speaker(s) for external music play or alerts(?) and I thought the screen was too small to be really practical for everyday all day use.
If your really interested in photos and/or Movies etc, the N800 is a great size of screen, definitely better than an iTouch...... and I personally like Quiver as viewer for photos. Notably, it has smooth kinetic scrolling and quick switching to full screen viewing.

Headphones are great but I have found the stereo speakers excellent for that sudden moment when you need background music (like a Christmas Dinner) in a location that there might not be any stereo home theatre option.

Oh, the other thing I really like, that I have posted previously elsewhere about, is the video phone.
I think it works through Google Talk and also the Skype works great between units in video and voice over internet too. If you have two, then voila, instant home video intercom. Can't do any of that on an iTouch.

good luck with your decision!