PC Pro gives the N810 3/6 - Page 14 - maemo.org

radiofreewill | # 131 | 2008-02-27, 19:45 | Report

Here' why the WiMAX Tablet will be "the one device to rule them all" for me. Personally, I'm neither a business nor power user of technology, but would be better called a social user of technology.

For me - Connection - is the greatest enabler.

Speaking of generational changes, I realize the Tablets regularly acquire new chassis and form factors, and that the next model after the WiMAX Tablet will feature a platform evolution, but the larger 'generational change' that's contextualizing the products, imho, is occuring within the youth, worldwide.

A good billion, or so, people out there are ready to step, seamlessly, from texting, IMing, e-mailing and blogging into the Always On/Always Connected World.

This is not the iPhone paradigm repeated. Apple is a company full of geniuses, that - somehow, amazingly - blossomed and thrived in a business environment of oppressive Corporate Domination, and they did it by focusing on the end-users of their products. They built an empire by, serially, listening and imagining something better for the User. They are still one of the best in the world at doing it, regularly, with excellence.

In the Age of Consumerism, which most experts say is coming to a close, the key to success was/is targeting the end-user's wallet with desirable products for Personal Use. That's how you get *inspired* to build the "All About Me, Not You"-Pod. Need to make more Money? Just add Dialtone. Yuk. Geniuses, yes, but still building to the "Rebellious Teenager Under the Headphones, in His Room, Who Never Grew-up to Meet the World" paradigm.

That's two things at - way overdue - end-of-life: "Me-and-Not-You" Thinking and Dialtone.

The WiMAX Tablet is not that! It's more like the tool that enables the rest of us to meet in the living room and share, and play and grow together.

Nokia is full of geniuses, too. The difference, imvho, is in the Wholesome Social Paradigm they are working with as a Corporate Culture. They 'go to market' like a healthy, balanced family goes through life - disciplined but supportive, strong but adaptable. They are truly worthy of carrying a significant portion of Finland's fortunes on their backs!

For me, they've earned my admiration with their products, and I trust them to do as good a job bringing us together with technology, facilitating Social Awareness, as Apple did for resourcing Personal Enjoyment - because, in this dawning Age of Community, Nokia are the kinds of people I want to meet...in the living room, at the coffeeshop, in the stands at the match, down the street at the library, on a mountainside, on the bus...

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sherifnix | # 132 | 2008-02-27, 20:52 | Report

Originally Posted by radiofreewill View Post

Here' why the WiMAX Tablet will be "the one device to rule them all"...

The iPhone falls into this new paradigm, by providing an always on connection. Yes it is slow, but available. As WiMAX rolls out, so will HSUPA. Two different means to the same end. I would imagine once this "always on" mentality hits critical mass, the iPod touch will follow suit and get this new connectivity.

I wouldn't say Nokia is ahead of Apple, and I wouldn't say Apple is ahead of Nokia at this stage in the game. Its great to see that both companies are racing to create an "Internet and Social Platform".

Last edited by sherifnix; 2008-02-27 at 20:55.

rcadden | # 133 | 2008-02-27, 21:05 | Report

The always connected thing is a personal definition, I think.

To me, my N810 is always connected because I've told it to look for my home WiFi, and if not that, then hit up my N95's HSDPA connection. Don't pester me about it, just do it.

By tethering, Nokia's allowing me to A. choose whether *I* want to use HSDPA or EVDO or EDGE or whatever, without them having to build multiple versions and B. saving me money. I can use the same data connection on my phone and on my Tablet. With a WiMax tablet (or CDMA/EVDO, or whatever), I would more than likely have to have a separate data account for each device, thereby costing me more.

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johnkzin | # 134 | 2008-02-27, 21:08 | Report

Originally Posted by sherifnix View Post

I would imagine once this "always on" mentality hits critical mass, the iPod touch will follow suit and get this new connectivity.

I don't agree with that at all. I think the iPod Touch (iTouch) will never have an integrated WWAN. I think that's the domain of the iPhone.

Instead, I see the iTouch essentially being like the NIT: it is an internet device that depends on getting a WWAN from some other device. It may at some point get bluetooth for DUN/PAN, but it might not. I think instead it will depend upon Wifi enabled devices (like the WinMo hack that allows you to share your phone's wifi as an access point instead of as a client). Though, personally, I wont ever buy an iTouch until it has a physical* keyboard of some kind (slide out, bluetooth, cabled, etc.), as well as non-jailbroken ssh and vnc clients (and if those things happen, Nokia should get really nervous).

(* though, an 8" screen version of the iTouch, with split virtual thumb keyboards, like the one on the Samsung Q1 (pre-Ultra), especially if they're translucent so you can mostly see the underlying application while you type, might make me change my mind about it needing to be a physical keyboard)

The iPhone is the "all-in-one" approach, an the iTouch is the "many devices" approach. That's why the iTouch is really the NIT's competitor, and not the iPhone.

It gets muddy, though, when you add WiMAX to the equation. Once you've added a WWAN, the NIT sort of half way moves into the iPhone's market. So the non-WWAN NITs compete with the iTouch, and a WWAN NIT is in a grey area between the iTouch and the iPhone.

Hargoth | # 135 | 2008-02-27, 23:44 | Report

I agree. WIMAX will make the next NIT very usable as a phone, and with nearly 4 time the resolution of the iPhone ...

To me its a no brainer.

In the US, WIMAX should appear anywhere you can normally get a Sprint signal.

The downside will be dealing with Sprint ...

Wzrd | # 136 | 2008-02-28, 04:17 | Report

Originally Posted by johnkzin View Post

Speaking as a techie, you want to know what one of the differences is between a techie and a marketing person?

Techies build a device and make it want to do everything it can possibly do, and then try to sell that device to whomever wants to use it in any way it can be used. It doesn't matter to the techie that generic consumers don't know about, nor care about, a concept of a technology. They're going to build it, and people who understand it will use it effectively. The drawback is that only people who understand it will buy it. The advantage is, people who understand it will have an art-like appreciation of how the thing takes on a life of its own, adapting itself to uses that the creator never envisioned.

Marketing people define a product idea and then build a device that implements that product idea. The fact that the device might be capable of acting as more than just that product is irrelevant -- they have a vision, and they're going to adhere to that vision. The advantage being: you can communicate a vision to a generic consumer, you can't communicate a technology to them. Once you communicate it to them, you can sell it to them.

Guess why it is that marketing people run successful companies more often than techies do. Guess why that, in a natural-selection kind of way, determines both the cutting edge of each new era of technology (where everything is all potential and revolutionary), and the more practical phase after the cutting edge passes (where everything is about practical applications and narrow product definitions).

Whether or not the NIT can be more is irrelevant. What is relevant is: what kind of product Nokia wants to sell. It's sad, but it's true.

If you want to change the landscape, you're not going to be successful by saying "this thing is a piece of crap as a PDA, why wont Nokia fix all of its weaknesses as a PDA?" because Nokia doesn't sell a PDA, they sell an Internet Tablet. If you want to change the landscape, you have to convince Nokia that they want to sell a PDA.

Don't get me wrong..I'm a techie. I have years of experience in the IT field. But, i'm finding myself disappointed/frustrated/stuck in the limited functions that the NIT currently offers. When I buy technology, I look at everything it has to offer. Stupid me for not knowing that there are different version of Linux and all Linux apps are not compatible with each other (that's what I get coming from a strictly Windows background and not knowing a lot about Linux).

The reason I bought the NIT was mainly for what it was designed (a quick fast way to get on the internet rather than dragging out my laptop). That is what the NIT is marketed as. The fact that it ran Linux apps was a plus for me (so I thought until I found out otherwise).

The web page for the N800 has this on the specifications:

Operating system

Operating system
Internet Tablet OS 2007 edition

Key applications (additional applications available)

Web Browser with Adobe® Flash® 9 plug-in
Internet calling with video*
Instant Messaging
Email
Media player
Internet Radio
RSS Feed Reader

My expectation was that there were apps I could install on it in addition to the fast easy internet accessability (especially on the go) for total functionality.

So, you can see why i'm let down by the NIT. It doesn't perform up to all my expectations.

That was one reason I bought and still use my palm pilot. Lots of apps and functionality for what I need.

I know what you are going to say... "get Garnet if you want to run Palm programs. Or dump your NIT and go back to your Palm and quit *****ing" but I haven't had any luck getting Garnet to run with the palm programs I use without having it screw up my OS2008 totally where I have to reformat my device.

People want full functionality in a device or they just won't buy it.

GeneralAntilles | # 137 | 2008-02-28, 05:58 | Report

Originally Posted by Wzrd View Post

Key applications (additional applications available)

My expectation was that there were apps I could install on it in addition to the fast easy internet accessability (especially on the go) for total functionality.

So, you can see why i'm let down by the NIT. It doesn't perform up to all my expectations.

No, no I really don't. There are tons of applications you can install on it outside of what Nokia bundles, and connecting to the internet is fast and easy. I really fail to see the point.

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Fire Hazard | # 138 | 2008-02-28, 07:20 | Report

I just don't get it. The only reason I can think that Nokia doesn't add PIM to the N8x0 is because there already 3rd party applications that can be used. But then it makes me wonder even more why they wouldn't add that as a selling point?

I JUST found out about the whole ITs yesterday (I'm not into "tech" gadgets I guess you can say). I was looking for a Linux PDA or what kind of Linux PDAs are out there if any. Well after about 15 mins of searching I found about about the N800. I watch the videos and fell in love with it when I saw the price. After a bit I found out about the newer version, and I'll get that because I personally like the look of it, has a keyboard, and has GPS (even though I already have a GPS unit for hiking/camping).

Now I have been using Linux for about 5 years now and I'm one of those, "I'll die before I buy any thing Microsoft" kinda of Linux freaks

. So the idea of having a Linux system in my pocket that I can surf the web with, IM people, e-mail, VoIP, do video calling, listen to internet radio, watch videos, use it as an mp3 player, AND add/port other Linux programs to. Well I damn near got an erection. I noticed for a while that no PIM programs were really marketed for it but there was a fairly big Linux community, Maemo, making programs for it so I just KNEW there was something I could use. And what do you know, there is, http://home.cfl.rr.com/genecash/nokia/index.html

So why the no PIM whinnying? Maybe I've been in the Linux community for too long and just come to accept that getting Linux to work the way you want it to work can be a pain and I've gotten much better with making it work for me, but come on. This IT has SO much potential. Just look at this, http://geekpenguin.blogspot.com/2007/12/mediamote.html

This is why I know the N8x0 has so much to offer that Nokia doesn't even talk about. But then again I know that with Linux, there is so much you can do with it. Just sad that Nokia can't really advertise about how there is more it can do if you are willing to learn a little bit about Linux and have a Linux system.

The only think I can see people complaining about is how it isn't a phone. But like the guy on ThoughtFix said, you have more options if it doesn't. You have your cell phone on you that you can use to get to the internet if you want while not forcing you to use one cell phone company or another. As a college student I wouldn't be surprised to see these ITs pop up in colleges across the country since every campus is going wireless. The only reason I haven't seen one I think is because no one knows about them. I've never seen a commercial nor add for one. Nokia needs to advertise to college students. This IT is priced low enough and has enough easy of use (from the videos I've seen) for college student's to be a major market for buying the IT than say your computer techies alone. But PIM would be a must for college students. Hell thats what made me find out about the N8x0 to begin with.

Anyways, that's my thoughts on that.

Texrat | # 139 | 2008-02-28, 07:31 | Report

Originally Posted by GeneralAntilles View Post

No, no I really don't. There are tons of applications you can install on it outside of what Nokia bundles, and connecting to the internet is fast and easy. I really fail to see the point.

I don't get his comments either...

Texrat | # 140 | 2008-02-28, 07:33 | Report

Originally Posted by Fire Hazard View Post

As a college student I wouldn't be surprised to see these ITs pop up in colleges across the country since every campus is going wireless. The only reason I haven't seen one I think is because no one knows about them. I've never seen a commercial nor add for one. Nokia needs to advertise to college students.

There were big tablet promotions at several US college campuses last year. Hopefully there will be more (I have no idea).