Im looking at getting the N800 just wanted to know out of all the great things it does, can you still use it like a cell phone and make calls or is it strictly for internet use?

you can use it like a cell phone... to make calls, but you cannot use it as a cell phone.

nothing in the guts of the device contains GSM or CDMA circuitry. So, no, it's not a cell phone.

That is: it is not a phone, but you can use Skype (or similar) if there is a (fast) Wifi internet connection. Works great from the Mall in DC, Starbucks or any Plazza in Yurop. Even from an Italian beach using your hotel hot spot !

Abel.

Sure. Just make certain you buy a SIM that has "Made for Nokia Internet Tablets (C)" on it.


(Godsdammit woodwork. They keep crawling out of it.)

provided you're willing to pay a fortune in wifi hotspot access

Didn’t Pay a cent from buying the Nok in July 2007 until Feb. 16 of this year in the Sofitel in Lisabon. The manager of this Hotel had me pay 5€ of each hour. The Sofitel manager mailed me:

"It’s a fact that in the US, where I was before coming to Portugal, the internet access is mostly free of charge but we need to take in consideration that they are far more developed and advanced than most of the countries in Europe."

Second Quote from the manager "The fact of the charges for the wi-fi access in the hotel cannot be avoided as PT (Portuguese Telecommunications) is the unique provider and there’s a considerable cost to it already for the hotel itself."

My answer: Portugal has at least three WiFi service providers, i.e. PT Wi-Fi or NOVAS or Sonaecom (Optimus).

You don’t need a PT Wi-Fi hotspot/gateway. Any IT company will be happy to install your own gateway, with or without PT Wi-Fi, making WiFi available in every room using Routers or Repeater Bridge/Access Points or whatever.

My advise: Have an expert check your system. It probably needs an update and it needs certainly a faster gateway (speed is your choice, not PTs).

Please understand that Worldwide Asia (Japan, China, India) is first in Wireless technology, the EU and the US are behind. In Japan you use your mobile phone to watch TV. GSM coverage in China is denser than in the US or Eastern Europe !

Why don’t you contact one of your Lissabon colleagues, i.e. the Heritage Av Liberdad, or the Lisboa Plaza or the Four Seasons. They all provide Free WiFi. Also I did have the pleasure of free WiFi in French (Accor) Mercure hotels (Trouville/ Paris). In Europe most Radisson and Accor (!) hotels do provide excellent free WiFI. Marriott provides free WiFI for cardholders. There can be no doubt that all major business hotels will soon act accordingly.

Obviously I should have checked the availability before visiting your hotel. Sofitel Lisboa surprised me in this respect. However your hotel is otherwise excellent.


Please note that other Accor Hotels (the Hotel Chain Sofitel belongs to) do provide Free WiFi. It is certainly true that US Hotel Chains provide excellent broadband WiFi. Europe is however catching up fast and many cafés provide free WiFi on their terraces. (They obviously use it for their ordering tablets: watch the waitresses getting nervous when you are tapping their WiFi !)

And of course there is BOINGO:
This month free for Nok users visit :http://www.nokiausers.net/General/Bo...kia-Users.html (Did'nt try it)

WIMAX is available in several EU Metropolitan Cities (London, Paris, Brussels, Rotterdam, Milan). UMTS/ 3G / HSPA is widely available. I guess that Hotels have to adapt, because these technologies don't like walls. In the US (at least) 3G is widely available. I understand that SPRINT is now starting up with WIMAX. Verizon started in 2007 ? (Not sure if this alinea is up to date).

Lissabon is a wonderful town. I really love the Portuguese People!



Abel.

good info, thanks. Sadly, here in the UK, free wifi hotspots are a rarity, and costs are generally expensive.

3G, here with spotty coverage, is even more expensive.