I found a link to a device in 2004 I've never heard of: ThinTune
It seems to be very similar to N770 in most ways. Why was there no hype around that device? Is it the price £ 700 + or the brand (lack of)?
Well, I think it's a combination of things. First is the price 799 pounds, which at $1375 is over $1000 more than the Nokia 770.
Second, it's running Linux, but did the company take the approach Nokia did to speed the flow of applications to its platform by building off an established distro and GUI?
Third, the weight is 1.4 kg, which is about 50 ounces, compared to the 770's 8.1 ounces.
Fourth, the size is way bigger than the 770 and the pixel density nowhere close to 225 ppi.
I don't think the two are even remotely comparable. It's not to say the ThinTune is a bust, but it's not going to attract anyone who's looking at a Nokia 770 because of these disparities.
Speaking from my perspective, price is the key factor. The second a handheld starts getting close to the price of a laptop, I immediately figure I may as well get a laptop; primarily because dollar for dollar (or insert the currency of your choice), the laptop will be cheaper because it costs more to cram all of those components into a device that will fit in the palm of your hand.
After reviewing Neoware's web site/products section, I'm not sure they ever even trotted this device out into the market. An interesting concept for them -- given their thin client orientation -- but probably never brought into production unless someone knows otherwise.
My own experiences in the past with Screen Media's FreePad/LinuxPad echo that scenario - a great idea/technology that never came to pass even though the fully functional prototypes from 3+ years ago were solid and impressive with many of the N770's features implemented.
It was supposed to come to market for around US$700 but the company never gained enough critical mass/funding to take flight as planned. Too bad too; it was impressive and the Norwegian team very talented.
