Hi All,

Just joined discovered and joined the forum today. I picked-up a 770 a couple of days ago at CompUSA. It's a great little device. However, a couple of things irk me about it. I know being an early adopter, things aren't going to be perfect but for the money, I wish I got a little more.

Memory is a big issue for me. After only opening up two browsers, low memory errors or the browser closes itself. Can I hope that newer software revisions will improve the memory efficiency? I guess I feel a little bit limited and with memory so cheap, Nokia should have added another 64-128mb. Will future app development be hindered by the current memory capacity?

I've been looking for a portable browser/email device for a long time. The display/interface of the 770 sold me over a PDA/PSP and it's form-factor over a portable notebook. I guess for the price, I expected more(more memory, faster processor, etc).

I'll try and see if I can get a price reduction tomorrow night at CompUSA Cost plus 5% event. I can just see the next generation 770 coming out being the must have device but of course, I don't want to wait.

Are my expectations too high? Thanks for reading.

I would say no. 64MB of RAM does sound like "very little" from a modern computer point of reference. In fact, it is a pretty acceptable amount of RAM for this type of Linux system. Let me give you an example in a similar system with software that has had a few years of tweaks and upgrades:

I also have a Sharp Zaurus PDA which has very similar specs (64MB RAM also). Today I launched 10 different applications simultaneously including Opera, Hancom Sheet (Excel like), Hancom Word (Word like), PDF Viewer, Picture Viewer, Email Program, etc. The system was still running smoothly, and my memory status showed I still had room to open more applications and windows.

The reason the Nokia is having so much trouble with RAM at the moment is that the OS and applications are very very early versions. These issues will be cleared up in the near future. One of the things that's great about this type of open Linux device is that you'll be seeing upgrades for years to come. With other PDA's, you are basically stuck with the OS it ships with, or maybe one revision a year later (Palm and M$).

I think $400 is pretty reasonable for a screen with this high resolution, WiFi and Bluetooth built in, and some great software on a platform that will grow for many years to come. The processor does have some limitations, but it has some room for growth. The processor in the Nokia is split into two components: (1) general purpose CPU (2) DSP co-processor. For now, most programs run completely on the CPU. As more applications take advantage of the DSP, we will probably see some substantial performance improvements. Also, as the code matures and is better optimized, it will certainly get faster.

I think your expectations are a bit high. Price out some of the competition (not 320x240 res PDA's, at least 640x480 models). Also, the nice thing about the Nokia is you can play with the device TODAY, and don't have to wait.

Unlike some on this forum, I really don't expect Nokia to be releasing a new version of the 770 with more RAM anytime soon (within the next couple years). Nokia spent a HUGE amount of time and money designing this device (think Sony PSP), and they will probably stick with the same hardware for a while. If they thought more memory was a good idea, it would have come with more memory. They may release completely different devices (like a larger version, etc.), but it's unlikely these will meet your needs (if you're looking for this size unit).

Over time your new Nokia 770 will get better and better, I assure you. I have had my Sharp Zaurus for 2 years, and every few months it becomes a much more useful device as updated versions of the OS and applications come out. If you are patient, and willing to go through some upgrades along the way, I think you will find that the Nokia is a really top-notch device.

That being said, the current Nokia software is certainly a bit buggy. The email program is especially weak. But you will definitely have a choice between several email programs and several browsers in the coming weeks and months.

I am considering diving in a getting a 770 this early in the dev cycle. Thank you mk500 for the great insight comparing your Zaurus to the 770.

Remember turning flash plugin off from your browser to keep it in acceptable speed and lower the memory need.

Thanks for writing this! I had turned off plugins when I first got my 770, but when I flashed the updated system, I forgot to change this setting. I just turned off plugins again, and what a big difference!

did any Canadians get their hands on one? If so was it worth the premium you paid for it? Where did you get yours from? Thanks!


Phil