Hello all.

First post. I purchased an N800 from Amazon and have 30 days to try it out. Mainly I am a gadget guy and it looked like fun, and so far it is...

However, there does not seem to be much practicality to the device other than carrying a full size laptop.

Just curious as to what everyone is using it for. Rhapsody is very well written and polished, and I have some MP3s and surf the net and all. But again, I can do that on a notebook.

Is everyone anticipating more quality Rhapsody like applications to come out? Am I missing some of the great other ones?

Also, with Video, it seems very choppy and even when I load a video to the SD card, the quality seems to be poor compared to PVPs and the such.

Please dont misunderstand me. I am not bashing the unit. I think its great and I want to keep it. Just looking for some help finding the right reasons to keep it.

Thanks much.

It is the best portable device for browsing the web.

Personally, I bought it because I don't have a laptop. This device is more of a laptop replacement than a pda replacement.

Compared to a laptop, it's easier to hold and operate with only one hand. Can come handy when browsing/chatting in bed before you go to sleep.

Maemo Mapper is another big reason. its a GPS navigation app.
GoogleTalk/Gizmo/Skype (on its way). small form factor VoIP device.
blogging uses. not much i can think of on this, as i dont blog much, but im sure there are a few.
CarMan app can help diagnose issues with your car. you can get error codes, and see what the settings are for a myriad of things.

I bought mine as a PDA replacement (a Zaurus), but I'm finding that I leave my laptop home more often now and just carry the N800.

It took a while to find all the apps I wanted, but I really can function nicely without a laptop. Whatever I can't do, I can certainly wait until I get back to my desk to do. I use a laptop for my desk system and, while I used to lug that around everywhere, I just don't want to be carrying something that big with me. The N800 and bluetooth keyboard weigh - what? - a pound/pound and a half.

R.
==

I have a Dell laptop sitting six inches from where I am, but I am using my N800 in preference. I have the fun Youtube video Russian Climbing on it, plus a lot of brilliant classical pianist Glenn Gould. I can carry it anywhere with me; I am rereading The Forsyte Saga. I like using Maemo Mapper. I am keeping jogging records in my spreadsheet. I enjoy Rhapsody. I am keeping emergency info for work on it. I can check my email whenever I am in range of wireless. I keep up with the news reading it. If I travel overseas again, I will have this with me whenever I come across an Internet cafe or bar.

I know that I will keep discovering new uses for it, and I am basically carrying a full-feature computer at all times.

It's lighter than a laptop, which means you can walk and type, or read.
Fits in your pocket, so when you go on a plane it does not count as luggage.
If you are lost in a city, you can download the applicable map and find your way while walking/driving
Read/play/listen in bed, without waking the person next to you.
Never forget appointments
edit documents and spreadsheets anywhere
eventually - skype
when you travel, video chat with your other half back home
take all their photos with you
watch movies while you wait to see the doctor
draw sketches of things, when its hard to explain to people

etc etc etc

I justified the purchase of the N800 because of a need for an in car navigation device for this summer..
If I was going to spend money on a navigator I felt that it should be capable of doing much more than just that. With Navicore promised for this device, I figured the N800 would fill that need.
To answer your question it depends on where you live. The number one reason could be WiFi connectivity. I live in the Philadelphia area and most of center city now has WiFi. EarthLink has provided a free pass for N800 users until 2008. The food store where my wife shops now provide WiFi and most of the places I eat do as well. I have instant access to reading material, changing weather forecasts, and updated news.

To do this cleanly I have put together an XHML reference page that formats nicely on small screen devices and then I published it on the free web space provided by my ISP.


The reasons that sold me on this device over yet another PPC was the screen size and resolution, plus the fact that it wasn’t windows based. Nokia also had a unique developer program when it was first offered. They provided the first 500 developers the device at the reduced cost of $99 (eu)…
Theoretically those developers should produce the difference from the full retail price ($300) in free code to the community. That’s $15,000 total.

Now I know that not all will agree with that assessment and some will produce diddley squat, but the code that is produced will be from a more diverse group than from the handful of execs that determine what we con$umer$ need.

I see the N800 and it’s components as a viable solution waiting for a crystal seed. I have faith that this will happen. In the meantime I am having fun with the thing and am making new friends and contacts on forums like this one.

I must admit, I don't do anything with it that my mp3 player, laptop and mobile phone can't do, however I haven't regretted getting it for a second.

It makes everything a lot easier, downloading and listening to podcasts, doing quick wikipedia searches, chatting on msn (via jabber) anywhere with wifi, listening to internet radio, reading pdf-files/e-books, following Twitter (via gtalk), checking/sending mail and the list goes on. No, I don't NEED the N800, but in bed, sitting on the bus and even on the sofa it is much easier to handle than a laptop and quick to start using as I have it in standby most of the time.
I don't use it much for video, but as long as the video quality is low it seems to be smooth, and I don't have a problem with it as sound is the most important quality for me, also in video.

And hands down, it is just plain, good old, cool.

There is a very real market for it in households with WiFi. The N800 can be used to chat or check web mail if someone else is on the desktop.