InDigitals Han Choi reviews the N800 on the latest episode. Not a good review. Neither he nor Wil Weaton 'gets' the device. Sorry about the air quotes. God I hate those things.

Do you have a Link?

http://revision3.com/indigital/seventeen
Don't recall the exact time it began, but towards the end of the show.

The N800 review starts 8 minutes in, but my God they're annoying people! Will Weaton needs a slap, I'm glad he gave up acting!

They've reviewed the N800 as a PDA and complained about the limited contact database and lack of calendar and desktop syncing, which is unfortunate but inevitable. At $400 they think it's too expensive as it's "just an internet browser" but I'm sure if it had reasonably good PDA and syncing functionality they'd have raved about it. I did laugh when Hahn stated that the RSS app is the best feature - I guess it didn't eat his feeds during the short time he reviewed it!

Nokia really do need to get over their "it's not a PDA" attitude as this is hampering wide spread acceptance of the N800, and the addition of PDA functionality will make the N800 appear much better value for $400. If the "N900" does not have improved PDA functionality it will continue the tradition of 770 and N800 reviews - overpriced, doesn't do enough, "I just don't get it".

If you do not know linux... you need to spend atleast 100 hours on this website to start to like it... another 100+ hours to truely fall in love with it.

I'm with you on this one. Nokia really dropped the ball on this one. I think it comes down to marketing in part. I overstand that they were testing the waters with the 770, but with the release of the n800 you'd think that they would be promoting this more. Educate potential customers on just what the tablet is all about. I'm thinking a few well done commercials and ads in magazines would if not do the trick, at least go a long ways in that direction.

I'm not sure I agree with that, but then I've been working with Linux for years, so my view may be skewed.

I think had Nokia included a set of decent PIM apps (come on, a Contact app that won't let you store street addresses?!), and perhaps publicize a bit more the Maemo apps available - and make sure the repositories are properly set up, you really shouldn't have to involve yourself with what's going on under the hood, so to speak. Very few people actually need xterm or root access, except the sysadmin types, and they're already well-versed in Linux.

As far as PIM apps go, I'm using GPE Contacts over the built-in Contacts. The Calendar has so far worked well for me as well. Haven't used to To Do List app, so I can't speak to that.

It really shouldn't have been THAT difficult for Nokia to either write a PIM suite themselves or take the existing GPE code amd modify it to their needs.

R.
==

I agree with everything you said but the fact remains Nokia hasn't done these things so my statement above is pretty accurate.

Why the big "to do" over a PIM and calendar application? It is NOT an all in one device or a PDA. I would like to do a poll to see where people actually store their contacts, to do lists and appointments..i would say most people use the device that is ALWAYS with them-namely their cellphone. With the N800 not being that device, I don't think the majority of people care that Nokia didn't develop a PIM or calendar app.

I'd say that reviewers give the N800 low marks because it's missing a few items of basic software - such as PIM - and these low marks then result in reduced sales.

It's a software gap that is being exploited by reviewers who are used to Microsoft and Palm devices, and consequently the Nokia device gets a slating - there's nothing worse than the conclusion "I just don't get it, why would I want this?" to put off any prospective customers!