The N810 is wondrful for the wider market but its not for me.
The N800, while it was one of the fastest and most complete arm-based browsers, was still slow. This token upgrade of clockrate wont do much to help that. Other issues for me are:
Keybaord backlight?
USB Host capability
No extended battery
No native offline bogging app
No built in cell-data capability
Small memory/storage (is it 2GB internal?)
No multi-protocol IM client (although mebo is said to work)
Too high pixels per inch (200 is my limit)
No docking station
No vga / s-video out
No eternal mic input
No screen rotate (ebooks etc)
I know that requirement set takes me up to an $800-class device but thats my entry point for a mobile internet device so ill have to skip the n810.
I think the design is wonderfl though and i cant wait to see x86 based devices in this form factor and size in 2008 (mobile-itx) and 2009 (Moorestown)
Thanks to Reggie for doing a superb job on reporting. Keep it up.
Chippy - Iin bed on the Everun - A Real mobile internet device! ;-)
Keybaord backlight? = it is
USB Host capability = not so easy but it is
No extended battery = buy 2nd)
No native offline bogging app = ...
No built in cell-data capability = what the hell is that
Small memory/storage (is it 2GB internal?) = 2gb int. + any ext.
No multi-protocol IM client (although mebo is said to work) = Pidgin
Too high pixels per inch (200 is my limit) = so so
No docking station = why the hell do u need that sh*t?)
No vga / s-video out = damn)
No eternal mic input = it is.
No screen rotate (ebooks etc) = for e-books - it is
I believe Nokia N810 should be the better option for those who don't own a Nokia Internet Tablet yet. I don't find the price outrageous for a new buyer but it's hard on someone who had just spent $400 on N800 to spend another $479 in less than a year. I am confused if I should try selling-off N800 to buy N810 or instead keep it for ruthless hacking purposes.
I am not sure about the usefulness of the slide-out keyboard, but if it gets positive reviews, that alone should close the deal for me. Otherwise nothing short of miraculously improved support for audio/video formats and flash videos could convince me to buy it. All the GPS stuff is irrelevant to me.
I was initially planning to pre-order whenever the next version of N800 becomes available but going by N810's press release, I think I will wait for the reviews.
Keybaord backlight? = it is
USB Host capability = not so easy but it is
No extended battery = buy 2nd)
No native offline bogging app = ...
No built in cell-data capability = what the hell is that
Small memory/storage (is it 2GB internal?) = 2gb int. + any ext.
No multi-protocol IM client (although mebo is said to work) = Pidgin
Too high pixels per inch (200 is my limit) = so so
No docking station = why the hell do u need that sh*t?)
No vga / s-video out = damn)
No eternal mic input = it is.
No screen rotate (ebooks etc) = for e-books - it is
Excelent info. Nice to see mic input, screen rotate. Forgot about picgin.
Just need to fix the rendering speed, add an hsdpa modem, usb host (i dont have time to hack) more internal mem (i guess 30GB should be posible/economical in a few years.) Docking station is great for desktop use and vga/s-vid/digital audio/usb/power so ill need that too. Do they have native photo editing ap yet? (crop, resize,change saved format)
I guess I won't buy one. The only thing that really makes it better is GPS. And then there is the major stepdown in storage. I guess I'll wait for the for the Intel MID's. Some of them might have 1024x600. They have a completely open system. I don't know.
I've got a 770 and initially intended to get an N800, but held off for this announcement.
I'm not going to buy an N810. It's just too expensive. I don't think pricing has been announced here in the UK but, generally, it's either a dollar for sterling conversion (ie the N810 will be around £490), or the sterling price is two thirds. Whatever the case, it's just too damned expensive. Two dollars = one British pound. Do the math.
The Asus Eee is available here for £200, by the way. I know it's not like for like, but anybody looking for a ultra-portable Internet device can't help but cast longing glances in Asus' direction. Especially if the 810 or 800 are more expensive. Asus probably rushed-out their announcement to spike the N810's launch.
But I'm very much looking forward to the N800 falling in price to the point where I don't feel ripped-off buying it, and then installing OS2008 on it, to take advantage of those extra megahertz. To me, OS2008 will perfect the N800. All we need now is a decent word processor, or even text editor.
So, in short, the N810 has given me a compelling reason to buy the N800. This is good for everybody -- bear in mind that the N800 hasn't gone out of production. The N810 is an alternative to the N800 and not a replacement.
The EEE is not ultra portable. You can't put it in your trousers. But waiting for MIDs by Intel is probably a good cause of action. There surely will be more variety in Intel's MIDs in the hardwarespecs.
I have a BT keyboard and GPS - and given an OS update the only other benefit for me would be er...... nah can't think of one.
Personally I have an i-Mate JasJam with a slidey out keyboard and without the tilt of the newer Tytn II any slide out keyboard is not going to be a selling point for me. Quite frankly i) they aren't that comfortable to use for any length of time and ii) they require you to hold the device at a very wierd angle normally resulting in some dodgy reflections in the screen.
BUT and it is a decent but the integration of the maps and software is a damn fine idea. I hope these are made available to N800 users when the new OS is available.
As for the 2Gb of ram that's a great idea for the average consumer (nothing else to buy for most) but I'm loaded with an 8Gb and 1Gb card right now and the 1Gb is about to be replaced with another 8Gb. Music, vids, heaps of technical spec docs and stuff.
The N810 will appeal to a wider audience and that's cool. The more users of the underlying OS will mean more support, better applications and a better user experience in the short term and that all has to be good.
