I was looking at various phones that are out there, deciding if I ever want to get something like a GSM phone to use with T-Mobile's unlimited rates that are starting up.

while looking for keyboard phones, I stumbled across the old Nokia 3300: http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=282

So I thought about how that might be an interesting companion phone for the NIT platform, if:

1) upgraded to 3G/UMTS/HSPA for T-MobileUSA (and maybe AT&T ... and maybe Europe)

2) wifi for both client in a hotspot, and as an access point for a NIT

3) Seemless switching between wifi client and UMTS (so that the NIT, or other wifi-tethered devices, wont know the difference)

4) reasonable picture/video camera with flash

5) microSDHC slot

6) can use its keyboard as a bluetooth keyboard for other devices, including/especially the NIT

One of the things I like about the 3300 is the keyboard layout... and with the right case, you could probably put the N800 above it, making a mini-laptop.

is there any way to use a smartphone keyboard as a keyboard for the tablets? i have an n810 but i want a keyboard for when its in the car mount

I think it is HIGHLY dependent upon the phone platform. Especially the part about "whether or not its bluetooth software would allow it to be a bluetooth device, as opposed to the bluetooth 'host', with respect to the HDI/SPP keyboard interfaces".

Then there's the question of whether or not the phone has an add-on programming interface, and whether or not that interface gives access to the bluetooth protocols.

It's possible in theory, of course. There's a program that lets you use your NIT as a bluetooth keyboard for other devices. There's an app, using parts of VNC, that lets you use an iphone as a trackpad for a computer (and that right there might be a key: someone suggested trying to use the iPhone keyboard with that same VNC-hack to use the iPhone as a keyboard for your PC ... if you ran an VNC server on your NIT, and someone extended that iPhone hack to include the keyboard, you could possibly then use the iPhone as a keyboard for your NIT). But it really depends on what things the individual phone might support.

Personally, I'd love to see a non-Windows Mobile phone that does some form of NIT compatible tethering (Wifi or Bluetooth), and has a keyboard that can control the NIT (via VNC or Bluetooth). What I said above is just one expression of that.

The OTHER thing I mean to say in the original post was: Nokia could even make 3 models: one GSM/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA, one CDMA/EVDO, and perhaps one as a WiMAX handset. That way the NITs can remain WWAN agnostic.

Looking at the Nokia 9300 and 9500, I suppose a USA 3G version of those would work as well. Wouldn't be able to make micro-laptop out of 'em, since the 9300/9500 are already that by themselves ... but the rest of what I said, with the features I suggest, would still be a great companion phone for the NIT.

And, if I'm going to mention the 9300/9500, I should also say that a USA version of the Nokia E90 would work.

Give it support for both the AT&T and T-Mobile networks, upgrade its microSD slot to support SDHC cards, allow it to use its keyboard as a bluetooth keyboard for other devices (while simultaneously acting as a DUN modem for at least that same other device), and maybe add the wifi things I mentioned (wifi access point for client devices like your N800, seemlessly transition between EDGE/UMTS/HSPA and Wifi so that tethered/wifi clients don't notice that the network changed out from under them).

The ability to also act as a UMA phone would be nice (for use with T-Mobile Hotspot@Home phone calls).