Ok here's some background on myself. I am a quite advanced Linux user, and have absolutely no problem dabbling with configuration files and am quite confident in my command line-fu. And I am quite familiar with wikis, IRCs and forums (so I have done a fair share of searching, and have been browsing these threads for a while now)

I am a graduate student, and my university has WiFi throughout, so I figured a "internet tablet" , a "mobile internet device" or perhaps "UMPC" is what I am looking for. I want something that fits in my pocket, primarily, and doesn't need a bag to carry it in.

1. My university's network uses the following technologies: WPA-enterprise, PEAP, TKIP, MSCHAP-V2 and EAP-MSCHAPv2 for its security. On my linux-running laptops, this meant downloading a .certificate file and editing the configuration for wpa_supplicant (though the most recent Network Manager allowed me to do it through a GUI I think). Can N810 connect to this?

2. I understand the n810 can do remote access technologies like remote access, VNC, SSH. But can it do VPN? My university connection gives me access to journals and stuff from professional societies, and if I am outside the univ they provide a Cisco client (for all types of OS). Can I install this in my n810?

3. Java support. How good is it?

4. I have a Nokia 6102i flip phone. With bluetooth. Nokia provides a "Nokia PC Suite" application for Windows, which allows me to tether to the phone and use it as a modem (though I am not sure AT&T likes that ;-). Will the Nokia n810 tether as easily with the 6102i as my Windows PC running PC Suite can? I am assuming as they are both Nokia devices they shouldn't have difficulties, or is there some family problem amongst them? ;-)

5. How good is the n810 offline? Of course I am not planning to do any heavy office files editing, but at the minimum maybe read some saved HTML pages and PDF files (technical publications, eBooks etc). Is there any kind of office suite at all that I can use offline (I know I can use Google's online ..)

6. Does Pandora (the internet radio site) work on n810? I know it doesn't on Windows Mobile (but a Pandora app was made for iPod Touch/ iPhone)

7. Some kind of a calendar app? (I know this is a topic that has been beaten to the death) .. but I would like to know if there's any kind of a calendar that can sync with anything outside the n810 (and remain visible when offline - MOST important - I can't bank of 110% internet connectivity)

8. Just out of curiosity, does the bluetooth have A2DP profile support? AVRCP? Can I make/receive Skype calls through bluetooth headset? Can I listen to music/ mp3 / internet radio with bluetooth headset (like Jabra bt620s)?

9. Viewing in the sunlight. I believe n810 has a "transflexive" screen or something, right? Is it as good as, say the Kindle 2? I want to be able to read in the bus stop ...

10. How good is the firefox? Can I install adblock and foxmarks (bookmark synch)

There you go. I don't want a mobile phone, a "smartphone" or any "phone with data plan contracts" because I do have wifi majority of times on campus and back home. But "majority of the time" doesnt' mean "always" and I would like a device that can keep me occupied offline, while at the same time sitting in my pocket. (That takes even the smallest of netbooks, perhaps the eee 4g 701 out of the equation. I have that device already, but couldn't find a belt clip for it !!!)

(I have some advanced questions as well, such as the ability to install other operating systems, booting of the SD card or perhaps installing applications to the SD card, coding on the maemo platform etc but I think I will retain those for after I have bought the device ;-)

Any suggestions?

Yes. You won't have to edit a config for wpa_supplicant - the gui should take care of it.

I'm not 100% sure. How is it provided; ie .deb or source? The question isn't so much about the OS platform as it is the hardware platform (armel).

Adequate. You'll need the correct repo: http://gronmayer.com/it

Bluetooth tethering is easy. Very easy.

abiword and gnumeric have been ported, and a pdf viewer is built-in.

dunno

garnet vm is the most seamless solution regarding syncing. Alarms require the VM to be running.

Not effectively last I heard. Things may easily have changed since then.

You won't have a problem.

adblock yes, foxmarks no. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MicroB

That was super helpful.

Thanks a ton

vpnc should work with my school's CiscoVPN setup. vpnc-gui is also available for a simple GUI that can also import .pcf profiles. Both packages are available in Maemo Extras.

I use vpnc-gui with my Uni's Cisco VPN server and it works.

I just tried adblock plus on microb and the slowdown was significant. I'd recommend a custom hosts file.

You might want to add non- in front of that adequate there.

A2DP takes a little setup, I just got it working yesterday. It only works in mplayer based applications, but canola, the all-in-one media application can be configured to play with mplayer. AVRCP does not work, at least with my bt headphones, only the volume buttons work. And I have not tried skype yet.

Foxmarks (or whatever they changed the name to) is great....doesn't work in microb (tablet's browser) though.

A kludge that I have found to "work" is to export my bookmarks to a html file stored on the tablet and to bookmark the file so I can open it within my browser of choice (Tear - at the moment).

Not the most elegant but it works.

OS2008 doesn't do Java well by default.
Your best bet would be Easy Debian or Nitdroid.

oh my Easy debian looks radical! Is it stable? Does installing it affect me in anyway other than positively?