Hedgecore | # 21 | 2006-10-30, 22:42 | Report

Well, here's the thing. I think they're not judging their user base too well. That survey on Tableteer had a huge section about cell phone usage. I don't have a cell, nor do I want one. I think that with the internet tablet niche, many users who do own a cell never pair the two together. If this is supposed to be a boost for their phone division, I think they missed the mark on it. I'd be interested to see a survey as to the user demographic that either a.) doesn't own a cell, b.) does but never uses it with the 770, and c.) does and uses them in combination.

I think the cam is really a stab at the combo market, mainly internet kiddies with MySpace pages. (not to say the combo market is made of them entirely) But c'mon. It's a linux based tablet without the pink sparkly grossness that MSN/Yahoo/AIM have "blessed" the internet with. That market is more likely to pick up a Mylo.

thoughtfix | # 22 | 2006-10-31, 00:01 | Report

Agreed - so to speak. I think the addition of the camera is twofold:
one: Put the last nail in the Sony Mylo coffin
two: Try to appeal to a broader userbase.

Texrat | # 23 | 2006-10-31, 01:32 | Report

Webcam for video calls.

Texrat | # 24 | 2006-10-31, 01:34 | Report

Not that I want to, but I often have to use my cellphone as a modem for my 770. It's good to have that as an option when WiFi is unavailable or inaccessable.

BruceL | # 25 | 2006-10-31, 05:47 | Report

I don't understand not wanting to have a camera. Cameras are TINY! There is no weight concern. You have to carry a camera anyhow.

Here is the choice:
1) 770 + phone + camera + scanner + fax/copier(with printer)
2) 870

I've been wanting to write a program that uses multiple passes of a web-cam to do high-res scanning and faxing/printer-copying. If the camera is of sufficient quality I'll probably take the plunge. Why have a separate (and not really portable) scanner/fax? I can take my entire office in my pocket unless I need scanning/faxing; then it's back to the luggable briefcase. YUCK!

My wish list is:
better processor (So audio/video doesn't ever skip)
more memory (So I don't have to use expansion for software/VM; only for media)
SD expansion (for all of my books, music, video, photos, scanned files, etc.)
camera (3 to 5 mega pixels with internal optical zoom)
data link (e.g., EDGE or WiMAX)
powered USB (and USB charging).

I would like a keyboard and better battery if they add no weight/size. (A built-in laser virtual keyboard would be amazing!)

I would like software for PRINTING!, bluetooth steero/VOIP profiles, a USB monitor driver and my fax/scan software.

The bottom line is I don't want to carry five devices and all their cables.

Bruce

smith | # 26 | 2006-10-31, 07:09 | Report

more cpu, more memory, a camera,... and the same battery. I hope that the battery live is like 770, otherwise it's a problem.

aflegg | # 27 | 2006-10-31, 07:20 | Report

I have to carry a camera anyhow? I really don't have to, and don't want to. There is no use case where I could find any camera phone useful. If I want to take a picture, I want a proper camera; I want my phone to be four things:

1. A device for having voice conversations with people far away.
2. A device to sending short text messages to people to pick up when convenient.
3. A device to managing my voicemail.
4. A device to act as a high speed connection to the Internet when I've got my 770 with me.

This package should be as small and stylish as possible. A camera is most certainly not part of it.

Except the "870" doesn't have a GSM/GPRS/UMTS component (quite rightly) so the actual choices are:

1. 770 + phone (with camera)
2. 870 (with camera) + phone (with camera)

A nice idea, but why not use the existing capabilities of the 770 to read images over Bluetooth from the paired phone's camera (if present)?

Of course, without sacrificing battery life, size or weight. Not that they won't do this, but it smacks of the wanting the moon on a stick!

I understand that people dislike RS-MMC, but it doesn't bother me. Having now got a 1GB RS-MMC card, I wouldn't want to have to replace it for use with the next device.

EDGE is just GPRS+ or UMTS-, so is a technical dead end. As I said above, it's been clear why - from business and tarket market use-case points of view - they've no interest in adding GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS. As for WiMAX, I'd be surprised - there don't seem to be any large usages - but I could be wrong.

Indeed, that's a killer.

Effectively, then, something with the power to afford the flexibility of a full-blown desktop computer, with the comparable computing power and expansion options. In a device smaller than an A6 piece of paper, which is lightweight and costs around £250.

I agree it'd be nice, but so would winning the lottery!

Cheers,

Andrew

SD69 | # 28 | 2006-10-31, 14:23 | Report

You don't get it - the key to having a good internet tablet is knowing what to leave out. Try to do too much and you lose mobility.

Texrat | # 29 | 2006-10-31, 16:19 | Report

Printing and better file-sharing are a must for the success of these devices. An internet device is only as useful as its interoperability with the rest of the world. These features are just a matter of software so I don't see them as a big hurdle.

Come on, Nokia, get on the ball!

=DC= | # 30 | 2006-10-31, 17:09 | Report

I think the real question is being avoided at this point. What does everyone think the price of this thing will be? I say $400. I'd pay that if it's smaller than the 770, the cpu is a little faster, it has a little more memory, and if that really is a camera. If any two of these turn out to not be, I think I'll wait for the next one to surface and stick with the OS updates for the 770.