Many thanks to Lucy from WOMWorld.com for making this review possible and lending me this device for a couple of weeks.
Preface:
The 'Nokia N800 Internet Tablet' device is not a classic Nokia N-series mobile phone as you can guess by its name, but an internet tablet device full of features. That means the device's prioritiy is to surf the internet, stream music or even make video-calls. But what is this device about? The following review will show if it's worth buying this device.
Pictures:
-> The device: Gallery with 41 pictures
-> Screenshots: Gallery with 70 pictures
Main features overview:
Here is a short overview to give you a summary of the N800's main features and technical data. Due to the linux based operating system it offers you a wide range of programs that will give you more possibilities while working with your device.
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High resolution touchscreen display (800 x 480 Pixel) with 65.536 colors
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320 MHz Texas Instruments OMAP processor
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Opera 8 internet browser
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Flash player (version 7)
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E-mail client
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Internet calling (VoIP) and video calling
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UPnP support (Vudio)
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High quality stereo loudspeaker
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Media player
- RSS
reader
-
PDF reader
-
File-manager
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Measurements: 75 x 144 x 13 mm
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Weight: 206 g
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Main memory: 128 MByte RAM
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Two memory card slots for SD-, microSD- MiniSD, MMC-, RS-MMS-cards
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Audio: AAC, AMR, MP2, MP3, RA (RealAudio), WAV, WMA
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Videos: 3GP, AVI, H.263, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, RV (Real Video)
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WLAN: 802.11b/g
- Bluetooth 2.0
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USB-Port (USB 2.0)
You will find further details regarding the N800's technical data and features at Nokia's N800 website. To give you an easy access to the corresponding links I have summarized the favorite links at the end of this review.
Sales package content:
For a price around 350 EURs there is everything in this package you need to get started. A larger memory card would have been great, but this can be purchased via the accessories dealer easily.
- Nokia N800 Internet Tablet (RX-34)
- Extra stylus
- Battery (BP-5L)
- 128MB MiniSD card with extender (MU-17)
- Stereo headset (HS-48)
- Travel charger (AC-4)
- Pouch (CP-136)
- Data cable (DKE-2)
- Quick start guide
- Safety, warranty and other product information
Housing and material impressions:
After opening the N-series typical box you can finally take a closer look at the Nokia N800. My first impression was really positive. In comparison to several product photos and live pictures I had found on the web the device is much smaller than I had imagined. The device feels really good while handling it, the surface is pretty handy and the housing is really thin.
The N800 has an improved accuracy of fit and smaller gaps between the two housing parts. In addition to the several operation-keys the case also houses the stylus to operate the screen and the expandable desk stand with. The stylus with its metal head is held inside the N800s housing by a magnet so you needn't be afraid of losing the stylus.
N800 - housing
Compared to the N770 the N800 is equipped with an integrated desk stand. You will find a small bracket at the backside of the device. The bracket can snap in at an angle of 45° or 90°. So the device is ready for being placed upon your table when you like to listen to music or enjoy a video.
The only
disadvantage of the N800's housing is the tipsy battery cover. There is too much space between the backside of the device and the battery cover, so you can easily push the battery cover some millimeters to the left or right. To fix this problem I recommend gluing some foam rubber underneath your battery cover so that it is pasted between the N800's back and the battery cover.
Display:
The large touchscreen is eye candy for the users' eyes. The screen measures 4.1 inches diagonally and offers you an active area of 52 cm². With its resolution of 800 x 480 pixels it is really top-notch. It's hardly possible to see a single pixel because the resolution is so fine. Due to the high resolution it is possible to display very small font sizes and whole webpages, you only need to scroll vertically. Even reading long texts is no problem. If the displayed font size happens to be too small a short press on the zoom button is enough to change the font size to a perfect dimension.
Certainly you can change the display brightness via the system controls or simply by pressing the dedicated symbol at the desktop's statusbar. Due to the variable display brightness it is possible to save some battery power; it makes sense to regulate the display light by 30-40% down. It is still bright enough to see everything perfectly in normal enviroments.
N800 - display
The screen has a smooth surface so that the sylus floats over it very smoothly. This makes the screen a little unprotected agains dust, so that it is wise to carry a cleaning tissue with you. If you intend to improve your accuracy with the stylus it is neccessary to calibrate the display (you only have to do this once).
Be aware of spikey objects, due to its touchscreen the N800's display is
relatively unprotected agains scratches or fingerprints. It is recommended to protect your screen with a screenfoil.
Battery life:
The battery with its capacity of 1500 mAh is
sufficient for the number of offered features. I used the device a lot and I came to an average usage time of
approximately 4.5 hours and a pure idle time of around 7 days. To optimize the battery lifetime I disabled bluetooth and WLAN when it wasn't required. For a fast deactivation of the radio interfaces it's enough to push down the power button once and select the offline mode.
During the regular usage time it is unproblematic to listen to music for several hours and use the web browser at the same time. Sure, a better battery is everybody's wish, but in my humble opinion approximately 3-5 hours of continuous usage are more than fine.
Navigation keys:
The entering of text and numbers is only possible via the touchscreen, therefore you have two possiblities: either you can use the stylus or your fingers. To help the N800 user while handling the device Nokia added several keys.
There are the following keys:
- Power key
- Zoom keys
- Full-screen key
- Scroll key
- Escape key
- Menu key
- Swap key
Now I would like to illustrate what the different keys are used for so that you can imagine better how to handle the N800.
-> Power key
With the power key you can not only power on or off the device but also lock the keys and touchscreen so there will be no unwanted entries when carrying the device. Futhermore, you can switch the device into offline mode after opening the corresponding menu.
-> Zoom keys
These two keys simplify surfing with this device
a lot because you can change the font size with pressing only one button. Depending on the information content of a website you can change the size incredibly fast.
-> Full-screen key
As you can see by the key's name this key is for switching to the fullscreen mode with only one press. In normal operating mode you have in view the additional side menu. Even when you surf the web or read longer texts this is a great feature.
-> Scroll-key
The N800 offers a 5-way scroll key which means the directions up, down, left, right, and in the middle you can confirm a selection. This key is responsible for every menu selection and function. You can use this key every time you don't want to use the stylus.
-> Escape-key
With the help of the escape key you can exit every context menu with a short press, or with a long press you can exit the active application. While using the internet browser the button works as a back button and takes you back to the last visited web page.
-> Menu-key
The menu key opens the menu of the currently running application. The content of that menu depends on the type of the application, of course.
-> Swap key
The swap key helps you to switch between the active applications running on your N800. You may also call this button a task switcher because it shows all running apps and allows you to switch in between them. A longer press on this button will take you back to the standby screen.
Camera:
Aside from the other features the N800 is equipped with a pop-out VGA camera. The camera resolution is very low with only 640 x 480 pixels. Don't expect too much from this camera, it suffers from a lot of noise and distortion in
artificially lit environments. By default the camera is only designed for video conferencing but you can add a still photo shooting feature by additional free software.
The camera quality is, as said before, not really good, so it's more a gimmick than a real valuable feature. A nice feature is that you can make the camera slide inside the case by pressing its upper side so it is protected inside the N800 when you don't need the camera.
Loudspeakers:
Nokia added two stereo speakers to the N800. Thanks to the available area the loudspeakers are quite large. Both speakers are located at the display's front at the bottom left and right side.
The sound is really good, the playback quality is really loud and clear. The volume is adjustable via the status menu. The only disadvantage is that the sound gets a bit distorted when playing at the highest volume. Altogether the quality of the built-in speakers is really good so that the N800 can be used as your personal desk radio (in this case it is really practical to use the desk stand).
Connectivity:
To keep your N800 connected it is equipped with a Bluetooth and a WLAN (54MBit/sec.) transceiver. With these two features you can easily access the internet or stream music off the net. When you are on the move it is reasonable to use the Bluetooth connection with a UMTS enabled mobile phone (the mobile phone is treated as a modem). Connected to such a device it is quite comfortable to use the N800's features on the go.
N800 - Connection manager
To get easy access to your network operator's internet parameters a dialing-assistant is preinstalled in the N800's software. Most of the world's countries and their specific dialing parameters are available and can be selected from the dropdown menu. After successfully completing the dialing-assistant you are ready to go.
Menu structure:
On the left side bar of the screen the following three main menu items are displayed permanently:
- Web menu
- Contacts menu
- Applications menu
Among these three menu items there is a reserved screen area for displaying the currently running applications. You can switch between the applications by a single click with the stylus.
The main menu's (which includes all installed programs) structure is nearly a copy of the classic Windows start menu. Here you will find the following menu items:
- Internet
- Address book
- Utilities
- Games
- System
- Extra
- Favorites
Furthermore, the following application links are in your main menu's list:
- Media player
- RSS-feed reader
- Pictures
- File manager
- Search
- Help
Certainly you can
cut and paste these programs into the different subfolders. The only thing you have to do is open the system control and select the desired shortcut. This way you can arrange the menu order according to your personal favors.
The N800's desktop enables you to personalize it with several desktop applets. By default applets like internet radio, RSS reader or a desktop clock are installed.
Desktop - Windows Vista theme
If this is not enough for your personalization requirements you can easily install other applets like the 'Simple launcher' or 'OMWeather'. To summarize, the standby screen is a nice feature with a lot of possibilities to fit your personal likes. Additionally you can change the applet's window size and its position on the deskop.
Handling:
The handling and usage of the N800 is a little bit tricky at the beginning, but you get used to it really fast (for instance, it took me only around 30 minutes). Actually you only have to keep in mind the handling of a desktop computer - applications are closed via the "X" at the upper right corner of the screen, the "V" arrow minimizes them. As said before you get access to the running or minimized applications at the left display section.
N800 - Using the stylus
Most of the features and options can even be accessed without using the stylus. In this review's chapter "Navigation keys" you will find more detailed information on how to use the device via the several keys.
Text input:
The N800's text input can be done in three different ways: via handwriting recognition, stylus entry or with your fingers directly on the touchscreen's fullscreen keyboard. In my opinion the best way is entering the text with the stylus. Hereby you can write longer texts without any problems. Short text entries or weblinks can also be written with the 'fullscreen finger keyboard'.
The handwriting recognition is another alternative, it just needs some time to get arranged with it. If you like writing with the handwriting recognition I'd recommend to use the handwriting recognition learning tool that is preinstalled on the device.
If these alternatives are inconvenient to you Nokia also offers the usage of an external bluetooth keyboard with is called Nokia SU-8W. After it is paired with the device via bluetooth it is ready to run.
Opera web browser:
The opera web browser is one of the applications I used on the N800 most frequently. This application runs really stable and fast while rendering and loading a website. The offered features are almost identical to those of a normal 'desktop web browser'. I suppose this is the application in which you will use the zoom and fullscreen keys the most.
N800 - Browser in fullscreen mode
The browser handles lots of different website specific stuff, like e.g. frames or plugins like Shockwave flash or Javascript. The option to create and administrate several bookmarks is self-evident.
It's very easy to install applications, themes, pictures or videos - the browser automatically opens the adequate application to 'play', 'install' or 'save' the specific file. I must say that with this browser my notebook is useless in some places.
E-mail client:
Let's take a look at the integrated email client. In my opinion the client is only equipped with most of the standard features. You can create several email accounts which can be checked for new emails at the same time. Naturally there are a lot of different features, for example: create email folders, define the automatic mail retrieval (from 5 minutes up to max. 2 hours) or even search your mails for a specific keyword.
Writing an email is quite easy, you simply have to select the receivers' email addresses from your address book. The font size of your emails can also be edited with just one click. The fact that you can attach files to your emails is self-evident.
RSS reader:
With the RSS feed reader you will be kept up-to-date with your news. You can add countless numbers of RSS feeds to the integrated reader. Furthermore the RSS reader gives you the opportunity to show the latest news on your homescreen.
N800 - RSS reader
Certainly you can change the refresh interval, so you can check for news manually or within defined intervals. The only problem I had with the RSS reader was when I tried to read larger feeds (with pictures); in this case the application slowed down noticeably.
Internet call and instant messaging:
For making internet calls or even instant messaging Nokia cooperates with the less widespread GoogleTalk community. The only thing you have to do is to register a free account there. After that you can use GoogleTalk for making video calls with the integrated camera or just use the instant messaging client. If your colleagues and friends are ICQ or MSN users (or whatever) I recommend to use the GAIM and Gizmo Project application to get in touch with them.
Media player:
Beside the
N800's internet capabilities the device is also equipped with a music and video player whose sound is excellent. The earphones that come along with the box are really good, they deliver a clean and distortion-free sound. The only flaw is that the earphones are not capable of low-beats playback (they transmit only insufficient bass).
If you like to listen to some music with your friends the built-in stereo speakers do a decent job; the sound is loud and clear.
Supported audio formats:
- AAC
- AMR
- AWB
- M4A
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MP2
- MP3
- Real Audio
- WAV
- WMA
During playback the media player can operate in the background because the N800 is certainly multitasking-enabled. You can also create and rename your personal playlists.
Despite the possibility of playing files stored in the local memory (or on one of the two memory card slots) the N800 is capable of streaming music directly from the WWW as well. Here are the supported streaming formats that are supported according to Nokia's N800 manual.
Supported audio streaming formats:
- AAC
- AMR
- AWB
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M4A
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MP2
- MP3
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RA
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WAV
If you select a radio station whose transmission format is one of the above right away from your web browser the device will automatically open the media player and play the selected stream. Of course you can categorize your favorite radio stations into a playlist for future playback.
Needless to say, the N800 can also play-back video files. These files will also be opened with the media player.
Supported video formats:
- AVI
- 3GP
- MP4
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MPG
- Real Video
The playback of N800 specific encoded videos is quite good if you use an adequate encoding bitrate. In this case the N800 will play-back your videos without larger frame dropping. The video playback is optionally possible in window mode or in fullscreen mode.
If you're planning to enjoy videos from internet platforms like youtube, GoogleVideo etc., it will be a little difficult with the N800's internet browser. You might be a little disappointed when you see the framerate of under 10 frames per second. Maybe the playback of such videos is a bit too much for the N800's
Texas Instruments processor (running at ~320 MHz).
Further pre-installed utilities:
Next to the main applications I've mentioned before there are some more applications that will help you thoughout the day. These applications don't have to be installed because they are preinstalled on the device. Here is a short overview:
-> Notes
Notes is just a basic tool to save your thoughts quick and easily.
-> PDF reader
This application is a small and fast PDF document reader. It can also handle larger PDF files without any slowdowns. Of course there is a zoom and fullscreen option so you can read longer texts without any problems.
-> Sketch
Sketch is a drawing application with different pencil sizes so you can draw a small sketch or something like that.
-> Calculator
A simple calculator that can handle the fundamental arithmetic operations.
-> Clock
This is a world clock with a map view and alarm clock function. Here you can set an individual alarm signal, your home country's time zone and a second time zone.
-> File manager
A simple file manager which shows the following predefined folders: audio clips, pictures, documents, games, videoclips etc. The file manager also allows you to browse the files of connected devices like Bluetooth phones or UPnP servers.
-> Application and Connection manager
As you can guess by its name the application manager allows you to install and uninstall applications. The so-called application catalogue can be searched in manually as well (you can also add further repositories).
The connection manager keeps your N800 connected to the world. You can configure your Wireless LAN or Bluetooth connection or even have the most important details and settings of the selected connection displayed.
-> Pictures
A basic picture viewer with the possibility to show your stored pictures in gallery mode or fullscreen with zoom function. Pictures can be sent via email or categorized in different folders.
Games:
There are the following four games for entertainment in between:
-> Chess
-> Blocks
-> Mahjong
-> Marbles
N800 - Chess
The games are not quite spectacular concerning their graphic quality but they're all addictive enough to spend some time with them.
Themes:
The N800 gives you the opportunity to customize the whole look of the menus to your personal convenience. Out of the box there are four different themes and some background pictures preinstalled on the device. If this is not enough for your liking there are a lot of themes for download. These themes change the colors of the menus, some icons, the status bar etc. So there are enough possibilities to customize the device according to your wishes.
3rd party software:
Because of the demand for more applications in addition to the standard applications I tried out a couple of the most commonly used and popular ones. The installation process is a bit tricky if you are an N800 or linux newbie.
First of all you have to add a couple of so-called repositories to your application catalogue (therefore you need the URL of the repository and the distribution name). Alternatively there are some applications that can be installed more easily because you only have to start an *.install file and select the installation folder.
If
you're having trouble with the installation process you should take some time to read this great tutorial or visit one of the websites at the end of this review.
Now let's
talk about the different applications I tested. Except for Rhapsody all other applications are totally free of charge:
-> Rhapsody
Rhapsody
Rhapsody is a streaming client which offers a library of more than 3 million music tracks. You can create and edit your own playlists for albums, artists or even music titles. Beside the artist and track name the album cover is shown as well which looks really nice.
To get started with the application Nokia and Real Networks offer a 30-days free trial version.
After the expiration of this term the usage will cost 9,95$ per month. Until now I couldn't find out if users of other countries beside the USA can use the pay version after the trial period has ended.
-> Canola
Canola
With Canola your N800 turns into a multimedia center. The application is close to the 'Windows XP Media Center' concerning its graphical layout. It allows you to open your stored videos, music and pictures. The application is loaded really fast, and it can handle larger files like videos without any problems. Configuring the shared files and settings of Canola is done via the web browser's interface - you can easily select the folder you would like to share.
Another great asset of this application is the fact that you can navigate in it only with your fingers. The user interface is large enough to e.g. click an icon with your thumb.
-> FM-Radio
The N800 features the hardware to listen to FM radio stations but by default there is no application to do so. This application closes the gap in the N800's feature list. With the FM radio applet you can now listen to local radio stations through the stereo headset or the integrated stereo speakers.
-> GPE Calendar
GPE Calendar
GPE Calender adds the previously missing calendar application to the device. It offers a day, week, month and agenda view. Entries can be specified with start and end time,
recurring appointments (e.g. daily, weekly, monthly) etc. The only disappointment is the missing sync function with your desktop computer - it's only possible to import vCards.
-> GPE Contacts
GPE Contacts
To extend the address book features it is recommended to use this nice application. You have the opportunity to store a couple of different phone numbers, birthday, email addresses, homepages, company address, home address etc. to each entry. Just like the previously mentioned application GPE Contacts offers no possibility to synchronize the data with the desktop computer either.
-> GPE ToDo
With GPE ToDo you can arrange and store your tasks. As a matter of course you can assign a priority to every task, mark them as done or delete them.
-> ScummVM
ScummVM - Day of the Tentacle
ScummVM is an emulator for playing old DOS games like Maniac Mansion or Indiana Jones on your N800. With this software you can revive all of the LucasArts childhood classics.
-> GAIM
GAIM - ICQ
In order to use instant messaging services like AIM, ICQ, Yahoo!, MSN, Jabber and IRC, GAIM is your must have app. It combines the most of the recent messengers into one application. Before you can use the different types it's necessary to install the corresponding protocols.
-> FBReader
FBReader is another must have app that allows you to open different sorts of ebook formats (like fb2, html, rtf, ...). It's a nice feature that the zoom buttons are defined as 'page forward' and 'page backward' buttons - that's why you can easily read ebooks without using the stylus.
-> Gizmo Project
Gizmo Project
If GoogleTalk is not enough to get in touch with other people then Gizmo Project is the best way to do so. It supports free calls to other Gizmo, GoogleTalk and MSN users. It also features cheap VoIP calls to landline phones. Furthermore you can make conference calls or even send instant messages. With this application your N800 turns into a VoIP phone.
-> Gnumeric Spreadsheet
Gnumeric Spreadsheet
This is a typical Microsoft Excel clone which helps you to handle office files on your device. The application can display *.xls files as well as edit and create them. Of course it's also possible to create graphs or construct difficult mathematical phrases.
-> Abiword
Abiword
Just like the last mentioned application this one is a clone of another program - in this case Abiword is a Microsoft Word clone. You can create, read and edit *.doc files without any problems. Texts can be formatted to fit into the desired layout.
-> Quiver Image Viewer
Quiver Image Viewer is just another must-have application. If you like to view many of your pictures at the same time on your N800 this app is a great way to do so. It features a nice looking slideshow (with slide-in effects) and a customizable thumbnail overview of the N800's folders. If you know image viewers like IrfanView or ACDSee from your desktop PC this is an N800 lite version of them.
-> Camera
As mentioned at the very beginning of my review the N800 is also equipped with a VGA camera (which is designed for video calls). With this tiny application your N800 turns into a photo camera you can take pictures and save them with. The disadvantage is the noisy and distorted image quality so it's only a feature for taking casual snapshots.
-> Simple Launcher
The Simple Launcher is a great must-have desktop applet. You can easily create a desktop bar for your mostly used shortcuts.
-> OMWeather
OMWeather
OMWeather is another desktop applet which allows you to show the weather forecast for your location. The application settings can be adjusted to your personal needs. The interface like number of forecasted days or even the font color, for example, can be changed as well as many more details.
The applications mentioned above are the best extensions for the N800 Internet Tablet device in my opinion. There are lots of other great free applications for this device. To get an overview you should visit http://downloads.maemo.org . On this page you will find countless possibilities to enlarge the device's application list.
Conclusion:
The N800 Internet Tablet does justice to its name and makes up a great possibility to use all of the internet applications packed in a small and handy case. The display is eye candy and the usage can be learned really quick.
Thanks to the two memory card slots the phone is a usable mp3 player, picture viewer and video player. Under heavy usage the battery has to be recharged very often. Altogether the N800 is a perfect addition to a desktop computer.
In some places the internet tablet can replace a PDA or notebook. Only the limited PIM features restrict the usage of the device tremendously. You can install tools like GPE contacts to evade this deficit but that wouldn't solve the missing sync capability problem either.
In my opinion the price of the N800 is adequate in relation to its features. The potential buyer gets a really good device with a huge amount of free 3rd party applications and only some small imperfections.
XX Links:
- Nokia N800 - Product page
- Nokia N800 - Interactive Nseries page
- Nokia N800 - Tutorial
- Nokia N800 - User guide (PDF)
- Nokia N800 - Software update
- Maemo.org - Offical Nokia developer page
- Internettablettalk.com - Great internet tablet forum
- WOM World.com
- Nokia Nseries blog
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