Nokia N800 $200!

I have owned through work a Nokia 770 internet tablet. It is a odd thing, not quite a computer, definitely not a cell phone, or for that matter, a PDA (which is what it resembles). It's display is truly able to render web pages at 800x480, little compromise other than physical size of the screen. The device as zoom buttons so that navigating pages is not a chore. It is an internet tablet because of it's built-in wifi -- and it's small size makes it truly portable.

The replacement, the N800 is really a major fine-tuning of the fomula; faster, even better screen, two memory slots, built in camera -- and even a fm radio!

Nokia has just starting shipping the N810, which adds even more. More ram, one less memory slot, but now including GPS and a built in keyboard.

Both run a form of debian linux, so there is an active developer community, and with the release of the 810, there is an updated OS which manages to wring better performance of of the device, plus it now uses Mozilla as it's web browser. The built in camera works as a video camera with Skype, so you now have a voip device that can do video conferencing -- which you can slip into your pocket.

Nokia said some time back that the new OS would be available for the N800 as well -- since both devices have essentially the same hardware (sans extra memory and gps in the 810). People have managed to get a copy of the N810 OS and flash it on their N800 and it works, ahead of Nokia's official release.

The N800 is now $200 at Buy.com. This is really a bargain. I use the N770 as an Internet Radio, since it handles shoutcast streams just fine. The N800 improves on the experience with stereo speakers. I have publicradiofan.org as my homepage in the browser for the device, so I get immediate listings.

There is much more that is interesting about this device -- I am interested in exploring it's uPnP support -- which should let me access my media over my home network -- to listen to music or browse my photos.

I ordered one for myself yesterday, sort of a early christmas present.