Does Tiny Nokia 770\'s New OS Deliver?

[bgerber]

Nokia\'s OS-upgraded 770 delivers the same great screen and adds IM, VOIP and extended virtual memory. Does the new operating system make the 770 a Linux-based web tablet ready for prime time?

Speak out in the MobilityGuru reader survey!

 

[primaz]

Nokia has ability to create good hardware but their corporate cheapness of not wanting to pay the licence fees of Microsoft are hurting them in this device. That mentality is ok for a phone when most just use it for a true phone but the moment you want to get into the PDA or true mobile computing realm designing any device regardless of your hardware quality will not work, just look what happened to probably the best ever hardware design for mobile use the Psion - dead.

When you are mobile you need to collaborate with people directly thus you need the same OS. Also the desired input of most is still a touch type keyboard NOT a pen and definately NOT any type of thumb input!!!! They should have made the device longer say 7.5 " long and about 3 to 3.5 " wide and made a touch type keyboard either part of it like the old Psion or make it an optional piece. If you are not a geek, then your likely not willing to use linux OS.

The good thing the device proves is the technology is there to make a great mobile computer if hardware people would only get a clue as to what type of form factor and input that most want; we want a unit designed for touch type keyboard input yet small enough to fit in a jacket pocket period.

 

[othercents]

Looks like a nice unit and has some good features. Right now I use my PDA to browse the web from home when I'm too lazy to bootup my laptop or desktop. I do like the IP phone option, but I don't see why they didn't include a small camera and just increase the functionality to be a Video Phone. This would have been a great feature.

Other

 

[Snow_Mann]

If you are not a geek, then your likely not willing to use linux OS.

I think that if you are not a geek you may not even know that youre using linux, hell you might not even know what linux is

 

[Stardude82]

I'm sure the OS is great, but I'm also sure you can't monkey around with it much. Anotherthing that bothers me is on all these PDA's they seem to put horrible restrictions on the memory cards. Granted RS-MMC aren't much more expensive than SD/MMC cards, but the 1 GB cap is still an impediment to its use as a multi-media device. That's not even worrying about battery life, sound quality, and capatibility.se.
Maybe if it did have some sort of high speed celular capability it would be worth it. Also, I would like to see wired LAN access, just because. Even cooler if they could make this into a mobile router for high speed wireless internet. It has linux and it could do this with the afore mention wired network adaptor or I guess the built in wireless.
Bottom line another almost useless half-baked toy nokia has come up with continuing its march of crappy internet appliances.This is especially true when you can find wi-fi laptops for near to that price.

 

[Narg]

First, still too small.

When UMPCs get to near the $500 range, they will blow this little guy out of the water. For real internet and document needs, you have to have at least 1024x768 if not more. And 3 hours is much too short. 6 hours or it's a waste of time. Also, 64 meg? WTF? What can you do with 64 meg these days? Nothing!

 

[bgetchel]

Put a GSM worldphone in it and it would be my dream-come-true (until I start dreaming bigger).

I can't belive they didn't stick a phone in this. I like my T-Mobile MDA PPC Phone quite a bit, but it's SLOW (even overclocked to 240MHz from 180), has limited storage (though I have 2GB mini-SD cards), a crappy screen, and a quasi-useless keyboard for hamfists like me.

The 770 **COULD** have been my final solution.



Brendan