Nokia N800 Internet Tablet unboxed

Well surprise surprise, it looks like Nokia is taking a bit different branding tact with its 770 successor, adding it to the N series and giving it a fancy new N800 moniker. Oh, and did we mention it's been unboxed? Yeah, that's right, the new Internet Tablet hasn't gotten even as much as a release date yet, but it's already been party to that most geeky of rituals. So head on past the break and see this shiny wonder for yourself, there's even some live webcam action to be had -- what's there to lose?

[Soul @ Jan 5th 2007 10:26PM]

Looks pretty nice but I think the direction pad should be on the right side

[Steven @ Jan 6th 2007 3:23AM]

Its on the left because your right hand holds a stylus. Unless of course youre left handed....

[Leomar @ Jan 5th 2007 10:30PM]

It could be slimmer like the 770 but it still looks nice.

[tiMmy @ Jan 5th 2007 11:06PM]

I just put this out on the shelf at compUSA today!!! Crazy!

[Texrat @ Jan 7th 2007 4:22PM]

tiMmy, did you not notice the yellow sticker on the shipping carton? You were supposed to leave these PACKED for now.

[None @ Jan 5th 2007 11:12PM]

Specs please. Particularly CPUs and RAM

[Kevin Gass @ Jan 5th 2007 11:15PM]

Specs and Price please

[Jonathan Zencovich @ Jan 5th 2007 11:19PM]

Amazing High Res pics!

Original Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/5th_avenue/sets/72157594461870146/

I've been waiting for this for so long. Glad to see the N800 finally approaching launch. Currently awaiting Official specs.

--Jon Z

[Jonathan Zencovich @ Jan 5th 2007 11:21PM]

Forgive the double post, but I forgot to add that the pics on the original source (Flickr) are up to 3888 x 2592! When I said High Res, I meant it!

--Jon Z

[Drew @ Jan 5th 2007 11:39PM]

So, could this be used while out and about for general internetting? I'm behind on the "internet tablet" news. Does it only have 802.11b/g compatibility?

[bnet504 @ Jan 5th 2007 11:48PM]

From the back of the box:
"Many features and mobile services are network dependent and require network support. Some networks have limitations that affect how you can use phone features. Contact your service provider about feature support and availability."

So does that mean the n800 has some sort of GSM support or are they simply referring to the Wi-Fi?

[umijin @ Jan 5th 2007 11:49PM]

SPECS! PICS are great, but specs are more important. How does it differ from the 770?

[bnet504 @ Jan 5th 2007 11:53PM]

The only thing that I see different so far is the addition of a VGA webcam.

[max @ Jan 6th 2007 12:04AM]

+ SD card support

[Aaaaa @ Jan 6th 2007 12:09AM]

I was hoping this thing would be a phone too.

Apparently it's not.

[justin richard @ Jan 6th 2007 12:43AM]

yeah if it did then it would even cost more

[Eric @ Jan 6th 2007 4:44PM]

I'm sure there will be Voip support.

[slip @ Jan 6th 2007 1:27AM]

Of course, the CompUSA sticker says it all, but you can also tell that these photos were taken in a store, probably from behind the glass display counter. Guessing from the fact that the shooter didn't unwrap the headphones and other accessories, this one is going back out on display...

Can't be long...

[IWantTouchScreen @ Jan 6th 2007 2:06AM]

piece of crap device, ultimately a minor improvement over the 770, which I own and haven't used for approximately 11 months.

If I'm downstairs or outside and need to do some internet access, I'd rather use my Treo, it has a keyboard which actually makes the experience better. That was the one major complaint about the 770 and it was not addressed. Way to go Nok!!

[dcarter @ Jan 6th 2007 2:22AM]

wow...you'd rather use a Trio.

thats cool,
but I can do full excel, manipulate and tab my N770 with my thinkoutside stowaway full size (fold-in-half) bluetooth keyboard, run ABIWORD for full Word compatible processing, view webpages at (relatively) normal 800x480 BRIGHT display, and laugh at Bill Gates from my rear-view WINDOW,
linux,
full speed ahead!

enjoy your "trio"

[Christopher Huang @ Jan 6th 2007 2:34AM]

Reading the back from the high-res Flickr photo, it says: "Easy internet connection over Wi-Fi or compatible mobile phone". Spotting the Bluetooth logo on the back as well, that must mean that it links to a mobile phone, using it as a modem via Bluetooth to get on the internet when it's not using Wi-Fi. It also says it's got a 4.13" (10.5 cm) touchscreen, which is smaller than the 770's, which was 7" I believe. It doesn't state the actual resolution though.

[Christopher Huang @ Jan 6th 2007 6:20AM]

Sorry, I was wrong - the 770 had a 4.1" screen too, so it's probably the same screen with 800x480 resolution.

[Deckard @ Jan 6th 2007 3:05AM]

Screen size on the N800 is the same as the original 770 - both are 4.13 inches.

Bluetooth on the N800 would be used to establish internet connections when WiFi (11b/11g) isn't an option.

The N800 has two SD slots, the original 770 had only one RS-MMC slot.

Nobody seems to know what the processor/memory specs are yet. Hopefully Nokia have upgrade the CPU to OMAP2410. If they added an extra 64Mb RAM that would be an absolute bonus but not essential, the 770 works quite well with it's current RAM compliment but is a bit limited by the CPU at times.

If you were hoping this would be a phone you clearly know little about Nokias thinking behind this device - Bluetooth will make up for the lack of phone functionality and lets you spend as much or as little on the phone of your choice.

How anyone can use a Treo to surf these days is beyond me... the screen is way too small! Try upgrading the OS on your 11 month old internet tablet - there have been about 5 major firmware releases in that time which may have solved whatever problems you experienced.

[John Tokash @ Jan 6th 2007 3:28AM]

Size comparison between the 770 and the 800:

http://blog.tokash.org/2007/01/05/nokia-n800-in-the-flesh-an-update-to-the-nokia-770-internet-tablet/

[slip @ Jan 6th 2007 4:31AM]

Looking again at the hi-res shots, I noticed that is says "Mini-USB connector". Didn't the original version have regular USB ports?

[Jens @ Jan 6th 2007 5:44AM]

The 770 had a USB Mini-B connector (as do virtually all devices of this size), so I'pretty certain this has one too.

As for the Treo... completely different type of device. Treo = 320x320, N800/770 = 800x480. Treo is good for quickly checking something, while you have an almost desktop-like browsing experience with the tablets.

[jack @ Jan 6th 2007 6:14AM]

Does it have gps support? I would love to use it as a carputer. If I cannot load maps on it to navigate with then it is useless to me. Is it full touchscreen or do I need the stylus to operate it?

[Larry Battraw @ Jan 6th 2007 10:32AM]

"Does it have gps support?" Yes, GPS support is great with an app called Maemo Mapper. It uses downloaded (offline or optionally online) Google maps and works really well; I've used it on quite a few trips although obviously you need a bluetooth GPS. That's actually one of my biggest use-cases besides web access and reading books.

[Rob Fleming @ Jan 6th 2007 10:40AM]

A quick call to Compusa reveals a $399.99 price tag. Local store supposedly has availability, going to check soon.

[Deckard @ Jan 6th 2007 11:25AM]

There's no built-in GPS but you can buy cheap Bluetooth GPS devices and use with the free Maemo Mapper, or buy the official Navigation Kit from Nokia with/without GPS device - the latter has maps on 1GB RS-MMC card.

I'm hoping the forthcoming Nokia N95 smartphone with built-in GPS can be used as the bluetooth GPS source for the 770/N800.

$399.99 at CompUSA probably works out at about $370 direct from Nokia. With the current USD/GBP exchange rate even $399.99 works out at about £205 - bargain!!!

[hobgoblin @ Jan 6th 2007 11:59AM]

looking forward to reading a review. and i would have expected that specs are up on nokia.com, have anyone bothered to check?

[Pac @ Jan 6th 2007 12:05PM]

The direction pad is on left because it is suposed to hold the stick with the right hand. I had the 770 for a while and i must say it was a great device. The internet browsing thing is really nice.

[E @ Jan 6th 2007 12:07PM]

OK. I'm a tech fanatic like everyone else here but what real use does this have beyond the "one ups manship" of a new tech toy. Most tech fans have a Treo or treo like cell phone that can go on the web. They have an iPod or other MP3 player, and possibly a laptop. What is the purpose of this thing, especially if theres no cell phone capabilities and free WiFi access is not ubiquitous? I not trying to be negative but I just don't get why consumers would need or want another class of device.

[Jens @ Jan 6th 2007 2:14PM]

iPod/generic MP3 players = great for listening to music anywhere
pocket digital camera = great for taking pictures anywhere
phone/Treo = great for calling anywhere
N800/other tablet's = great for browsing anywhere

While your phone probably takes pictures, and every gadget is MP3 enabled these days, and you can run games and programs on the iPod, fact is that outside their dedicated use they make for shitty substitues of each other. A smart phone is no more a replacement for the tablet's browser than it's for the iPod's player. Considering how much time each day people spend browsing, I think it does deserve its own gadget category.

Perhaps it's something you just have to try before it "clicks". Does your smart phone support Google Maps (and I don't mean some shitty Java version of it) but maps.google.com? Does it support Google Calendar / GMail / Ajax apps in general? Do you _really_ browse with it, or it is it just too expensive and/or inconvenient. The Treo just about renders the gif logo at www.google.com in full width. The 770 renders Engadget in full glory making no compromises.

[justin richard @ Jan 6th 2007 2:17PM]

yeah if it did it would even cost more heck i would by it now if i had the money

[sasha @ Jan 6th 2007 2:45PM]

The processor of the 770 was so slow it was barely functional. Multitasking wasn't functional at all - let's hope this guy has a decent bump in speed.


__________________
sasha
http://web.mac.com/preuss

[Rob Fleming @ Jan 6th 2007 2:55PM]

Disclaimer: dont complain that i dont have exact specifics because there was no manual in my box, just warranty card and quick start guide.

I just purchased a Nokia 770 from CompUSA a few days ago. Called my local store with the sku off the picture and they had a store with them in stock. Went down, returned mine (no 15% restocking fee).

They had to dig to find them, but they had 6 in stock. Brought it up to me, no problem. Rang in $399.

Short review:

Touch screen is not as squishy as before, seems harder and more responsive. I like the extra navigation buttons on the left.

Unit feels more metallic than before. I love the included stand. SD slot on the back. Comes with a 128 stick of memory. I just used my 512 stick.

The unit has 168.1 memory available, 26.1 used memory. It can do a 128meg virtual memory on the 512 stick i have.

Bad bugs when inputing text. Shift key has a mind of its own. Also, whoever made the font didnt finish the top of the lowercase 'g'. Doesnt do well transitioning between full screen keyboard and the smaller one (you lose the ability to edit multiple paragraphics, text copies itself, etc.)

Runs on Tablet 0S 2007. Version: 1.2006.47-20

I love the clicks and response noises. Also the stylus is better form fitting to the hand.

server for n800 tableteer is: n800.tableteer.nokia.com

youtube works sorta. all flash stuff on myspace seems to work also (once again/slow, choppy). But it does work.

More to come.

[IOTA @ Jan 6th 2007 3:07PM]

This is pretty nice on both cost and features. If only I didn't already have a 770.

Wasn't this was mentioned here about a month ago. I could've sworn they did say "integrated GPS". Is that the camera off the upper-right corner, it looks like it retracts. I'd prefer a GPS antenna.

Anyway, to note a few other things I haven't seen noted:

Instead of the metal "sleeve" used for protection of the screen in the 770, it looks like this has a rubberized edge. It might be a little nicer if there were another one of these surrounding the screen itself (might make mfg more difficult though).

The speaker seems to be distributed throughout the lower half of the face, which could indicate that Nokia had listened to the feedback about sound being sub par on the 770 (i.e. headphones are/were required).

From the back of the box, one can see the penguin (maemo remains the platform, nice), and the Google Talk icon is noticeable indicating VOIP remains (the 770 does support this).

Why couldn't someone have just copied the specs entirely from the box or manual?

Oh, and for the few that don't seem to "get it", the 770 would compete with cell phones if it had one. The 770 is more meant as a companion to a phone that is small but does have BT2.0 and some GPRS or better data connectivity.

IMO, a device that has a screen suitable for the www, is too large to carry everywhere. But even my 15" laptop is too much to take out when Im feeling relaxed and lazy.

If this had integrated GPS and at east 10GB storage (it already has the media player), then $500 would've left my account today.
Now I'm less broke, thanks Nokia.

[N800 @ Jan 6th 2007 3:09PM]

Rob Fleming:

Your usage of the word memory is vague. Can you determine how much *physical* RAM the unit has? Also, can you determine what the CPU model and clock speed are?

I don't know if there is an easier way but if you can read the files /proc/cpuinfo and /proc/meminfo that would do it.

[Rob Fleming @ Jan 6th 2007 3:42PM]

Sure, for a little clarity:

with no SD cards inserted, the memory application in the control panel says::

Storage memory in use: 26.1mb
Storeage memory available: 167.9mb

that is the physical ram in the system. i cant find the proc/cpuinfo or proc/meminfo documents, but here is the pdf of the instruction manual that is on the device:

http://rapidshare.com/files/10544738/User_guide_English_US.pdf.html

if you have any tips on how I may find the desired info please let me know.

[N800 @ Jan 6th 2007 5:00PM]

Rob Fleming:

I think that the 770 comes with a terminal application by default.
If so, use the virtual keyboard to type in the command

cat /proc/cpuinfo

and hit enter.
Do the same for meminfo:
cat /proc/meminfo

[cgallaty @ Jan 6th 2007 4:19PM]

Ha! Went to buy a 770 Friday at CompUSA and they could only sell me a N800. No info on Nokia's site. The Application Manager defaults the distro rev to Bora, which is cool, but a few major things I've pulled down are not working to snuff yet. (MPlayer, etc) Still longing for a PIM suite. Guess I'll have to write my own. Nice little surprise on the 2 SD slots (manual says they both handle up to 2GB, shweet)

Waiting for Noika to launch the damn thing so I can try the video conferencing!

[N800 @ Jan 6th 2007 4:46PM]

Rob Fleming:

Storage memory doesn't refer to physical volatile RAM but to the
non-volatile flash memory, used for storing your files/data. It is the 'hard disk' if you will.

Thanks for the system manual. Unfortunately I can't see any reference to something like a system information screen.
Hopefully someone with a 770 can give some direction on the easiest way to retrieve the system information.

[lurker @ Jan 6th 2007 5:14PM]

http://blog.tokash.org/2007/01/06/hands-on-with-the-nokia-n800-internet-tablet-next-in-the-nokia-770-series/

[fanoush @ Jan 6th 2007 5:15PM]

Rob Fleming:

Pleae point web browser on n800 to file:/proc/ or file:///proc/ and click on meminfo and cpuinfo and paste here. thanks.

[Steve Paine @ Jan 6th 2007 6:03PM]

I have added all the specs to a datasheet on Carrypad.
Will keep it up to date. http://www.carrypad.com/product/product.php?id=56
Should help people to get the latest info.
Steve

[XSportSeeker @ Jan 6th 2007 6:09PM]

Loved the idea on the cam.
It's not a cellphone? How's this any different from UMPC or Palmtop devices?

[Rob Fleming @ Jan 6th 2007 7:33PM]

I got into the proc folder, i clicked on both cpuinfo and meminfo and sorry, there is no information.

I wrote up a small review for now:

The N800 features a higher quality feel overall. The metallic feel of the case feels more professional than the previous model. The built-in stand also feels excellent. It has a nice metallic click and has two open positions. Opening the stand reveals the outside SD card slot. Very similiar to the previous model, pull the tab open and insert the card.

The battery compartment is easy to open, just a simple pull on the chrome metal tab and it opens with ease. Removing the panel the battery and internal SD card slot are visible.

The stylus has been redesigned to a shorter model. I like this far better than the previous one, which was too long to be comfortable. It is a triangular shape and offers more surface areas to grip. Sadly though the satisfying magnetic 'click' of putting the stylus back is now gone, replaced by a plastic click.

The outter screen feels solid compared to the last model. Tapping on the screen provides more tactile feedback (due to the harded surface). Tapping on letter keys color-flips the key to let you know that you typed that key.

I have mixed feelings about the outside navigation/buttons on the unit. I feel that the left side controls are all updated and better placed (the 4 way control fits perfect on the thumb now). The top buttons are now smaller and closer together, which makes them easier to reach but somewhat harder to press for those with larger fingers.

The onscreen keyboard feels better when used. I love the highlighting of the pressed key when using the stylus or hand (letting you know what key you hit). Also the added space after the predictive textis gone, and it seems to remember paired words (I searched for the word "Taco" then the word "Freedom" earlier, when I typed in "Taco" again, it immediately suggested the word "Freedom" after it). Ive also noticed the n800 figures out when im touching with my finger, and makes some icons bigger. Nice touch.

The Flash seems to be upgraded, and now most items on a Myspace page appear, even though they are slow. Same with youtube, after buffering is completed the video plays. Audio is good enough, but video is choppy at best. The increased memory helps, and I have hopes that this can be cleared up with updated firmware.

The speakers on the outside are much louder and higher quality.

Also the 4 way nav has a blue LED behind it, so when there is updated info on the unit, you can set it to pulse if you like. There is a Bluetooth icon on the home page, and you can single click it for options (like disconnect/invisble mode).

I can also confirm that there are settings for a bluetooth keyboard & hardware keyboard. I will try and find a way to hook up some USB devices to it and see what works.

For now thats all I have. I will post more as I do some more playing around with it.

[N800 User @ Oct 9th 2007 11:51AM]

i have already ordered for a nokia n800 and i just wanna know whether i can install yahoo messenger on it.and its plays videos frm youtube and other flash application..bcz i was havin 770 and it dosent plays youtube at all...thanks

[frivol1ty @ Jan 6th 2007 8:35PM]

Can anyone tell me which side the power cable plugs into?