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Nokia N800 Internet Tablet |
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Written by darkchineseboy
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Monday, 19 February 2007 |
OK, so we might not be the first to review this device but we sure have a lot to say about this 2nd generation Internet tablet by Nokia. We think it has a lot of potential.
IntroductionEver wish you could surf the web or chat with friends from a comfortable position on the couch or wish you could travel somewhere and have the versatility of a web browser, portable media player and PDA without having to lug around a laptop or multiple devices? Nokia’s solution to these problems is the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet.
What’s in the Box
 - Nokia N800
- Soft carrying case
- 128 MB miniSD flash memory with SD adapter
- wired headset with push-mute
- usb to mini usb cable
- instruction manual
Features4.1” 800 x 480 pixel touch screen
320 MHz TI Omap 2420 processor
128 MB RAM
256 MB of Flash ROM
dual SD memory card slots
802.11b/g WiFi
built in webcam
Bluetooth 2.0
Design and FinishThe touch screen on the N800 is amazing. The combination of high resolution and brightness really contributes to the beauty of the screen. The build quality is also high. The textured metallic faceplate and matte black body make for a handsome device and do not make the device a fingerprint magnet. The matte plastic body also gives the N800 a tactile feel so it does not feel slippery enough to drop easily. The device feels solid and sturdy while avoiding feeling clunky and overweight.
PerformanceThe N800 is no speed demon. The startup time is around 30 seconds and there is some lag when bringing up menus and navigating between different windows but not to an unnerving degree. It could definitely use a little more horsepower though.
General Usage
 The main application includes a Google toolbar, an internet radio streamer (from streams that you have set up), a quick contacts list, and a news headline (similar to an RSS feed) as well as a link to a Nokia webpage that shows you the ins and outs of using the N800.
The sidebar allows for very quick and easy multitasking and is great when browsing the web and listening to MP3s at the same time. Although it is quite large, you can toggle it on and off with the middle button on the top. This is especially convenient when surfing the web.
 Another nice feature is that the screen will detect whether you are using your finger or the stylus and pop up an appropriate sized keyboard. It also does this for shortcuts on the left sidebar. However, anyone that has used a device with a virtual keyboard knows how much of a chore it is. Fortunately the Nokia N800 has a handwriting recognition system that works very well. When navigating web pages and inputting the web address using the stylus, I found the handwriting system to be very fast and accurate. There is even an application built in that allows you to view different inputs for every character the N800 will recognize.
There is also an application manager that allows you to download utilities, skins and applications for the N800. This application will connect to a Nokia server on the web to retrieve a catalog list of applications you can install. From there you can pick and choose from a variety. Current applications include an FM radio application for the N800, a plain-text editor and a media streamer among others.
Web Browser
 The web browser is the real meat and potatoes of the Nokia N800 and it delivers. When using the web browser, the top buttons will set the zoom amount and toggle full screen mode. Thanks to the fantastic screen, text is always razor sharp (with anti-aliased fonts) and despite the lack of a scroll wheel, it is possible and quite intuitive to use click and drag to navigate around a webpage. Holding down the stylus will bring up a context menu that allows you to add the current page to favorites, save images, zoom and perform other context sensitive actions. I found the web browser to be slightly laggy but more than acceptable for a portable device. However, those who want to spend time watching videos on Youtube and Google video will be disappointed. Web video playback is choppy and inconsistent.
The N800 supports RSS news feeds and has its own built in RSS reader. It shows the RSS feeds on the left and displays the article content on the right side and is very convenient and easy to use.
PDA FunctionalityThe N800 does not appear to be a complete replacement for a PDA. There is no calendar built in but there is an email client (POP3 and IMAP supported) as well as a text editor and PDA viewer. There is a world clock as well. The contact system is tightly integrated with Google Talk (if you have a Gmail account you can use that as well) and chatting it up with your buddies is quite easy and convenient. It is really a shame that a simple calendar was not implemented for the N800 because it seems like a natural complement to the device and would be able to take advantage of the large touch screen and make the device seem more complete. Nowadays most cell phones even have a calendar and appointment system.
Media PlayerThe media player has a very Itunes-ish interface and allows for easy playback. I was not particularly impressed with the way ID3 tag info on mp3 files was displayed, however. For the currently playing song the name of the song, artist and album is displayed towards the bottom of the screen separated by commas.
In the media player application, the top buttons are used to adjust the volume.
The sound quality is impressive from this device. As with almost all portable devices the external speakers leave much to be desired so I recommend using headphones. I tested playback with Shure E3C headphones. Everything was crystal clear from rock to pop to classical and even the bass came through on hip hop sound tracks. However, video playback is another story. Although the N800 plays a multitude of formats, playback is very choppy.
There is also support for internet radio streams. To add them to the media player from the web browser you hold down the stylus on the link to bring up the context menu and select “Add link to media library…” This will create a new shortcut in the media player for the selected stream.
ExtrasThe N800 also has applications as well as some games built in. The applications include a calculator, a world clock, an application for writing notes, a PDF reader and a sketch pad. The game package is standard fare with Chess, Blocks (tetris), Mah Jong and Marbles.
ProsHigh resolution touch screen
Sound quality
Web browser
RSS news reader
Support for internet radio streams
ConsChoppy video playback
No calendar application
Conclusion
The N800 is designed as an Internet tablet and it delivers. Nokia has delivered a high quality device to the market at a reasonable price point ($399). For those who are constantly checking their email and need their news updates, the N800 is a convenient elegant solution and is one of the best devices on the market to do so. With a few tweaks and improvements Nokia could have a great device instead of just a good one.
Verdict: recommended.
Nokia N800 Image Gallery
    
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