Nokia's Internet Tablet has come a long way since we saw it at CES last January. The company announced the latest incarnation--the Nokia N810--today at the Web 2.0 conference, and we were lucky enough to get a hands-on look when Nokia reps dropped by our office a few days ago.
The biggest--and most welcome--change between the newest Linux-based model and its predecessor is the addition of a full QWERTY keyboard that slides out from under the screen. As far as QWERTY models go, this one is reasonably comfortable and easy to use--and much preferable to pecking at an on-screen keyboard, which the N810 still offers as an option. The device's 4.3-inch touchscreen has improved as well--much like the iPhone and iPod Touch, you can scroll through pages on N810 with a quick flick of the finger. If you don't want to smudge up the screen, you can use the included stylus that tucks away into the device. Nokia also included an integrated GPS receiver in the N810, which comes with just the basics like pre-loaded maps and points of interest; for a fee, you can add voice-guided, turn-by-turn directions using a service called Wayfinder.
Aside from these additions, plus a few application refreshes and upgrades, the rest of the N810 is much of the same as its predecessor, not that it's a bad thing: the device still includes built-in 802.11b/g connectivity for connecting to WiFi hotspots, as well as Bluetooth 2.0 (that supports the profile for headsets) and a built-in Webcam/mic for VoIP calls and video chatting the pre-loaded Video Gizmo or Skype apps. The Web browsing experience has certainly improved from the last device--the N810 is optimized for popular sites like YouTube and Facebook, and we had no problem accessing our Gmail account--though the iPhone and iPod Touch still have a little leg-up with that ingenious "pinch-and-zoom" function you can use with their touchscreens.
Though we didn't get a chance to demo the N810's media capabilities, Nokia claims to have improved the overall functionality of its media apps--a key point considering this gadget now has media-savvy, WiFi-enabled iPod Touch to compete with. The N810 supports a generous number of audio, video, and photo file types; it also has a Rhapsody music player onboard, as well as video player and handy photo slide show function. Unfortunately, the N810 offers only 2GB of built-in flash memory, though it has an SD card slot on-board for user expansion. Like the N800, the N810 is also a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) device, which means you can stream media from the device to a big-screen display using a compatible UPnP-enabled networking device.
The Nokia N810 Internet Tablet will be available in the U.S. in mid-November with a suggested retail price of $479. Since it still lacks any cellular technology, the N810 can't really be considered an iPhone rival, though its everything-but-a-cell phone feature set should certainly appeal to business users who want to stay connected on the road without hauling around a full-fledged PC. We'd pick it over the Sony Mylo any day, but if it's media functionality you're after, you might still be better served with the iPod Touch, which offers more than eight times the capacity along with a Wi-Fi connection for $80 less than the N810.
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