Nokia N810

“The Nokia N810 Internet Tablet WiMAX Edition isn't on the market yet, but the original non-WiMAX model is selling for around $350 or 400. WiMAX certainly transforms this gadget into a more interesting go-anywhere Web surfing device, but I still feel that its primary appeal is to Linux geeks, since it lacks some other key apps and has a relatively high price. Also, WiMAX isn't widely available yet. Today, most people will likely settle on an iPhone 3G, instead. If not, Nokia's own excellent E71, or a XOHM-powered mini-laptop are viable alternatives.”

“Nokia isn't foolish enough to think that its line of Internet Tablets is going to attract everyone. The company has readily admitted that it's for a certain audience--gadget lovers and early adopters--and we certainly agree with that statement. However, with every successive model, we also see more appeal in such a device. The latest model, the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet, features some nice improvements, including a full QWERTY keyboard and integrated GPS. There's also a more robust Web browser and improved interface, courtesy of the latest Nokia Internet Tablet 2008 operating system. And while these are all welcome additions, we ended up slightly disappointed when we found the keyboard to be a bit cramped and that you had to pay an extra $130 for driving directions. As such, we don't think the N810 is necessarily worth upgrading to from Nokia N800 Internet Tablet but if you're making your first foray into the mobile Internet devices, the Nokia N810 is a sleek and Web 2.0-friendly choice.”

“For what it is, the N810 is great – internet browsing delivers computer-like experience (thought we would have liked some phone features such as panning) and viewing pages is great. Multimedia is just as one would like, once the correct application is installed and the QWERTY is just OK for messaging. The hardware is great, so it is the software that matters. There are lots of applications for the open-source system and their number is growing, check them out and if you like them, the N810 will be a good device for you.”

“It’s pretty remarkable that something so compact can do so much. The iPod touch puts the full Web in your pocket and does it so much more elegantly and cheaply. But only the N810 has a full keyboard, dial-up networking, and GPS. It’s more than worth the $479 for power users looking for something more versatile.”