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A review of the Nokia N810 Portable Internet Tablet

By Mark Anderson

Nokia's N810 can be considered a member of the next generation of the N800 internet tablet line. This is achieved through the addition of a retractable keyboard along with an internal GPS. Do not let the model number misguide you. The N810 is not a product that builds upon aspects of the N800. Rather, it promotes a variety of changes that allow it to become a completely new product. The following are a few features that allow the N810 to become an exceptional tablet for internet connectivity.

The N810 features a 4.1-inch 800X480 touchscreen similar to that found on many of its predecessors. Unlike previous models, the N810 includes a retractable QWERTY keyboard for those who prefer it. The N810 also features an internal GPS receiver and ships with onboard maps and navigation software. Shipping with 2 GB of onboard storage, the N810's memory is expandable via mini and micro SD cards. It also features 128 MB of DRAM. The onboard processor, a TI OMAP 2420, clocks at 400 MHz.

The N810 ships ready to work with most common internet and web 2.0 services. OS2008, a new revision of the Maemo Debian-based OS, brings various UI and stability improvements. Its Mozilla-based browser makes available the same Gecko rendering engine found in Firefox. Clients for Skype and Google Talk are also provided, making the N810 a formidable Voice Over IP (VOIP) appliance.

The hardware keyboard is a welcome addition for many users. By removing the requirement that all input be via the touchscreen, the N810 exposes for precious screen real-estate for situations where it might be needed. The unusual key placement and action take time to become accustomed with, however, and certain characters are still only accessible via an on-screen character chooser.

The N810's new OS is being offered with an improved default theme and exciting user interface. There are translucent panes along the top and both sides which allows for the home screen to retain the ability to be visible while maximizing the effectiveness of the unit's limited screen size. Panel layouts have also been modified to make the icons wider and also placing them in columns. This rendering them a great deal more conducive for thumb interaction work. Unlike the OS2007, home screen applications are draggable in a much better manner. This is a change that makes accidentally manipulating applications a great deal less complex. The N810's application support has also been significantly improved over past versions as well.

Nokia has adopted the Gecko engine in its browser in order to bring a richer AJAX and HTML rendering experience. The effects of this new rendering can be experienced through various web 2.0 services. Fans of Flash 9 will be pleased to know it is now supported in a solid upgrade from the original 7.0 support in OS2007. The N810's instant messaging support is properly and effectively integrated into the product where it shares portions of its data with the address book that has been included. Sadly, it is only the natively supported protocol Jabber/XMPP included which means only fragments of it will work with other N810 or XMPP users.

The N810's internal GPS is a decent system although it requires an additional software purchase in order to gain access to proper functionality. Initial startup may take a bit of time and subsequent warm boots can acquire satellite signals in less than a minute. The delivered GPS software and maps display position and all the close by points of interest, however routing and other advanced functions need a software upgrade.

Nokia's line of internet tablets delivers excellent new devices devised to blend in with and complement our daily lives. Those buyers seeking an internet tablet that can fill many general roles should look into the excellent choice of the N810.

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