- Tuesday, 17 November 2009
- INQ Mobile
- RSS
The truth will out. But will it be out in time? - Mike Magee
Built-in GPS and keypad enhances Wi-fi handheld
Supplier: Nokia
Available through:
www.nokia.co.uk/shop
Price: £299 inc VAT
IT'S ALMOST a contradiction in terms but the N810 Tablet from Nokia is a hand-held device which doesn't actually possess any cellular capability. But it will still appeal to the smartphone fraternity.
In essence the N810 is an upgraded version of Nokia's first foray into the Linux portable world - the N800. But this time the handheld actually boasts a slide-out Qwerty keyboard.
So it has gone from being a touchscreen only product to a combined touch/keypad input device. The complete opposite to Apple with the Iphone. And rather than 3G, the N810 only supports Wi-fi (802.11b/g) or a 3G link via Bluetooth to a mobile phone.
The most important feature about the N810 - and the biggest difference between it and the previous model - is that it actually has a GPS capability built in. Sadly the N810 was launched indoors to it was impossible to tell how well the GPS facility actually works.
Aside from its obvious advantages in the location based services arena, the N810 will also act a a half decent video and music player.
Perhaps the most significant change, however, is the fact that the N810's browser has abandoned technology provided by Opera in place of a new browser which heavily draws on the capabilities of the Mozilla browser.
So this means that in addition to support for Adobe Flash 9.0, the browser can also handle Ajax. It was difficult to gauge how much of a difference this makes when surfing the net.
We tried looking at the popular Typepad blogging site but found the typeface so small it was almost unreadable. Bizzarely a helpful Nokia techie hit a button underneath the N810 which helped by zooming in.
Additionally, it was almost impossible to tell just how swiftly users could acclimatise themselves to the N810's slide-out keyboard.
Curiously, the device boasts a fold-out arm which is intended to enable the tablet to sit on the desk. But the INQ witnessed at least one reviewer using the arm to get a better grip on the NN810 while typing.
Probably the best news to emerge from the launch of the N810 is that all of the software - based around Maemo Linux will be made available to existing N800 owners for free.
Somewhat surprisingly the N810 contains a VGA style camera - not so much for taking snaps but for acting as a video camera for video calls. It would be easy to use this facility in conjunction with a Skype call, for example.
At £299, the NN810 represents an interesting diversification for Nokia. The INQ can't see it selling in massive numbers but it will form a solid basis for Nokia's move into intelligent devices which don't actually have a callphone built-in.
The Good
Built-in GPS
The Bad
Only VGA camera
The Ugly
No 3G
Bartender's Verdict
Share this:
ShareBusiness Intelligence Software
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Enterprise Accounting Software
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Enterprise Systems Management
Hey there ! :) 
It doesn't have gsm capabilities. Which is quite ugly, since it has BT and a set of wifi headsets over BT is cheap. More and more recent pda's include gsm support as a feature . I would buy it instantly if I knew how the gps was working and what programs I could use that cover my area. 
I do agree that the score is a little too low for what it offers. Linux, wifi, BT, maybe two SD slots (?). And why a half decent music and video player ?
So you know if it can do 3G by a USB modem?

In essence the N810 is an upgraded version of Nokia's first foray into the Linux portable world - the N800.

Wasnt the 770 Nokia's first foray ?
The score seems to be hampered by the fact that it's not a phone. The review as a whole is pretty decent, apart from the additional keyboard and the difficulty in viewing a specific website. 

If this was tom-tom putting out this pda, instead of Nokia, I'm sure it would get a much better score.

If only having a VGA camera is not a bad thing and I don't need another 3g phone, what would the bartenders verdict be?

I hope that Nokia 810 tablet VGA camera will have capability like all the latest camera / digicam. Can Record movie @ DVD Quality and or take picture @ vga mode. Hopefully I can take VGA picuture with clean and sharp picuture @ ISO 3200 with big lense =)).
I have to agree, I can't see why the score is so low either. This is no phone, thus 3G is not necessary, since everyone interested in such a thing already has a phone with 3G and bluetooth. If this were a phone, I would agree that no 3G would be bad. Now no 3G is good, since it saves money and space, which may be used for other things :)
I dont get all those comments about missing 3G (or GSM) capability. Nobody would expect it in a UMPC, and that's what the N810 is. Besides, I already have a 3G phone. I wouldnt want to buy a second one. Nokias approach to simply let me use the phone I like (not a Nokia phone, btw) together with the N810 is great.

Also, Nokia repeatedly stated they dont see the N810 as an upgraded version of the N800. From their (and my) point of view its a variation. It lost some features and gained some. People who want GPS will go for the N810, those who prefer regular SD cards and more storage will buy an N800.
Horrible review. 

It ignores the fact that the 770 was Nokia's first Linux tablet, confuses the device with a phone, and expresses surprise at features the N800 also possessed (webcam, fold-out stand).

Guys, it's billed as an internet tablet. Not a phone. It's a very small touchscreen COMPUTER. NOT a phone. 
Totally different path defined for this NON-phone product. It doesn't need GSM, 3g, et al. 

It's not a phone. It connects over wifi or uses bluetooth to connect with THE PHONE YOU WOULD ALREADY HAVE.

The score is nuts. It's wrought of ignorance.

Did I mention the N810 is not a phone?
It's not a phone, it's not a phone...It is not a phone but would be nice to have such as an option. Say, GSM/3G would add only $20 and 2-5 MP camera $5-8 to bill of materials of $450 device, so why not ? We are already full like a mule of electronic gadgets which are frying and cracking our testicles.
...for hacking community