A quick scan of the specs inside the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet proves why the multi-functional device could usher in a new era of mobile computing. Nokia might be known for phones but this time they got a winner from a different tech species.
Digital Journal — There’s been a lot of talk about merging Internet and cellphones. But what about a Net-only device, bundled with other goodies except talk time? Nokia is hoping the successor to its N800 will get everyone talking about mobile Web browsing when the N810 Internet Tablet hits store shelves worldwide in November.
Retailing for $479 US, the N810 boasts impressive specs: 4.13-inch colour display, 2GB storage with an optional 10GB memory card, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth capability and integrated digital camera. Add apps like Skype and YouTube video playback, along with a Mozilla browser, and you got a powerful device that could rattle the mobile computing industry.
A significant addition to its predecessor is the N810’s built-in GPS technology. Users can take advantage of voice-guided navigation to get around town, or access the points-of-interest app to locate hot spots around a foreign city with the device’s maps. Best of all, you don’t need to connect to the Internet to use the GPS function.
Nokia is known as cellphone company so why concentrate on a Net-only device? In an interview with Digital Journal, Nokia’s product director Olavi Toivainen said:
What we’re engineering is a whole new concept of mobile computing, meaning we’ve really focused on creating a clean interface for mobilizing the Internet.
Although the device uses touchscreen technology, Toivainen also highlighted the full QWERTY keyboard that slides from the N810. “We want to take into account fast text entry, and the social aspect of carrying this device,” he remarked.
Using the Net on the road is shaping up to be the hot trend of the year, especially if you look at the success of Apple’s iPhone and its copycats. But what the Nokia N810 has going for it is its large screen, full keyboard and a focus on Net mobility which doesn’t detract from its core goal. And if it did want to include phone capability, it would have to play by a carrier’s rules, so Nokia is already a winner for going it alone. It should pay off, because the N810 Internet Tablet has all the functions and good looks of a device that could soar to success.
