Loads of Updates for the Nokia N800

You may recall how we very excitedly noted the launch of Skype on the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet a few months back. In case you've been living under a rock, the Nokia N800 is a Linux-based WiFi Internet Tablet with a 4.1" 800x480 touchscreen and 330 MHz processor. In addition to a Skype client, it has a great browser (Opera), email client and RSS reader, as well as a player for music and video. It has an active and open development platform and new applications are coming out for it all the time.

On that note, I've got a few updates and recent reviews to share...

First, the Skype client for the N800 has been updated (as noted by Raul in this post on Skype Garage)--it adds call forwarding and a bunch of usability improvements and bug fixes. You can get it here.

Second, Nokia recently put out a new version of firmware for the N800 (info and link here)--it fixes some issues with how the N800 handles its 2 SD card slots.

For those thinking about buying the device, you can check out a video review of the Nokia N800 from Download Squad here--the premise: is the N800 an iPhone killer? I have to say that while the two devices have similar feature sets, they're really for different purposes: the iPhone is a phone with limited internet capabilities while the N800 is a full-on Internet Tablet, allowing you to Skype, check email and browse the web via WiFi or your phone's data connection through Bluetooth.

TabletBlog also recently compared the N800 to the iPod Touch, noting the devices' comparative strengths and weaknesses as media players. When you compare the N800 to either of these two Apple products, I think it's worth keeping in mind the internet and openness focus of the N800--Nokia engineers want people to extend the value of the device by creating new applications and enhancing functionality, unlike the iPhone, which Apple has been locking back down through firmware updates, or the iPod Touch, which has a browser (that doesn't support Flash) but no built-in communications options (like email, IM or voice calls).

If you'd like to pick up a Nokia N800, don't forget you can purchase it from the Skype Shop to get free SkypeOut calls with the device. It's £279 in the UK or 399.00€ in the rest of Europe (with 6 months of Skype Pro included), or $399 in the US (where a 3 months of Skype North American Calling is included).

Comments

It seems like such an obvious thing to have video enabled skype on the internet tablets (both the 800 and the 810), and yet it isn't.

I'm wondering: is there a fundamental limitation of these devices and/or Skype that prevents video from being added, or is it a feature that simply hasn't been implemented yet?

I too don't understand the lack of camera functionality on the N800 when using Skype. It's generally a superb tool and even without the headset gives excellent sound when Skyping but the lack of picture, especially when there is a camera sitting there is more than a little frustrating.