I’ll be back to work on Wednesday but until then I’m taking a break with my family over in sunny (really!) England. Thanks to Three UK I’ve got 3G connectivity both on the smartphone and via my Mifi and it has given me the ability to really test the Nokia N900 [info] and Archos 5 Internet Tablet [info] in real-world mobile and home scenarios that have ranged from a night out with the lads to car-navigation, photography, Skype, sofa and bed-surfing, presence and day-to-day email and website management duties.
As you would expect, the N900 has been my buddy for the holiday and it’s been really interesting to see how I use it compared to my previous phone, the Nokia N82. I’m keeping on top of email, keeping my social networks updated on my status and location and have been available on Gtalk and Skype far more than I would usually be. I’m missing a good Twitter application though and until I found the CTRL-SHIFT-i trick (thanks Peter) which enabled browser text reflowing on zoom, I was having quite an issue with reading web pages on the small screen. Interestingly though, I’m not using the device as a desktop-style web-browser very often. This could be because of the screen size. It’s just not optimal for 800×480 web browsing and I find myself using a lot of mobile-optimised websites.
One other major issue for me is the camera. If you’ve used an N82 you’ll understand how much of an advantage the xenon flash is. When you’re with family and friends in the evening you are always ready to get good quality snapshots and capture those memories. The flash on the N900 just doesn’t compare and I’m really missing being able to record situations as they occur. The camera shutter and image capture is slow too. This is becoming a show-stopper for me. If you’ve never had a phone with a Xenon flash, this won’t be an issue for you but take it from me, when you’ve had it, you don’t want to let it go.
Size is also becoming an issue. I don’t like having it in my jeans pockets (scratched screens and damaged slider also worries me in this situation) so I’m carrying it in a bag. Another reason to drop back to the N82 for me.
The keyboard is great on the N900. I’m sending way more SMS and instant messages that I would normally. If a good twitter app was also available (I’m having issues with the Mauku client software) then you would probably see an increase in tweets from me too.
As I mentioned in the article ‘6 things I don’t like about the N900′ the battery life is an issue. Being fully connected to Skype and Gtalk on a 3G network with occasional use of navigation means I’m topping up before the day is out. I’ve been caught out twice with an empty battery. A smartphone with a dead battery is worthless.
Before I finish up with my comments about the N900 there’s just one other thing to mention. Style. Where is it? It’s a very good box but it’s a very plain black one. The N900 is very understated and that might not please people wanting to buy one of the most expensive smartphones on the market.
Overall I’m loving the N900 but its only working as a day-phone for me. Actually that could work out quite nicely if I switched to the N82 for non-work activities in the evening but it’s somewhat extravagant to have two smartphones and not a solution I want to move towards. The N900 really proves that total pocketable convergence doesn’t really work for me.
Archos 5 Internet Tablet. (Android)
The second mobile device I brought with me to England is the Archos 5 Internet Tablet and I’m loving it. It has nearly all the ingredients required of a MID. A focus on personal entertainment with high quality video, navigation, e-reading via both the browser and dedicated applications and even some casual gaming. The firm factor and price are superb and as applications feed through from the Android ecosystem, it’s becoming more and more interesting by the day. It has become my kick-back MID and my daughters in-car entertainment device. My first grab of the day. My photo viewer. My laid-back Twitter device.
Yes, the N900 does overlap a lot of the functionality of the Archos 5 IT and in some cases does things better but what Archos have put together in the 5 IT is really hitting the mark for home-based casual use. I would dare to say that in a 7-inch version, this would be the perfect home-based tablet.
Stability has been a problem but the recent change to version 1.1 software has really helped in that department. Browser stability needs to improve further and integration / syncronisation with online calendars and contacts is terrible but the hope is that Archos are going to fix that with the next major version of the firmware that should be built on Android 1.6. Android 2.0 and flash 10.1 is promised for 2010 which improves the feature-set once again. For me, the Archos 5 Internet Tablet is a keeper and one I might even be enhancing with a TV-out module very soon. I’m sure Archos would be pleased to hear that.
At this stage I can’t really say whether the Archos 5 IT is my ultimate third device but it certainly looks that way at the moment. I’d love to see a device like this with Maemo and anther with Moblin though. What a head-to-head that would be!
Summary.
The N900 is a fantastic device with a solid and well-built core operating system. I’m using it heavily every day while i’m on holiday but it’s not working out to be the perfect buddy. Size, battery life and camera being my personal top-three issues. The Archos 5 IT is slotting into a much better position in my life with a definite place in my home life and occasional duties as an on-the-go media, navigation and web device.
New article: On Holiday with the Archos 5 Android and Nokia N900 http://cli.gs/zb00W
RT @chippy: New article: On Holiday with the Archos 5 Android and Nokia N900 http://cli.gs/zb00W
RT: @chippy: New article: On Holiday with the Archos 5 Android and Nokia N900 http://cli.gs/zb00W
sounds like you and jenn needs to compare notes about the archos 5 android…
and the battery life of the N900 do not surprise me, just look at the number of battery jackets one can buy for the iphone versions…
i suspect we will see a lot more people carrying 2-3 extra batteries, or a external one with a usb port, if the pocket computer wave really hits joe average user…
btw, on that camera issue, how about carrying a normal digital camera with a eye-fi card inside?
yep, i know, not convergence by a long shot, but then i find myself considering the word a marketing wet dream rather then something the customers should really consider…
“yep, i know, not convergence by a long shot, but then i find myself considering the word a marketing wet dream”
Priceless. Truly priceless. I’ve got to find someplace to quote this.
RT @chippy: New article: On Holiday with the Archos 5 Android and Nokia N900 http://cli.gs/zb00W
Of course your mention of a flash in your last phone makes me wonder if that’s a feature Apple will be adding to January’s model of iPhone.
So has the Archos become noticeably less crashtastic since the firmware update? I mean *really* noticeable?
Much less crashtastic from an OS point of view. The browser app is still unstable though and needs to be sorted. The firmware upgrade proves that Archos are at least working on the issues!
RT @chippy: New article: On Holiday with the Archos 5 Android and Nokia N900 http://cli.gs/zb00W
The Nokia N900 seems to be really great, the only thing I think it lacks is USB OTG – if it had that, I would certainly buy it. Without it this is not true mobile computing for my liking… or for my usage cases.
Will there ever be a perfect geek’s device? I honestly doubt it. Peeps, learn to compromise cos’ that’s life.
The size issue concerns me. I wish they had left the N900 at the size of an N810. 4.1″ screen and such. I’m also hearing that it lacks Bluetooth HID (keyboards/mice). That’s not a good sign.
I’ve never been much of a camera-phone person, but it’s sad to hear that a company that does such a great job with media phones (the entire N series, after all) has gotten that part wrong.
It’s unfortunate, because I was really hoping the N900 would be the Maemo phone I was waiting for, but it’s sounding more and more like a very near miss … but still a miss.
Maybe the next generation Maemo phone will hit the mark.
Chippy, I am really looking into the Archos, if there is an office app in the package working with all the normal word and excel formats?
Can you type on it when on the kickstand or will it glide away as you push for exampe on an airplane desk???
Thinking of an 500 GB for all my movies to go as well good or bad idea?
Thanks for your replies!
iirc, it ships with office format viewers, and will supposedly make a version able to write them some time in the future (not sure if one will have to pay for the upgrade or not).
You can’t type on the screen without the device gliding away. BT keyboard needed for that!
Someone has the Archos 5 IT and bought Documents To Go for it. I didn’t even know there was a version of DTG for Android! Apparently there is!
http://www.dataviz.com/products/documentstogo/android/
Ahh! And internet tethering with the iPhone 3G??? Does that work :-)
Are all men turning into girls (or just those with iphones)? I carry my Nokia E90 on my belt in a homemade pouch and don’t even notice that it’s there. In fact, the first few days I had it, I kept checking that I hadn’t lost it.
Chippy, what’s happened to the Omnia Pro?
Heck my wallet has almost 200 grams, my TyTn2 has almost 190 grams (i wear it in a belt–clip pouch). Sure, having to carry secondary battery kinda sucks. As for night pics, there are currently some pretty thin pocket digital cameras now days (any cheap pocket digital camera will kick the but out of best-of-the-best smarpthone camera). They could however install xenon flash in N-series however.
Omnia Pro is still with me but the N900 is better for my type of usage.
Between you and me (and everyone else) I will be writing a review on the Omnia Pro and then moving on. Good phone. Great hardware. Good job on the UI, Samsung, but it’s not for me for the same reasons that the N900 isn’t going to be my day-to-day phone.
I look forward to your review. It seems to be the ideal device to replace my E90 although the ‘soft’ screen does worry me. I think I’ve got plenty of time to do more research, though, as it seems to have been delayed until November.
[UMPC Portal.com] On Holiday with the Archos 5 Android and Nokia N900 – http://shar.es/aaWYr
Chippy you mention that you paired the A5A with your phone, which one is it that you used. Hopefully if Archos updates the software to be able to tether all phones or least 95% including the BlackBerry, I would buy it again. I had bought one but returned it, because without a true mobile MID with no connection when on the road when you need it, didn’t work for me. I really like the A5A but will be keeping a eye out for when they do release a new firmware or maybe with Android 1.6 it will support more phones for Tethering.
Ehi Chippy is your n900 updated to the latest firmware? I’ve heard that this makes a lot of a difference. Please let us know because I’m really interersted in this device but poor battery life (i.e. not even 1 full day) is definitely a problem for me. Regarding the size, when you say you don’t like having it in your jeans pocket ( apart from scratching its screen) is it because is uncomfortable (like when you are sitting) or is it ok ?
Thanks for this great site!
What is it with people today, complaining about something that just has a weight of 180g.
I compared the n900 (dummy) to the n91 i got now, i must say the n900 felt smaller. And my opinion is that n91 is to small also.
I also like that Nokia has continued with led flash. Because when I used the 5800 one of the best functions was to use the leds as a flash light (that wouldn’t be possible with xenon), just downloaded a flash light program.
Biggest question is the same as “stefano”, do you got the latest firmware, since it says it has improved battery life allot.
N900 vs a5a http://short.to/yp7q