Jerry Epplin has written a review of the N800 and the development architecture for Linux Devices and has some interesting thoughts. Its a nice article which takes a look from a few different angles.
On the hardware, he comes to the same conclusion that I’m coming too. The N800 is too small. The DPI on the screen is just too high for a consumer device. Either Nokia made a mistake (which I doubt) or they don’t want the device to creep out into consumer land at all and its still an experiment that needs to be kept within the confines of young geeks. In fact, I have a theory. The N800 isn’t a consumer device at all, its a device aimed at innovators. There’s no way that the consumer market is ready for such a device yet and Nokia are taking the opportunity to present a product to the educated innovators in order to see what happens, to learn about how web pads are used with mobile phones, to learn about open source development and to find out what applications get consumers interest levels up. Its a market research exercise and its one where everyone is happy.
I had already prepared some thoughts on this and now seems a good time to air them.
When the N800 rumors started I was a little worried because the keyboard (that had been mentioned by Nokia) didn’t appear. By the time the first real reports of availability hit the net I had almost forgotten the this though and was encouraged by the first statistics that showed a faster processor and bigger memory. But before long, the reports of media problems (flash video, limited codec support, lack of processing power) and software and user interface issues got me really concerned. I was concerned that the N800 wasn’t the perfect consumer device that I had hoped for. Having used one now I can see that it really isn’t a consumer device at all. The processing power is too low and there’s no slide-out keyboard, the software is not consumer grade and incomplete and it should have had GPS built in. Even the price point is wrong. Its too cheap!
And then there’s the size. There is only one device that normal consumers carry with them all the time and its a small mobile phone. No one has pocket or belt space or even trusts themselves enough to carry two devices like this all the time. There’s an oft-heard argument against UMPCs that says ‘if it doesn’t fit in my pocket then I’m not interested.’ Well I’d argue myself that this is the word from a very small amount of people. Its the geeks talking. Consumers on the other hand don’t stuff gadgets into their cargo shorts because they have a bag. They need to carry their sunglasses, mp3 player, headphones, magazine, hairspray and snack. If they have a bag then this secondary device can be bigger and it can have the keyboard, the GPS module the lower dpi and twice the battery power.
The only people that this device is for are the innovators. These are the people that see possibilities rather than problems and these are the people that carry more than one device around in their pockets. And the wonderful thing about making it less-than perfect is that is doesn’t wander into the hands on the uneducated consumer and affect Nokia’s main business. Selling mobile phones!
Imagine for a minute that Nokia only have a short time (3 years) before they need to complete their market research and make a decision as to whether personal Internet/media players (PIMPs ;-) ) are a future mobile carrier sale and they need to get a product out there with the early adopters for feedback to do this. They make a low-end demonstrator (The 770) and then they follow it up with something that keeps the visionaries happy for another year. Then they take the results and make their decision and produce a killer consumer device.
Does all this make the N800 bad? Not one bit. Its a wonderful device for the target market. Its priced perfectly for them. There’s a tantalizing array of possibilities. (Note that the ‘hidden’ FM radio has just been found) and and active development community is buzzing nicely. Its a good looking device with a good browser and quite a slick interface. It can do some impressive things like stream audio from the Internet using your 3G phone as a wireless modem. There are one or two impressive apps too. Mediastreamer seems to do a nice job of streaming using upnp devices. The videocalling function is good and when Skype comes, there will be another great app. The software will get better too and those innovators will sing loud and proud and the word will be heard! in 12 months the N800 will be a much better device than it is today and everyone will have had fun and Nokia will have learned a lot. I think i’m one of those innovators because personally I love the N800 concept and although i’m frustrated that its not my Carrypad concept device its got me thinking and wanting and talking even more. I’m happy. Nokia’s’ happy. We’re all happy.
