Nokia's N800 Internet Tablet is available from the end of January, and IT Week has obtained a sample model for review.

Like its predecessor the N770, the new model is a lightweight device about the same size as a large spectacle case. This makes Nokia's web tablet fairly easy to slot into a pocket, but it also makes text somewhat difficult to read on its 4.1in 800 x 480 touch-screen display.

Because Nokia is at pains to distinguish its Internet Tablet brand from mobile phones, the N800 cannot connect to a mobile network. Instead, it relies on Wi-Fi hotspots or a Bluetooth data link with a phone to get connected.

Fortunately, Nokia has made it fairly easy to find and connect to Wi-Fi hotspots, and I was able to get connected and surfing the Web within minutes of powering on the N800. A pop-up on-screen keyboard appears whenever you need to enter some text, before disappearing out of the way again when you have finished with it.

The N800 runs an embedded version of Linux and comes with the Opera browser and Flash 7 player, which enables users to view pretty much any website. It also features a media player, PDF viewer, and client software for email, IM, and IP telephony.

I found that web sites such as the BBC's news pages were often difficult to read without using the magnifier tool, and not all video files I tried to access would play in the built-in media player.

While the N800 is not a replacement for a smartphone, it is a device that could find a niche in business, especially as Nokia has made available an open source development platform to enable applications to be built for it.

A full review of the N800 will appear in a future issue of IT Week.

29 Jan 2007