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Nokia calls it their N800 Internet tablet. If you ask me that's a bit of an injustice. Sure, The N800 provides mobile Internet browsing, but this nifty little wonder is much more than just an Internet tablet.

Some of you may see the N800 and think "Why buy this...I mean I can surf the web on my cell phone?". Well yes you can, but not like this. If you've ever web surfed on your cell, you're familiar with the monotony of constantly having to do the annoying "horizontal scroll" to view an entire web page. The N800s 800 x 480 touch screen display virtually eliminates the need for side scrolling. We've all heard those stories of people accidentally running up outrageous bills on their cell phones right? The N800 eases this concern, it's Wi-Fi. So just find a hotspot and jump on the web with out that concern. If you can't find a hotspot, don't worry. The N800 will also connect to the net via your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone.

The N800 doesn't just surf the web, it interacts with it. Do you want to update your Myspace or Facebook? Maybe you just want to watch some YouTube videos. The N800s Opera 8 web browser with Flash 9 support handles it with ease. See an image you like on your favorite site? No problem, just download it onto the N800s 256MB flash based hard drive. If 256MB is not enough memory for you, you can upgrade via the N800s dual expansion slots. They support SD, MicroSD, MiniSD, MMC, and RS-MMC memory cards up to 8GB. For News junkies, the N800 features an RSS newsreader to keep you updated with news feeds on the all the latest happenings. Perhaps the coolest feature of all, the N800 has a web cam so you and your best bud can set up a teleconference via Google Talk, which comes preloaded. Email? Got it covered. The N800s Multi-protocol email client supports POP3 and IMAP4 accounts.

The Nokia N800 runs on a Linux based operating system called Internet Tablet OS 2007 Edition, rather than windows mobile. Some people will love Nokia's decision to do this, others will hate it. I don't know where you stand, but I'll explain Nokia's choice. Going with Linux has allowed Nokia to keep production costs of the N800 low, thus passing the savings directly to you. There is also another tremendous benefit. Free software applications! Yup, that's right just hit up maemo.org and you'll find a versatile library of open source applications, that range from spreadsheet creation software to video games to e-book readers.

While all this is wonderful, as stated earlier this is much more than an Internet tablet. Pair the N800 with a Nokia GPS receiver, download Google maps and, you've got a fully functioning GPS unit! It also helps you keep track of your friends' email, phone number and web addresses with its contacts manager. It's also a Clock, Calculator, Sketch and Note pad, and it even reads PDFs. Not done yet, it's also a media player! It supports AAC, MP3, WAV, AMR, RealAudio, AVI, 3GP, MPEG-4 audio and video formats. If you get tired of listening to your MP3's and want something different, the N800 streams Internet radio! It also supports Skpye for making Internet phone calls.

Overall, I'd call the N800 a nice hybrid between a laptop, cell phone and PDA. It offers some functionality of all three. If you're a gadget freak, or a traveler looking to leave that bulky laptop behind on your next trip the N800 is an absolute must have.

S. P.
Technology Reviewer