Tryptophan and blogging on the Nokia n800

Here I sit after stuffing myself with a ton and a half of turkey, cranberry sauce, and other assorted holiday goodies trying to write a blog post while fighting off the effects of tryptophan.

*Zzzzzzz...oh...umm...what did you say?

WAKE UP! I'm writing here! Ok...as I was saying, I'm just finishing up with my family Thanksgiving meal. I've decided that I owe you all at least a few words. These past few days I've been blogging about Thanksgiving and how you can make your life easier while you travel especially when it comes to technology. Well, right now I'm at my sister-in-laws house way out in the "willy-wacks" where there is no wireless internet and barely any cell phone service. So, what am I using? I'm using a Nokia n800 with a bluetooth keyboard and internet via my bluetooth phone for posting this article. I'm sitting here at the dining room table listening to my wife and her sisters share gossip, memories, and gripes. Im pretending not to listen while recording all the things they're saying about other family members. *Tee hee hee* OK...just kidding. The Nokia n800 Internet tablet is a great way to be able to get online from wherever you may be. Unlike a SmartPhone, the n800/810 is NOT a phone it is an internet device designed for getting online, browsing the internet and using several Web 2.0 technologies. Right now Im listening to "100 Years" by Five for Fighting using the incredible program, Canola (which is remarkably similar to Front Row on Mac OS X) while using XJournal to type this post. Once I finish I will connect to the Internet via my cell phone (bluetooth) and post this article. While connected I'll take a moment and check my email and reply to anything that might be important.

Wait a minute! What about those cool netbooks?

The new netbooks, from companies like ASUS, MSI, HP, Dell and others, are fantastic portable computers, however, they are still at least 10 inches wide or basically the size of a large paperback book. An Internet tablet is the size of a large PDA and easily packed in a purse or jacket pocket. In the picture you'll see a folding bluetooth keyboard, but bear in mind that I have an n800. The n810 has a slide out keyboard similar to many newer cell phones designed for texting. Once I get an n810 (c'mon Santa....hint...hint) I may be able to forgo the keyboard. There is a very good onscreen keyboard, but it's a little slow for banging out a blog post while under the influence of tryptophan.

Ok, what else can they do? Can they give me directions?

Actually yes! The n810 comes with GPS capability! I often use my n800 when flying. The screen is quite large for a device this size and is perfect for viewing movies while flying around the country. The battery life is excellent (I can get at least 2 good length movies out of one charge), however the battery is a standard Nokia cellphone battery. I bought a spare for about $35 and keep it charged to use as a backup.

Movies! Did you say movies?

Yep...I did. Since the n800/810 will accept an SD or mini-SD card (n810) you can easily take along several movies and/or tunes for staying occupied on long trips or while working. I use the open source program, Handbrake, to rip my own DVD's to my computer and then transfer them to my SD card for use in my n800. Handbrake is free and very easy to use. There are many programs available for the n800/810 for playing music and video. I tend to rip my movies in mp4 format, so I use Canola or MediaPlayer to view the movies. My music is usually in MP3 format and I normally use Canola for playback. The n800/810 will recognize many formats (even OGG). Ive had my Internet Tablet for a couple of years now and have learned a lot through experimentation.

Wait! Isnt this a Linux device? Do I have to be a geek?

No...the n800/810 is "point and click" simple. Adding programs is as simple as downloading and installing them with a click or two....OR simply going to the Add/Remove programs dialog and choosing what you want. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of programs available. What sets the n800/810 apart from SmartPhones or other PDA's is the fact that it serves up the regular internet, not the stripped down mobile version. Flash based apps work great! Youtube works fine and is integrated in Canola.

Ok...so why would I want this thing? Oh yeah...movies...

Yes, the movies are nice, but more importantly the n800/810 is truly the "Internet in the palm of your hand". Netbooks are wonderful, but they are still laptops. The Nokia devices are not laptops. I love my n800 and covet the n810. It has saved my life many times. Check them out at your favorite electronics retailer or online at...Amazon...TigerDirect...NewEgg...Nokia