Pocketables

Unboxing the Sharp NetWalker PC-Z1

I knew from the moment I saw the Sharp NetWalker PC-Z1 that I'd have to get my hands on one as soon as I could. The 5-inch WSVGA touchscreen, optical mouse, mouse buttons, 6-row keyboard, 800MHz ARM Cortex A8-based Freescale CPU, compact clamshell form factor, and easy conversion into English were just too much for me to resist.

Conics.net received their supply of Netwalkers last week and began shipping them from their offices in Japan on Friday. A weekend flight, a quick check through customs, and here it is at Pocketables HQ in Hawaii just a few days later!

Archos 5 Internet Tablet user manual now online

The Android-based Archos 5 Internet Tablet that just became official last week may still be listed as "coming soon" at the Archos store and only available for preorder on Amazon, but don't let that stop you from learning everything there is to know about the 800MHz Cortex A8-powered slate through the 55-page user manual (PDF) that has just been added to the company's support page.

Well, okay, you probably won't learn everything about the device, but official documentation is always a good supplement to guided video tours and overviews. And that's the next best thing to actually having the gadget in your hands, right?

Thanks, Yoko!

Price drop on Nokia N900 at Amazon.com

Even though the Nokia N900 is only available for preordering right now and it has barely been a week since Jenn pointed out its presence on the Amazon.com website, there has already been a nice price drop. Apparently any N900 fans out there who like the idea of saving nearly 10% on their shiny new toy can do just that, with the Maemo 5-based slider now coming in at a penny short of $589.

Considering that ordering from Nokia USA could cost quite a bit more once sales tax is figured in, this seems like a great deal from Amazon, assuming they are able to fulfill orders quickly after release. Of course, the free Bluetooth headset is still being offered on preorders through Nokia, but that doesn't do anything for me given how inexpensive BT headsets are these days. I don't know about everyone else, but I am about ready to pull the trigger on this one, because I've been waiting for a replacement for my N800 for much too long now. 

With a price drop even before release, could it drop even lower in the next few months?

[Nokia N900 @ Amazon]

Archos 5 Internet Tablet is now official

After weeks of speculation and a few leaks here and there, Archos finally released their new Android-based Internet Tablet. The new Archos 5 Internet Tablet comes in a full range of flash-based and hard drive-based configurations, starting at 8GB ($249.99) and going all the way to a 500GB ($439.99) version. In between these models are 16GB, 32GB, and 160GB units. The smaller capacities utilize flash memory, while the larger capacities use a more traditional hard drive, making the device slightly thicker overall.

Nokia N900 up for preorder at Amazon.com

Sure, the Nokia N900 has been available for preorder directly through Nokia USA with free standard shipping for about a week now, but if you live in an area that can also save you from paying sales tax, you might like to know that the Maemo 5 slider can now be purchased at Amazon.com too.

Amazon doesn't bundle the N900 with a free BH-703 Bluetooth headset the way Nokia does, but if you don't need a headset, don't want to pay tax, and/or just have some Amazon gift certificates you need to spend, the mega-retailer isn't a bad place to get rid of $649.

[Nokia N900 @ Amazon]

Maemo MIDs for "high-end mobile computing segment" in the works

I don't think there was really ever any doubt that Maemo 5 (and beyond) would be used on more than just the Nokia N900, but it's still nice to hear from Nokia Nseries VP Jonas Geust that the company's future plans include launching additional Maemo-based MIDs for the high-end market while continuing to release Symbian units for the mass market.

It isn't clear whether all of these upcoming MIDs will feature cellular phone functions, but with Maemo being about the "internet first" and providing a "true computer experience in small package," it seems reasonable to assume that a non-phone version of the N900 with a larger screen may not be just a pipe dream. And I know I'm not alone is saying that I would buy something like that in a heartbeat.

Wouldn't you?

Nokia N900 gets official

All the recent leaks and live photos certainly take the air out of Nokia's N900 announcement today, but nonetheless, the Maemo 5 slider that has disappointed those who were hoping for a "real" N810 successor is now officially official.

There aren't any surprises hidden in the press release, so the device that "has evolved from Nokia's previous generation of Internet Tablets" does indeed pack an ARM Cortex A8 CPU and 1GB of application memory inside its sliding QWERTY housing, which of course features the same 3.5-inch WVGA resistive touchscreen that many of us were hoping would be bigger. Other highlights we already knew about include the 32GB of internal storage, microSD slot (up to 16GB cards supported), and 5-megapixel camera.

Sharp introduces NetWalker MID with Ubuntu

Though it may look a lot like the UMID mbook M1, the compact clamshell form factor is really the only thing Sharp's newly introduced NetWalker PC-Z1 has in common with the Atom-powered MID. Sure, both devices also have 512MB of RAM, a WSVGA touchscreen, and a microSD card slot, but their differences are much more significant.

For starters, the NetWalker is powered by an 800MHz Freescale i.MX515 processor (ARM Cortex A8 core), has 4GB of internal memory, and runs Ubuntu 9.04. In addition, the 14.4-ounce unit measures 6.35" x 4.28" x 0.78" and features a 10-hour battery life (JEITA estimate; expect about 7 hours of real-world usage), 5" LED-backlit screen, standard USB ports, optical mouse, and mouse buttons.

How have your feelings about the Nokia N900 changed?

When the first set of images of the upcoming Nokia N900 (RX-51/Rover) were posted earlier this month, some of you expressed disappointment in the comments section over the fact that the Internet Tablet of yore was being turned into a smartphone with a 3.5-inch screen.

Pocketables reader Sarig shared this sentiment and said the device was "too small now" and that he "may as well get a run-of-the-mill smartphone instead." Today, however, after seeing all of the images and screen captures of the N900 put out by Mobile-review.com, Sarig emailed me with a link to the article and said: "I was all but ready to discard the N900 because of its smaller screen, but now I want one!"

Have any of you had a similar change of heart?

Is the Nokia RX-51 (N900) living up to expectations?

It looks like all those months of speculation and leaks about the rumored Nokia N900 (Rover), long overdue successor to the N810 Internet Tablet, weren't spent in vain. Recently discovered FCC docs and a slew of in-the-wild shots (via Engadget) both confirm a new 3G-enabled device called the Nokia RX-51, which not only looks almost exactly like the image produced by CellPassion a few months ago but seems to be in keeping with previously reported specs as well.

That means that it's probably safe to expect a 3.5-inch WVGA touchscreen, OMAP3450 500MHz/600MHz processor, Maemo 5, 5-megapixel Carl Zeiss camera, 32GB internal storage, 1GB virtual runtime memory, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G, and possibly phone capabilities through T-Mobile to all be part of the Nokia RX-51's feature set.

Assuming this is all true and the device shown above is indeed the N900/Rover, is it everything you hoped for?