Nokia 770 Internet Tablet review

24 August 2006 11:43 GMT / By Stuart Miles

With most of us now having wireless networks at home and the urge to be on the Internet more and more (hey your online reading this aren't you?) Nokia believes that its 770 Internet Tablet is the way that we will be viewing the web and emails in the future.

Before you ask, yes the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet has been around some time either as a concept or as a device, however this latest incarnation (it bears the same name) has added a host of new features in an attempt to make it more appealing.

This time, users have access to upgraded features including a 2006 edition of the OS that adds support for enhanced text typing with full-screen finger keyboard, the ability to make internet calls via Google Talk or Jabber and the chance to listen to internet radio. Nokia has said that the memory has also been beefed up.

Updates and upgrades aside the unit hasn't changed much, if at all from its original conception. The front is dominated by a large 4.13-inch widescreen touchscreen display that offers a resolution of 800x480 pixels, while connectivity is offered via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

The interface is fairly easy to use and connecting to our wireless network was straightforward. Likewise creating an email account was also very easy.

Nokia has created a homepage system that you can customise, although not completely. Here you can have it displaying the latest headlines or which of your Google Talk contacts is online, however you can't have your latest emails shown.

Viewing web pages obviously depends on the makeup of the page in question however the 770 does offer an option to zoom pages so you can see what is going on.

Menus, and access is controlled either via a stylus or your fingers and you can input text via a virtual keyboard or the systems hand writing recognition software.

This works fine for checking the odd email or entering the odd web URL however don’t expect to be able to write your memoirs on it - we found the finger keyboard very slow to respond.

The new features are the unit's saving grace, with the internet radio feature incredibly easy to set up and listen to, - you can connect it to a set of speakers with the 3.5mm jack and likewise the Google Talk feature is good and easy to use as long as you and your mates use Google Talk - which currently is still a very small amount of people compared to the MSN IM and AOL AIM services.

And that's it, which begs us to the question why anyone would actually want one of these over a smartphone, and we still can't fathom an answer.

Having it around the house has made it easier to just check emails or a website without having to power up the desktop computer or laptop, however at £245 this seems an expensive way of doing this considering a BlackBerry would do this and be more useful in the office.

There is also the issue of viewing certain content on the player. You might be able to listen to internet radio via the tablet but playing YouTube or Quicktime videos is out as you can't run either.

Verdict

Mrs Pocket-lint, who seems to be more sceptical of these things than we are, loved the concept but was unsure about the price. However, she did like the idea that the one off fee although expensive meant that it didn't come with any hidden costs and on that we would have to agree.

So nay or yay? Well while the Internet Tablet is a rebadged PDA we are not entirely convinced that unless you are an early adopter looking to show off this is any better than buying a PDA with Windows Mobile 5 knowing that it does so much more.

If the price was £100 cheaper I think the proposition would be slightly different and more in its favour, after all, for another £100 you can get a cheap laptop that does far more.

The Nokia 770 Internet Tablet works great, has some niffy features on it does what it sets out to do, trouble is, we aren't quiet sure why we actually need it.

Score

Review Recap

Made by: Nokia
Price as reviewed: £249
The good: Wi-Fi, ability to stream internet radio, Google Talk if you’re a member
The bad: Can't really see the point, glorified PDA without all the Mobile 5 software
Quick verdict: The Internet Tablet is a rebadged PDA we are not entirely convinced - unless you are an early adopter looking to show off
Score