Nokia today announced the Nokia 770 - a Linux powerd Internet Tablet device. The device which does not include a phone or an PIM software runs on a platfrom called maemo and is based on Debian 2.8 and the user interface is derived from the GNOME UI. The device has a 4.1 inch 800 x 480 touch screen with connectivity supplied via 80211.b/g and Bluetooth 1.2. Clearly this device would be ideal for mobile use when coupled with a Symbian Bluetooth enabled phone. Expected availability is Q3 and the cost will be around $350.

There is 64 MB of user memory available and a RS-MMC card slot. reloaded software includes the Opera Internet browser, email client, RSS client, Flash and Media Player, Internet radio player and more. The device seems to be aimed at being used an extra Internet terminal in the home.

It is interesting that Nokia have chosen not to use the Symbian OS for this device family, and it would be fair to say that such Internet appliances have not had startling success in the past.

On the other hand using the Symbian OS for such a device (without any telephony) could be seen as jamming the wrong OS into the device. Symbian was after all primairly designed as smartphone OS. Linux has it's advantages as Nokia noted during the press conference. Clearly Nokia are hoping to leverage Linux and Open Source developers in creating software for the platform. They are also creating an open platform. More information on this can be found at maemo.org.


Device Specifications:
Full Specifications
Size

* Weight: 230 g
* Dimensions: 141 x 79 x 19 mm


Color

* Black and matte silver


Display

* High-resolution (800x480) touch screen with up to 65,536 colors


Operating temperature

* -10°C to +55 °C


Memory

* Engine: DDR RAM 64MB
* Memory: Flash 128MB (>64MB for user)
* Memory card: 64MB RS-MMC (Reduced Size - MultiMediaCard)


Operating system

* Internet Tablet 2005 software edition


Applications (in 2005 software edition)

* Web Browser
* Flash Player version 6
* Email Client
* Internet Radio
* News Reader
* Media players, Image viewer
* PDF viewer
* File Manager
* Search
* Calculator
* World Clock
* Notes
* Sketch
* Games


Supported File Formats

* Audio: MP3, Real Audio, MPEG4, AAC, WAV, AMR, MP2
* Image: JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, PNG, Animated GIF format,
SVG-tiny, ICO
* Video: MPEG1, MPEG4, Real Video, H.263, AVI, 3GP


Connectivity

* WLAN: 802.11b/g
* Bluetooth specification: 1.2

* For Internet connection and file transfer via phone
* Profiles supported: Dial-up Networking, File Transfer, Generic Access, SIM Access and Serial Port profiles

* USB device mode for PC connectivity
* RS-MMC
* 3.5 mm stereo audio out
* Power connector (2mm)


Language Support

* User Interface: British English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, American English, Canadian French, Mexican Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese
* User's Guide: Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, French, Dutch, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Czech, Hungarian, Russian, Canadian French, Brazilian Portuguese, Mexican Spanish


Sales Package Content

* Nokia 770 Internet Tablet
* 2 stylus pens
* Pouch
* Battery (BP-5L)
* Travel charger (AC-4)
* 64 MB RS-MMC memory card
* Connectivity cable DKE-2 (USB)
* Desk stand DT-7
* User guide
* Quick start guide


Enhancements

* Mobile charger (DC-4)
* Charger adapter (CA-44)
* RS-MMCs