Nokia N800 analysis - will the web tablet survive?

After the rumour and gossip (with no small amount of wishful thinking mixed in) there seems to be a flurry of Nokia N800 information hitting the web.  Successor to the admired-but-flawed 770 Web Tablet that both impressed some and was dismissed by others, the N800 continues the theme of a large touchscreen-led device that connects either via WiFi or through your cellphone over a Bluetooth link.

From the back of the box we learn the specs:

- VGA (640×480) webcam
- Integrated Stand
- 4.13 inch screen (same as the 770)
- Stereo Speakers (770 has mono)
- Microphone has moved to the top.
- Audio jack and mini usb port have moved to the right side.
- Requires mobile phone (with Bluetooth) for cell connection.
- Wifi and Bluetooth

RAM or CPU, a source of some frustration among 770 owners, are reported to be 128MB and 320MHz.  The nubbin on the top left hand side is the webcam, which is retractable to prevent it from catching on clothes or braces.  Previous information also points to the N800 having dual miniSD slots, although the built-in GPS some were hoping for is conspicuous by its absence.

The success of a device like this will depend on how well it fits into people’s current web usage.  Streaming media like YouTube and Google videos and embedded flash are becoming more and more a part of our daily information stream, and if the most the N800 can offer is a red cross or telling blank space then it’ll quickly fall from favour.  The general criticism of HP’s rx4540 media PDA whose features pale in the shadow of any number of cellular-connected smartphones points to an increasingly discerning marketplace.  There’s a gallery of high-res N800 photos here.

Nokia N800 Internet Tablet Unboxing [Ring Nokia]