In honor of Research In Motion’s upcoming virgin voyage into the mysterious, turbulent waters that are today’s consumer tablet market, we thought we would take a moment to look back fondly at the tablet that started it all. No, not Apple’s iPad… we’re talking about the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet. Ok, so the Nokia 770 didn’t really “start it all,” but it was the first notable effort from a cell phone manufacturer to lack voice capabilities and carry the “tablet” branding. Launched in 2005, the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet featured specs that would make modern tablets hang their heads in shame, including a 4.1-inch resistive touchscreen display, 64MB of RAM, 64MB of ROM, 3 hours of usage time per charge and a rip-roaring 250MHz TI processor. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be — the 770 didn’t sell well at all, and despite a few subsequent attempts, Nokia would end up packing in its Internet Tablet brand and refocusing on phones. Of course, Nokia plans to build new tablets now that they’re trendy and desirable, and hopefully the Finnish company’s upcoming efforts afford a more intuitive experience than its Internet Tablets of old.

BGR’s Throwback Thursday is a weekly series covering our (and your) favorite gadgets, games, and software of yesterday and yesteryear.

At a special event in Paris, France, Archos made its next-generation Internet Tablet official today. The Android powered multimedia device will outmatch the iPod touch with a Ti OMAP3 processor and a huge 4.8-inch touchscreen display with 800×480 resolution and 16 million colors. In addition to its fast processor and high resolution screen, the Internet Tablet will also include:

• HD video support (H.264, WMV, Mpeg-4 up to 720P)
• Archos AppsLib store with Archos 5-compatible Android applications
• Micro SD Slot (SDHC compatible)
• Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n)
• GPS with 3D Maps
• Bluetooth 2.0 (mobile phone tethering capable)
• FM transmitter and FM receiver (RDS)
• Built-in speaker, microphone and leg stand
• support for a wide variety of audio/video codecs and image formats
• additional functionality available via optional accessories (DVR-Station, HDMI Mini-Dock, GPS In-Car Holder, etc)
• Pre-installed Android applications include DroidIn, Ebuddy IM, Twidroid, QuickPedia, and more
• Flash 10 support expected with Android 2.0 in Q1 2010
• 22 hours of Music playback time and 7 hours of Video playback with standard Lithium polymer battery

The Archos 5 Internet Tablet will be available in two models: an 8, 16 or 32GB Flash version and a 160GB or 500GB hard drive version. Prices start at $249 for the 8GB Flash version up to $439 for the 500GB hard drive version and it will launch on September 16th (directly from Archos and at Amazon.com). Also interesting is the Archos Phone tablet, which Archos only partially unveiled. The Phone Tablet will have a 1GHz processor, 3.5G HSDPA/HSUPA connectivity, a 4.8-inch 854×480 display and all the other goodies its non-3G cousin has. No release date for the Phone Tablet was announced but the January 2010 edition of CES would be a good place to launch, no?

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

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Leave it to our eagle eyed readers to dig through the depths of YouTube and emerge with some sweet eye candy. During a purported presentation last October from Axel Meyer, head of Nseries design at Nokia, the upcoming Nokia N900 Internet Tablet was given a bit of face time in a promo video. Granted, plenty of time has passed since this video was recorded so odds are good that the finished product will end up looking more like it did in the leaked mock up than in this video. For a quick reresher, reported specs at this point include a 59.7mm x 111mm x 18.2mm body, 3.5-inch 800×480 (WVGA) touchscreen, OMAP3430 500/600 Mhz processor, 5.0 MP Carl Zeiss camera with dual-LED flash and auto-focus, 1GB total virtual runtime memory, Wi-Fi, HSPA, GPS and an accelerometer. Hit the jump for the video.

Thanks, CanisMajor!

• Maemo 5
• Dimensions: 59.7mm x 111mm x 18.2mm
• Weight: 180g
• 3.5-inch 800×480 (WVGA) touchscreen
• OMAP3430 500/600 Mhz processor
• 5.0 MP Carl Zeiss camera with dual-LED flash, auto-focus and sliding cover
• 1GB total virtual runtime memory
• Wi-Fi, HSPA, GPS, accelerometer

The official N900 announcement will reportedly come in June — a period of time where it will easily and quickly be overshadowed by everything else going on next month — and target launches are scattered throughout 2H. We’re certainly anxious to play with Nokia’s new tablet but that’s really all we can expect from it… Play. Nokia continues its attempt to fill the space between smartphones and netbooks but for the time being, it’s a hole that the market doesn’t seem to want filled. Will the N900 be more successful in filling this imaginary gap? A few reported carrier deals might help spread sales out a bit more but we’re not sure why anyone would want to pay for a second data plan; any capable smartphone can likely take care of the bulk of tasks the N900 would be used to perform. Anyone excited for it or are we looking at another IT destined to be lost in a retail wasteland?

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Patapon200, a member of the Chinese forum weiphone, has released a screenshot and some specifications reportedly detailing the next generation iPhone. Expected to be announced at the upcoming WWDC, the new iPhone is rumored to have:

• 600MHz CPU (up from 400MHz)
• 256MB RAM (up from 128MB)
• Digital Compass and FM
• 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus
• 32GB size
• Model #: MB717LL
• No major changes in battery, screen and external casing.

The poster also hinted at the existence of a 9.7-inch wide touchscreen-sporting Apple tablet that is supposedly in pre-production now with the internal codename K48. Just for the record, though Chinese forums have been a source of accurate leaked information in the past, the poster in this case has no such track record.

[Via Macrumors]

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Nokia’s Internet Tablets haven’t exactly been a massive success on the user adoption front but Nokia isn’t one to give up. While the company did recently bail on the latest iteration of its N810 tablet, we know the Finnish giant was just looking to distance itself from WiMAX. Nokia is most definitely still cooking up a new tablet sequel and now developers can get a taste of its beta OS — as of this afternoon, the Beta SDK for Maemo 5 is available to all for downloading. Notable additions beyond the alpha release include:

• HSPA data connectivity support
• A new version of Modest, the open source email app
• High definition camera support (still capture and video capture)
• OMAP3 processor support
• Hardware-based graphics acceleration support
• Widget development support

The bad news? Maemo 5 will reportedly not run on older N800 and N810 model tablets, only future offerings. Anyone excited for a new Nokia IT with a fresh new OS?

Thanks, Luke!

[Via Brighthand]

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There it is folks, the first usable prototype of TechCrunch’s internet tablet project. For those who missed it, Michael Arrington decided he wanted a sizable, affordable browser-only device and and couldn’t find one so he decided to build it. Kudos for the follow through, but we have to wonder if there are reasons such a device doesn’t exist. First off, there will definitely be some major drawbacks brought on by the low-end components required to keep the price down – especially with very small production runs. The display likely won’t hold a candle to those found on laptops or UMPCs, the battery life will likely not be desirable as a result of low-quality cells and even at the new target price of $299, we’re not sure how appealing the device actually is. A Nokia N800, for example, is infinitely more functional and can now be had with an 8GB+ memory card for under $200 – Arrignton’s original target price. While the display on the N800 is much smaller than that of the Crunchpad, it is also a much better quality display from the looks of things.

The bottom line is while plenty of readers continue to support the project, when it comes time to fork up the cash we have to wonder if they will maintain the same level of enthusiasm for a device that offers no real benefits beyond the laptops and other devices they all already own. The Crunchpad will likely be a use-at-home toy for those who do end up with a production model as traveling with a sizable device possessing no functionality outside of web browsing doesn’t make much sense. Even when hacks come out to add various features and introduce functionality beyond browsing, working on a touchscreen-only device? No thanks. What do you guys think – hot or hopeless?

Hit the jump for a video of the prototype in action.

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In a startlingly abrupt move just one day after the launch of WiMAX service in Portland, OR, Nokia is reportedly discontinuing production of its N810 WiMAX Edition internet tablet and will stop all sales effective immediately. Nokia has yet to announce the move publicly, but a reliable source within Nokia claims the WiMAX-enabled N810 has been pulled from inventory systems and distributor locations with current stock have been instructed to return all units to Nokia. While the source could not attest to Nokia’s motive behind this recall, he speculated that WiMAX switch issues combined with the slow roll out were major factors in the decision. It is currently unclear whether or not Nokia plans to re-release the N810 WiMAX Edition at a later point in time, or if the company has any additional WiMAX-enabled devices in development. Currently, the N810 WiMAX Edition is still available for sale on the Nokia USA site. We have contacted Nokia regarding this matter and will update this post with any official comment from the company.

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Nokia outlined the upcoming changes to its Internet Tablet platform at the Open Source in Mobile Conference (OSiM) in Berlin on Wednesday. The Internet Tablet line will be given a much needed speed and performance boost with the incorporation of the new Ti OMAP 3 processor into their upcoming hardware. The new Ti OMAP 3 can execute 1200 million of instructions per second (MIPS) and includes an integrated HD-capable imaging + video + audio accelerator. Sweet! Nokia also announced that its new tablet will incorporate 3G HSDPA connectivity (what happened to WiMAX?). So what will this new Internet tablet powerhouse look like? We don’t know as Nokia failed to produce a device. What?! Nokia says they will announce a device when they are ready which can be interpreted as “we don’t even have a working prototype to show you”. Granted this is a software conference but if they had a device in hand, you would think that they would have given us at least a quick flash to pique our interest. With the Archos 5 Internet Tablet, which uses the same OMAP 3 processor, already shipping and a 3G model just a few months out, we think Nokia may have missed the boat on this one.

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Announced back in August, the Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet is now available and shipping worldwide. Not quite an MID but way more than a standard PMP, the Archos 5 has a 5″ screen with 800 x 480-pixel resolution, integrated 802.11b/g WiFi, Opera Web browser with Flash 9 support, and support, either natively or through a plugin, for almost every audio and video playback codec imaginable (including HD at 720p). It ships in 60GB, 120GB, and 250GB sizes for $350, $400, and $450, respectively. If you can stand the wait, a 3.5G HSDPA version is expected in December 2008. Want to get a closer look at the Archos 5 tablet in action, then head over to Archoslounge.net who has posted an 18 page review chock full of images and hands-on video goodness. We put a teaser above but there is lots more at their site to drool over. Be warned, the review is in French but we all know how to Google translate, right? Enjoy!

[Via ArchosFans]

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Oh sorry, we thought it was ok for anyone to make that false statement as long as there was an asterisk at the end. Hey, at least you won’t be paying added charges totaling more than the initial purchase price of the N810 over the course of a two-year contract! CompUSA (you remember them, right?) just dropped the price of Nokia’s latest Internet Tablet to a very reasonable $299. Wow! 4.2″ touchscreen display, nice big slide-out qwerty keyboard, open Linux OS, the ability to fire up Android on it; there’s plenty to love about the N810. Considering Nokia’s Internet tablet is still up at $430 on Nokia’s site and as high as $480 on Best Buy, this is definitely a pretty solid price point. Shipping starts around $8 and the tablet is listed as being in stock and ready to go. If you’ve been procrastinating, now is a good time to stop.

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Yesterday was a big day for Nokia Internet Tablet owners. The N810 and N800 each got a firmware update codenamed “Diablo” and while some refer to it as a minor release, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Why? Let’s look at the change log highlights:

• SSU (seamless software updating) enabling components of the OS to be updated without having to flash/rewrite the entire operating system
• Over-the-air (OTA) updates via Wi-Fi and WiMax connections
• Update of the email client to Modest with several enhancements to the user interface and additional support of several mobile-friendly email features
• Addition of Chinese fonts to the system font list
• Miscellaneous bug fixes to OpenSSL
• Browser panning fixes
• Support for A-GPS in the N810 and N810WE
• Wayfinder GPS application updates
• Additional unspecified features

The first two entries are key. A huge annoyance with both S60 and Internet Tablet devices is the update procedure. In short, all data is lost. Backing up and restoring rarely goes smoothly and even on the rare occasion it does, it’s still time consuming and bothersome. Seamless software updating and automatic OTA application updates mean that everything – from firmware to installed apps – will be easily and seamlessly updated as new versions become available. Update your firmware without losing personal data and files; update your apps automatically over the air as soon as new versions become available. Good stuff indeed.

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