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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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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Well lookie what we have here. It looks like Mozilla stepped it up and decided to release a shiny new tablet version of the Fennec (Firefox Mobile) browser. N810 and N800 owners running Chinook or Diablo can now enjoy the fresh new 1.0 alpha 1 version of Fennec, complete with a laundry list of changes:

Easy navigation to Web content:

• Bookmarks, including tags
• Smart URL bar ("awesome bar")
• Tabbed browsing with thumbnail images
• Integrated Web search – built into the URL bar
• Easy access to multiple search engines

Web content:

• Maximize content by auto-hiding controls and URL bar
• Zoom in and out

Security:

• Instant Web site ID ("Larry")
• Password manager
• Popup blocker
• Clear private data

Devices services integration:

• Click on a phone number to initiate a call
• JavaScript API to get device location
• Popup blocker
• Clear private data

Also:

• Searchable download manager
• Preferences pane

We’ve played with it for a while and while the look and functionality are fantastic, it’s still slow. When we say slow, we mean sloooooow. The tabbed browsing (pictured above on the left) implementation and navigation controls are awesome – swipe right with your finger or stylus right to open the tabs bar or left to open the navigation menu. Tablet owners can hit the read link to install Fennec or if you’re reading this on your N800 / N810 just click here for the .install file.

[Via nokiAAddict ]

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After months of waiting, the Nokia N810 WiMAX edition went live on Nokia’s online storefront this week. No longer “Available Soon” the WiMAX version of the popular Internet Tablet is now “In Stock” and ready for shipping. A member over at Internet Tablet Talk reported that he has already received his and, to everyone’s surprise, is able to connect to Chicago’s not-yet-launched Xohm WiMAX network. He had to work a little tomfoolery and enter in a Baltimore zip code during the activation process but now he is enjoying the WiMAX wireless experience in Chicago. Awesome! The N810 WiMAX edition is currently being offered with a $50 instant rebate, bringing the price down to $433 plus shipping. Just a heads up, Nokia still has the N810 classified as a “phone”. With this being the fourth version of the Internet Tablet, you would think they would have created a new category for this niche device. Alas, that is not the case so you will have to click, not run, to the online Nokia USA store, phone category please, and order yourself a heap of WiMAX Internet Tablet goodness.

Thanks, Mister Ecua.

[Via Internet Tablet Talk ]

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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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