Linux alternative to iPod touch

Filed under: Fun, Games, Internet, Features, Linux, E-mail, Productivity, Apple, VoIP, iPhone

Linux alternative to iPod touch

by Dolores Parker Sep 14th 2007

At the beginning of the month, we wrote about how Nokia's N800 tablet might compare with the iPhone. The results to our very unscientific poll, showed a strong preference for the N800. Of the 1,027 respondents, the N800 won by a landslide - 65% to the iPhone's 35%.

Now that the iPod touch is here, let's do a side by side comparison with it and see how the N800 fares, after the jump.

Below is a comparison table of the specs for the N800 and the iPod touch.

The N800 has VOIP capabilities and is Skype ready. This means you can use the device to make internet calls and even have video chats. The iPod touch does not have VOIP.

By most accounts, the N800 has choppy video playback, while the iPod touch plays back video smoothly. On the other hand, the N800's Bluetooth, FM receiver, camera, and WiMax might help make up the slack for the choppy video. And the N800 has the optional GPS kit which would allow your tablet to also act as a GPS receiver. Then there's all the third party applications you can go nuts with such as:

Pidgin - full-featured internet messaging client, with AIM, MSN, Yahoo and Jabber support
Canola - media player with network streaming
FBReader - e-book reader
Claws Mail - full-featured email client
Obscura Photo Manager

Apple remains "neutral" on third party applications, however they might just as well put a big warning label on their devices that say, "Install at your own risk." Greg Joswiak, Apple's VP of worldwide iPod marketing, recently indicated Apple would not be held responsible if Apple's software updates broke other third party apps.

So which way are you leaning? Take our poll and tell us if you're heading for the N800 or the iPod touch.

FYI: Here's the results from the N800 vs. iPhone poll:

Tags: Apple, iPhone, iTouch, N800, Nokia, third-party-applications

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Taomyn said 9:51AM on 9-14-2007

Please fix the comparison - it's been rushed together with items missing (see Weight which has suddenly become 3-dimensional, Video support which now includes BMP, GIF but no video formats). Muppets.

Matt said 10:23AM on 9-14-2007

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the iPhone doesn't come in a 16 gb version yet (that's the iPod touch)...
Although I do hope that Apple comes out w/ a 3G 16 gb version it hasn't happened yet... :)

Tush said 11:15AM on 9-14-2007

What about the Openmoko Neo1973?? Why don't you guys ever mention that? It's totally open source AND it's a phone.

This is non-linux, but the Archos 605, which beats the pants off the iPod touch.

Jarrett Kaufman said 11:20AM on 9-14-2007

What a waste of an article. The errors on the N800 side make it useless.

Antarr Byrd said 11:31AM on 9-14-2007

But you were right on the Archos 605,it is no comparison

Antarr Byrd said 11:31AM on 9-14-2007

because the Openmoko Neo1973 is hideously ugly. Looks like something made by Sony....ugh

Tush said 11:54AM on 9-14-2007

Antarr,

Who cares what it looks like, it's completely open source and the hardware specs are saweet.

David said 12:05PM on 9-14-2007

After using the n800 for a little while now, while a great little machine, I definitely have a few grievances with it:

1) The battery life is what kills me. It HAS to be charged almost everyday or its useless, and (in my belief) the indicator LIES. It say it's good for an hour or two in active use then suddenly drop down to less than an hour. A percentage based battery life would have been much more helpful as I really have no idea how long the battery will last. I typically bring the charger around with me in my bag (even if it's had a full nights charge).

2) I so wish there was an easier way to mute the device. It's fairly embarrassing when you accidentally unplug your headphones and "A Flock of Seagulls" begins blaring out of the built in stereo speakers. Either the automatic pause feature of the ipods or separate audio levels for headphones vs speakers (like in my Macbook). A mute toggle switch would have been a wonderful feature (like on the Iphone or Palm Treo). An unlock plus two stylus taps seems like an eternity when your trying to mute something in a public place.

3) For skype/gizmo calling it really needs a headset that works unless your in a super quiet environment. With the headset Nokia provides it's better for the recipient of the call, but it's difficult to hear them (even with max volume). If you use your own earbuds (personally ER6i isolator) and the built in mic, they can't hear you worth a crapshoot in a noisy environment. And here I have a wonderful working bluetooth headset that simply goes unused. (Does anyone know of single earbud, wired headset that will work with the n800?. Remember it has to be a 1/8 inch jack, not 1/16th like most cell headsets.)

That said, it is a great little machine. Rhapsody is a wonderful alternative to the wifi itunes music store. The screen is gorgeous. It's wonderful to read ebooks on using FBReader. MaemoMapper works great, even when your offline.

My opinion is if your expecting ipod functionality, you best get an ipod. n800 is bigger, less interface friendly and won't happily sync with itunes. However, if you want a really small linux computer with loads of functionality then you will happily enjoy the n800.

Jonathan Harford said 2:09PM on 9-14-2007

Oy, that table needs fixin'.

Also: does the N800 have pressure sensitivity, or is it like a WM device? I'd totally get one if I could sketch nice on it.

Lisa Hoover said 5:04PM on 9-14-2007

Yeah, folks, I screwed up the table. Dolores had it right and I borked it while importing. I'm fixing it now, though, so hold tight. And, hey, if we're Muppets, I get to be Beaker!

noah said 6:09PM on 9-14-2007

Yeah, there is -- one example is the "required pressure" setting for launching the thumbboard: it's fully adjustable.

I wish that the builtin Sketch application used pressure-sensitivity tho', but that's like asking for features in MS Paint.

Phrodo_00 said 12:25AM on 9-15-2007

Also, although n800 doesn't sync with itunes, most open source media libraries support syncing with ums devices just as well.
I haven't got a n800, however, Ive used a n770 and here's the list of things that would make the n900 or whatever the ultimate gadget:
-way longer bettery life, at least around 6 hours or something
-Video decoding chip so videos look smooth
-large hardrive or flash.

slvn said 9:50AM on 9-15-2007

I got an N800 early on because I never would have imagined that it would have a tough time just playing video. But it does, so it's basically useless to me. Does anyone have any solutions? Does anyone have it running videos?

Coleman Foley said 5:59PM on 9-15-2007

One other advantage of the N800: it supports Bluetooth DUN, so you can use your cell phone connection, which is especially cool when you can get evdo. Also, the N800's bigger screen is worth pointing out. I have had the N800 since February and love it. I use it every day.

Mark said 8:01PM on 9-15-2007

Though you were going by out-of-the-box to a degree, if you include MPlayer media playback is much smoother. I often use it with rencoded videos if I don't want to stream/won't be on wifi.

I have to admit, I was biased in voting. I already own a n800, which I bought in lieu of a pda/iPhone, and would have been torn if the Touch was out when I made my purchase. I prefer my n800 now for the screen size (used to read a ton of ebooks on my T|E, so high resolution is important) and open nature, but the size of the Touch is mighty tempting (though the n800 is still fairly pocketable, the speakers add a good bit of bulk.)

Actually, that's a nice plus of the n800: I've used it both as radio and internet radio quite a bit and the speakers make it perfect for this. No more having to hunt down my smaller speakers or use a laptop for bed/couchside radio.

Mark said 8:07PM on 9-15-2007

Just saw #13:

If you reduce video resolution to 448xwhatever in divx at 600kb/sec it plays great in MPlayer. There's also a custom app (Media Converter) that a user released to encode proper videos for the 770/n800 to automate it for you. (OS X/Win/Linux versions, I believe.)

Also, TVersity is a nice, though slightly unstable, streamer that streams at properly scaled resolutions for the 770/n800. I never had much luck with Orb, oddly, so I prefer this.

If you head to internettablettalk.com's forums and search there's a plethora of threads that should help.

Howie said 8:31PM on 9-18-2007

I am a newbie to all this poscket tech. Only my wife has the cell phone!

I have read a lot of the N800's GPS reviews. They are not too positive. While its small kit costs the same as a nuvi 250 and offers no voice instrustions. Not so hot if you are without a navigator!

The one app that thrills every owner is the Internet.

The camera seems poor.

Skype ( I Skype-out a lot) is only strong at the called party's side of the call, ... oh ... and someone got passable quuality using Shure ear plugs. Heck .. you might as well buy the new $2000 Tosh 13' Laptop.

I have waited for a tablet that "does it all" for years. Its stil not here. Even so, I'll probably take a chance on the N800. That said, The cost is at least worth the education.

PS:
How about some SD output to a flatscreen?

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