Last week I listened to an interesting interview on CBC Radio 1 about the difference between technology in Japan and North America. The interviewee was saying that North Americans started on desktop PCs first and moved towards being mobile and Japan started as mobile and are moving towards desktops. I don’t know how true that is, but it’s interesting. And, as a North American, I like the idea of moving towards being mobile.
Leif and I went for coffee on Saturday. We both were feeling like there wasn’t enough digital love in our lives. We both admitted that we wanted a new computer and neither of us had a good reason to buy one (or the money). Leif said he wanted a new laptop. I agreed. A laptop would be great. The problem with laptop’s is that they are expensive. But they are mobile and they have WiFi. However, being that I am desktop-geek/North American I know that if I spent $1500 on a new laptop and compared it to a desktop for the same price there would be a huge difference. The desktop would be better. A $1500 desktop could basically guarantee a top-of-the-line computer and dual monitors. Plus, laptops also have a shorter shelf life. But they are mobile.
The next best choice would be something like an Apple iPhone, with WiFi. We don’t have them in Canada (well, we do, but they are hacked and likely you/I would lose some options—Rogers in finicky). There are a handful of other cellphones/smartphones like Blackberries. But then you have to pay for data plans and that’s really expensive. I don’t need that. Frankly, I don’t even like the Rogers cell phone plan I have now. I don’t want to actually talk to anyone, I just want to email.
I found the perfect solution, I thought, in the iTouch. This is basically an iPhone, without the phone. Sort of. It has WiFi, but I have read it’s missing a lot of the applications that you get with the iPhone and basically any other Pocket PC. Really the Pocket PC is ideal because you get the mobile functionality of a laptop without the weight or price. So which Pocket PC is the way to go?
Well, I have been surfing eBay and looking for deals. I think the Nokia N800 is the best choice. Plus, it’s based on Linux and you can’t go wrong with Linux. So, everyone, I want a Nokia N800 for Christmas. After that, we can talk about ChristmasFuture. The N800 has all the functionality of the iTouch with a handful of bonuses, including Skype (so I could use it as a phone if I were so inclined). It has WiFi, music, it can handle office documents. Frankly, it’s got everything. The best thing is that, as far as I can see, it’s about half the price of the iTouch and twice the awesome. It’s perfect for what I need.
This rockstarpoet, in the very near future, is going mobile.