Mac Air - up and running

While spent wonderful Christmas with family, I managed to setup my Air for basic functionality. Encrypted emailing, graphics and presentation capabilities. What I like most is this form factor of this computer. It's incredible light and easy to live with, why there is no Linux capable hardware like this?

Macbook Air

After used couple of weeks iPad, I got inspiration to get Macbook Air, 11" model with 64 GB SSD drive. Christmas was partly reason for this, but also the fact that Air is finally something which is correctly sized for various mobile situations. It was also a nice experience to see how well Apple offers mobile me service and ipad and mac got synced together.

Plan is to use this computer to produce various small media things, with iWork 09 and iMovie. Currently we've done those with office showroom mac, which is not so suitable for that. Time tells.

Android and iPad

I met interesting peoples last Friday, really. But before that, I just realized how far Nokia is slipping at the moment. I ordered two Android phones for kids as a Christmas presents and acquired iPad for personal use for me.

Androids are really pushing and my current phone (Desire Z) is offering qwerty for me at last and I just decided to bring family along to Android world. I will offer kids Google Talk and some beaconbase.com service for locating them. These kind of new things are unreachable with Nokia.

And iPad, after I sold my first one back in August - I was forced to get one for project usage and I actually found out that it outplays Samsung Tab. I do not like Apple's ecosystem, I hate itunes and miss Linux functionality - but still, it's marvelous web browsing and emailing tool. Beat that.

Week in middle east

Just returned from Middle East, business trip. Was first thing done without my massive Thinkpad Edge. Survived with Samsung Tab, Nokia booklet and Desire Z phone.

Samsung Tab was indeed very nice, even I couldn't spare to use 3G connection and relayed just over Hotel lobby wlan. Only thing for Booklet (running ubuntu 10.10 of course) was need for encrypted email - all other functions were covered with Samsung Tab. And when not in wlan, Desire Z (yes that android with keyboard) was good. So good that I still wonder why there is no real choices to keyboard models in Android. Strange.

And yes, phone pictured here was found in Mall. Original Intex 6633 dual sim phone for ~70 euros. Not bad Nokia?

Samsung Tab - stability issues

After traveling and experiencing tab with more detailed, I've noticed that it's very handy device for traveling man and applications I want to use when on road. However, I see one issue popping out from time to time. That's stability. Browser, video player, email and attachment handling keeps crashing very often. So often that I find it very annoying. My nexus one wont act like that, so I assume its something specific to android in tab.

Samsung Tab experiences

Samsung Tab arrived today. Few quick points and experiences for hungry fellow gadgeteers;

It's small. Compared to ipad. It's solid, bit slippery but overall very nice. Android works nicely, bit of sluggish on heavily equipped flash pages, but very usable. I found integrated applications very nice, email and calendar are business ready with excellent integration to Google services. I also noticed that Scandinavian keyboard include our domestic charters (öäå) which is great.

There is short video available here.

Ubuntu 10.10 on Nokia Booklet

Just installed latest Ubuntu 10.10 to Nokia Booklet. Installation was a lot faster than before, but screen resolution was still an issue with poulsbo GMA 500 adapter. I just wonder how much better sales nokia would have done, if they have chosen some more standard graphics adapter for this and delivered complete set with Ubuntu?

However I followed instructions in wiki to gain support for GMA500. And now things are looking good again. Thanks to Ubuntu community, only.

Imaging with N8

Low light image from evening sunset, shot with Nokia N8. Not too much noise, I think? I've been playing with this device four days and been quite satisfied, especially imaging side of it. I did also few youtube uploads of videos. They look amazingly sharp and good. Ten points from this.

Nokia N8 - experiences

Imaging with N8 is nice experience.

(tip: erase exif data with "mogrify -strip [imagefile]" command in ubuntu, before posting).

But I just keep wondering that emailing thing. Today I figured out that denying those service terms when setting up email account on N8 will result downgraded emailing application for my use, which allows me to keep those smtp servers. Email header indicates that I use "EPOC Email Version 2.10" when I do not accept service agreement with Nokia. Otherwise all my emails goes to oz.com servers, which I do find unnecessary by all means.

N8 is nice device, missing only xmpp support, meego and hardware keyboard. Until those times, let's play with this.

Nokia N8 - FRA Phone

First thoughts on Nokia's latest N8 were fine, but then I found out this:

I just noticed that I cannot any more configure my SMTP server to Nokia N8 email client. Nokia pushes all my emails to oz.com servers and when I live in Finland, everything goes to Swedish signal intelligence (FRA), among other agencies. When I do emailing in my security business, I don't want to receive my domestic emails with this kind of headers:

"from nkemconn05.nokia.prod.oz.com (unknown [67.220.123.36]) by emh02.mail.saunalahti.fi (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8D8932BD44 for ; Sat, 2 Oct 2010 08:58:48 +0300 (EEST)"

I found this really disturbing (!) Even Android does allow me to specify SMTP servers with SSL-security. Big boys are wiser.

Nokia: hire some expertise and download FRA Portfolio

Update: It is still possible to create manual SMTP server entries. Phone to off line first and giving non existing email & password combination brings you to setup screen where smtp server can be specified. So there is an issue by default, but by tweaking you are able to produce domestic or inter company email communication with this.

Operator position in new era

After I've been experiencing totally closed and controlled eco system of apple, by using that ipad - I've been really thinking world in new ways. I see change is there, peoples are not willing to stick into closed world. But it does need an alternative view and actual alternative world to live in.

Predicting is dangerous business, but I believe that Android and hopefully Meego will create some pressure for Apple and other proprietary worlds to reposition. It's just not acceptable any more that I need itunes to activate my device or to transfer (possibly my created) content from devices. Peoples are starting to wakeup.

While I've been living in Linux cloud for last 15 years, it seems that I am in peaceful and quiet room - where chosen functionality just works and no worries are present. World is solid, controlled by me and data is in safe harbour. Now my visions seem to arrive in same world, when everything we deliver out from door are based in same solidity.

From here I could see new position for future mobile operators. They just cannot tie peoples down in proprietary channels and models any longer. While Nokia has already delivered N900, device which allows you to communicate totally standardised and cross device protocols - things are staring to change. As well opposite to big players, I see macro vendors building up neat solutions for customers and users - where functionality is tailored in great details to support your world, your needs and your solutions. Bringing users to these macro clouds means that adaptation is also made in your macro world. Key to penetrate is that these macro worlds are built by commonly accepted and adopted protocols and allows them to link together without corporate built borders. It will be huge.

Nokia N9

I saw pictures at Engadget of coming Nokia N9 (which supposedly is running Meego) and I was simply amazed. I think Nokia will score with this, since making things truly open ways is totally different, what's available from Apple and Android.

Compare N900 and Apple in technical ways and you realise that taking MP3's to your phone is a lot simpler with Nokia and almost impossible with Apple (iTunes..). Take an example of Jabber IM integration in N900 and Android, there is a _huge_ difference.

I can say that Nokia N900 is not so great in hardware and software, but methods they apply to use task flexibility and open integration is something which wins at long run. I don't want to obey iTunes in my every task, I want to use Linux and variety of other systems where iTunes requirements is pain. I want to use open and secure protocols to communicate, I don't want to use proprietary and vendor locked channels to target my comm's into. I want to run my own Jabber server and attach to it.

I want system which is openly secure, I don't want compromised and intercept ready base for my mobile thoughts and business.

iPad [sold]

Last week I acquired iPad 64GB/3G version from Dallas, while my trips took me there. But after a week, I was ready to sell it. Today next owner took off happy from here with my iPad.

Why's that you might ask?

For one simple reason; Apple's closed society. I couldn't understand why I have to use iTunes to use MY data, why iPad is not able to support _any_ standard transferring options and where is all my freedom on iOS platform?

That was a bit sick experience for me, I must say.

Others make me love Nokia

August 2nd, holiday period is over and things start to look back normal again. I post this with my Nokia Booklet 3G and it's not because Nokia is so great, it's because community is so great. I realized that ubuntu team has gained support to poulsbo graphic adapter, which Nokia Booklet has. See this wikipage for more details and simple solution.

I think Booklet from Nokia is nice device, mainly because it's quality and size. Features are just in there, but they just ruined this whole concept with Windows and this (so far) terrifying graphics adapter which has not been officially supported by Linux. I don't know if things are permanently good and fixed, but partially I am happy now.

Think this Nokia. To make difference in users minds, include quite a bit your own thinking and follow what you believe. What would booklet community look like if you have released this hardware in spirit of N900 and Maemo (meego) instead?

Happy booklet user, without Nokias effort and without Nokias support.

Summer phones

Holidays are going to end next week and summer 2010 has been really nice. Weather has kept us warm and daily temperatures has been near 30 deg here in Finland. Shortly stated, summer has been warm. As gadget guy, it has also been very adventurous summer. I've been switching my sim card from phone to phone, like Nexus one, Sony Ericsson X10 Mini and Mini PRO, Samsung B2700 (rugged one), Nokia E72 and finaly N900 from Nokia.

It's a mystery for me to decide which one to keep in continuous use. Every one of those has a features which keeps me going back. Few to mention;

• Android; usability, responsive and clear user interface. Fast web browsing and nice outfit of nexus one.
  
• Sony Ericsson X10 Mini PRO; form factor and keyboard (I do also have plain mini, which is small!)
  
• E72: qwerty keyboard and basic functionality just works. A bit hacked refreshed components thought, like gallery and email. Symbian is outdated as platform, I see.
  
• Samsung B2700; free from worries, how to handle my phone. Just great in that part.
  
• N900; IM-integration, I just need my Jabber client (to company own XMMP server) among skype to handle few international contacts. Shame it's a bit clumsy and maemo got replaced with meego in future plans of Nokia.

If I had power to design my own GSM terminal, it would be combination of those great concepts which keeps me switching SIM from phone to phone. Ultimately I would love to have these on my phone;

• Hardware optimised for size with qwerty keyboard
  
• Open Linux based operating system, with non-US crypto parts, fast and clean UI.
• System without version numbering, modular and upgradeable all along the way.
  
• Multi account emailing with GPG support
• Standard XMMP IM-client, with possibly Skype and other proprietary accounts supported as well.
• Camera and video recording with good quality

Give me some resources and I come out with the phone.

Android developer

Just installed Android SDK.

Painless operation and supported with Linux based Eclipse, just what I need. Even I never programmed anything with Java, installation was easy. Somehow I feel pity about Nokia. With their resources, they should approach mobile development like Google does. Bringing volume to developers, will bring customers to devices.

X10 Mini from Sony Ericsson

I run one project where we wanted to implement telematic client on mobile phone and as Finnish engineer, I was years biased to Nokia. N900 was nice and I thought that I could implement something with it, but maturity of SDK and platform kept me constantly on ground.

Then I found out nice program for Android (GPL'ed), which does just what I need. Running it on Nexus one proved a case. After that, I became aware Sony ericsson X10 Mini. This combination rocks quite a bit. No wonder Nokia is lost.

Nokia Email service

I lost my capability to send email with N97 Mini. I do have two accounts and they use same smtp server (smtpa.kolumbus.fi) with my primary user account (from kolumbus). One is sending email nicely, but another one is giving quite frustrating error when I try to send email. Strange.

This triggered my "one time" usage experiments with Nokia's email system, one which is integrated to N97 Mini and promises to bring my emails immediately to phone. It was not so nice looking application, but what I found really problematic was the fact that all my emails are going through that Nokia server. This privacy invading solution is very problematic for me. I barely trust my operator, but generating some extra services between me and my operator imap server is total nonsense.

So, if possible - stick to native email application without that extra feature, if it works for you. Mine is not working anymore. So, I placed sim once again to another phone from N97 mini. And turned my all IM and emailing to trustworthy Linux laptop (actually I run three of these at the moment) and I am happy with GPG secured emailing.

Follow the leader Nokia.

Nokia booklet 3G - Ubuntu thoughts

Next week task is to try out Nokia booklet 3G with latest Ubuntu.

I just loved hardware of booklet, but totally misaligned display adapter (GMA500) is pain for Linux community. And seriously speaking, why would Nokia support more actively booklet for Linux users? Currently Linux offers quite attractive choice for business users, fast web browsing experience and state of the art email clients along OpenOffice is all we need to run our company.

This remind me last week news, where Kallasvuo seems to be end of line at Nokia. Compare this to Steve J's straight statements against Adobe. Strong vision should carry you long way and pleasing everybody might be possible in Finnish family life, but in business you have to choose your sides. After playing for decades in this business segment, I would say that Nokia should choose following; Linux, Meego and hardware. Drop rest.

Ubuntu 10.04 on Thinkpad Edge

Last week was excellent show. New ubuntu, almost new laptop and new SSD disk. I must admit that if I ever would like to pay operating system or support, I would do it for Ubuntu team. My professional computing needs are more than fulfilled with this excellent combination.

Now I am booting faster than ever, enjoying encrypted hard drive and very polished outlook of whole system, to put it simple; I am impressed. Good work guys.

Nokia N8 - what's missing

Dear Nokia,

As you choosed to use 'leak method' to ask from audience, I shall answer you. N8 is missing following things; hardware keyboard, Jabber IM support, GPG capable email client and finaly; meego.

Ubuntu on SSD

Great, my SSD installation went flawlessly and now I am running fresh ubuntu on my Thinkpad EDGE. On 64 GB Kingston V+ SSD drive I have now system like it was in my old hard drive. I just love Linux.

How about speed? Yes. It's noticeably faster to boot and open programs. But what matters for me is the fact that now I do have more robust drive in this laptop and carrying thing around or driving in a car with it won't be a problem. I also tried out 10.04 beta version of ubuntu on that another computer and _that was fast_ to boot. I hardly can wait next Thursday when release is out.

What about you Windows user? What did you accomplished today ?

Phones :: part IV

While my ubuntu is still downloading, I took family picture of my equipments. Bellow few fast thoughts;

E71 is warrior, nothing more than great phone. Suffers a bit from Symbian syndrome, but does a great job with voice and sms communication. I wish I could have jabber integration in this as in N900.

3720C is basic without worries to break it down. I just love S40 interface, making it fast and furious to use. But again, lacking with decent capabilities to communicate in other that operators network. This is backup phone for me, in case I get kernel panic with my N900.

N900 is currently my main phone, I wish Nokia would understand and release full potential of meego (maemo). Now I can handle everything with this phone, from GPG to SSH and communication from voice, sms to jabber and skype (which I do not like).

Last is N97 mini, as I posted earlier - it should act as wakeup call to Nokia. Do not play with symbian anymore, try to make it anything more than it's capable.

So, my SIM flies between these phones quite often, depending what I need to explore.

SSD is here

SSD is here. Just spent some money for Kingston SSDnow V+ series drive and Intel X25-V. Plans include to put them in real work today.

Playing with Linux is nice, because I just can download latest version, tar my home directory and I am ready to switch. There is no hassle with various other softwares, everything is included. Few apt-get install commands and I am back on track (hopefully) with my SSD installation. I plan to install kingston to my Thinkpad EDGE and intel to one customer project running Linux as well. And yes, I also got new USB hard drive, Lacie rikiki - which I use to transfer all data from place to place. Thing I did for Lacie was luks format and ext3, so no windows dummies are able to explore my data in case I lost my drive.

N97 mini disaster

I've been playing with new N97 mini and other symbian devices as we acquired mini for some evaluation purposes this week. I tried to adjust my functions to end user mode and checked out various N97 mini issues along a way.


Few things crossed my mind:

• N97 mini is nice hardware, quality built.
• Keyboard is missing accent charters (ä and ö) which are needed way too often in Finnish language. This is real pain.
• S60 with tweaked touch support is disaster. It's lacking and is totally missing user experience.
  
• Comes with music is nice, but DRM is killing this. No future as big audience finds out this DRM non sense. I rather use download.netanttila.com for DRM free MP3's.

And where N900 beats N97 mini and other symbian devices; integrated and third party IM-client support. Our functions are heavily based to open IM solutions and XMMP plays major role in there. No wonder Nokia is in difficult position, they need operators (especially in US) and while playing with them, they lose in technology.

I see symbian to fit low end keyboard devices, but please Nokia. Face it, Symbian is dead in high level devices and no matter what Kallasvuo is saying, drop it. I recall times when epoc/symbian was something and it was back in 1995 in my Psion.

Virtual Zippo Lighter [NOKIA]

I received SMS from Nokia, my business partner to my business phone (freely translated);

"Virtual Zippo Lighter application you can make your device touchscreen act like Zippo lighter..."

Great Nokia!

Just what I needed from you, Zippo lighter. Give me SDK capable to penetrate to business applications, give me GPG compatible email clients (S60, Maemo) - give me Jabber client to my E71. Almost anything else than Zippo lighter is needed. Guys at keilaniemi (in nokia hq), take elevator downstairs and find a mirror.

Impressions of Lenovo EDGE

After two nights, I am still happy owner of Lenovo EDGE laptop. Even I do not have firmware files for Gobi modem, I believe I fetch them somewhere later on.

Ubuntu 9.10 alternative brings me all benefits being mobile worker, when needed. I can sync my desktop and laptop contents, handle secure emailing and enjoy fully encrypted hard drive, making my business safe and sound. I do not have to worry buying virus protection (79 € / year), microsoft office (236 € / year) or other windows magic, I just keep pushing my limits with secure, scalable and easy to use Linux.

What makes be happy with Lenovo Edge is big screen and decent keyboard. What I do not like is touch bad, which is kind of troubled place all the time. Front edge is too sensitive and using touch pad buttons leads often to mouse movement as well.

Lenovo Thinkpad Edge - I never saw windows 7

My trustworthy Panasonic CF-w7 got tired. Toughbook was not tought enough and fan tired first and our rescue attempt failed miserably. So, I took a fast decision to fulfil my business computing needs with Lenovo Thinkpad Edge (13.3").

I bought it from verkkokauppa.com for 887 €. I just walked in and google searched some Linux support and while it was clear that Intel model was ok with Ubuntu, I took a decision to move forward. And now follows the nicest part.

After getting back to office, I gave windows 7 a change and looked sticker on machine. After that USB stick in and ubuntu 9.10 alternative got installed in this. Copied few tar files containing my personal data and email home directory and I was ready to fly. Everything works out of the box nicely, except Gobi modem. Firmware files blew with a windows and I need to hunt them down somewhere. I bet qualcom cannot help me there. No problem, help from corporate side has never been useful.

So for my Linux fellows; this is nice, cheap and solid computer. Supporting nicely Linux. Just remember to stay far away of AMD version of this same model. Black and Intel is working.

Android wishes

After travelling quite a bit, I found out following things which would make my android experiences perfect;

• Integrate Jabber client (speech and IM) to android
• Offer flash support for browser
• Hardware keyboard please

My N900 is offering these and I just like them, for example last week in London, I sat by Thames in London eye and spoke with Jabber voip calls to Finland with free wlan connection. Follow me.

If nexus one would offer these, it would be such a wonderful device. Keyboard is one requirement for serious emailing and IM messaging.

Android developments

I have never done any Java, but Linux is familiar. Despite of that, I just completed my first two android applications - based on android.com documentation and sample codes. One was helloworld and another was displaying map for me. Amazing. On the side I downloaded two sample applications for SMS handling to explore them further in near future.

This is the thing I was explaining to Qil at maemo.org talk. Give tools, give documentation and peoples bring software. No matter how pure is your concept, if you hide - no one can find.

I really hope that meego changes problems of Maemo, since if that does not happen - things are better built on Android.

Nexus is here

I bought yesterday my Nexus One from verkkokauppa.com. Local store has them on stock and they are US version, based on charger they have. I switched immediately sim from N900 to Nexus to check it out. What strikes me is lightness of that phone after N900, which is kind of brick.

First feelings are mixed, I still do not like touch screen only phones. Keyboards are so much better for serious typing and messaging. Other thing is that I just cannot like without N900's IM-support (jabber at first, skype in second). If there is truly working, open and integrated solution for Android, things get hard.

Reason for Nexus for me is some development things which I need to explore. I did some initial things with N900 and maemo, but it turned out so frustrating to hunt down information of certain functions on maemo.org. Let's see if Android is any better, if not - I start to solder my own phone.

Android vs Meego

After struggling with Maemo development efforts for few months, I decided to give a try to Android. I am sick and tired with Maemo's (meego) coin toss applications and other similar and totally useless ones.

I tried to approach Maemo team in maemo talks forum, asking good questions how real life applications can utilize various N900 communication and other features. But very thin answers received, if none. Instead I found immediate answers to my dev questions on Android documentation and mailing lists. All this makes me really wonder, is Nokia _so lost_ with this.

Let you know how my android adventure turns out.

N900 experiences

After I last year acquired my Nokia N900, I've found out that I do quite a lot things with it. It's still standalone device, I do not sync my calendar anywhere - but it keeps well track of my IMAP mail boxes and web is always there. I did one major upgrade to system by flashing, things went smoothly and user data was intact.

Overall I have to say that Nokia has built remarkable device as it now. However, I am still complaining about missing API's to achieve even more with my own program. I was able to do programs with maemo sdk, they read GPS, cell-id and other things - but communication is totally blocked. How do I send SMS out from that thing, how do I parse incoming messages? Currently Nokia is unable to support this and it's strange. Android has very decent documentations of API's to access these services.

Dear Nokia: I am totally tired of 'coin toss' applications. Let me do something useful.

Elisa viihdekaista

Finnish operator Elisa has been running around me (and probably other Finnish customers also) to gain upgrade for my adsl connection. They deliver now 8M connection for me 42€/month and would like to offer 39€/month "elisa viihde" (elisa entrainment) package. They deliver tv-channels over IP and offer also rental video service along the way for this new package.

I am almost willing to switch, but I am fully fed up with brainless phone sales guys and lack of decent information how they were implementing that service. My Linux users back at home are not happy if such a wonderful thing is only working on windows based systems. Answer from sales rep was that 'there are instructions with the package'. Well, that's just not enough for me.

Answer these questions Elisa and you get my money;

• How you stream channels for me over IP. VLC compatible or something else?
• Is there DRM on rental videos (probably unusable on Linux if so)?
• What's the difference from excellent tvkaista.fi service (which I already paid for)..
  

Navigate me Nokia

After getting back from London and Amsterdam, I must say that day in London was very nice. I took business meetings with my ubuntu equipped Nokia Booklet and could really enjoy lightness and awesome battery life. My details were in safe by fully encrypted hard drive and carrying plain booklet around was pleasure. No need to pay extra for hard drive encryption, no need to worry about f-secure taking my resources up etc.

I just compare this to what I noticed from business traveller sitting next to me on flight form Helsinki. He had also N900 and booklet and became very interested how I use my booklet with ubuntu. He complained at start about windows 7 starter edition, office and f-secure. Totally impossible combination. I said that I do all those things with booklet also and enjoy fully encrypted hard drive to protect my business. Except that I run ubuntu 9.10 on it.

But actually this suits me well, I really enjoy that (possible) competitors are using windows when ever they can and play their future against it. Just go for it.

On the move with booklet

On my way to London, I realised that I carry two laptops with me. One is Panasonic CF-W7, my primary company laptop including virtualized developing environments and now this Nokia booklet is also on board. As I sit here on airport and update my blog with Nokia, it seems to be perfect tool for the job. Synchronising digital life across different computers might be thing of the future. I really liked how weave worked on my N900 and this booklet. My browsing is in sync, next for the email.

Next stop London.

N900 and booklet

Spending Saturday in library and testing mobile broadband in Elisa network with my Nokia booklet and N900. Both working fine after I switched booklet operating system to ubuntu 9.10. Utilising N900 with IM messaging and jabber calls I have dropped my phone bill around 100 €. That is money which is justifying my life on early adopter edge. While I am blogging with this booklet, I still miss GPS and accelerometer functionality of this little device.

I've been thinking, could there be after marketing business to deliver these computers with fully working Linux instead of that bloated Windows ? If there is - just give a call.

Nokia booklet 3G - marketing organization only?

While running some backups, I got couple of hours to spend with this Nokia booklet 3G device. I discarded idea of utilising it just week ago. Back then I found out that Intel chipset is poorly supported in Linux (ubuntu 9.10), but regardless of that I found a way to make it work. And guess what, with a help from community.

So those guys who got our money for this device (@nokia) were unable to deliver Linux solution for this hardware. Community was faster and better equipped. I really hope that Linux will be supported in future. I just cannot understand why I should run windows 7 starter edition on this machine, when I can reach to future with Linux. Who is to tell me that I just need 4 programs running simultaneously (like in windows 7) or other non sense related to microsoft technologies.

Now I am enjoying this piece of hardware with full blown Linux distribution and everything just works. Well, almost. GPS is something special and I cannot find it right now.

All this got me how ever to think about Nokia and their role with this device. They get a operating system from microsoft and hardware from taiwan manufacturer (?) and only brand is from Nokia. Are they doomed?

Nokia booklet 3G

Firm has a project, where small and handy hardware could be used to fill need of various customers. I acquired Nokia booklet, since it has 3G and GPS, both important features.

But since customer is not accepting windows based systems, our task is now to implement secure Linux installation for this little beast. I did initial try with standard ubuntu 9.10 distro, but intel poulsbo chipset is painful currently. I wonder why this is so hard for Nokia, to provide actually working linux support for these wonderful devices.

My guess is that Nokia landed booklet 3G with _starter_ windows 7 because they are promoting something Linux based in this field later on this year. We'll see.