Devices for mobile Internet access

Recently I read Another Happy Eee User, and then I found myself at PC World helping the folks pick out a new computer. While I was there I took the opportunity to have a play with an Asus Eee PC, a very funky mini-laptop which might be just what I need for mobile Internet access:

Instead of a hard disk it uses either a 4GB or an 8GB flash disk for storage. It has a 7 inch screen and weighs under a kilo, but best of all it costs only about £220. It has wireless, but for truly mobile net access the thing to do in the UK is combine it with a HSDPA modem to connect to one of the mobile networks.

I've actually been looking for a device suitable for mobile internet access for a while. Easy, you would think, but I've not yet found a device that gets everything right. Mobile phones are just too clumsy, there too small and I can't use the interface. Laptops on the other hand are not nearly as portable as I need, and their battery life is open disappointing.

The best one I've found so far is the Nokia 770:

It's a PDA so it's very small, very lightweight and every bit as portable as I need.

It cost be only £75 because there are now newer models available. If your the soft of person who prides themselves on always having the latest gadgets then you might want to take a look at the Nokia 880 series and others, but for me I think at that price this little gem offers excellent value for money. And here's the punchline; it run's Debian (sort of):

Actually it's clearly Debian based, and apt's still there, but otherwise it's highly modified, so don't expect to just apt-get any package you like. If you checkout the community apt repositories for this device you'll find a range of software you can use. It's not really necessary though - the web and email clients are good, the only problem being a lack of support for Flash video making Youtube an impossibility. You can watch movies with it, but you may need to re-encode them to a lower bitrate before they will play which is a pain, and frankly is a bit of a shame.

It's got a touch screen and stylus interface which is great; it's quick and easy to use, and reasonably responsive except when the device is under load.

So not perfect, but overall and especially considering the price it's a great bit of kit. The thing to do for net access in the UK is to connect to an HSDPA phone like the Nokia N95 via Bluetooth.

I'm by no means an expert on mobile phones, and to be honest I really don't get on very well with them, finding the interfaces difficult to use and the tariffs too expensive. However the Nokia N95 seems like a great phone and if you can handle the interface then the net access is good: