An Evolution Is About To Occur

Nokia recently announced the N97 at the Nokia World 2008 Conference and by the looks of the device, it is what many Nokia fans have hoped would happen. Essentially, the N97 is a cross between the best of the Nokia NSeries line and Nokia's Internet Tablet functionality. It is the answer to my difficult decision to either get a new tablet or a new phone. The N97 in my eyes is both and this is a very good thing. To compare the N97 to my current array of mobile devices is a bit premature for obvious reasons, but it wouldn't be fun not to, right? 

So my smallest computer with QWERTY keyboard is my Acer netbook, but it's still not portable enough to take everywhere. It has a nice size screen, and I have no trouble at all with the small keyboard. It just can't fit in my pocket, and that is what I need. A fully functional mobile computer that fits in my pocket. The N95 has done a really good job attempting to be just that, but it lacks something that I believe the N97 has to make it work. I would be fine with the N97 just having the sliding keyboard feature, because neither my netbook nor my N95 have touchscreens anyway, but the inclusion of the touchscreen brings a whole new dimension to the mobile experience.

Of course these features are far from being "new", but for Nokia to finally bring so much into something so little is still pretty remarkable. And we all know that the hardware is only part of the formula Nokia is bringing to the N97. From the Ovi services, to the user interface, to the built-in and installable apps, the N97 looks to be a very flexible device for a variety of use cases.

For some time, I have had a feeling that this sort of evolution/convergence would occur, and I can't wait to hold it in my hands and be able to put it in my pocket at a moment's notice. It will replace many devices in my collection all at once, which in the end is what needs to happen anyways. Save money, save time, save space, save power, save the environment. Time to save for a Nokia N97.