Nokia unveils web-browsing tablet

vnunet.com runs an article from Forbes.com on the new Nokia 770 Internet browsing mini-tablet that includes a bright screen and easy wireless Web and e-mail access.

Ferris Research analyst Richi Jennings said, "I just don't get a good feeling about [the 770]." While noting it might appeal to early adopters, Jennings added, "But geek-lust isn't the mass market."

Strategy Analytics analyst Chris Ambrosio said, There is not a strong need for a data-only mobile device for consumers to use in the home. The 770 will most likely compete with a few ruggedized devices and mini-notebooks that have come from companies like Panasonic and Sony."

Jenning opined that Nokia needed to focus on the high-end handset market. He said, "This is a commodity market, and Nokia's designs aren't selling like the Razr.”

As for the 770, Ambrosio predicted Nokia would probably "ship only a few hundred thousand of the $350 device" compared to a best-selling cell phone that might sell 10 million units. Also since the 770 is not being sold through a carrier, Nokia might have trouble. Jennings pointed out that "Nokia works most successfully when they have a channel relationship with a partner. It is systemic in their organization."

The 770 seems like a neat little niche product, but as I mentioned previously you can get the same features in a converged handset, which reduces its appeal....