Nokia 770 Internet Tablet with Navicore review

The increasing popularity of smartphones and Pocket PCs has more people than ever browsing the internet on their mobile devices. For those who find the displays on such devices too small, Nokia's 770 Internet Tablet could be the answer. Not only does it offer a decent-sized display for web browsing, in the form of a 4.1-inch touchscreen, it's also available with a GPS bundle, turning it into a satellite navigation device.

As a telephone manufacturer, you may expect Nokia's 770 to be 3G-compatible. It's not, and the Internet Tablet relies on either 802.11b/g wireless or Bluetooth to connect to the internet. This is slightly inconvenient, but we did find it incredibly simple to set up connections. Everything about the 770 is intuitive; the menus are easy to navigate, while a series of hardware buttons give it one-click functionality.

Web addresses and information can be entered using either an onscreen Qwerty keyboard or handwriting recognition software. We found the latter difficult and time-consuming to use, with the system frequently misreading characters entered. The 770 is capable of internet radio and RSS feeds, and you'll find email software included.

There's support for Google messenger, along with VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). Once connected to the internet, you'll be able to use the 770's microphone and speaker to chat to your friends for free, as long as they are on the same ISP account. Unfortunately, the 770 lacks calendar and office functions. It will play media files, and if you run out of space, an RS-MMC (Reduced-Sized Multimedia Card) card reader enables expandability.

The compatible Navicore GPS kit allows you to make full use of the 770's excellent screen. The kit includes everything you need to turn the Nokia into a sat-nav device - including attachments to fix it to your car's windscreen and an in-car charger. You'll also find an external Bluetooth GPS SiRF Star III Module.

Installing and running the software for the first time is not intuitive, although the quickstart guide suggests it to be a simple process. You'll find mapping for Europe provided by Tele Atlas, which includes points of interest, traffic congestion warnings and re-routing options. The maps are bright and clear, although full postcode entry is not supported.

The Nokia 770 is a useful device, and the addition of a sat-nav kit broadens its appeal. However, the lack of SIM card means you'll have to carry your mobile or stay in range of a wireless network, taking the edge off its practicality.