Nokia has finally decided to kill off its N-Gage gaming platform after years of shifting the strategy behind it with little success.
Nokia introduced N-Gage in 2003 as a standalone handheld gaming device, which developed a small but enthusiastic following. Nokia later discontinued the device and instead came up with a plan to develop phones that would support the N-Gage platform. After a delay, it began introducing phones that could play N-Gage games in early 2008. Continue reading
AT&T will subsidize the cost of the mini-laptop for users who sign up for a two-year data contract; without a commitment the price is $599.
AT&T is partnering with mobile phone giant Nokia on its venture into laptops. Mobile professionals will be able to purchase Nokia’s Booklet 3G for $299 with a two-year mobile data plan commitment.
The Booklet 3G will be available exclusively in Best Buy stores throughout the holiday retail season, and users will be able to buy the mini-laptop without a data commitment for $599. The Booklet 3G is powered by the Intel Atom processor, has a chassis made from a single piece of aluminum, and will run its operating system is Microsoft Windows 7.
The computer has Wi-Fi, 3G capabilities, GPS, a 120-GB hard-disk drive, and will be able to access programs from Nokia’s Ovi catalog. The system comes with a 16-cell battery that Nokia said will deliver up to 12 hours of battery life.
For Nokia, the move comes as smartphones and laptops are becoming increasingly similar in terms of pricing and capabilities. Computer makers are also seeing this trend, and companies such as Apple, Acer, and even Dell (Dell) are jumping into the smartphone market to capitalize on the mobile computing convergence.
AT&T is looking at netbooks and laptops as a way to generate additional revenues on its mobile data networks. The company has long had success discounting cell phones to get customers locked into a two-year service contract, and it is trying to replicate that business model with devices such as the Booklet 3G.
It is unclear how strong consumer demand is for subsidized netbooks, as many of these devices can be purchased outright for less than $400 and can be used with home Internet connections or open Wi-Fi.
The Booklet 3G will be available Oct. 22, and the $299 price tag will come with a data plan that costs about $60 a month. AT&T said the mini-laptop would also be offered with other rate plans and at pricing to be announced.
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By Steven Burke, ChannelWeb
Nokia (NYSE:NOK)’s first netbook, the Nokia Booklet 3G, is the equivalent of four aces. There is simply no other product that packs as much cutting-edge technology into a 2.5-pound Windows 7 package for less than $300.
By working closely with Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT), Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) and AT&T (NYSE:T), Nokia has delivered a killer netbook that is priced at only $299 with a two-year service agreement from AT&T.
Make no mistake about it. Nokia has just set a new price/performance standard for netbooks that is going to cause Acer, Asus, Hewlett-Packard and the rest of the netbook pack to lower prices or provide more cutting-edge features for that sub-$300 price tag.
There may be other lower-priced netbooks subsidized by wireless service provider contracts, such as the HP (NYSE:HPQ) Mini 1151NR netbook for $200 with Verizon (NYSE:VZ) Internet access that begins at $39.99 per month. But there is no other netbook that offers 12-hour battery life with 3G wireless capability.
The biggest loser in the Windows 7 netbook bonanza may well be Acer and Wal-mart, which had teamed to offer a sub-$300 netbook. Look for a Wal-mart-Acer price rollback.
Combining the AT&T wireless service as part of the Nokia Booklet 3G bundle is the Acer killer here. AT&T, by the way, is the exclusive wireless service provider in the U.S. for the Apple iPhone. Look for Apple CEO Steve Jobs to closely examine that AT&T-Nokia deal as AT&T attempts to negotiate a new contract with Apple. That AT&T-iPhone contract is set to expire in 2010.
By the way, even with Apple (NSDQ:AAPL)’s Midas marketing touch, you can’t tell me that there aren’t a good number of iPhone users sick and tired of surfing the Net on an eye-straining tiny smartphone screen. Don’t think that some potential iPhone buyers aren’t going to eye and buy the Nokia Booklet 3G. That is going to irk Jobs to no end.
Also look for the Nokia Booklet 3G to cause a lot of people who were thinking about buying a desktop to choose the netbook alternative. You don’t need to be a geek to appreciate a small footprint system with a 10.1-inch display that lets you surf the Internet anytime, anywhere and anyplace.
It is no small matter that the Nokia Booklet 3G comes preloaded with Windows 7 and will be available on the first day the long-awaited operating system is launched Oct. 22. In fact, the Nokia Booklet 3G is a poke in the eye to all those who thought Windows 7 with its smaller footprint and faster load times does not have the chutzpah to drive a hardware refresh.
Congratulations to Nokia, Microsoft, AT&T and Best Buy for all combining here to set a new high watermark for netbooks. Best Buy might not get those same long lines you see at the Apple store when Apple releases a new iPhone. But my bet is the Booklet 3G is going to create enough buzz and excitement to draw a crowd of tech-savvy shoppers to Best Buy and a boatload of netbook sales for Nokia.
Nokia and Microsoft are partnering to deliver Microsoft Office 2010 software to Nokia phones.
Microsoft is expected to announce a partnership with Nokia to include Office support on its mobile devices.
Currently the only devices that have native versions of Microsoft Office are those running Windows Mobile. 
This deal could see that change for the first time. No confirmation of details has been provided, but it’s likely that this mobile version will be an accompaniment to Office 2010, along with the Web-based suite.
Many enterprise users are still devoted to Microsoft in the office suite space, but SaaS competitors like Zoho and Google have begun to emerge as a serious threat. By adding flexibility and ease of access — including through cross-platform mobile support — these services have enticed users who can’t afford to be tied to the desktop.
But Office 2010 is showing more and more promise. The release is currently in a limited beta, but features such as the free Web-based version just might reassert Microsoft’s dominance.
Microsoft representatives are being tight-lipped until tomorrow’s press conference, but it’s clear from the invitation that a major alliance between the two companies is what’s in the works.