Nokia Booklet 3G - First Impressions

After a few weeks of impatiently waiting I finally received a Nokia Booklet 3G for trial. With Windows 7 on board and a customized Nokia experience, the Booklet 3G promises to be a device which will set the standard for netbooks in future.

Netbooks are generally have a low quality build which cheap looking plastic bodies, but the Booklet 3G with it's aircraft grade aluminium body is getting set to make it's mark on world.

I have seen several pictures of it online, but opening it up for the first time was quite a treat. What can i say Nokia does good when it comes to design. You can watch my un-boxing video and see what the package has in store for us.

The device looks good all around. The top has a glossy plastic like coating, which is quite a magnet to finger prints. the sides and the bottom have a fine metal body which looks very sleek and professional.

Opening the device reveals a beautiful display with the inbuilt web cam just above the 'Nokia Booklet 3G' text.

Just above the keyboard we have 3 indicator lights for connectivity (blue-tooth, WiFi and 3G) and 3 indicators for power (sleep, battery and power).

Below the keyboard there is the touch pad and the right and left keys. The keyboard itself is neat with slightly indented keys. Since I am currently using a Mac book Air, I think I will miss the back light when working in low light or in a dark room.

The Intel Atom sticker seated next to the Windows 7 is not very reassuring for me considering that the device has near minimum requirements of Windows, but I am open to give the booklet a fair review.

The right side has the power plug socket, a USB port and the tray for SD cards and your 3G SIM.

The power button is also on the left, but is hardly visible and found myself struggling to find it at times.Nokia should have added an LED indicator to make it easier to find.

On the left, two more USB ports, the 4 pole 3.5mm earphone jack and an HDMI port. The HDMI is a welcome connectivity solution that will allow connecting your device to an HDTV or a digital projector.

It would have been nice if Nokia had provided some connectors for older VGA connectivity. But the no compromise design ensures that the Booklet 3G retains a thin frame.

The front and the back of the booklet are empty.

Turning the laptop over you can see the power behind this device: Its ample battery slot.I cant wait to check what's under there. The battery claims a whopping 12 hour usage time which puts it as a front runner in that department. For a device with such a huge battery life it's very light.

On powering up I feel welcomed by the familiar 'Nokia connecting people' logo, which i have grown accustomed to seeing in my Nokia devices. The device boots up pretty quickly compared to most mini laptops I have seen and used. After some time (45 seconds to be exact) I find myself staring at the familiar Windows 7 welcome screen.

You can read more in my other post 'Nokia Booklet 3G - Exploring the OS' which i will have for you soon.