The recent announcement of its new Linux handset N900, the Finnish cell phone biggie Nokia has clearly depicted its advancement beyond its earlier, nearly four-year-old, lineup of the so-called 'Internet Tablets.' Saying that the N900 is an 'evolution' from the "previous generation" of tablet devices, Nokia has dropped the "Internet Tablet" identifier from the N900 branding!

The €500-priced N900 is essentially an amalgamation of the features of a cell phone and a computer - it benefits from Nokia's Linux-based Maemo operating system to provide a multitude of features, including Web browsing, multitasking, a touch screen, and slide-out keyboard.

Noting that the Maemo OS will provides a PC-like experience on a small device, Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia's Executive VP for markets, said: "What we have with Maemo is something that is fusing the power of the computer, the Internet and the mobile phone."

The N900, to hit markets in October, will feature built-in Flash support, along with the standard contacts, e-mail, calendar, and media player apps; and can handle all the popular audio and video formats, except DRMed iTunes content.

The upgraded hardware of the N900 includes a 600MHz ARM-based OMAP processor; support for OpenGL 3D graphics acceleration; 32GB expandable storage; GPS; 5
-megapixel sensor and dual LED flash camera; and 'superlative' 800x480 pixel resolution. However, Nokia has shrunk the touch-sensitive display of N900 to 3.5 inches from the 4.13 inches of the earlier devices.