Java and the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet

A Command-Line Java Application

Let's get started with a "Hello World!" command-line Java application:

public class Test {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    System.out.println("Hello DDJ!");
  }
}

Once compiled on the host computer, copy the .class file to the device with this command (executed from the host):

> scp Test.class root@<IP ADDRESS>:/opt/hello

Next, in the SSH session on the device, execute the application with this command (from the /opt/hello directory):

> java Test

The result is "Hello DDJ!" displayed in the terminal window. Although a simple example, this shows that you can work with the N810 as with just about any other Linux-based computer.

Eclipse SWT GUI Java Applications

Again, because the Jalimo Java installation comes with both a GTK graphics toolkit and a port of the Eclipse SWT libraries, you can easily develop and run GUI-based Java applications for the N810. To get started, download the latest SWT for Eclipse for your host development computer; you can find it at eclipse.org/swt. In my case, I downloaded the Mac OS X version so that I can debug and test my applications locally before deploying to the device.

Next, create a Java project; I called mine SWTTest. With your project selected, click on the Eclipse File menu, choose Import, and then choose Existing Projects into Workspace from within the Import wizard window. Next, browse to the path where the SWT .zip file resides (from the download of SWT), and click the Finish button (see eclipse.org/swt/eclipse.php). In the end, you have access to SWT to develop and run with.

import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.*;
import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
import org.eclipse.swt.layout.RowLayout;

public class SWTTest {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    Display display = Display.getDefault();
    final Shell shell = new Shell(display);
    shell.setLayout(new RowLayout(SWT.VERTICAL));
    
    Label label = new Label(shell, SWT.CENTER);
    label.setText("Hello DDJ!");
        
    Button button = new Button(shell, SWT.NONE);
    button.setText("close");
    button.addListener(SWT.Selection, new Listener() {
      public void handleEvent(Event arg0) {
        shell.dispose();
      }
    });
    shell.open();
    while (!shell.isDisposed())
      display.readAndDispatch();
  }
}

To illustrate, I use Listing One, which opens a window that contains the text, "Hello DDJ!," along with a Close button to terminate the application. It's basically a GUI version of the "Hello DDJ!" application we ran previously. Once the .class files are copied to the device, you can execute the application:

> java -cp /usr/share/java/swt-gtk.jar:/usr/share/java/     swt-gtk-3.4.M3.jar:. SWTTest

Eclipse SWT comes with many sample SWT applications, one of which is the File Viewer application that lets you browse folders and files on any computer that can run Java. This application comes in handy on the N810, since it doesn't have a full-featured graphical file browser.

Other Development On the Nokia N810

The Maemo-provided N810 Scratchbox development platform and toolset is based on many commonly available open-source Linux development tools, such as Gnome. The platform includes support for glibc-2.5, GTK+ 2.10, and Qt graphics library and makes cross compilation and application development straightforward. It comes with a GNU cross-compilation tool chain and emulator based on QEMU

Although the official Nokia/Maemo development language for the N810 is C, ScratchBox lets you code in C++, Python, Ruby, C# with Mono, and Java. Applications can be packaged as Debian (.deb) archives, and made available for installation through the Maemo Application Manager tool. Nokia is also working to port Ubuntu Linux to the device, and one community member has ported the KDE desktop to the N810.

Conclusion

Recall I began with a search for an iPhone-like device with a rich UI, multimedia capabilities, and the ability to run Java applications and connect wirelessly to make mobile calls without a carrier. With its wealth of connectivity options, the Linux-based Nokia N810 certainly comes close—and with the recent addition of WiMAX support, it comes even closer. On the other hand, since WiMAX N810 currently only works with Sprint's Xohm network and the nonWiMAX N810 still requires a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone for mobile connectivity when away from a wireless LAN, it's not quite there yet.

But if you're looking for a more open device that runs open-source software and gives you choices in terms of application development and communication options, the Nokia N810 is a perfect choice. As WiMAX gains in adoption, and as the number of free WiFi hotspots grows, Nokia ITOS-based tablets currently offer a reasonable alternative to smart phones with expensive mobile calling plans.