The Nokia 770 should be a USB master by default, not a USB slave. And it should supply power (as every USB master must). Before you get started, I understand the drawbacks. Whenever you have something which can suck your battery down, it WILL suck your battery down. However, as it currently stands, any 770 peripheral device (e.g. mouse, keyboard, or GPS) whether USB or bluetooth must have its own battery. The most desirable case is when both batteries run down at the same speed. If one battery lasts longer than the other, then you are carrying around a battery which is either more expensive or heavier than necessary. I call this problem "battery life mismatch".
If the 770 was always a USB master, then you could, with no muss fuss or bother, simply connect a USB keyboard. Right now, there aren't many (any?) compact/folding USB keyboards. However, Nokia would probably love it if third-party manufacturers started creating peripheral devices. It would create buzz for the 770 and help expand the market.
Somebody could also make a thumb keyboard whose top half was shaped like the 770's case. When you slide the 770 into the keyboard, the USB connector is automatically engaged, and the keyboard is immediately usable.
USB master would also allow you to create a docking product, which would consist of a powered USB hub and slide-in case which holds the 770 at a slight angle. Into the USB hub you would plug a keyboard, mouse, hard drive, Ethernet, or any one of a hundred other USB devices.
USB master would let you exchange files using a USB thumb drive, which are widely available at whatever capacity or price point you want.
posted at: 20:28 | path: /770 | permanent link to this entry