I've been using Maemo for a number of years now, but I'm just a regular user, not a developer. I know very little about using Linux of any flavor, and while I appreciate open source software, I'm in no ways a purist. So the following post for me is all about the usability and interaction with the device.

I've used Android a fair amount too. My wife has had an Android for a couple of years now that I use frequently, and I've bought 3 Android phones myself over the years (only to return two of them later because I found them to frustrating to use daily). I mention this just to say that this isn't just a matter of the OS being new to me.

My N800 generally feels like a laptop replacement. It is slow at a lot of tasks these days, and it frequently turns off on its own, but when it is working I generally don't feel the need to go to the laptop to do something since almost everything can be done almost as easily with the NIT.

I have had a Galaxy Note 2 for about a month now, and I distinctly don't feel that way when using it. The phone works great for playing Angry Birds, it works pretty well for internet browsing and/or watching YouTube videos, but actual work like things, like replying to an email are so painful that I postpone almost all of them until I'm at my laptop.

The thing is, I can't really point to any single reason why. There are somethings for sure, like being unable to find a keyboard that really works well, and the fact that copy and paste is awkward and doesn't seem to be universally supported/applied. But it seems more than the sum of these small parts, there is just an overarching feel that you are not using something that was conceptualized as a full featured desktop replacement, and I'm having trouble accepting that.

So any others feel the same way? Any tips from other Maemo users on how to adjust?