Ah, yes. Watching DVD films that you have bought on a device you own makes you a criminal.

Under which jurisdiction? EU?

About the Python script which deDRMs: I don't know which one you're referring to but you could copy all the DRM files over in 1 time. Does it have recursive feature to scan multiple files? If not, use find with exec to remove all the DRM. Put that in a sh or bat and you're done, or maybe combine with a program like Tracker/Spotlight. This type of stuff should be automated. The iPhone jailbreak community constantly automates stuff, it just happens to be a very popular community.

Shouldn't the thread name be Why I can’t recommend an N8x0 or N900 to my iTunes/amazon/content addict friend ? It has little to do with the community or even Nokia per se, it's just how content providers generally deal with open source (they run from it. They run like hell).

It could even be The lack of DRM: Why I can't recommend N8x0...

I believe the title is correct as is:

Although the example is entertainment/media/drm, I think the premise is sound. The idea that most (capable) phones have a fairly large selection of apps/games/ringtones/videos/etc available through some sort of phone based interface. A few clicks and whatever is installed and *working*.

Most typical (ordinary user) friends ask questions such as:
Can I get my email/work email: Yes, but......
Can I download and read a book: Yes, but......
Can I download music and listen to it: Yes, but......
Can I download a video and watch it: Yes, but...
Can I get directions: Yes, but....
Can I browse the web: Yes...

Despite the current hardware or future hardware, the software is the problem. Most users are conditioned to expect it to work. I think that there are to many "buts" for the average user to consider a Maemo device. A couple of my friends would be able to use it, most would not, a couple wouldn't talk to me after recommending one.

Hm, for most of those I don't see any "but"s.. except for the watch a video thingy. In particular getting email and all that working seems to be much easier on my N800 than for almost everyone else, with their weird devices where it looks like nothing configurable can be found and either it works by luck or not at all.

I'm liking this thread more and more. It's helped make it clearer to me that Maemo is unlikely ready for cell phone prime time. It's not even ready for tablet prime time. Nokia is in a dangerous transitional period, but they're doing the right thing by overlapping tried-and-true technology (N97) with a new phone on a new cell phone OS (N900 on Maemo 5). [grain of salt]It is all about the software and I'm guessing Nokia will be using all of you convergence people like they used all of us tablet people.[/grain of salt] My opinion is we're at least one more generation away from recommending Maemo-based products to friends and family.

If your friend's focus is on entertainment, then there really is no purpose in him getting a NIT. iPods clearly win that battle, and their UI makes them fun to boot.

However, there are obviously reasons we all use our NITs. Among them are:

1. Customizability and freedom,
2. Web browsers that offer a real internet experience,
3. The ability to make calls,
4. Free software,
5. An active and interested community,
6. The option for a thumboard if you own an N810 (I despise touchscreen typing),
7. The prospect of continuous development and alternate Operating Systems.

NITs, in my opinion, do more than iPods. But that "more" does not necessarily appeal to the average consumer. It's a dabbler's device. If you don't have a dabbler for a friend, what reason to recommend it?

That being said, I would never give up my n810. It is about the closest thing to a umpc at this price point and serves me well. I even nixed my cell phone and got a data plan and use the Skype and Gizmo clients as my phone. The iPod does not offer that flexibility.

Email - Modest crashes my desktop at least every couple of days. Claws isn't very user friendly, I can get it via a web/mobile web interface, but that can be slow/minimal interface.

Ebooks - As long as they don't have DRM, so you have to work harder to find non-DRM books, or go through some gyrations to get other solutions set up, not point & click easy.

Music - Again DRM is a hang up. Download non-DRM, or rip my own, transfer via usb, card reader, etc.

Video - currently most need resized/re-encoded, we do have youtube and flash though.

Directions - need a gps, N810 GPS not very good, buy expensive not updated program, no offline routing, other issues.

I think most average/normal users are looking for easy point-and-click solutions. None of the above really fall into that category. Other options offer simpler solutions that require less work / fiddling. Until Maemo can offer the same, most users will shy away from it. The N900 may alleviate some but not all of these issues

I think there may be some Europe versus North Americanism going on here. I understand the OP. since much of the digital media on the net is made consumption ready for Apple, just click and download, it just works. Perhaps this is not a big problem in Europe like it is in the States.

But on my side of the world Apple owns the internet...(I exagerate of course) http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives...e_displays.php

This article talks about:
The iPhone/iTouch group led the pack with 43 percent of mobile web and 65 percent of HTML requests, all on an 8 percent share of the smartphone market. Devices with the Android OS represented less than one percent of the market but accounted for three percent of mobile web and nine percent of HTML ad requests. Though none of us here majored in higher maths, we see this as a sign that if Android devices can capture more of the smartphone market, they might be able to outstrip Apple devices in mobile web use.

The disappointing underacheiver of the report was undoubtedly the Symbian OS, which had 52 percent of the smartphone market but generated only 36 percent of mobile web and 7 percent of HTML requests. This is a fairly good indicator that the Symbian OS might - just might - not be bringing the Internet to life in its truest, most usable form.

http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=910112