I think it will be a success for its intended market which is supposed to be developers and early adopters. If you start comparing it to the iPhone, it has already lost because its not *supposed* to compete with it directly. I think the real test will come with the next model and maemo 6, but I'm sure that's been stated many times before.

What im trying to ask really is if the N900 falls flat on its face with sales figures and such that will surley stop development by Nokia in this direction. Either that or maybe mistakes with communication and promotion may hit home hard to the people at Nokia that a great product in it's self will not sell if people cannot:-
A) Put aside the money for a product as they do not know when they will be able to buy it. With all the new devices out at this time of year and alot better marketing they are surley missing out.
B) Get simple answers they are so dearly after, it does seem to have gone quiet on all fronts.

The device is not in question but the marketing "Guy turning into a N900 ect" is not very forthcoming. I mean how many of you have even seen a billboard advertising the N900. I havn't and i've been looking. Is this going to be a case of product comsumer chinese wispers where we buy the product and promote the product ourselves. It does seem that Nokia have just put it out there to the Tablet community and said here it is come and get it and yeah spread the word for us....

Time will tell but i don't think it will be as dominating as the iphone.
The iphone brand has been around since 2007 and has to much goodwill to be beaten by the n900.

We can only hope that it will be as good as the n95 sales. More phones = more developers = more app's and a better OS.

My answer to OP's original question really depends on how success is defined.

I think its allready bigger success than I expected as "step four out of five". I don't think it will be N95/AnyOtherMainstreamPhone kind of success story. That would require helluva lot more of marketing and localiazation.

My guess is that it will be same kind of success as the first iPhone was. I mean that it will be a phone that it will see release in relatively few markets. Sale figures will be small compared to "big picture". Despite this it will manage to receive helluva lot of more hype and enthusiam than the actual sale figures would justify. Whetever Maemo will be success will depend on Maemo 6 and later devices (a.k.a Step 5).


Wrote this after friday night vodka&beer binge with friends. Prolly full of typos, finglish and horrible grammar. indo-european languges are a ***** to drunken brain porgrammed in finno-ugric.

Mainstream success? No...

Interesting experiment success? Yes I would say so, a surprising success for Nokia even.

Personally, I think the N900 is already a success. I also think the preorders have exceeded Nokia's expectations.

While I would like to see a US nationwide mainstream media blitz like Verizon is doing for Droid, it seems that was never something Nokia envisioned for the N900. I think they were caught a little by surprise at the high level of enthusiasm for this product. But Nokia clearly see the N900 as a stepping stone.

On the one hand, I think that marketing strategy is a bit too conservative for my tastes, but on the other hand, there is nothing conservative about bringing a pocketable computer based on Maemo/Linux to the market!

For the N900 to be a success. It needs more apps.
But who needs mini game apps when you can play free flash games?

I'm getting the N900 because I think that, as a hobbiest and potential developer, it will serve me well for a while to come. That being said, as a consumer, I think this is going to be something of a let down, largely because it will never have enough of an install base to attract a lot of developers.

Getting that sort of install base is critical, and it takes massive advertising, like what Apple did, and like what Motorola/Verizon are trying to do now. Nokia just doesn't seem to be puting itself in the mainstream sphere enough, even the geeky side of that sphere just seems to focus on iPhone vs. Droid - just look at todays xkcd - http://xkcd.com/662/

To be honest, I'm starting to feel like the delays in shipping have really hurt them in this regard. I'm still patiently waiting for my pre-order but had the N900 shipped out 2 weeks ago, all the iPhone vs. Droid comparisons would have been iPhone vs. Droid vs. N900 (OK, not all, but at least a third more)

Developers are ditching Apple already because of their strict policies.
Example, that guy who made the Facebook app for AppStore.

I hope Nokia won't be doing the same or else the N900 will be a big failure due to lack of interest from the developers.
It's already 2 years behind in number of apps compare to the Appstore.

N900 will be hurt in the US due to poor 3G coverage. If you are near wifi or a 3G connection (which 3G is VERY sparse for Tmo), the N900's web will be great.

Problem is the 800X480 display and Flash will take a toll on performance for people like me (about 90% of Tmo users) who are lucky to have steady Edge in areas. The other features will be fine, but most Tmo US users will run into a reality check with 800X480 and Flash.

I am trying a Droid out right now. Very fast and I literally have 3G EVERYWHERE I have tried. One bar GSM signal or no bars for Tmo is two bars of fast 3G with Verizon. Wild.

I really wish the N900 was a Verizon device.

UPDATE: Droid is FAST, so the N900 with Maemo should be ludicrous speed fast. WOW.