use an iphone. then an android phone. then maemo 5.

as usable platforms, the competition is years ahead. if i were a developer, this thing would be awesome. every day use for me though, terrible.

try and import your contacts into ovi contacts.. i dare ya!

@Hapkes - your use sounds very similar to how I was using my N800 (before I got the N97). I'm not doing project management, but process management and so I can see where you mobile needs to be more contextually aware - and adjust accordingly. That's really my main beef with mobile devices - those released in the last six months or so - smart mobility is more than just features, but an intelligent awareness of the user's context so that the best uses come to the surfact. The N900 has the groundwork for it, its just not exploited much at this point.

The N900 platform leap reminds me of N95's leap in the hardware department. Both phones (mobile computers) started a new decade in the mobile industry.

Coming from a power user/developer perspective, the hardware package (screen/cpu/storage/networking/keyboard) is spot on, it's pretty much the sweet spot on the market at the moment.

As for the software, the question is the target audience.

If it's targeted for developers, it's very good. (documentation, tools need a lot of polishing tough)

If it's targeted for power users, I think it will be there in a few months (some bugs need ironed out and we still need some basic apps, but nothing ondoable in a few months)

If it's targeted for the average enduser, forget it. It's lightyears behind the ipod/android from a usability perspective, and let's not even talk about the app. suport (c'mon, no OVI store at launch?)

The question is Nokia's strategy. If they intend Maemo in the long run to be the os for the smartphone/N/E series phones (and completely replace symbian), then the N900 is a very good first step to attract developers. Of course they still have to push very hard to create/move the existing partner ecosystem to this os.

If not, then the N900/Maemo will remain a niche product, without pro apps, without usability. Ofc. the hackers won't care, but even the powerusers will move after a while.

The premise and perspective will rage on.

If you want mainly smartphone function and the expected phone centrics, the N900 is probably not the best option ATM.

If you want a netbook in your pocket with kick a55 media performance and some phone function, the N900 is definitely the best option.

I use the G1 as my phone due to my signal issue in some 2G areas with the N900, but I do use Shopsavvy, Shazaam, Voice search, Navigator and MMS pictures a lot. My family and friends mainly do not have anything but MMS on their devices.

N900 is my pocket netbook & media player now.

i AM convinced, but i'm certainly not impressed
nokia is really being an a**hole by not delivering units to resellers.

AH!
This post explains exactly what I mean when I say that I'm impressed but not convinced: http://gigaom.com/2010/01/03/objectified-design/

The design of the device has yet to move past that point of "getting out of the way" and therefore, that friction that the N900/Maemo 5 has causes me to *see* it more than I *see* features on my N97.

It probably depends extremely on what your needs and interests are. My wife has a N97 and I find it terrible - absolutely impossible to use, some handicapped Frankenstein IMHO (I come from a N82). The N900 OTOH makes me happy each moment I hold it in my hands, because it literally vibrates with it enormous potential.
Maemo will catch up very fast - just watch this place and feel the acceleration going on since devices began to roll out a few weeks ago. Now let Nokia add a firmware update or two (and fix that shameful Ovi Maps app), then we will really get going :-)

And yes: classic 3G calls are not (yet?) it's strength :-)

I'll chime in here, too. I used the N900 for about a month as my primary device, until my N97 came in, after which I *never* put my SIM card back in the N900.

Most of it is things that will be fixed in future firmware updates. Lack of portrait mode, lack of one-handed-usability, MMS, etc.

However, there are some apps/features that I absolutely use every single day on my N97 that simply don't exist on the N900:

1. Mobbler - not only for streaming Last.FM, but the sleep timer and alarm functions have become indispensable for me.

2. Twitter - Gravity on S60v5 simply trumps *anything* on Maemo, including Mauku and even Witter. Don't get me wrong, Witter is awesome, but for someone who manages several twitter accounts, it's completely lacking in smoothness.

3. Navigation - believe it or not, I use Ovi Maps several times/week for voice-guided navigation. I also use Waze quite a bit, neither of which are available for Maemo quite yet.

4. The App Manager is a MESS. There's no organization, nothing to show me which repository an app is from, no way to mass-install apps, no way to see what apps have been added recently, or which are the most popular, or anything like that. Its also frustrating to be dumped to the top of the list after installing an app, particularly if you had browsed to the end already.

It's not that Maemo isn't impressive. I've been around since the N800 (which I still have) and really enjoy it, but the current implementation of Maemo 5 simply isn't a 'solution' for me - it requires too many sacrifices for my usage. It's really frustrating to use, whereas Symbian, though less 'shiny', seems a bit more well thought-out to me.

It's also really stupid, IMO, that the N900 will be the only Maemo 5 device, with Maemo 6 coming later this year, and breaking compatibility. Thus far, since the N800 initially launched, we've lost compatibility what, 3-4 times? Of course, I realize it's relatively trivial to update your app, but it's still gotta be frustrating (and discouraging) for developers to have to constantly retool just to keep up.

Why do that? I imported my contacts from an E71 to the N95 using the Bluetooth "share contacts" function. It took about 15 minutes including the time to figure out how to start the process. People with multiple contacts and email addresses came across quite nicely. I am not a heavy user of contacts on my personal mobile, so there may be some contact attributes that have problems--but all my bases were covered.

Maybe I'll try the Ovi service for a backup method later...