So I'm pretty much coming to accept that Maemo/MeeGo isn't going to be on my next phone. The N9 has no hardware keyboard (lord knows I've tried to get on with Swype, but I just can't), the N950 isn't being put on general sale and there are no manufacturers with MeeGo smartphone products slated for release. Although I'd love to pretend the N900 will last me the niggles are growing (no proper Spotify app, can no longer share photos to Facebook, no proper Facebook app, etc.) and the hardware isn't really made to last. So I'm thinking about alternatives, and I wouldn't mind some input from the community on what people are going to replace their N900s with?

I thought Android was the answer - so I bought a cheap one (ZTE Blade) which taught me that I can't stand the half-arsed multitasking - for example, I can't have two e-mails open at once, which I reference when replying to another. I also don't like the phone deciding to close an app, meaning when I switch back it has lost my place (an app-by-app issue, but could be fixed by proper multitasking). So now I'm thinking about the HP Pre 3.

Thoughts?

Sorry for offtopic, but my last facebook photosharing was several hours ago, why you are saying you cannot?

Last time I checked it wasn't working, and there were some threads on it - so I just started using uploads on the website. Maybe it's fixed now?

the wife has got a zte blade, i don't like it, i'm guessing every andoid device acts the same? but do more expensive devices make android better to use?

There is a problem quite a few people have encountered with facebook sharing, if you just delete the sharing account and recreate it it should work.

Pretty much the same problem here. I will buy the N9 only because I'm curious and want to own the currently only phone built around a desktop-like GNU/Linux stack... But it'll probably come third in my daily usage after the Symbian-based C7 and my N900. I'll probably take it with me when a simple feature phone is enough.

So is there anything to really replace the high end N900 or a Symbian device? I don't see any alternative. Android-based phones are out of the question not only because of Android's technical weaknesses, but mainly because of Google.

What I hope for is either a non-Nokia MeeGo phone (there were rumours about such devices a few months ago...) or a future Symbian device that combines the strengths of the N8 with a hardware keyboard.

I have the ZTE Blade, and have previously owned a HTC Desire. I think the web browsing experience was smoother and faster with the Desire, but other than that I didn't notice much difference. Video playback is poor on the Blade, but I didn't really try that much on the Desire. I have listened to music on both devices, and I can tell you that the audio quality is atrocious in both cases.

Caveats:

1. I used the Desire with the stock ROM and HTC Sense, whereas I installed a custom ROM (MoDaCo) on the Blade. I found most of the HTC Sense stuff a bit pointless, but if you're a fan of flashy widgets, then you might like it.

2. My 'smartphone' usage is quite limited. This is why an Android device can't replace my N900. I don't use many applications, so I don't want a glorified application launcher. I prefer to have a pocket computer, even if it's a bit rough around the edges. And you can still launch applications from a pocket computer.

I'm hopeful that the N9 will give us the best of both worlds.

I agree, I only hope people start adopting MeeGo as I think Google may close Android completely, the indications from the latest tablet enabled version just show that kind of direction.

wrt to more on topic comments, I don't think the N900 is dead just yet, the latest MeeGo CE summer release is pretty good. Our next milestone should be a more refined UX, and as N950s get into the hands of developers I can see a lot of their (and my own work) filtering into MeeGo CE and Maemo 5. I'm certainly working on a new version of Columbus which will target all three of these OSs.

Starting to think the same as the OP, sadly I can see the N9 going the same way as the N900 and having little support from apps & games developers, unless LG do produce a Meego phone but it seems to have gone very quiet on that front? Without another phone company's support you do wonder how Meego itself can survive if the N9 is the last Nokia meego phone?

Whilst the HP webOS is an interesting alternative you also wonder if that can survive long term/how much support it will receive.

At the moment I am finding it hard to look beyond a dual core Andorid phone thanks to Elop destroying Meego.