The N900 Wikipedia Article [Archive] - maemo.org

Mandor

2009-09-14, 05:27

Mofarocker

2009-09-14, 06:00

Hey Mandor,

I would like to write a German Artikel on wikipedia.de. The N900 ist also my next Phone.

I'd like to take some details from your english version...

Greetz from Gernany!

vkv.raju

2009-09-14, 06:36

Good day people,

I have decided to start working a little on the Wikipedia article for the Nokia N900 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N900) as a way : 1) to better know my future phone and 2) hopefully promote the device to others.

I would like for anyone with 5 minutes and a generous spirit to go to the N900 Wikipedia article and do some proof-reading, make suggestions and do improvements. Your help will be greatly appreciated. You can leave comments here or on Wikipedia.

If you feel I have left out important informations about the device please tell me so. If have have written something incorrect please put me back on track.

Thank you very much ! :)

As soon as I saw the announcement and official spec sheet of the N900, I edited that wiki page to reflect proper details (that you see on the right).

But resisted from doing the rest as I suck at that. Now the page looks pretty detailed. Will keep an eye on that! Thanks for your efforts.

Btw, why wouldn't Nokia update that page? Or better even, take ownership of that page?

Mandor

2009-09-14, 06:47

@Mofarocker :

Once I have submitted an article on Wikipedia you are pretty much free to do whatever you want with it. As far as I know Wikipedia, it is a good idea to translate an article from english to another one. We may be able to share information in the future. Try looking up on the Wikipedia website for more information.

This (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Translation) maybe ?

@GeneralAntilles :

Thanks for your contribution but unfortunately it was reverted. Would you mind to elaborate on what you said. Do you mean there is no way to tell if it work or not with, say, a 32 GB microSD card because there is none available on the market right now ?

Mandor

2009-09-14, 06:51

Btw, why wouldn't Nokia update that page? Or better even, take ownership of that page?

Because Wikipedia has a rule against it. Any edit must be of neutral point of view (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view).

deadmalc

2009-09-14, 06:52

Where did you get the info that it will only work on orange in the UK?

Mandor

2009-09-14, 07:06

@ deadmalc :

The Orange UK is not my edit. Feel free to correct it. My guess is it will work on any network supporting the frequencies. I will have a look at that.

deadmalc

2009-09-14, 07:28

@ deadmalc :

The Orange UK is not my edit. Feel free to correct it. My guess is it will work on any network supporting the frequencies. I will have a look at that.

That's a relief a wave of panic spread for a second, I'm just in the middle of transferring from orange to t-mobile at the moment!

Mandor

2009-09-14, 08:03

That's a relief a wave of panic spread for a second, I'm just in the middle of transferring from orange to t-mobile at the moment!

Ha ha ! I feel the pain.

Here is the updated UK carrier section :

The Nokia N900 can be used on the Orange, T-Mobile and 3 (roaming on T-Mobile) networks which use the 1800 MHz frequency-band for GSM/GPRS/EDGE (2G) and on the O2 and Vodafone networks which use the 900 and 1800 MHz for 2G. All the previously listed providers and 3 use the 2100 MHz (WCMDA) frequency-band for 3G.[14] (http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_gb.shtml) Virtual operators, such as Virgin Mobile, will connect on one of the network suppliers (T-Mobile or Vodafone) for network coverage.[15] (http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/uk.html)

eiffel

2009-09-14, 09:21

The Nokia N900 can be used on the Orange, T-Mobile and 3 (roaming on T-Mobile) networks which use the 1800 MHz frequency-band for GSM/GPRS/EDGE (2G) and on the O2 and Vodafone networks which use the 900 and 1800 MHz for 2G. All the previously listed providers and 3 use the 2100 MHz (WCMDA) frequency-band for 3G.[14] (http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_gb.shtml) Virtual operators, such as Virgin Mobile, will connect on one of the network suppliers (T-Mobile or Vodafone) for network coverage.[15] (http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/uk.html)
Shouldn't this just say "The Nokia N900 is compatible with all UK networks"? Or am I missing something here?

Regards,
Roger

GeneralAntilles

2009-09-14, 13:40

@GeneralAntilles :

Thanks for your contribution but unfortunately it was reverted. Would you mind to elaborate on what you said. Do you mean there is no way to tell if it work or not with, say, a 32 GB microSD card because there is none available on the market right now ?

Christ . . . Wikipedia. Anybody else remember the fun we had with the Maemo article last time I tried to make a big push for improvement? :rolleyes:

This has been the same issue Nokia's specifications have had with every single tablet they've released. A certain size of card is available when do their certifications, so that is the size they mention in their specifications (they can't very well say it supports 32GB when 32GB cards are unavailable for testing, can they). Unfortunately the certification never has anything to do with what the hardware and software are actually capable of using.

The N800 is clearly capable of using cards over 8GB (there are several users using two 32GB and two 64GB card configurations), however the specifications (http://www.nokiahowto.com/find-products/phones/nokia-n800-r6/specifications) seem to claim it's limited to that. We also know the N810 (https://www.nokiausa.com/find-products/phones/nokia-n810/specifications) is capable of supporting more than 8GB as well.

Well, the same issue applies to the N900 specifications. 16GB is what was available for testing, so 16GB is what they say in the specs all the while the hardware and software are perfectly capable of supporting cards up to 2048GB in capacity.

Mandor

2009-09-14, 23:14

@ eiffel :

Yeah I guess I could just write that the N900 works with all major network providers in the UK. I had to look at each carrier frequency-band and it took me a while so I decided to leave all the details.

@ GeneralAntilles :

I know what you mean. Some wikipedian have took upon themselves to guard articles against changes and will revert said changes without looking further. It can be a pain sometimes to edit Wikipedia ...

That is probably why I decided to add information to the N900 article right now, when the device is not well known of the public. I mean people are a lot more relax with edits made on "young" article (aka stub).

@ All those with a N900 :

Would you mind to take a high quality front facing picture of the physical keyboard (QWERTY, AZERTY, etc ...) and of the on-screen keyboard.

Thank you

mikkov

2009-09-14, 23:40

couple of things,

768 MB swap is not "/swap" but just "swap".

~1 GB of ext3 is not mounted on /opt, but on /home. /opt is a symlink to /home/opt.

"The MicroSD card is formated as a FAT32 partition." eMMC is formated as a FAT32. MicroSD is of course what ever user puts there.

I could edit the wikipedia, but I but too lazy for that now :)

GeneralAntilles

2009-09-15, 00:04

Would you mind to take a high quality front facing picture of the physical keyboard (QWERTY, AZERTY, etc ...) and of the on-screen keyboard.

Unfortunately the retail-packaged N900 is not yet available, so getting a good picture for use in the article will not be possible until after release.

mikkov

2009-09-15, 00:10

"The accelerometer can also be used in games and third-party applications such as Bounce which comes pre-loaded"

Bounce being pre-loaded is speculation. It is not listed anywhere to be pre-loaded.

"Premium services must be bought in order to get voice-guided navigation, traffic and safety camera information, premium travel content, 3D landmarks and weathe"

Voice guided navigation has not been announced AFAIK.

"Application development support" mentions C++, Qt and python, but not C/GTK+. Only C/GTK+ is actually officially supported for now.

Mandor

2009-09-15, 00:20

"The MicroSD card is formated as a FAT32 partition." eMMC is formated as a FAT32. MicroSD is of course what ever user puts there.

Thanks !

Since I got you here what FS does Maemo 5 support ? That depends on the kernel right ? I have seen somewhere that Maemo 5 supports (most common) : ext2, ext3 (not ext4), FAT16, FAT32.

Updated section :

The Nokia N900 has a 32 GB eMMC, 256 MB NAND internal storage and a hot swappable microSD card slot which support up to 16 GB of additional storage (this number is based on what was available for certification and may not reflect the actual capacity support of the device). The 32 GB is formated as 768 MB of swap, ~1 GB of ext3 mounted on /home (for extra applications) and ~25 GB of FAT32 mounted on /home/user/MyDocs (for movies, music, documents).[5] The 256 MB NAND contains the bootloader, kernel and rootfs.

mikkov

2009-09-15, 00:27

Thanks !

I have seen somewhere that Maemo 5 supports (most common) : ext2, ext3 (not ext4), FAT16, FAT32.

I think that the fs support is the same as in Maemo4.

/home (for extra applications)

While this is true, because /opt is linked to /home, it sounds wrong :) Wording should somehow still tell about the /opt, or don't tell anything about /home and /opt but just say "for extra applications". Actually that wouldn't be 100% correct either :)

Mandor

2009-09-15, 00:34

"The accelerometer can also be used in games and third-party applications such as Bounce which comes pre-loaded"

Bounce being pre-loaded is speculation. It is not listed anywhere to be pre-loaded.

Fair enough for bounce. Although, if memory serves well, there is a video where the Nokia representative says it comes pre-loaded. Can't remember which one so I will delete this part.

"Premium services must be bought in order to get voice-guided navigation, traffic and safety camera information, premium travel content, 3D landmarks and weathe"

Voice guided navigation has not been announced AFAIK.

I will have to admit this is from extrapolation. The N900 website says it comes pre-loaded with Ovi Maps. When you go to the Ovi Maps it says you must buy a premium services (aka voice navigation). Where did you get this information ?

"Application development support" mentions C++, Qt and python, but not C/GTK+. Only C/GTK+ is actually officially supported for now.

OK I will correct it.

Keep 'em coming ! :D

GeneralAntilles

2009-09-15, 00:38

I think that the fs support is the same as in Maemo4.

Plus UBIFS! Not sure about ext4.

mikkov

2009-09-15, 00:46

I will have to admit this is from extrapolation. The N900 website says it comes pre-loaded with Ovi Maps. When you go to the Ovi Maps it says you must buy a premium services (aka voice navigation). Where did you get this information ?

http://europe.nokia.com/find-products/devices/nokia-n900/specifications#navigation-gn

GPS and navigation
* Integrated A-GPS receiver*
* Ovi Maps application
* Switch between views: rich 3D, satellite and hybrid maps
* Search maps for addresses and places
* Find your destination with free routing

and

http://maemo.nokia.com/features/ovi-maps/

Not a word about premium services or voice guided navigation.

Mandor

2009-09-15, 01:06

For the supported file systems :

The microSD card can be formated with a supported file system such as ext2, ext3, FAT16, FAT32, XFS, JFS and UBIFS.

@ mikkov:

I want to get it right. So if I say :

The 32 GB is formated as 768 MB of swap, ~1 GB of ext3 mounted on /home (actually, application are in /opt which is a symbolic link to /home/opt), for extra applications, and ~25 GB of FAT32 mounted on /home/user/MyDocs, for movies, music, documents.

I am using Ubuntu and never knew about all that. :eek:

mikkov

2009-09-15, 01:15

I don't think that there is support for XFS and JFS, or do you have source for that?

Also AFAIK UBIFS cannot be used on mircoSD. It is for raw flash media such as 256 MB NAND on N900 and N8x0. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UBIFS

Second quote is factually correct, but it is not very good as a sentence. It needs to be rewritten.

Mandor

2009-09-15, 01:21

@ mikkov :

Does it sound better like that ?

There are many applications already written for Maemo based on the previous Internet Tablets. As a new feature to the Maemo operating system, Maemo 5 will support Qt. The Forum Nokia Wiki has quality-controlled articles which support Qt development. The Maemo operating system has a development group on the Forum Nokia Wiki at Forum Nokia Wiki Maemo. The programming languages Python and C++ will also be supported. Only C and GTK+ are actually officially supported for now.

mikkov

2009-09-15, 01:30

Again, last sentence doesn't fit in there. This is why I don't usually edit wikipedia :)

Mandor

2009-09-15, 01:35

I don't think that there is support for XFS and JFS, or do you have source for that?

The kernel does support it. But just to be safe I will delete them and leave only the most common (ext2, ext3, FAT16 and FAT32.

Also AFAIK UBIFS cannot be used on mircoSD. It is for raw flash media such as 256 MB NAND on N900 and N8x0. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UBIFS

I stand corrected. I got excited here. I copie/pasted all the FS supported by the kernel. Some might not be supported at all and some might not be supported on the microSD card.

Second quote is factually correct, but it is not very good as a sentence. It needs to be rewritten.

OK, thank you, that is what I was looking for for the moment. I will rephrase it when an opportunity presents itself. When I won't be able to abuse your time anymore ... :p

mikkov

2009-09-15, 01:40

The kernel does support it. But just to be safe I will delete them and leave only the most common (ext2, ext3, FAT16 and FAT32.

Are you talking about Linux kernel in general or about the kernel which ships with Maemo5?

Mandor

2009-09-15, 01:48

http://europe.nokia.com/find-products/devices/nokia-n900/specifications#navigation-gn

and

http://maemo.nokia.com/features/ovi-maps/

Not a word about premium services or voice guided navigation.

Ha ! I think I understand now. Do you mean there will be no premium services (voice guided navigation) to buy because 1) it is preloaded or because 2) it will not be available for Maemo 5 ?

I deduced a premium service will be available to buy because the N900 comes pre-loaded with Ovi Maps and this application (on other Nokia phones) is upgradable with premium services.

So what is your stand on this one ?

Mandor

2009-09-15, 01:54

Are you talking about Linux kernel in general or about the kernel which ships with Maemo5?

Kernel which ships with Maemo 5. I am trying to find the link where I found this information but I lost it. Might not be reliable. I will leave it with : "such as ext2/3 and FAT16/32". Meaning there might be other FS supported.

Still, I don't see why somebody would take the support for a those FS out of the kernel ?

mikkov

2009-09-15, 02:01

I mean that stick to the facts, make no assumptions. If there is no reliable source for premium services or voice navigation, it usually means that it isn't there. Remember that spec sheets are marketing material and that they say what is there, not what was left out.

So there is no voice navigation for N900, unless somebody comes with reliable souce which says otherwise.

Mandor

2009-09-15, 02:15

I mean that stick to the facts, make no assumptions.

A good reminder for anyone editing an article on Wikipedia.

That will stand for the supported FS too. Let's not assume XFS and JSF are supported.

GeneralAntilles

2009-09-15, 02:24

A good reminder for anyone editing an article on Wikipedia.

. . . and we can always add in all of the cool features we left out once we can confirm after release. ;)

Mandor

2009-09-15, 02:47

"Fingers crossed"

I do want a voice guided navigation software on the N900. If it comes pre-loaded I won't complain.:p

I have uploaded an image.

The phone application is activated by tilting the Nokia N900 in portrait mode.

If I remember correctly, I shamelessly took that sentence from this forum. I can't seem to find it (again). Any help would be appreciated.

Wizard of Oz

2009-09-15, 22:47

"Fingers crossed"

I do want a voice guided navigation software on the N900. If it comes pre-loaded I won't complain.:p

I have uploaded an image.

If I remember correctly, I shamelessly took that sentence from this forum. I can't seem to find it (again). Any help would be appreciated.
I think the tilting was mentioned in one of the videos showcasing the n900 when it was first announced.

Mandor

2009-09-15, 23:48

@ Wizard of Oz :

I am going through the preview videos once more to be sure I have not missed anything, but I can't find the tilting phone application. Do you remember which one it is ?

mikkov

2009-09-16, 00:13

@ Wizard of Oz :

I am going through the preview videos once more to be sure I have not missed anything, but I can't find the tilting phone application. Do you remember which one it is ?

http://maemo.nokia.com/features/phone/

Mandor

2009-09-16, 00:19

Mandor

2009-09-16, 08:35

I have added this entry to the Wikipedia article :

The Nokia N900 has an ambient light sensor adjusts the display brightness and activate the backlit keyboard. There is also a proximity sensor which deactivates the display and touchscreen when the device is brought near the face during a call.

Although I am sure there is both sensors on the device I would like your help to include a proper citation on the functionality (on the N900). Grazie mille.

Mandor

2009-09-17, 03:17

Hey people,

I am working on a history section for the Wikipedia article on the N900 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N900). I would like to know your opinion on it.

History and availability

The first hint of a new Maemo device came in September 2008 during a keynotes presentation on the future iteration of the Maemo operating system. During the presentation, new supported features were announced for Maemo 5 such as cellular connectivity over 3G/HSPA, TI OMAP3 processor and high definition camera. At that time there was no news on backward compatibility for older Internet Tablets and no time frame was established.[7] In December 2008 came the release of the pre-alpha Maemo 5 software development kit.[8] It targeted the OMAP3 architecture only, revamped the user interface with support for hardware graphics acceleration and new functionalities (cellular data connectivity, high definition camera support). The lack of those features on the Nokia N810 and the availability of the MAemo 5 SDK made it clear that Nokia was in preparation of a, soon to be announced, new device. The following months saw an increase in leaked pictures of the next generation of Internet Tablet codenamed Rover or RX-51.[citation needed] It was finally officially announce on September 2, 2009 at Nokia World 2009 in Germany.

The device will be available in selected markets starting October 2009 with a retail price of €500 in Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden, £499 in the United Kingdom (including VAT)[9] and $649 in the United States[10], excluding sales taxes and subsidies.[1] It will be available in Canada through independent retailer for around $750.[1]

It is the step 4 of 5 in the line of Maemo device presented by Nokia which started in 2005 with the Nokia N770.[citation needed]

It is still under construction so please be gentle with me. ;)

On a side not I have asked for a reassessment of the article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Computing/Assessment#Quality_scale). It is a stub now and should deserve at least a C.

GeneralAntilles

2009-09-17, 03:25

It is still under construction so please be gentle with me. ;)

My first general impression says the tone is too narrative. Needs to be a bit more encyclopedic.

Thesandlord

2009-09-17, 03:40

I agree with the general, its too narrative, like an essay (which I should be writing). If I had time I would edit it, if its not done in two days then...

Mandor

2009-09-17, 07:51

Thanks guys.

Would someone mind to provide some insight into the discussion we are having here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Nokia_N900#Maemo_is_Linux).

Maemo is Linux

I have to admit I am still trying to understand that statement. In the interview you found with Dr. Ari Jaaksi [18] (http://www.maemo-guru.com/2009/09/video-interview-with-dr-ari-jaaksi/), at around 9:55 he said that most of the work will come out if a developer wants to adapt the "Linux application" to the Maemo 5 UI. Is that what : "Debian ARM packages can be used if they are modified with the maemo-optify tool for example" means ? I am far from being an expert with Linux so I was just wondering.

Linux is the kernel but typically also happen to refer to all the tools that compose a full system. The GUI API in Maemo is a bit different and adapted to a tablet screen. Thus, normal Xorg application might look ugly and not conform to certain rules used in the Maemo window manager which may cause them to be not very practical to use.

I believe he was referring to reprogramming graphical elements to fit in with the platform more fluidly. If you don't care about modifying the GUI the porting process is supposed to be trivial. maemo-optify just moves all the files larger than 2KB into the /opt directory and puts symlinks where they were originally. This has to be done because of the uniqueness of the file structure of maemo 5 and the limited space available in /. The complexity of application compatibility is quite large in embedded linux and I just feel it's misleading to claim that it is Linux and will run Linux applications when there are a lot of qualifiers. Perhaps someone with embedded coding experience can offer some insight into what is and is not possible in porting applications especially in regards to the GUI.

meme

2009-09-17, 13:23

I read the article on wiki and it would be better to put in the clickable link for new mobile operators coming into Canadian market that support this phone like WindMobile.ca

Mandor

2009-09-18, 03:06

The software (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N900#Software) section on the Nokia N900 article is getting long. We are thinking about merging it with the main Maemo 5 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maemo#Maemo_5) article.

Laughing Man

2009-09-18, 03:19

@ mikkov

Thanks. Although I am quite surprise to see that as it seems not to be working for the moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRy5_Ov-6AI

At around 8:30 the guy ask the Nokia representative about that feature and tilt the phone but nothing happen ... ?

It's probably like the iPhone's. It doesn't always register it perfectly. I remember when my cousin first got his iPhone he couldn't get it to always work and he had to shake it a few times to get it to switch over. I guess it's how much force it detects?

Mandor

2009-09-24, 12:15

Just to give an update.

The Wikipedia article on the Nokia N900 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N900#Audio_and_output) is getting in pretty good shape and is now around 35 000 bytes long.

We are in need of some quality photo of the device but that is nothing that can't be fixed in the near future. Thanks to a fellow Canadian for some nice screen shots of Maemo 5.

I would like to ask again for your generosity for a quick look at the article to find any typo and/or inaccurate piece of information.

I hope you all enjoy it !

On a side note when you google "Nokia N900" the article is around the 10th hit (at least in Australia).

Mandor

2009-09-27, 00:37

I am in need of help here. I have edited the article to be a little more specific about the BT profiles supported by the N900. Would somebody mind to review the text to be sure this is right. Thanks.

The built-in Bluetooth v2.1 supports supports wireless earpieces and headphones through the HSP profile. The Nokia N900 support hardware capable of stereo audio output with the A2DP profile. Built-in car hands-free kits are also support with the HFP profile. File transfer is supported (FTP) along with the OPP profile for data synchronisation. It is possible to remote control various supported electronic appliances with the AVRCP profile. The DUN profile which permit access to the Internet from a laptop by dialing up on a mobile phone wirelessly, the HID profile which provides support for devices such as Bluetooth mice and keyboards and PAN profile for networking using Bluetooth are unsupported but can be enabled.

lma

2009-09-27, 06:59

OPP profile for data synchronisation

OPP is just for simple sending/receiving of objects, synchronisation would require the SYNCH profile.

It is possible to remote control various supported electronic appliances with the AVRCP profile.

I think it's the other way around, the N900 is the device being controlled (by eg a bluetooth headset).

Mandor

2009-09-28, 13:00

OPP is just for simple sending/receiving of objects, synchronisation would require the SYNCH profile.

I think it's the other way around, the N900 is the device being controlled (by eg a bluetooth headset).

I think you might be right about the AVRCP in the specific case of the N900. I mean by I looked at the Wikipedia artcile for AVRCP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVRCP#Audio.2FVideo_Remote_Control_Profile_.28AVRC P.29) which list the following feature :

his profile is designed to provide a standard interface to control TVs, Hi-fi equipment, etc. to allow a single remote control (or other device) to control all of the A/V equipment to which a user has access. It may be used in concert with A2DP or VDP.

It has the possibility for vendor-dependent extensions.

AVRCP has several versions with significantly increasing functionality:

* 1.0—Basic remote control commands (play/pause/stop, etc)
* 1.3—all of 1.0 plus metadata and media-player state support
o The status of the music source (playing, stopped, etc)
o Metadata information on the track itself (artist, track name, etc).
* 1.4—all of 1.0, 1.3, plus media browsing capabilities for multiple media players
o Browsing and manipulation of multiple players
o Browsing of media metadata per media player, including a "Now Playing" list
o Basic search capabilities

I guess it is a general description for that profile and may not represent what is supported in the N900.

Thanks !

rm42

2009-11-05, 17:01

I don't know if this has been posted already. I did a search and could not find a specific reference to it on the title of any of the results. And I am not about to read all those gargantuan threads to see if it is there. ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N900

I haven't had a chance to read it, but I thought that between all of us we can make sure it is accurate. You know what I mean? :rolleyes: