Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Yeah, but nobody expected it to have phone capabilities. 3G data - yes.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Some thought S60 features would be automaticly in N900. OSX, WebOS neither Android had the functionality of Symbian or WM from the start. G1 wasn't hugely popular mostly because of the limitations of Android 1.0(and the HW wasn't the best ;)), but Nokia "flagship" with OMAP3 and high reso screen will attract many people automaticly. Many who will not bother to actually look what they are buying. Fact is that you are buying OS that is still middle of rapid evolving.

It's good to remember that like me i have no desire for most of the features that are "missing" on the N900 and so i'm loving it with it still having of course it's own problems.
Example capacitive Maemo 5/Maemo 6 device is something i'm ready to pay whatever Nokia asks ;)


IMO it's funny to read some rants about the N900 missing that and what not. I understand that after paying 550 euros or whatever it makes you mad, but the info is out there for anybody to read.

When it comes to actual bugs and HW problems that's totally a different thing and something Nokia really needs to get together.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Calling these "critical features" sounds very weird to me, as so far I have survived using the N900 even without having portrait mode available in every application.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

The point is, by the fifth version it should have evolved a bit more. If you are happy to tinker with it, more power to you. For around $500 I see a device that does nothing all that well in its current incarnation. and I expected more from the world's preeminent cell phone manufacturer. Silly me.

And I'm tired of hearing this is just a step towards the ultimate. You don't sell a two legged stool with the idea that the next stool you produce will have more legs and that the community can figure out how to add a leg to the current model.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Do you own an N900?

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Available for Phone, soon available for Browser. So this complaint is too general.

Feel free to vote for https://bugs.maemo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=5793

Feel free to vote for https://bugs.maemo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=5356

Feel free to vote for https://bugs.maemo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=5300

Feel free to vote https://bugs.maemo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1890

fm-radio is available in Extras repository.

Feel free to vote for https://bugs.maemo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=5388

recorder is available in Extras repository.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

How come the N900/Maemo (which is already at it's 5th release) doesn't even come close to the functionality of the Psion 5MX 10 years ago...It had a terrific keyboard, a very good document writer and spreadsheat app. It ran the Opera webbrowser. It had an excellent calendar. It had a good e-mail client. There were plenty of good apps for the device..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh1uBRH6n8E

So looking at it from a purely user and software perspective Maemo isn't that modern - as compared to what the Psion 5MX had to offer TEN years ago.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

OS2008 and fremantel are very much a different beasts. Phone part being good starting point ;) This is maemos first time in phone market and this will already shape whole maemo differenty that would have not happened if this would have stayed as a tablet os. Going from niche device to ui and os that should appeal large variety of peoples make the previous versions not to be compared to the maemo 5 imo.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

You do if you have a substantial customer base who wants a two legged stool that they can add their own leg to.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Wow so he needs to go and get a phone just because he comes up with a list of basic functions many of which Nokia phones have had for like over 5 years!!!

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

I don't buy release 1.0 if I can avoid it. I was planning to upgrade my phone after Christmas and the N900 was at the top of my list. Now, I'm not so sure. I hope version 1.1 will address more than jus the portrait mode issue and, if so, it remains a possibility. But the Android releases are increasingly tempting. While I support Open Source, I'm not willing to sacrifice my phone on its altar.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

I would normally wait too except my commuting circumstances needs a solution as soon as possible. And I don't use my phone very often so as long as the n900 doesn't reboot every single time I need to make a phone call I decided I might as well get it now rather than buy another device, and then the n900 later.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

The problem here is what you should get for 500 is entirely your opinion. It will vary wildly depending on who you ask.

I could buy a PC for 500 with NO OS! Does that mean I should piss and moan about it? Its up to you to know what you are buying before you pony over the cash.

Fact is you DO get a good device, it might be missing a few features you thought it would have, but for the most part Nokia have been totally honest about what was missing so the only person at fault is the buyer who did not check first to make sure it had the feature they needed.

Many phones still do not have Bluetooth, the quality of the web browser can also vary wildly, as well as software compatibility. Granted they are usually phones cheaper than the N900 but it doesn't make it any less likely I would have expectations of those devices that are not met. You just have to know what you are buying BEFORE laying down your cash, period.

Personally, I am buying a Linux based mini-PC with phone functionality. The N900 I believe is EXACTLY what I expected it to be, based on reading other peoples reports and fiddling with the SDK. I would be shocked if when I get my N900 I am disappointed, because I have researched what it does/does not do out of the box.

Would I like it to do more? Of course.
Would I rather wait 6/12 more months to get those features? Hell no!

The N900 already does certain things far better than any other device and is certainly the most customisable (without needed to jailbreak the device). People who are moaning at things its missing clearly did not do the research, but then that is normal as hardly anyone RTFM. People have a preconception of what a phone is going to do, that is why Nokia tried to make it clear this is a NIT with a phone.

Fact is, some of us all we WANTED was a NIT with basic phone support. We will use IM most of the time and mostly need the phone part so people can call us who have more primitive devices, landlines, etc and so we do not have to carry a basic phone with us too. Mainly, the phone part was added so we would have an always-on connection and Nokia added the more essential parts of that, phone calls and SMS, so we only need the one device. MMS would have needed WAP support which would have stolen developers away from the more important NIT functionality and the huge improvements the whole UI experience has undergone compared to previous Maemo versions.

Bottom line is yes, Nokia did rush this device. But if they had waited it would have a had few more stock features but NO community software, as the community needs the device to be available first before it can start working porting/coding applications. That is the catch to making it more community driven, you don't have a community until the device is out there.

As long as they do not shoot themselves in the foot and totally break compatibility with Maemo 6 (which I fear they might, especially if they switch to capacitive screens) then releasing the N900 will mean there will be a large community working on Maemo 6 software long before that device is released. This is where we can truely say if Nokia made the right decision, Maemo 6 MUST be backwards compatible IMO or else this was all for nothing.

That is the only point where I might argue Nokia made a mistake with the N900, the little things like a portrait on-screen keyboard "out of the box" so that the API is complete even if the software on top is not. Although I believe the API IS there, just no stock layout/graphics for a portrait keyboard.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

I know this is a little off topic but I just have a quick question...

I hear that on the 2010 Ferrari California can hold four occupants but can't accommodate a standard child's car seat. :mad:
In this day and age expecting people to pay over $180,000 for a car that an average growing family can't use is a huge mistake. I read one review that said the car didn't even have a dang cup holder. :eek:
I can't believe that Ferrari expects to be successful with this thing in California :confused:

Sales of the the Toyota mini van are so good that there is no way they can catch up The cup holders on the Toyota glide out smoothly when needed and the whole thing is so much more consumer friendly. I mean, what was Ferrari thinking? Someone should be fired for this. :mad:

Does anyone know if there is a Ferrari California users group or forum I can join to let them know how screwed up they all are?
...and what is with this new "Bertone" interior? Do we all have to use it or can we install another interior and at least have working cup holders? :rolleyes:

:p

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

No voice navigation?? In GPS? surely not?

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Yes, not included in Nokia Maps oin the N900 currently.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

you have to pay for that crap anyway with all nokia;s
just upgrade to some other pay for gps software
there is one out before the end of the year

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Fast, cheap or right, choose any 2...

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Now on what you've posted in bold.. I have to say (I do believe they will bring it out) but let's not forget that Nokia & timescales are not usually correct for flagship devices (N97 v20...)...

That being said, due to the mass interest they have received in the N900 that has easily surpassed expectations I'd expect to see the next firmware by end of december/ first week of january!

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

No, they said that there will be portrait mode support for the browser, which is far from extensive.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Benny and others, maybe it'll be good if you take a step back for a second and take a look at what the differences between Maemo 4 and Maemo 5 are. Original out-of-box experiences, third party software aside.

Maemo 4 is a (very interesting) operating system for something akin to a handheld device with no PIM. No calendar. No voice functionality. No java. Pretty much every bit of software Nokia use to sell cell phones, is on purpose omitted from the 770 - N810. Why? Apparently because Nokia expected you to have a Nokia telephone to tether it with, where you already have all this.

Maemo 5 is ment for different usage. It is now a phone OS (also?) Much of what your Nokia telephone can do, has been duplicated over to the Maemo platform. We're getting PIM and calendar, phone essentials, etc. They are taking a mature NIT OS and adding a completely new module of phone centric software.

Most of the things discussed here, did not exist on this platform at all four months ago. Many of the things that did, are mature.

In some ways, the phone part of the OS can be compared to the Android dev phone. It wasn't the best phone ever. But it was a leap in other ways. The N900 should have somewhat higher expectations, because only the phone centric parts are "new".

My windows mobile phone died last week. I'm currently using a T610. Fairly ready for the N900 now. But I expect it to be (far) behind the HTC Hero on some areas.

And much, much more interesting in other areas.

But Maemo 5 isn't mainstream yet. It's the very first phone on this platform, and it doesn't help much that xterm is mature already.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

i couldn't see the simple Fax field for contacts. :(

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

umm how about this for starters?

1. Instead of promising a release date that you can't meet. you're better off not hyping the phone up just yet and making it open for pre order so early

2. The one month delay has nothing to do with the huge amount of missing features. Nokia wasn't even intending to put these features in in the first place. Thats the problem!

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Feel free to vote for https://bugs.maemo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=5742 by clicking on "Vote for this bug".

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Exactly! Nokia announced the N900 as the step 4 of 5 in getting Maemo ready for a smartphone.

Hence step 4 of 5 not 5 of 5 yet.

The N900 is useful for a limited market and was truthfully announced as such.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Thanks Andre.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Agreed. I bought this knowing fully well that as a smartphone the N97 (which I already have) is leagues ahead. But as data is more important to me than voice, I don't mind that at all.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Hmmm. Disclaimer first. I do not own a n900. The extent of my exposure the n900 has been playing with it on several occasions in the NY flagship store. The last time I held one was a week before the NY flagship store called me (I was on the store list), but of course I was out of the country and could get to the store by 8pm the next day when they called. I have a 770 and n800, and will ...probably get a n900, just waiting for the madness to die down. I also have an e51 (a Nokia s60 phone for those of you who aren't familiar with it). I can understand how people whose first experience with the NIT is the n900 feel that it's missing features, because it is, even compared to Nokia's own s60 series. We need to remember that if a device is touted as a flagship device (was it officially?), then the expectation is that it will have all of the capabilities of the lesser models and then some. Of course for most of the long time forum members and owners of previous models, the "then some" is in all of the slightly more esoteric capabilities of the phone, and all of the other stuff (including the cellular radio) is fluff anyways. Regardless, I think that all of the gnashing of teeth and tearing of hair by the n900 owners who are new to the platform is a good thing .....not only in compiling the list of must have fixes and features for the coming firmware updates, but more importantly for the next model. I honestly think that Nokia is going to have to step up their game a little for the coming final step (Maemo 6 and associated devices). The niche they had all to their selves is getting crowded, there are (and will be more) quite a few comparable alternatives, so if they don't get initial releases right or fixed quickly, they'll have another n97 on their hands, as in dead on arrival. It all well and good for those of us who love the platform and the features that come with it to tell the belly-achers to go buy a lesser alternative and be quiet, but it will weaken the n920 or what ever it's going to be called. Yes, their tone could be more constructive, but there is often a nugget of truth in their moaning. I think we owe it to ourselves to do everything we can to extract that nugget, what ever validity there is in the cries of the first of the mass adopters, and make sure it gets to Nokia. Just my 2 pence.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Exactly. Nokia cannot rely on any stage 5 out of 6 (or stage 4 out of 5) to excuse any deficiencies the device may have unless they want to lose further smart phone market share. Many would have been turned of Nokia by the N97. N900 may be intended to be a niche device but Nokia cannot select who they sell it to. If many buy it and are disappointed then they would be turned off Nokia and no way would they consider any N920.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

the problem i find with maemo is that with each version, they keep changing the format and makes backwards compatibilty between maemo difficult. my bet this is going to be the same for maemo 6. everything will have to be re-package.

but this is only my experience starting with the n770.

the n800/810 is what should have been the n900 and thus the n900 now should have been much better coming out of the box.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

i've said it before and ill say it again.
if you are spending 500 quid on a device, if you don't do your research first you are obviously either too rich, or silly.
for me its what i had waited for and nearly perfection.
please do you research before buying any device

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

thats why i havent bought one. i cant afford spending 600 bucks for a new phone when my current one is fulfilling my needs at the moment. i think the next model version of the n9xx may be about the right time for me for my next upgrade.

the n900 is what i was waiting for 2 years ago, way before the iphone; which i think was a missed opportunity for nokia

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

I've researched the N900 really good before I bought it. I knew it was not the perfectly polished, ultra sleek, superduper phone/MID. But I want to make a difference for a platform. Maemo has the potential to kick Apple's *** real good.

We've arrived at a point in development that the hardware will not sell a phone. Of course it is important but it's not solely the Unique Selling Point.

Today and tomorrow it is all about usability and applications. If a platform has a vast amount of apps available it is more likely to sell. For example take the iPhone or Android. It has a vast amount of apps available and it is very, very easy to install these on your device.

So if Nokia and us of course wants to have a chance to be a big time player in the field we need to do our efforts to try new software, test it and do a bugreport.

My experience is very positive! This is really the first platform I see where users don't get scolded when they discover a bug and report it. I discovered a stupid bug in Windows Mobile 6.1 a year ago, and thought: 'Hey I can reproduce this error and it is absolutely due to a bad in a Microsoft .DLL, let's report it and send some logs.'. The bug destroyed the contact list. Pretty important if you ask me.

My reaction from Microsoft was: 'Dear Sir, As far as we know we are not going to fix this bug. We ask you kindly not to bother us with this kind of information.'. Well that's damn good first impression!

To get back on the subject at hand, although Nokia announced this as a Step 4 out of 5, a niche product etc. etc. this is a very stable, usable piece of hard and software. Much better then the current Windows Mobile will ever be!

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

ive got to admit that when i got my first winmo phone (sony xperia x1a), it did really good as a phone and as a web browser out of the box. it even got better with the xda support. i have had it for over a year and its still on par with the best phones coming out today and so no need for me to upgrade at this time.

other phones such as the winmo, android and iphone and etc... does make it easier to install apps and thus makes a good phone for the everyday user or first time smartphone buyer. the n900 is not for the everyday user but more for the power user and so many will not know what they are buying.

i believe the n900 with the support of the maemo community can and will be a good well rounded device. i definitely will be looking at n900 or its subsequent successor as for next upgrade for sometime in 2010.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

I've just ditched my XPERIA X1i. The device is to slow for me, the Opera webbrowser isn't that stable, it crashes at random. The build quality of the Sony Ericsson is nice but the software isn't up to par for me. Maybe I'm just a very demanding user. :D

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

I think N900 was rushed. But I also think that is exactly how it should be. It is a device in the spirit of the open source movement. According to Eric Raymond http://www.catb.org/~esr//writings/h...r/ar01s04.html The notion of Release Early Release Often (And trust your community to help you iron out bugs) was key innovation that Linus Torvalds made.

I agree with this. As a matter of fact. The open source development model has showed some amazing results.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

lol i ditched my xp1 after 3 weeks, i hated ut so much i swore never to gret a xp or wins mo phone

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

Perhaps they were early but most of the critial functions work well. I have no doubt that the other functions you mention will be added with software updates.

Given the choice of waiting or getting the device now but with a few missing features I vote for getting the device now.

I already don't know how I survived without this wonderful device.

Re: I think that Nokia rushed and released N900 with software that miss many functions
 

It was not.

N900 is not the flagship phone of Nokia and anyone reading the announcements and interviews around the announcements knows this. It comes from the Internet Tablet lineage. N97 still gets the pole position on the Nokia.com phones list.