Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

What primarily attracts me to the N900 is the true desktop like web browser with full flash support. I keep on reading about how the phone has a terminal command etc.. but as I have never used linux before(I have a Apple Macbook), I am not sure I would be using it much. In fact, I am not sure that I would be doing much hacking to my N900 other than downloading games and apps from both this site and the OVI store. Is the N900 more than I need? What benefit does an average joe that is not really into extreme toying with the device, going to get from the N900? Thanks so much to everyone in advance.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

if you have to ask, then no.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

If you don't have the time then don't get it. Its not really mass market ready yet.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

I have gotten the chance to play with one and couldn't believe how great the web browser was. That's what got me thinking about purchasing it. I don't think there is any phone on the market with a web browser like this. When you say it's not mass market ready, what do you mean?

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

My friend who bought the N900 never have gone into the terminal. You don't have to unless you want to hack/mod the N900 or its apps. If you use it like a normal smartphone, it works like a normal smartphone. Obviously iPhone will never ever get flash support so if you want good web browsing experience, N900 is the best you'll get right now in such form factor. IMO, it is mass market ready. Well, the PR1.2 that eventually-someday-hopefully will arrive should make it pretty darn good. (the number of bug fixes and enhancements they put in is amazing)

Benefits of N900:
- hardware keyboard
- great integrations of IM and VOIP.
- being able to play xvid / wmv files without re-encoding
- Many free open source apps
- great web browser (also u can try firefox mobile / chromium etc)
- a decent 5MP camera with flash and video recording.

Well. Go with the platform you want. Android, iPhone4, Windows Mobile 6.5, Windows Phone 7, Samsung Bada etc etc.
To me, N900 has the best combination of hardware and OS currently available in the market. Nothing can compete with it imo.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

Thanks for the detailed response, I do appreciate it. I think I am going to go ahead and get the phone. I have been trying to search through all the threads on this forum to learn as much as I can about this. The phone I currently have is a Samsung moment android thing from Sprint. I want something much more powerful than that.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

Average Joe...well that is me when it comes to this...all i can tell you is that you must understand that this device is not a phone first and a mini computer second, but vice versa.
That being said, the device, the OS, the apps and everything else are relatively new and in some cases sparse. So yes, you will experience some frustration, so be patient. Dont listen to the doomsday horde!

But, once you hold the '900 in your hand and once you start reading the forums and seeing how others are pushing the '900 to the limit and the support the users are giving each other, then you will realise that this device is worth the time and effort and price.

I am not a geek/power user/dev/whatever...but my '900 is just perfect. It has what i need, does what i want and when i am feeling particularly brave, i read the forums/wikis and experiment with the X terminal. Once the next FW is out, then i plan to be a big boy and OC it to 800/900Mhz :D

and that is the joy of this device, you can play with it!! read the forums, look past all the whiners, flamers, fanbois and read what people like titan and lehto and cpitchford(? my apologies) and many others are doing...they are really taking this device to heart and inspiring many others to get the full use out of theirs.

'Normal Joes' should not be shy or timid of using the '900...it is worth the while owning and using it. If all you are going to be doing is using it for yuor apps, music, etc then pefect! if you want it to experiment with, then perfect!

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

The N900 is much more powerful and much more fun.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

Yeah, me too lol. Coming from a HTC Advantage, i narrowed my decision to HTC HD2 or N900. Chose the N900 about a week before the HD2 came out and never looked back.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

Downsides :
- crapy phone app
-crapy call log
-no mms , not out of the box at least .
-slagy media playback , i notese lots of breaks when i play music over stereo BT headset.
-nokia maps not fully fuctional , not yet.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

The n900's hardware is currently unbeatable. As for software (OS, applications, etc) it's in a constant state of flux. Things are improving by the day. As of 2010/04/11,

What it's excellent at:

- Web browsing/flash
- Skype, IM messaging
- Multimedia (lots of codecs)
- Ourdoor (video)camera
- Unix functionality (you may find a use in the future)
- Exchange sync and contact organization
- Document editing (full openoffice support)
- Connectivity (bluetooth / wifi / USB)
- Stability and performance (especially when overclocking, which it loves!)
- Navigation (with Sygic navigator)
- Multitasking

What it's decent at:

- Productivity (email client is OK, but not great; calendar is weak)
- Phone functionality (phone works fine, but lacks some call management features)
- Indoor photos (low light)
- Gaming

What it's terrible at:

- Battery life (I average ~24h per charge, meaning a charge every night)
- GSM frequency support (I forget which bands it lacks, but it does not support them all, so 3G can be limited)
- Simplicity. Some see this as a positive: The interface is very powerful and configurable, and pulls no punches. But, for those who want something braindead simple, it's not the right choice.

Personally, it happens to be the best technology thing I've ever owned. Like others have said, if you're looking for a pocket computer that happens to have a GSM radio/telephony, this is the best device money can buy. If you're looking for a phone with a great web browser, it's competitive. If you're looking for a business tool or fashion accessory, Blackberry/iPhone's a better choice.

My $0.02.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

I've used mobile phones since analogue days over 13 years ago. Have gone through at least 15 phones. Philips, Nokia, Ericsson etc.

Phone app - yes, it's not as good as it can be. But I haven't missed a single call due to an issue with the app. Dunno, iPhone phone didn't seem any better last time I tried.

Call log - just install extended call log. easy.

No mms - yeah. I use fmms. Does the job okay enough.

BT - Dunno. I haven't used BT headset. So maybe it's bad?

Maps - yeah. it sux with no voice guided navigation. Just use Sygic or wait and hope Nokia does something about it. But you can't say all other phones come with free turn by turn navigation. iPhone doesn't if I remember correctly and Windows Mobile doesn't either.

There's always going to be a bad side to every phone. I can list much more negative important stuff about other phones than the N900. =P

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

Bluetooth stereo works flawlessly (including AVRCP for track control). I used it all winter, every day, with several different headsets.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

If your looking for a top smartphone then i wouldn't advise getting the N900. If your also looking to download countless safe apps and games then again this device probably isn't for you.
Also take into account that the N900 relies heavily on external developer support. At the moment Nokia don't seem to give 2 **** about internal support for the device.

For the average joe i would advice either iphone or a droid device.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

Thanks to everyone that contributed here. I think I am going to go out and get the phone. That means I need to get T-mobile as well so will be switching from Sprint to T-mobile. T-mobile doesn't require you to sign a contract which works out perfectly. If the day ever comes that the N900 will be history and one of the other providers has a phone I like, switching will be easy. Sprint service works very poorly in my Queens NY home. It's not bad in general, but I happen to live in a total Sprint dead spot.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

Well, then, welcome aboard. :)

If you do end up going for it, remember that it's pretty different than most phones, so come back when/if you have trouble. There are lots of great, helpful and intelligent people on this forum and no doubt answers to all your questions.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

I am deff going for it. I am just deciding if I should head to the Nokia store in Manhattan tomorrow or just place an order.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

I was much like you a few months ago, I had read up on the device and the things that appealed to me in particular were the browser, integration of IM/SMS and the vast codec support. However i was apprehensive as i knew nothing of programming or that kind of stuff.
One month after buying i am totally in love with this phone, and because of this brilliant forum i have even dabbled in a bit of modding, i have flashed the global firmware and overclocked the processor :)
In a way getting this phone has also given me more knowledge of computers and stuff so its educational! ;)

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

Thanks for letting me know. I will update you guys when I get the phone. If I go to the store, I will have it tom. I think I am going to order it though. I will update everyone.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

It's not really a fantastic native gaming device. There aren't many publishers for it. That said there is emulation, but emulation drains the battery exponentially.

If you want an app rich platform steer clear. Microsofts WP7 comes out at the end of the year, and iPhone OS 4 is due out in the American summer. Both look promising.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

Go in person, And check out your phone BEFORE you leave, the reason i say to do this is I order mine from newegg.com , and when I got it It had 1 dead pixel, just one, and if you know newegg you know they only accept returns with 6 or more dead pixels, In all honesty I could have gotten a replacement from nokia, But the joy of my n900 was to much to want to wait for shipping.

Basicly im saying check your device out before you leave with it because you will not want to give it back lol

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

The only thing is that its much cheaper online. I will make my decision tonight.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

If you're not going to go all the way with the N900, then go get an iPhone or nexus one. The reason why i say this is because, after several months of using N900, i feel that its not really worth your money if youre not going to add adjustments and experiment the phone, but thats the beauty of N900; the phone is customizable to your needs.

Its like getting a plain car with free tools such as racing parts, paint, bodykits. Its made for you to fix it up the way YOU want it to be.

If you're into: SERIOUS multitasking, full-flash web browser, FM transmitter, playing movies on phone, customizing, heavy experimenting with applications, Linux and researching (yes research, lol). Then yes get the N900.

If you want: 3D games, business oriented activities, plenty of apps and a very user-friendly interface.. then get the iPhone, nexus, or whatever thats out there.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

Ok here is a question to you. If my main attraction to the N900 is Full Flash support in the web browser, would you say that the N900 is a good choice. Right now, none of the other phones support this. I know they are supposed to come out with flash for the Android platform, but is it worth waiting for that, or would I be better off with the N900? Thanks

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

Well yeah, if full flash support is your deepest concern, then yeah you should definitely go for it. But do keep in mind that you're losing out on a few other trendy smartphone features that is available in most smartphones out there (those that the N900 loses to, for now at least) just for the sake of full flash support.

However, In my opinion the N900 is a good choice in the long run the full-flash browser is the least you would be amazed at. I'm pretty sure you will slowly learn how to use the Xterminal (and/or other sourceful applications) and realize how versatile the N900 is.

All in all, the N900 is a very powerful device that is capable of performing many surprising activities.. you won't regret buying it. Unless you're expecting trendy features like what the iPhone and Android devices are offering, then no.

To put it simply, the phone is much more than just a full-flash web browser device. YES GO GET IT! :)

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

The reasons I bought the n900 (In no particular order):

1) it runs linux and closest experience to 'big' desktop experience
2) wifi
3) memory capacity (32gb)
4) best browsing experience on any mobile device
5) physical keyboard
6) bluetooth
7) can write software on n900 via python
8) resistance screen means I can use stylus not my sausage like fingers
9) download applications - quality not quantity matters here - many apps genuinely useful
10) make phone calls
11) no jailbreaking is needed I bought the n900 it's mine I will decide what I do with it not company that makes it

If you are looking for a full-featured phone you will be disappointed.

if you are looking for a full-featured portable mini computer you will be delighted.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

Slightly changing the direction of this argument, I'd advise against getting one now as it's old.

The device has been out for almost 6 months, and hardware-wise it will soon start to show it's age. You've got a range of new handsets on the horizon, so I'd wait a month or two and look at those.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

If by Full Flash Support you think of it in terms of usability as on the PC it's not really. It's slow, often unresponsive, and depending on how the flash app is made the icons may be too small, the file too large, and the processor is too slow.

Re: Is an N900 the right device for me?
 

if you buy one you will either love it or hate it. Or Like me, love it, hate it, then love it a bit more then hate it some more. Def a love hate thing going on with me, but there are so many features that I find superb and a few that simply annoy the living socks off of me - much talked about on the forum and I wont bother repeating except to say the front camera is there for no apparant reason (at the mo), the phone app is clunky, email ok, sms superb (I use fMMS too), moving around the screen can be a bit haphazard especially when scrolling. Apart from that it gives me the ability to do anything online much more simply and quickly that my old n95 8gb ever did. Its fast and generally stable.

I've still bought a desire from htc though!