Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

I am looking for the best internet browsing experience period, phone features come second or even later. I was waiting for the new iphone comign out next month or July, but when i found the n900 it seems like my dream come true. However I am still hesitant because 1.) it has been stated numerous times it is not a mainstream phone, 2.) lack of support even after 4-5 months after release, and 3.) it seems to be the first of its kind. Should I get it now and enjoy the phone, or wait until its 'successor' or something else from HTC perhaps that could rival it, or even better its browser + flash 10 support?


Also i am looking for honest opinions from N900 users who could point out the shortcomings of this phone? I did read the forums a bit but most negative posts seem to be bickering back and forth and im just looking for honest opinions about what to expect from this phone. Thanks!

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

dont buy it.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

I agree with jeppe777

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

Wait until PR 1.2 comes out. I just get a feeling that Flash 10 will come to N900 because N900 is an internet tablet and if Nokia wants it to remain so, then Flash 10 has to come to N900.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

...dont buy it

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

EDIT : Someone posted here saying that N900 will not get Flash 10 so don't buy N900 as Flash 10 seems to be of prior importance to you.

Sad to see Nokia hitting Nails on the N900's coffin gradually :(

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

Well Flash 10 is not a huge importance its just a benefit to me tbh... unless youtube and lots of other major flash sites change and become 10 required anyways.

Nokia's insistence of giving up on the N900 as if it was only ever intended to be some kind of experiment, is pretty much why i'm not yet completely sold on the phone at the moment. It's a shame since it is very highly regarded by some, including myself.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

Wait. Forever if you can. There's always something better around the corner.

But seriously I haven't found the phone lacking anything that can't be easily downloaded. Web experience is still the best and will probably continue to be, regardless of Flash 10.1 on Android. Pages load just like my desktop - don't know of any other phone that does that. In short, if you don't mind getting your hands dirty and learning some new things about computers (and learn to love this forum for that matter) then it is a great phone. Def for enthusiasts though.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

i'll sell you mine.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

If you're finding yourself asking, just like now... I'd say wait.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

This comes from someone who´s bought 3. Don´t buy it.

Seems Nokia isn´t ever going to complete this project to a satisfying degree. Buy something from a reputable manufacturer who seems to service their devices and want return customers.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

You want a laptop. If you want something smaller, you want a netbook. If you want something smaller still, without a keyboard, and without flash, you want an iPad.

You can get any of those with mobile/wireless data (either via USB dongle or sim slot) - the netbooks and iPad will give you 5-10 hours battery life easy. Me, personally, I love my netbook.

If you want something even smaller then that, you don't want the best internet browsing experience.

If you want the best handheld linux device with physical keyboard and integrated GSM data/voice, and passable internet browsing experience, you want an n900.

What did you want again?

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

The latter. I am looking for a new phone anyways as my contract is running out, and i only want to carry one device. I dont want to just buy a crap phone despite the fact that i dont use it as intensive as some people, because i only want to carry one device. Most of the time i will have wifi around and i seriously considered an ipod touch before, but decided against it. The N900 really does fit my bill. Netbooks are fun but i dont want to carry one to work where i only use it to pass the time during my breaks.

Internet > games for me, thats why im having second thoughts on the iphone.

Anyways, if i wait for the "next" device from Nokia it could theoretically be at the end of the year, maybe even early 2011... i've already waited six months after resisting the Iphone 3GS during christmas, really dont want to wait again with a crap phone. So im seriously considering picking up a used N900 on the cheap. How is the quality of this phone? Any pitfalls to avoid?

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

What Schettj said..

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

I can't believe you 'tards are saying "don't buy it!"

I am very happy with my n900.

1) It is not a phone - it is a computer first. Hardware keyboard is great.
2) We are currently waiting for an update (PR1.2). THE N900 IS STILL USEFUL WITHOUT IT.
3) I like it because it has a great browser, pdf viewer, average media player, fm transmitter (i listen to music in my car).
4) I enjoy programming it because it has Python (very easy programming language) and QT (makes my programs nice and shiney)


Just a few examples why I like it.

More importantly what kind of stuff do you envision using it for?

It is not a full function phone but the phone app is reliable and does the job well.

3 months after release, the n900 got an update.

The PR1.2 update is mainly a bug-fix and is not worth stressing about.

Some people bought the n900 expecting it to solve all their life problems but alas were very disappointed.
(Hence the negativity in this thread)

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

Indeed.

I like my N900 very much and while there is crying about things like PR1.2, it's still coming.


From a guy who have been following Harmattan and Fremantel coming together from the announcement i would dare to say that from Harmattan/MeeGo you are getting much more future proof platform than Maemo 5 will ever be and i think many who have been following Qt doings since Nokia bought Trolltech and Harmattan announcement in 2008 it's not a big surprise.

Harmattan is the first OS that have gone full circle and is all about Qt (Symbian will follow later, but it will be about a bit different market and cheaper hardware). In my honest opinion it's a no brainer if you are looking to Maemo or Nokia's direction to wait for Harmattan/MeeGo. It's another story if you want to wait till Q4 this year.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

And should we have been really thankful or something? What did I fork $550 out for?

The N900 still doesn´t surpass my N95-1, 38 months after I bougth the N95, and after the N900 has been in my hands for 6 months.

I would expect progress in 3 years.

Don´t get me wrong. The N900 has at least 1 advantage over the N95-1. The screen resolution. But it lacks in so much else.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

Personally I think the n900 web browser is better than the iPhone & android-based phones. It feels more like a "desktop" experience than the others.
The strength of the browser means I do not need to download dedicated apps for Facebook & Google.

I never have issues with 3G and wifi. I take it for granted the n900 has a reliable connection.

Flash sucks on the n900. It has not been optimised for graphics system and as a result Flash is slow. Videos can be a bit choppy.

Despite it's size the keyboard is very useful and easy to type on.

I play many emulated games on the n900 (GBA, SNES, C64).

Many of the applications available can be a bit geeky for some people. But there are still many useful apps available.

The iPhone & android are entertainment devices. The N900 is more practical.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

Buy it, it rocks and supports Android.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

Please give examples (e.g. size, software, phone, shinyness)

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

IMO i'd rather have a facebook application written for the device rather than the full web version. It's not a good experience finding your way around in comparison.
The same goes for other websites.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

Camera still functions
Camera video functions
Video editing functions
Ability to use a bluetooth keyboard with device

Inbuilt navigation abilities (I always preferred Nokia Maps 1.0 which was preinstalled on the N95 when I got it to later upgrades from Nokia into 2.0 and 3.0, 1.0 was the only version which could properly calculate a route without connecting to internet)

Podcasting software built into the os which could automatically check for episodes at set intervals.

Availability of software

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

It seems the n900 is right for his needs but for a lot of others it's simply not the phone or OS for them. Personally I have far better things i'd rather be doing than trying to make an app for this phone. I bought this so i wouldn't have to carry an Itouch and and my old phone which has a great 5 megapixel camera.

This thing has let me down not only in the apps department but in the phone and camera areas as well. Plus my itouch syncs with my kindle.

So you can argue how great it is and it well may be..for you. It's not for all people.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

I have one and I'd say buy it if you can get a good deal (not more than £250 second hand), otherwise wait.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

i'd say wait for 2-3 months and see what nokia's upto ..

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

i totally disagree with you (had an n95 8gb a while ago), the N900 has so many more advantages over the n95. (not the phone funktions i must admit).

one of the biggest advantages of the N900 for me are :
the 32GB internal storage,
the native divx and xvid support (no more need of converting movies),
fm transmitter,
webbrowsing with a great screen resolution with touch screen,
native skye and fb chat support,
the hardware querty keyboard,
a way better an smoother system (menu and taskmanager), compared to symbian,
the ability of overclocking the phone,
and so many more.

in my opinion you can't compare the N900 to the N95 anymore, even the N95 used to be a great phone 3 years ago

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

Not sure what all the bad vibs are about.
The N900 is now my main web browsing machine 99% of the time (saving me a fortune on my electric bill, as I turn the PC on one every three weeks or so).
I also use it for most of my emails.
My last phone I rarely used for the web as most phones show mobile sites.

As for the N95 - in my view the N900 is 10x better, but alot of people still love their N95s

The phone works fine as in I can make and recieve calls fine.

It appears we might not get Flash 10 and Flash 9 can struggle at times. People have said their Flash experience is much improved after they OverClocked their phones (I haven't tried it yet)

There are two great browsers avalible, so pick your choice.

You sound like me in wanting a great web experience and for me it delivers.

So go and buy it.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

Software I use on my n900:

CbrReader (comic book reader)
Pedometer
Leafpad (text editor)
Wiicontrol (use wiimote with n900)
moodlight (torch function is handy)
Conky (system monitor)
Irssi (irc chat client)
Exercise Counter (simple reps counter)
PyGTKEditor (editor for Python)
Calories Tracker
HealthCheck (tests n900 hardware)
Omweather (weather updates)
EasyPark (help me find car when I park it)
Msid (plays music from c64 sound chip)
GLTron (3D light cycle game)
fmms (picture messaging)
Vnc Viewer/Server (remote desktop viewing)

I like games almost as much as I like cake.
C64 emulator
GBA emulator
GB emulator
SNES emulator
NES emulator
Spectrum emulator
Ur-Quan Masters

I use the browser all the time. Facebook & Gmail are totally usable.
OVI Maps. Sometimes handy for finding places and routes but totally sucks as navigation.
Media player is handy for watching tv shows and movies. I can also play music via the FM transmitter (tune my car stereo into it)
TV-out feature is handy too - one of the reasons I bought the n900 over android.

The contact app is rubbish don't expect too much from it.
The phone app allows you to make calls, select contacts - is very basic but solid - I use it on a regular basis.
Text messaging is good too.


No PR1.2 update is needed. The n900 will fully support support MeeGo (new os will be installable). But both of these updates are optional.

In fact - I bought my n900 in December 2009 and have not installed any updated firmware - the n900 works for me and i am happy with it.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

I know how you feel.

Last year, when I was looking into buying a new phone I considered the iPhone then decided I wanted an android phone. Then i discovered Nokia were going to release the n900 I decided to wait.
Almost 5 months of waiting I got the n900 and I am completely happy with it.

It runs Linux, is also open-source and programmable.

To me that means future-proof. Even if Nokia abandoned it I still have the option of writing software for it (Python is installed as standard).

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

Can you afford the money to spent on it? Do you have spare time to spent on it? Do you have a phone near by in case you get pissed off by the phone capabilities of N900? Are you curious enough about where the technology is heading to? Do you like to read, test softwares and listen music before you go to sleep. Do you want to bring small support to the freedom of communication in this world.
If you answered yes for all, than do not wait. Conditions may change tomorrow but so one day of your life.
No other 500 EUR device kept me so busy, made me so nervous or happy, etc. like N900, until now. And still has potential as I can see.
I am not paid by Nokia although I own several models and dissapointments, I own and use regularly Apple Ipod/Iphone3G although they are not perfect and cheap, I am not a software developper, etc. I assume to be honest enough but may be a bit too old to be trustful.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

Ok, what confused me was the "best internet browsing experience" - because no device that fits in your pocket is going to deliver that. If you meant best in class, then the n900 is probably in the pack. There are tradeoffs - you considered an iPod touch (another device I own & use), I'd say it's better then the touch but even there, you might find *some cases* where the touch gives a better *user experience* browsing some sites that are iPhone tuned...

Whatever the next device is, it may have things like no physical keyboard, capacitive screen, bigger screen, AMOLED, faster cpu, more ram (vs storage), etc. Some of those things may actually be a negative vs the current n900. Who knows.

See the sticky at the top of this forum: "N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers" http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=52587 for some of the things to consider.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

it depends , you wont get a stright forward answer here . many ppl like and many hate the n900 . it depends on ur needs , u prioreties etc .
i had my n82 for 2.5 years when i decided it was time to move on . i picked the n900 and never looked back since thene . for me even out of the box if u get the updates from nokia u r ready to go .
the device works like a charm .
software evalabelity is not the best .. and propuply will never be ( not like the symbian or iphone apps ) , but thats something i can leave with , who needs crappy apps anyway ?
the n900 is like a mini-netbook that can make CALLS if u can leave with that then YES go ahead and buy it , if u r looking for more of a phone than a tablet then u should consider other devices ..

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

You do know that you can access most of these sites directly with your N900 as well. I.e. type i.engadget.com to read your daily apple is teh GoD news, and others like www.google.com/reader/i for Google Reader, etc. And there are plenty of mobile web sites that are faster to browse/load on 3G and you can still jump to the article for full experience once you find one you're interested on.

The problem with these sites usually is that they are lazy programmers and only detect iPhone (and in some odd-cases they detect Androids as well). And if you go to their mobile web site, they offer the feature phone site, so you need to find the direct URI for these cases. This is especially true for U.S. -based web sites...

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

So is there a general idea of a release date for the first Harmattan phone ?

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

get it when PR 1.2 get released, maybe 2018 (+- 3 months) :)

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

Qole said this Xmas looked likely.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=47126
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=47134
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=47130
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=46479

everything i think is wrong with the n900 can be found in the posts above. Had i known some of what I listed there i wound not have bought the phone.

the browser is good, and the cursor in the browser is UI genius, there isn't anything i cant do with the browser.

its an amassing platform with what seem like miner shortcomings that make it so frustrating i find it bordering on impractical.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

good, at least i'll still be in my 30's.lol....maybe ill just get the n8

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

I can only tell you wait till flash 10.1 will happen here or not.
many ppl saying Flash 10.1 it's only about video, B*****t!

Content is not ready yet but will be and during the device life-time will improve a lot of things more and more useful things will be available with Flash 10.1. And GPU acceleration is not only about video, It's a triangulation of vector drawings processed by GPU as well. Flash 10.1 also means AIR, desktop apps based on AIR run-time with access to the system resources. Future version of flash also will get access to GPS accelerometer mufti-touch gestures etc functionality. Imagine wide range of flash web based apps on it within next 2 years.

If someone is telling me that future version of flash is only youtube, it's just ignorant or get use to his own opinion based on Flash 5 10years ago. Flash with full GPU will be the fastest runtime on the web, faster in many ways. Virtual Machine 2.0 in terms of execution code will be faster than Java when all of graphic task will no longer needs to be done by processor (how many cellphones was based on Java apps for so many years? Is WebOS on Palm Pre based on java? But will get Flash 10.1.. heh) But also in terms of speed of production. Because of graphical nature of Flash it's quite easy and quick to create some useful apps and 3mln army of Flash community just waiting to express themselves.

Keep announcing that we cannot expect Flash 10.1 on powerful black beast INTERNET tablet is like f*****g joke and for this reason I will never recommend this device if you looking for some device for good internet experience. Within next 2 years you going too see more and more blank screens because of lack of Flash 10 support if all that they saying is true. We will end up like IPhone guys, but they have some cool blue lego instead.

So... just wait, I still have a hope myself.

Edit: And see my signature how ironic it is...

EDIT 2:

To prove you how powerfull AS3 is this is a table of speed comparison from 4 years ago. From that time Adobe improved a lot in terms of performance for example added vectors instead of arrays

Here you go http://oddhammer.com/actionscriptperformance/set4/

Bear in mind 4 years ago that was beta AS3 in Flash player 8.5!

Because 70% task in flash are graphic object related and consuming CPU for now this is potential room to speed up this platform and leave more space to do a business logic.

Re: Should I get the N900 now, or wait?
 

Just get an Android 2.2 phone.

See what's coming in the videos doing the rounds (the public announcements of upcoming functionality is something Nokia would be wise to copy). Looks nice.

Not only will it work just fine but you'll be supported for several more updates (not something I can hand-on-heart say is true on either count where the N900 is concerned).

The Nokia approach to Maemo/MeeGo and mobile devices is now such a mess that I can't genuinely recommend it to anyone unless you enjoy a world of pain and are prepared to wait for fixes to your bugs in the next device, only to be disappointed when it finally arrives. :(