Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

Its getting really hard to buy an N900. Not because you can't find them... you can. But because the competition is so much more polished.

I need a phone. I've put it off forever and I'm still stalling. I need one now. I need it for this weekend.

I want something with a big screen and unlocked. My candidates are HTC Incredible, HTC Evo, Motorola Droid and the N900.

Its extremely tempting to buy an Android based phone. Its all there with 2.1 and 2.2 and other upgrades are on the way. Where the hell is Meego ?

The N900 has a smaller screen, 3.5" versus 3.7 and even 4.3 for the Evo. The N900 has the best keyboard. The N900 has an FM transmitter. But the rest of the phones have a good OS with lots of applications available NOW and I know they will be suppored in the future. The N900 has Maemo and who knows what will be happening with it and Meego.

And I know that Nokia is saying they will release a new phone in Q3/4. But I need a phone now !

The only thing that staved me off from buying a Droid this morning is the fact it doesn't run on AWS networks.

What to do, what to do ?

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

Milestone...?

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

Froyo = Firmware update
MeeGo = new OS

You want Nokia to put out a phone now because you want a phone now?

The EVO, Droid and Incredible are CDMA, the n900 isn't. What carrier are you on?

If apps, "available now" and whatnot are what you want then you should probably get another phone

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

Meego will not be any major change. If you dont like maemo, you won't like meego.

I say buy n900. If apps most important go with droid.

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

if you talk about a phone supported for a long term forget n900 - the meego nokia is not even announced - but will be old next spring and forgotten by nokia. the n900 is a great phone but the eco-system is declining and non-existing because nokia decides today so and tomorrow so. no clear line for end-user and more important for developer.

thats the reason nokia is failing with every new announced smart phone every week or so.

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

from the time i got the n900, i never called it a phone.

i just use the word "tablet" or "device" that has a gsm signal and quad band.

and the funny thing is, you cannot use wi-fi if you are off-line or not in "tablet mode"

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

Don't get the N900 nor the Motorola Milestone/Droid.

The N900 is.. well, read the forums. I suspect it's already a dead platform. If you're accurately describing the intended purpose of this purchase as a PHONE purchase, you're DEFINITELY not interested in a Nokia N900.

The Motorola Milestone/Droid is a 2009 phone and it's already overshadowed by its newer brethren. I have a Motorola Droid and it's a GREAT phone but if I were to buy one now, I'd get one of these impressive newer models.

You're MUCH better off getting the HTC Evo or the Incredible, at this point.

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

i get it in january, and im still happy.

but if i were you, wait six months more

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

Dude, if you've been hanging out in this forum since Dec '09 and you still haven't decided that an N900 is the right device for you, then perhaps you've already answered your own question. Out of interest, have you also been lurking around on forums supporting the other potential devices you list?

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

It seems you like linux, (no symbian, iphone, etc. in your alternatives).
So if you like quite standard userlands you have to buy an n900 ;)
(IMHO this makes the n900 really a wonderfull device).

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

The GSM version of the Motorola Droid is called the Milestone. Also, if you're using the N900, you have to hope you're using T-Mobile because it has limited GSM support on AT&T (no 3G). Since the Android OPERATING SYSTEM is a multi-vendor platform, you're going to find that you can run an entire gamut of excellent new phones with the new OS on every type of cellular system.

Personally, I prefer CDMA because it has better speed, reception and much more secure than GSM. But you are right to ask which carrier he intends to use. This IS an important detail in the decision of which phones he will be able to use.

More importantly... the OPERATING SYSTEM is in firmware. Android OS gets updated via firmware. Nokia N900 gets its updates via firmware updates. Don't obfuscate the similarities of operating system updates by claiming that firmware cannot be an operating system. The operating system isn't always in firmware, but in the case of both Maemo and Android, they are.

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

Froyo is to pr 1.2 as MeeGo is to Bada

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

That analogy is neither apt nor cogent. It definitely doesn't speak to the context of firmware versus OS.

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

Froyo has a lot more in common with Eclair than MeeGo has with Maemo5. Unless there are particular hardware requirements, an Android phone with Eclair can be updated to Froyo. The same can't be said with Maemo5 and official MeeGo. That is my point.

Or are you saying Froyo and MeeGo are the same thing?

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

I'm saying that firmware can be upgraded to provide a new OS. Nokia COULD provide a new OS to any of their tablets/phones just as easily as Android phones COULD have a new OS. It's just a matter of whether there will be development for that piece of hardware. The actual mechanism of using FIRMWARE to flash the OS onto the device is relatively universal in all of these embedded OS devices.

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

I have the carrier details worked out. Wind in Canada supports the N900. It doesn't support the 'Droid.

I want to do a lot of SIP calling and computing on my device. I'll probably write some software for it. I'm almost always near a wifi connection. I think its neat that Android has an Eclipse plug in. Where is Meego with this ?

I need a phone... I cannot wait 6 months. Yet I know if I buy the N900, I'm going to get hosed.

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

Well, as things go these days there is no difference between "Firmware" and "OS" with respect to phones and the software that runs on them.

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

If your thinking of the EVO bear this in mind..

http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/09/don...flawed-device/

Although there does already seem to be some third party solutions for the battery problems.

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

That is a very informative article. I'm probably going to go with the N900. I know I am going to regret it when the N950 comes out with a 4" LCD, but what choice do I have. Maybe I'll hand it down to my wife when I upgrade.

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

Don't understand what to worry about Meego. N900 is upgradable to Meego or not does not really matter, your N900 will still be working with Maemo. As long as you are happy with the current support, you will be fine. Even later if you have a Meego phone, there will be Meego 2, Meego 3 ,.... When it is time you feel that your phone is out of support, just get a new set. It just a phone, it will not follow you forever. :)

Re: Its getting really hard to buy an N900....
 

My only problem with the n900 is that it doesn't have 800x600 resolution and that it doesn't come in a 4" screen. That would have been awesome.

I already have the apps i need. I do not play games so much. The n900 is the perfect device for me. I am a Debian fanboy ;)