Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

I don't know why so many are saying that they are changing or selling their n900 for new devices...

Why do people prefer new hardware instead of having a nice device to learn and play with?

For example I use my daily 9500 that is 6 y old but it has perfect battery life and perfect keyboard and does ( for work ) all what I need, there are NO devices like that one actually but everyone says it is oldie.

My n900 is perfect and it doesn't feel old for my appreciation.

This post is to say that I don't know that obsession to have the last device...

Why having the last if it is not the best?

Sorry for the brick...

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

Bluetooth 3.0 , wireless N or higher megapixel camera are certainly not the things that make this device old. In fact those things are just marketing gimmicks. For me N900 is getting old because of the lack of RAM and its inability to open heavy websites (not just flash based ones). 256mb is a joke nowadays and the slower CPU just makes it worse

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

It's because of competition. While this phone may suit our needs, other phones may suit other people better than an n900.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

Your question totally makes sense. What do new smartphones have that older ones didn't have? No crucial improvements since like 2-3 years. If you have WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, front facing camera, blablablabla... what does a brand new, Q3 2011 device add to this, hardwarewise? Nothing. A fast dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, some would say. Woooow, great, and how do I use all that stuff? If you are selling me fancy hardware and that is your main selling point, at least let me use it the way I want, that is, give me the drivers and all the other stuff I need and let me install GNU/Linux or whatever I want.

I guess it will take another couple of years for the manufacturers to adopt that approach. Then, it will totally make sense to ask for more RAM, a super-duper CPU, or a HDMI-out that you could use together with a BT keyboard/mouse to turn your phone into a real PC when necessary. But until then, they will keep ripping us off for some ridiculous "innovations."

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

The websites that I create now aren't fully compatible with the phone I had then.

That more or less sums up why I'd call it "old hardware".

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

I agree with OP. Although my gadget lust drives me to learn about and anticipate new devices, I don't always get the latest. I'm also confused by the constant internet battles about which phone is theoretically capable of a couple of extra CPU instructions per second, or has this or that GPU. Hardware is nothing without proper and efficient utilisation (which is one reason I do want an N9 as my next purchase over anything currently available other than a second N900).

Hmm? You're a talented communicator, so I normally understand your posts very clearly (even if I occasionally disagree with them) but I don't get this. How does hardware tie in? A lack of RAM? Or what?

What web technology (other than Flash... about which I don't personally care much) isn't working with the N900 these days? I'm not saying there isn't any - I'm just curious what the issue is and how your hands are tied by the hardware of the N900...

...or am I misunderstanding something?

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

I'm with the OP on this one, I've just had a look at the crop of 2011 phones (new gadget envy) and there still seems to be nothing to compete with my N900 on balance.

Everyone around me is adopting the newest Crackberries; I can admit to liking the Wireless-N and the speed of the UI - but where's the TV out? Why the tiny screens and keys? My 2-year-old hardware stacks up pretty well, thanks, and that's before I even go into the better usability provided by the software. For instance, a BB user described last night how he'd had to use Twitter to get weather forecasts while on holiday...he didn't look pleased when I showed him OMWeather nestled in between my e-mails and calendar. :-)

The N9, similarly, wouldn't tempt me if Nokia did release and support it in the UK. I'd like to play with one, but where's the microSD slot? No longer would I be able to repair all the memory cards corrupted by the BB-using masses! :-) Joking aside, 64GB fixed isn't an improvement on the N900. I'll keep my hardware keyboard, thanks.

So, I'm with you - Wireless-N won't move me, or not until I've got 100Mbit cable and expect my phone to keep up, HDMI won't move me, Bluetooth 3.0 won't move me, and I expect to keep an N900 alive for a year or two yet. Which begs the question: what WILL make the N900 redundant?

For me, the answer depends upon the spread of a technology that I actually want to use. When there are viable 4G networks and service plans, and cloud computing is the norm, I won't want a 3G handset. When I can actually use an NFC-enabled phone for mobile payments, local travel AND home integration, maybe I'll bite. Meanwhile, I'm keeping the N900...

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

Sorry but I dont get your point from a consumer prospective.

Putting aside all geeks and nerds and looking from the consumer point of view I see HUGE difference between N900 and devices released in Q3 2011 heck , even some that were released in Q1

I dont want to turn my phone to a PC I want to have a phone that performs tasks efficiently.

HDMI , 1GB or more RAM and a fast CPU are important for a Q3 2011 device

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

I just would like a bigger screen. Somebody give me a N810 with 3G and fremantle.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

Its the user's issue that he cant find weather without Twitter :D

As for the spread of technology I think it depends where you live. For me 3g network speeds are needed , I use HDMI cable to connect my phone and watch tv shows and I use cloud to back up my documents.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

The op wasn't asking about any specific device in particular. He just doesn't get why ppl abandon N900 for another phones. I dont want N9 because of MeeGo and Nokia's attitude towards it

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

Yes and no - there's weather apps for Blackberry, but, my ability to have e-mails, calendar and a week's weather forecasts all on my default desktop comes down to the availability of widgets plus the screen space to run them. This just works better (for me) than trying to achieve the same under Symbian or BB.

I live in surburban London, but 3G coverage remains hit and miss, WiFi is not ubiquitous, contactless payments haven't taken off and I don't own a single HDMI-compliant device. I use a few cloud apps, but I don't expect to be able to do so reliably from a mobile. When all that changes (and matters more to me than the combination of functionality I get from the N900), that's when I need a new handset...

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

I'll get the N9 eventually. Until then, I have my killer duo with me, N900 and N82 ;)

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

Thanks for the compliment and question instead of assuming. It was noticed and it's fully appreciated.

To continue, we've been using HTML5 Canvas. And on older phones, I get like 7fps, if anything at all.

So I have to use heavy jQuery animations instead. And that doesn't really help if the browser isn't up to snuff. And then I have to browser sniff to ensure I can figure out what's the best method to deliver anything.

I'm switching away from Adobe Flash/Flex because I have to hit more targets... like non-flash enabled browsers (read: Apple) and newer browsers. But older browsers, like MicroB can't even display Google+ correctly, let alone HTML5 canvas animations.

So yeah... the stuff I'm doing now, unfortunately isn't optimized yet. Bleeding edge tends to need bleeding edge technology. Not a few months ago tech. But right now, like at this very moment.

There's Fennec/Firefox Beta, but their numbers are capped mostly because of the hardware/CPU/GPU (if applicable).

Since I'm actually a Flash/Flex dev, I need Flash still. But I'm using StageVideo and 10.3 by now, 10.2 in the least.

And I'm also an Adobe AIR dev. So on top of the Flash need for web, and the HTML5 canvas need, I can't deploy (blame Adobe, I know) to the N900. It's actually below their (AIR 2.7) specs. So I'm limited there.

I could venture deeper into QML/Qt Quick, but to be honest, I don't have any clients, even the esoteric requests asking for that. I don't even have a use for my old Microsoft .NET app dev background any longer.

But as it stands, just for web... the N900 doesn't cut it for me any longer.

http://www.smashcat.org/av/canvas_test/

Test that out. You'll do good to squeak out 10fps (that's not my "test", can't point to my projects quite yet).

Less than 15fps is less than acceptable. Friend of mine tested on the N950 a moment ago... 7fps. I have an Atrix, got a steady 14fps (by my own requirements, it fails). On the Xoom, I get 20fps. On Firefox 6 on OS X 10.6.8, I get 40fps. And I'll test out my Windows and Linux installs in a bit when I'm not so tired.

But yeah... the N900, while a killer admin device - it can do EVERYTHING I need there, all but Github + Capistrano, but I didn't attempt to install Capistrano when I still had mine, now I do that via my tablets now due to the screensize - it isn't a web developers phone. In fact, it's a rather esoteric developer's phone - I don't have any clients asking me to code in QML/Qt Quick.

No comments about my new WebGL projects I'm looking it. So yeah... heavy HTML5, jQuery, AJAX... all of those are quite slow on the N900.

Okay, I've rambled on quite a bit. I have a ton of other reasons, but for this web dev... it's outdated. For the admin in me, it's tops to this day. For the local app tester/dev, it would be great to this day too. I'm merely talking about web and it fails for me.

Hope that clarifies.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

I think the N950 is the perfect phone. Faster CPU, more RAM, bigger screen. But, of course, we won't be able to buy it.
I've been looking at new phones for quite a while, and can't find a better phone for me. One of the reasons is the keyboard. Another reason is that the N900 is the only phone that i know that is quad band GSM and has both AWS and 900/2100 3G. This is very important to me, because while I live in the US, I go every year to Europe, and I don't want to use two different devices if possible.

So the way things look, I think I will keep my N900 as a phone for a few more years, but probably also buy some sort of 5" Android (or Linux) PMP/tablet thingy for stuff like videos (which really suck on the N900 screen).

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

True. I think my Melvillian obsession with the N9 may have got the better of me there.

Heh.

You don't have to go to the trouble of not wanting the N9. Nokia are doing all the work for you there.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

following Gerbicks benchmark link: http://www.smashcat.org/av/canvas_test/

I got 2 fps on my stock 600mhz phone. Lol.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

I went to buy another N900 in february for the only propose of having another NEW ONE in case mine fails because I don't see another device coming in at least 2 years that is open and fully multitask. Android will never be fully multitask, the core of their system is modified to STOP the programs that aren't focused, and that is not real multitask. I don't like Windows Phone 7, and WebOS is the only one more o less acceptable, but it is dead too.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

tried gerbick link with oc 900 and oc 1150 but max was 4fps average 3fps...

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

@48GX,

Sorry of the off-topic, but seeing your nickname I have to "confess" that I still use my 48S almost every day :)

Old hardware kicking *** day after day..

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

I love my n900 but for me it is getting old for a simple thing: I have to wait on simple things like open applications.

I have my n900 @850Mhz, swappolube, CSSU, etc., and still, is not fast enough.

Not even the calculator launches instantly.

And for apps like Kasvopus, Twimgo, I always have to wait at least 6-7s.

I love maemo, that's why I have not bought an iPhone yet, but anyone here I know has seen how fast is the iPhone 4 for example.

Samsung Galaxy S2: just incredible.

It's always been a shame the lack of RAM of our beloved device.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

@reinob,

that's why I prefer obtaining all the possible juice from the hardware.

I have been using for 15 years my 48GX's and repaired many of them.

When you look at how capable is the limited hardware of these calcs is why I ask for the supposed limited hard of the n900.

Regards!

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

At the risk of sounding like a stuck record...I had an iPhone 4 and hated it...and it wasnt just because of the Jobs wall, but everything about it was like fixed routes like zombie going shopping - everything is on the shelf that you need but getting to the shelf is boring.

The real question for me, and maybe others, is what do you need your device to do? What do you want it to do? If the N900 works for YOU and there is nothing else on the market for you then its the perfect device.

Dont make the mistake I did of auto thinking newer = better.

The way my N900 works makes me think, makes me smile :D

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

Tried gerbick's link with my Sony Ericsson xperia play at stock clock (1024) and got 10fps flat. Then oc'ed to 1400 and got between 13-14 fps lol :D

My device is not doing great either on that test, then again it's a gaming device and does that brilliant ;)

Regards Dousan...

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

1. Swappable battery is absolute must in any phone I buy, so N9 and fruit phones are non-starters for me.

2. N900's 5mp camera is ok and improving it means better optics and bigger sensor, not more pixels. My $75 Canon Powershot has 5mp and takes better pics than the N900 so phone cameras have a ways to go.

3. 256mb/800 mhz is fine if software is written intelligently, which not all is. Of course 512mb or 1gb would be better, battery power permitting.

4. I'd really like to have hot swappable batteries (swap from one battery to another while phone is online with programs active) or at least ability to swap batteries while phone is powered by external charger.

5. Hardware keyboards rule.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

The swappable battery doesn't rank high on my priority list. Yes, it is preferable to be able to swap it if needed, but there are some cheap and small USB chargers out there that are even better than swapping a battery out, since you don't have to shut it down.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

One of the biggest downgrades with newer phones are it's capacitive screens.. surfing the web are a lot more cumbersome than on a resistive. Missing hardware buttons (like for camera) is another.

The n900 is really an awesome device. In my mind the only lack is Ram. If it had that and a tiny bit larger screen and resolution it would be perfect. It is getting older but will stay current a long time still. As Gerbick pointed out some web technologies are difficult on the n900 but it works in the most part. Html are old and pretty much still the backbone of the web. Most serious businesses want their services to reach as much audience as possible. So they will want to be compatible in one way or the other. There is a reason why most web pages are opted for 800x680 resolution. They do this because that resolution was the standard 15 years ago. This will never change.. or take a heck a lot of years.

I will never sell my n900.. it still does the things i bought it for and it will continue to do so for many more years. As long as it doesn't suffer a hardware fault.

The only real rival are the N950 which i also am lucky to be a owner of. The N9 will be a magnificent device. I hope they release a later build for testing soon. The current one for the N950 are old and incomplete. So existing reviews of it should be taken with a bit of salt.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

Ola

wich mobile device has a better performance than the N900 webbrowsing?

tested Samsung Gallaxy it's fast but scores aren't that great also

also funny the scores on www.html5test.com

fennec scoors the best . Microb Poor, browser android inbetween.

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=75590

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

Yeah, everybody needs multicore CPUs on their OSes which do not even support proper multitasking.

The N900 does exactely what I need it for. Myy problem, I don't want a phone, but a tiny computer which let's me do phone calls and SMS as well. There is nothing even remotely comparabel out there, therefor it is fair to day the N900 is state of the art, until we get a N950 of course. What do I need all the horse power in a phone, if the OS blocks me from using its full potential? How to I manage to use all the resources, without some stupid VM or security system blocking me.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

Absolutely. Opera starts and loads and displays a file from disk in about 2-3 seconds. Firefox takes 30+ seconds to get to the stage where I can type in a URL.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

WELL, because the hardware is getting kinda old and im dissapointed at nokia that they only got 1ghz on the n9.
I guess they done it for the money like all greedy corporations.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

The only real alternative that I can think of is the Motorola Milestone 3 / Droid 3. I have been eyeing these up recently because I want a bit of Android to go with my N900 (not replace!).

Anybody got any opinions on the Droid 3 / Milestone 3?

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

I got three:

It sucks, it sucks and it sucks.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

Oh bugger, really?

Well that burst my bubble. I like(d) it because it has a similar form factor to the N900.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

haha correct answer

except, NO

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

Is this an "everybody talk in riddles Friday" or what?


"Correct answer. Except, no"

What? Someone help me out here.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

He could have said "Wrong answer. Except, yes", but he didn't.

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

My own reasoning for saying the N900's hardware is old is that it already was somewhat slow in the beginning. That is, it has roughly the same horsepower and memory as the iPhone 3GS, yet that software performed flawlessly and the N900's...well, didn't. (Of course, neither did Android's at that stage.) And while I haven't OC'd my N900, I've tried Swappolube and friends and got some better action, but after a while things always seem to slow down; also using anything that uses the GPS receiver seems to lock up the device in an hour or two, which seems directly caused by something in the D-Bus system.

New hardware wouldn't fix these, but they would make them less of a pain. Of course, if we had mostly free drivers, we could probably fix 99% of these problems, but that's Nokia's fault.

Also, my eyes are getting tired of squinting at the tiny text. I really would like one of those 7" screens, even if I couldn't carry it in my pocket any longer. That also helps watching video when you don't have a laptop around, like at the laundromat or a plane.

When I originally bought my N900, I thought I could use it like a handheld netbook, and while I can in some ways, the tiny screen, very tiny RAM (for a 2nd-decade-of-the-21st-century device), slow flash drives (very noticeable when swapping), and single-core processor running <1 GHz doesn't cut it for modern bloatware.

Yes, I said bloatware: truthfully, even an embedded Linux kernel is somewhat bloatware. Throw in apps fatter than I am like Firefox (this includes microB) and try to run in 256M and it just doesn't cut it these days.

Of course, these are just my opinions. If I had my way, I'd have a device with a Maemo-like system on it (or MeeGo or...) with an internal multi-flash SSD, the new super-fast SD standard coming out (or, perhaps better, CF since it's truly open), USB 3, 7" AMOLED resistive screen, and 4 cores running at least 1 GHz into 2GB or RAM! I doubt it will happen, but I can dream, right?

(Or, to put it bluntly, we're at the point we should stop considering smartphones embedded devices...)

Re: Why so many keep saying hardware is getting old?
 

Don't say that man...you so harsh on the Droid 3

have you seen it?
Android aside, this baby is heaven