Using the n900 in 2012 - maemo.org

mr2600 | # 1 | 2012-10-02, 02:23 | Report

Hello all!

After dropping my iphone 4 yesterday and having my screen shatter to many little pieces I decided to dust off the old n900 and relive some nostalgia and see if I can get the phone 'updated' to 2012 standards!

A few points (i hope they haven't been already covered, tried to search but found many out of date posts)

Latest Firmware - how do I know if I am on pr1.3.1?Are there any unofficial software updates?
Touch Screen Sensitivity - Comapred to the iphone 4 - the touch sensitivty feels so much less, is that hardware related or soft?
Over all smoothness of the UI - swiping some times 'lags' a little. Doesn't feel 100% smooth - I use TransitionCtrl which has helped massivly in terms of smoothness but is there more?
Over all speed - I have over-clocked but still don't feel as though its fast - webpages don't load as quick as I would like, scrolling through my email feels laggy. Remember I am compared this to a JB iphone 4

I still to this day feel the n900 along with maemo 5 was the best phone/OS that never was. If Nokia invested correctly in Maemo and continued to fine tune - it would be the leading OS! There are many apps that I am now used to for every day life that simply don't exist on the n900

Thanks for any help - really want to try and get phone as smooth and reliable as possible

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SAABoy | # 2 | 2012-10-02, 03:20 | Report

Originally Posted by mr2600 View Post

Hello all!

After dropping my iphone 4 yesterday and having my screen shatter to many little pieces I decided to dust off the old n900 and relive some nostalgia and see if I can get the phone 'updated' to 2012 standards!

A few points (i hope they haven't been already covered, tried to search but found many out of date posts)

Latest Firmware - how do I know if I am on pr1.3.1?Are there any unofficial software updates?
Touch Screen Sensitivity - Comapred to the iphone 4 - the touch sensitivty feels so much less, is that hardware related or soft?
Over all smoothness of the UI - swiping some times 'lags' a little. Doesn't feel 100% smooth - I use TransitionCtrl which has helped massivly in terms of smoothness but is there more?
Over all speed - I have over-clocked but still don't feel as though its fast - webpages don't load as quick as I would like, scrolling through my email feels laggy. Remember I am compared this to a JB iphone 4

I still to this day feel the n900 along with maemo 5 was the best phone/OS that never was. If Nokia invested correctly in Maemo and continued to fine tune - it would be the leading OS! There are many apps that I am now used to for every day life that simply don't exist on the n900

Thanks for any help - really want to try and get phone as smooth and reliable as possible

I'm sorry, a little bit off-topic but... what are some of the apps that you are used to using for every day life?

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mr2600 | # 3 | 2012-10-02, 03:40 | Report

Originally Posted by SAABoy View Post

I'm sorry, a little bit off-topic but... what are some of the apps that you are used to using for every day life?

No problem to share

Google Maps (using n900 web browser isn't good enough still to clunky on phone)
Simplenote (can be used through web browser but still clunky on phone)
Engin Mobile Voice Software (used for work)
YouVersion Bible
TomTom Australia
Shazam
WhatsApp (i use Groupchat exclusively)
DropBox
Dictionary.com app (no interet needed)
Instagram (overall camera sucks though )
ANZ Mobile Banking App
Youtube in HQ!!! Youtube videos on n900 for me always seem to be scaled down in terms of quality

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storkus | # 4 | 2012-10-02, 04:38 | Report

Originally Posted by mr2600 View Post

Hello all!

After dropping my iphone 4 yesterday and having my screen shatter to many little pieces I decided to dust off the old n900 and relive some nostalgia and see if I can get the phone 'updated' to 2012 standards!

A few points (i hope they haven't been already covered, tried to search but found many out of date posts)

Latest Firmware - how do I know if I am on pr1.3.1?Are there any unofficial software updates?
Touch Screen Sensitivity - Comapred to the iphone 4 - the touch sensitivty feels so much less, is that hardware related or soft?
Over all smoothness of the UI - swiping some times 'lags' a little. Doesn't feel 100% smooth - I use TransitionCtrl which has helped massivly in terms of smoothness but is there more?
Over all speed - I have over-clocked but still don't feel as though its fast - webpages don't load as quick as I would like, scrolling through my email feels laggy. Remember I am compared this to a JB iphone 4

Let me go down these one by one:

Firmware: pr 1.3 is latest; 1.3.1 just removed one of the compromised registrar certs. Once you load the Community SSU, though, it's like going pr 1.4!

Note that there will never be any more "official" updates as Nokia (the company) has jumped in bed with The Empire (aka M$) and told most free software developers where they could go. (Look up "Elop")

Touch Screen: it's resistive so needs pressure to work; OTOH, anything can be used for a stylus including your fingernail. Iphone and most others use capacitive, which also supports multi-touch, but needs a conductive "stylus".

Smoothness and Speed: you can't get around the slow hardware. The N900's hardware was already getting a bit dated by the time it was finally released. Max stock clock is only 600 MHz and it has only one core. RAM is only 256 MB so lots of swapping to slow FLASH occurs to slow things down even more. Some guys have gotten their N900's to overclock to as high as 1,150 MHz, but this is rare; I can't seem to get mine to even hit 800 MHz while remaining stable, but then again I'm no expert.

Because of the way Nokia screwed everyone (the FOSS community, the Symbian community, even people who just liked Nokia the company itself), I have a hard time looking at it as, like you, it reminds me of what Nokia could have had (and sort of did with the N9(50), though I haven't seen one in person). Also, hardware has REALLY advanced in that time. As a result, I have my eye on a Galaxy Note II, which seems to have hardware specs rivalling a low-end wintel laptop, plus a cell radio to boot.

As for your later message about your apps, I don't use any of them so can't comment except on your last point: the N900 only has an 800x480 screen, so it can't do HD, anyway. However, the only way I can seem to watch non-stuttery video is to use CuteTube, Ytube, etc--that is, staying away from the built-in adobe flash.

Hope this helps.

Mike

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glabifrons | # 5 | 2012-10-02, 05:50 | Report

In addition to CSSU, which is fantastic by itself, I recommend also installing CSSU-thumb. The difference is nothing short of staggering in the responsiveness of the UI due to a much smaller memory footprint, and without overclocking! As a nice side bonus, battery life is very noticeably improved too. It's the biggest single upgrade I've ever performed on my N900.
If you still feel the need to overclock, it supports that too... don't forget to enable SmartReflex too (they worked out the bugs a while ago).

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Wikiwide | # 6 | 2012-10-02, 06:16 | Report

ModRana for me, but there is GeePS: native front-end for google maps
Simplenote - SnXM
Engin Mobile Voice Software - don't know
YouVersion Bible - look up Bible App for Maemo 5 Device(s)
TomTom Australia - look up Navigation Tools
Shazam - Eyrie
WhatsApp (i use Groupchat exclusively) - Yappari
DropBox - DropN900
Dictionary.com app (no interet needed) - QStarDict
Instagram - there is Instago for N9
ANZ Mobile Banking App - ask ANZ

Best wishes.

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Estel | # 7 | 2012-10-02, 06:29 | Report

Are You joking, right? At the end of 2012, there is still no device, that could ever get close to N900 in term of usability (with all Community enhancements), and there is only little chance, than anything about it will change in 2013 (Jolla - but it's still very uncertain).

So, unless You need ego boost by using 143234565434 mhz on two cores to only browse web and play angry birds (because operating system doesn't allow You for any other serious things, where resources would be required), it's rather surprising, that You managed to use other device, without cursing it's uselessness.

/Estel

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Wikiwide | # 8 | 2012-10-02, 06:42 | Report

Originally Posted by Estel View Post

Are You joking, right? At the end of 2012, there is still no device, that could ever get close to N900 in term of usability (with all Community enhancements), and there is only little chance, than anything about it will change in 2013 (Jolla - but it's still very uncertain).

Whom are you attacking? The thread is friendly. He is merely playing catch-up with the latest Community enhancements and asking for some applications. He hasn't used N900 for a long time, so he asks others - reading all the threads which were created in his absence would be an impossible task.

Originally Posted by mr2600 View Post

I still to this day feel the n900 along with maemo 5 was the best phone/OS that never was. If Nokia invested correctly in Maemo and continued to fine tune - it would be the leading OS! There are many apps that I am now used to for every day life that simply don't exist on the n900

Thanks for any help - really want to try and get phone as smooth and reliable as possible

Best wishes.

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mr2600 | # 9 | 2012-10-02, 06:55 | Report

Originally Posted by storkus View Post

Let me go down these one by one:

Firmware: pr 1.3 is latest; 1.3.1 just removed one of the compromised registrar certs. Once you load the Community SSU, though, it's like going pr 1.4!

Note that there will never be any more "official" updates as Nokia (the company) has jumped in bed with The Empire (aka M$) and told most free software developers where they could go. (Look up "Elop")

Touch Screen: it's resistive so needs pressure to work; OTOH, anything can be used for a stylus including your fingernail. Iphone and most others use capacitive, which also supports multi-touch, but needs a conductive "stylus".

Smoothness and Speed: you can't get around the slow hardware. The N900's hardware was already getting a bit dated by the time it was finally released. Max stock clock is only 600 MHz and it has only one core. RAM is only 256 MB so lots of swapping to slow FLASH occurs to slow things down even more. Some guys have gotten their N900's to overclock to as high as 1,150 MHz, but this is rare; I can't seem to get mine to even hit 800 MHz while remaining stable, but then again I'm no expert.

Because of the way Nokia screwed everyone (the FOSS community, the Symbian community, even people who just liked Nokia the company itself), I have a hard time looking at it as, like you, it reminds me of what Nokia could have had (and sort of did with the N9(50), though I haven't seen one in person). Also, hardware has REALLY advanced in that time. As a result, I have my eye on a Galaxy Note II, which seems to have hardware specs rivalling a low-end wintel laptop, plus a cell radio to boot.

As for your later message about your apps, I don't use any of them so can't comment except on your last point: the N900 only has an 800x480 screen, so it can't do HD, anyway. However, the only way I can seem to watch non-stuttery video is to use CuteTube, Ytube, etc--that is, staying away from the built-in adobe flash.

Hope this helps.

Mike

Hi Mike,

Thanks heaps for the info - I have dled CSSU - will let you know how it goes. Glad to meet some one who understands my frustrations

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mr2600 | # 10 | 2012-10-02, 06:56 | Report

Originally Posted by glabifrons View Post

In addition to CSSU, which is fantastic by itself, I recommend also installing CSSU-thumb. The difference is nothing short of staggering in the responsiveness of the UI due to a much smaller memory footprint, and without overclocking! As a nice side bonus, battery life is very noticeably improved too. It's the biggest single upgrade I've ever performed on my N900.
If you still feel the need to overclock, it supports that too... don't forget to enable SmartReflex too (they worked out the bugs a while ago).

Hi Glabifrons, I have installed CSSU, but I cannot find CSSU-Thumb - where is it found?

I will also enable SmartReflex.

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