Like @kelifu, I am getting a used n9 (fingers crossed it's legit and functional). I have been using nokia 603 so I am familiar with symbian and understand that the n9 is no iphone. My question involves data consumption, resurrection, and app suggestions.

Symbian is wonderful if only for its minimal data usage--my bill is <20$ every month for all my needs with left over data! Hypothetically, with all the same apps and their usage, would n9's meego consume significantly more data than 603's symbian?

EDITED: Got N9, it's fine, but I want to make it finer. I have three issues: 1) Does not vibrate on new messages, 2) Does not send or receive MMS, and 3) Maps and Drive doesn't seem to work.

I have played with sounds and vibrations under settings but still it is not as simple as symbian's vibrating alert toggle. Of course I have toggled vibration profile on ringing and beep, but what does that even mean? It doesn't vibrate on messages nor calls. What does it vibrate for and how do I get it to vibrate for the aforementioned?

Applications->messages->multimedia message center is set on automatic. I can send and receive sms but not mms, what's up with that? I use a Tmobile mvno, internet, sms, and calling works fine, so I doubt the problem is my service. A minor and I suspect insignificant detail is that I used N9QTweak to make messages have a black background, tweak R.

Maps is screwy in that it can pick up my location fin but the map doesn't fully load. I installed my state's map so this shouldn't be the problem. I used N9QTweak to change server from supl.nokia to supl.google. Has anyone had this problem, specifically when you zoom in, at some point the map goes blank, but when you zoom out enough, roads start to show?

I don't own an N9, but from my short use I know the following at least:

exchange activesync (built-in, with calendar sync) - check
use of front-facing camera - check
skype - check
free ram - why would one need/want this on Maemo?

And N9, like N900, should not have excessive data usage. There are no background 'system' processes that use up data. All data consumption is from applications YOU are running yourself

That is not completely true. There is one process using up some (very small) amount of data that you do not entirely control: the regular check for software updates.

But $20 per month? I have used a pre-paid SIM all my life and have never, ever gone over £5 in any single month. I usually top up by £10 once in every three months. That includes driving around with modRana downloading map tiles as I go along and a one-hour-long conference call once a week.

yes, you're right

Of course, at least on N900, you can tweak to do the check after a very long time (by which time you will have actually wanted to do the update check anyway, unless you never install other applications)

Edited original, will post as to (baby) bump:

Got N9, it's fine, but I want to make it finer. I have three issues: 1) Does not vibrate on new messages, 2) Does not send or receive MMS, and 3) Maps and Drive doesn't seem to work.

I have played with sounds and vibrations under settings but still it is not as simple as symbian's vibrating alert toggle. Of course I have toggled vibration profile on ringing and beep, but what does that even mean? It doesn't vibrate on messages nor calls. What does it vibrate for and how do I get it to vibrate for the aforementioned?

Applications->messages->multimedia message center is set on automatic. I can send and receive sms but not mms, what's up with that? I use a Tmobile mvno, internet, sms, and calling works fine, so I doubt the problem is my service. A minor and perhaps insignificant detail is that I used N9QTweak to make messages have a black background, tweak R. (Just now I tried having provider send me an sms configuration. Found out that while data access point could choose internet or mms, multimedia access point didn't recognize either possible selection, "none" was the only available choice.)

Maps is screwy in that it can pick up my location fin but the map doesn't fully load. I installed my state's map so this shouldn't be the problem. I used N9QTweak to change server from supl.nokia to supl.google. Has anyone had this problem, specifically when you zoom in, at some point the map goes blank, but when you zoom out enough, roads start to show?

Vibration was easy fix, record a second clip of no noise and set as message sound. MMS fixed. Maps still sucks.

My plan has been to flash the phone. I've read through the N9 flashing wiki page and its corresponding thread: have flashers (infinity box best and winflasher 3.12.1) and appropriate firmware and emmc, but when I plug in the device, the flashers won't recognize it. I have N9 drivers installed and when it's powered on, my computer recognizes and shows Nokia N9 device in the usb port.

I changed the settings->accessories->usb to both mass storage and sync and connect to no avail--computer still won't see it when powered off, which is the state the device should be in to flash according to infinity box. I don't know what to do. I tried winflasher as well and inputted flasher -i to get dozens of lines "error 5." Don't know what to do . . . any suggestions?

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.3.9600]
(c) 2013 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\owner\Downloads>flasher -i
flasher 3.12.1 (Oct 6 2011) Harmattan
WARNING: This tool is intended for professional use only. Using it may result
in permanently damaging your device or losing the warranty.

Suitable USB interface (bootloader/phonet) not found, waiting...
Device is in Sync and connect mode, sending ADL reboot.
ERROR: ReadFile(65540) GetOverlappedResult() error 995 timeout 5000 ms
Unable to detect flashing interface: standing by for device reboot.
Suitable USB interface (bootloader) not found, waiting...

This is what I get in command prompt . . .

Although have access to ATF Nitro and Infinity Best tend to always use Harmattan flasher but on Windows 7/8. What version are you using? Make sure that N9 is fully off first by holding power button 8 -10 seconds before connecting USB.

Incidentally which state are you using Maps with?