I'm just wondering what you all think about Tmo USA bringing the n900 to the US. This question isn't whether or not they will, but when they do, how will it be different from what most of us will buy unlocked in the coming months. I look at the HTC mytouch as an example of how fast hardware changes can be made to a product in a few months, inclusion of 3.5 mm headset jack on limited edition mytouch's. So any thoughts, hardware or software, that you think will be changed on the TMO branded n900? Any reason to wait for it?

best,
Wau808

i doubt there will be any hardware changes

They will undoubtedly go out of their way to hobble the firmware of the device to force you to buy apps they've approved and put into their store. If you try and put a generic firmware on it, they will probably penalize you and re-push their firmware back down to the device.

This is what they did with the SideKick, which used to be quite open with many free apps, games, ringtones, etc. Used to have many different ways to add ringtones (mms, email, web, etc.), used to have many different capabilities that have all been locked out (for years now, actally).

Now, if you want a ringtone, you better like gangsta-rap, because that's pretty much all you can get in their store (catalog).

Want to make/load your own ringtone or app? Nope - no longer allowed.
There used to be a site called skdr.org (SideKick Developer Resource) that had all kinds of cool apps that I wanted, but T-Mobile didn't think there was enough $$ in them, so decided not to put them in their offerings. If you weren't a published author or SideKick software, you couldn't get a key to unlock your own device, so couldn't install the apps available there.

This is just the tip of the iceberg... check out the forums at hiptop.com (hiptop is the Danger name, SideKick is a T-Mobile trademarked rebranding of the device).
You'll see that we've been without data services for nearly a week (will be a week in 13.5 hours). What this means with the SideKick is worse than it sounds, as they are sort of like terminals to the SK servers... without the servers, you don't even have contacts, much less web, email, IM, etc.
Without contacts, the expensive device now has fewer features than the cheapest phone made in the last 5-10 years!

Sorry about the rant, but I'm so fed up with T-Mobile after all these years of abuse.
I've had a SK since the original SideKick color, upgraded to the SK2, and still have that very old device. If you're wondering *why* I've been loyal - it's not to the company, it's to the product. The SK has the best form factor of any small device with keyboard I've used. The keyboard puts to shame everything else I've tried for ease of typing and for comfort. I despise the blackberry form factor, for example, as it feels like it's going to tip out of my hands when I balance it on my fingers so I can use both thumbs (ok, thumbnails, the KB is way too teensy to actually use flesh to type). The N810's KB was too flat and smooth... seemed difficult to type without pressing multiple buttons - even though the buttons were bigger than the SK. Plus when it's open, 75% of the mass is between your hands, not teetering above it (like the blackberries). I couldn't care less about the hollywood hype the SK gets, and in fact it's caused more problems for the people using 'em, as every time Paris Hilton shows up at an event with one, sales go through the roof and the device (being server-side) becomes almost unusable for a period of months (until they upgrade their servers).

I've been waiting to see whether I like the N900 or one of the Android phones better before I force myself into another 2 year contract. I was really hoping to go to AT&T with a new phone, as their network used to have a good reputation for speed (even on these forums), but with all the hoopla going on right now - I'm not even sure I want to go with them either.

You said:
"If you try and put a generic firmware on it, they will probably penalize you and re-push their firmware back down to the device.
This is what they did with the SideKick, ..."

They do however host a forum on their web-site, which seems to be devoted to hacking Android on the T-Mo phones.
http://forums.t-mobile.com/tmbl/boar....id=AndroidDev

that was a pretty epic post about the sidekick,but very insightful. Do you think that when they offer the n900, we will be forced to use TMO's version of Maemo (or if there will be one for that matter)?

Unless they change something in the hardware I don't think they could lock you into the firmware.

How is it epic when it is contradicted by T-Mo's support (at at least tolerance) for G1 hacked firmware discussions in their forums?

It could end up like my G1 where you have to get root to realize its full potential and openness. At least it sounds like it's easy to do. I had to go through several steps to root my phone.

according to merriam-webster, epic can be defined as: "2 a : extending beyond the usual or ordinary especially in size or scope <his genius was epic — Times Literary Supplement> b : heroic". I felt that this post was epic in length and in dealing with the matter of a sidekick. I'm not sure of your understanding or grasp of the word epic.

but thanks for not adding to this discussion in any way though!

Oh, I see. The actualy validity of the argument is not of any relevance to you. OK, carry on the vapidity then.