I absolutely agree but I think you overstate the computing power of the N900 (just like the superphone hype over the Nexus). For casual browsing the N900 shines. For computing work, I'd still rather have a pocketable computer.
Since the debut of the Intel Atom, there have been more and more of these announced (literally every day at the moment since it's CES time). They don't need EasyDebian or WinMo, they run Debian and Windows. Plus the screens are bigger so old people like myself can actually read a document in OpenOffice.
Someday there may be a true converged device. For now, it doesn't exist. The N900 is a more capable phone with data capabilities than most but whether you call it a smartphone, superphone, Internet phone, or whatever, to my mind it still needs to function first and foremost as a phone.
There were design decisions with the N900 that did hurt its use as a tablet (e.g. smaller screen) which I wasn't happy with. But I haven't looked much at other competitors yet. I was pretty happy with just the n800 actually but its battery was dying (only about a hour with active use) after my heavy usage of it and it was annoying having to tether it to another device just to get an internet connection on it when I was out and about (which is why I got the N900 to use when I'm not home and I switch to my n800 at home for its bigger screen).
Though what are the other pocketable computers? (around 4 inches). And with a SIM slot for data access? I haven't been keeping track of them and I only get my CES news from the tech blogs I subscribe to lol. It's interesting to hear about the bigger tablets (Microsoft, Apple, Google, etc..) but they aren't pocketable to me so that kinda ruins those for me.
The only problem I've seen so far mystic is the quality control issue. Not that the device isn't finished.. or that Nokia should be hammered for not "finishing" the device.
Every device has bugs. That's to be expected. Some devices having hardware problems is a quality control issue.. not an unfinished device issue.
The only problem I've seen so far mystic is the quality control issue. Not that the device isn't finished.. or that Nokia should be hammered for not "finishing" the device.
Every device has bugs. That's to be expected. Some devices having hardware problems is a quality control issue.. not an unfinished device issue.
The problem with making a great deal of the n900s that we've seen here with problems is that we have no idea what actual proportion they are of the total sales. I suspect there's a load of very happy n900 users out there who've never set mouse here: people who have a problem google it, and end up on the forum.
So until we actually see some stats we have no idea whether it's a major QC issue or not.
Of course, if you're one of the unlucky ones who got an n900 with a problem that's no consolation at all: you could have the only dud nokia ever produced and you would feel rightly hacked off. But that doesn't mean it's necessarily a QC issue.
You may be right Kathy, but rarely do I see so many posts with the *exact* same problem - but have it not be on everyone's device with other products. There has just been so many devices with that specific boot loop problem, especially ending in a "brick", that it is definitely troublesome. So many that someone generated a hack for it until the FW is released - but that hack evidently kills battery life =-\.
You would suspect something like this would either be completely consistent, or significantly reduced. To have so many is just uncanny. (Of course.. it could just be the same people complaining about the boot loop problem over and over... I haven't actually taken a number of "different" nicks I've seen talk about it..)
... I really can't have been using my old (ok, very old) phone right, cos the n900 doesn't seem to be lacking any major phone features to me ... but I've never used MMS, and never known anybody who does use MMS ...
Really though for me the n900 is a multimedia device limited only by the imaginations of the meamo community ... it bundles all of the more useful pocket sized devices and functions into one beautiful package ...
... it is a computer in the sense that it's functions are only really limited by the software you have on your n900 but it's not about to replace the traditional computers that we know and love, as it's size and hardware limit it's usefulness for any functions that require serious processing power, screen area, or a proper keyboard ... and as a result calling it a computer isn't really going to make sense to the vast majority of the population, who have very limited ideas about what a computer looks like and should be capable of ...
... I do adore the way I can switch so easily between tweeting, listening to music, taking photographs and taking phonecalls and all with just the one piece of hardware ... ok, I could do all of that on my computer, but wouldn't look quite as slick!
You may be right Kathy, but rarely do I see so many posts with the *exact* same problem - but have it not be on everyone's device with other products. There has just been so many devices with that specific boot loop problem, especially ending in a "brick", that it is definitely troublesome. So many that someone generated a hack for it until the FW is released - but that hack evidently kills battery life =-\.
You would suspect something like this would either be completely consistent, or significantly reduced. To have so many is just uncanny. (Of course.. it could just be the same people complaining about the boot loop problem over and over... I haven't actually taken a number of "different" nicks I've seen talk about it..)
Well, the 'ending in a brick' element was solved: if you have an n900 that reboots spontaneously, turn if off intermittently. There was found to be a failsafe in the software that causes things to seize up after a certain number of reboots. It resets the number if you actually power down fully and power back up before you reach the failsafe.
Exactly why a proportion of the devices had the spontaneous reboot issue when not all do is a very good question. Interestingly, there was no report of this from the 300 preprodnuction units so either it was a glitch introduced in the productio firmware or it results from an unexpected use-pattern which is perfectly normal for ordinary users but something the summit attendees didn't do.
Either way, I suspect this will be the real target for the new firmware, and may even be the reason for overshooting the hoped for release date.
I wonder if anybody knows when we will be able to access the SIM card operator menu?
This is the major issue for me, besides the initial reboot issue (solved by desperately flashing it).
I see lot's of places with room for improvement, but in general I find it very usable as a phone. Great things like SMS and IM integration are a plus. Lack of configuration options for emails (download limits, download only body, etc) are a minus. I'm really looking forward to seeing most issues fixed sometime.
It is a little large and thick, but I'm willing to accept that as a compromise for having both a phone and a Linux computer on the same place.
