Realistically:
Look at the enhancements being confirmed by Nokia / done for the firmware upgrades and upgrades in the official Nokia Applications. The updates are very minor and anything which is not directly aligned with Maemo 6 or have been promised before is being done for N900.
I wish I could be optimistic, but I am not at the moment. I think Nokia realized that the N900 launch has been screwed by unfinished SW and the phone labeled as geek's device and they will focus on the next device. If N900 ever gets an update including the maps, it will be a backported version from Maemo 6.
I like N900 very much, I see no other "phone" as good as this one is, but having no OVI contacts & calendar synchronization, no OVI services integrated, no new OVI maps & navigation etc. is what N900 status is will probably be because N900 despite the huge success overall didn't break the Symbian hegemony in Nokia. I guess it is expected to happen with Maemo 6 and we can just hope N900 will be able to run Maemo 6. If so, we'll get the phone at its full potential.
Too bad my iPhone equipped friends I have teased pointing out the small resolution of their dispay have an easy shot back with "oh this is the Nokia which didn't get the maps right?" (I have heard that from one of them today actually)
I have to say that I was pretty disappointed with maps on the N900 after coming from android. That said, I was with android for nearly a year before a turn by turn navigation arrived via third party paid application... and it looks like i'm not going to have to wait that long this time. Well done Sygic for filling the void, but i feel sorry for my bank balance.
I appreciate that maemo 5 is under development, and that the situation is likely to improve given time, I just wasnt anticipating a wait for basic functionality from the manufacturer. Hell, back in 2007 maps on my old N95 was better than that on the N900. Maybe it was stupid of me, but I was expecting some tangible forward progression over Symbian with the release of Maemo 5.
The announcement of free turn by turn navigation on a range of older handsets which already have better maps software than the supposed flagship device does therefore feel a bit like a slap in the face. Its like Nokia are icing a turd and ignoring that nice cake they just baked.
Users are left asking - why? From Nokia sources, it looks like one reason they chose to do this was to focus development on Maemo 6. This raises a whole different issue.
It suggests that Nokia are focusing prematurely on the Maemo 6 platform at the risk of alienating a whole bunch of N900 early adopters. This kinda makes me feel that we might be being used as guinea pigs for development and paying a premium for the experience. I hope this isn't the case.
From all this I think its fair enough to ask Nokia if the N900 is likely to run M6, and / or, if M5 mapping is going to be cleaned up enough to bring it in line with the functionality of existing Symbian devices at least. I don't care about free stuff - i want functioning stuff.
Hopefully this has just been a case of bad PR, but it could put people off joining the community at a time when it should be gathering support.
I think alot of people are just overreacting on here, honestly guys, just chill out a bit, they'll get it working. Don't you think they need to test OVI Maps for Maemo on something, you think they are just going to have it for Maemo 6 later on in the year.
They need the community to test a working version. So once Maemo 6 comes, it will come right out of the box, perfect.
actually it's not maps I'm that bothered about, it's more the vitality of the platform and community more generally.
The N900 is the first "phone" device, and is entering a very competitive and fast-paced marketplace (iphone, android especially)
Nokia must keep hold of that community for future of the platform. I can see sw constraints make evolving M5 a problem -- so if that's the case come out and support M6 on the N900.
Not only support it, but make it an early tech preview. Gain all the additional feedback from the early adopter community so that when new hardware is launched using M6 it is very very good (many issues will be hw independent).
So Nokia need to convert their concerned community into a wonderful highly skilled asset that can help drive maemo forward.
This isn't the same as just backporting to M5 or waiting for maps on M5 -- that's more a BAU case, it's more a case of saying "ok you early adopters. come with us. Help us build the future"
In a call with Michael Halbherr, Nokia's VP of Social Location, we were told that the new Ovi Maps would arrive on the flagship N97 very shortly. It's currently a "software logistics issue" related to the maturity of the N97 device. N900 owners shouldn't hold their breath, though, as Nokia is focusing on bringing its free navigation service to the next generation of Maemo devices. That's not to say that the N900 won't get it eventually, only that it's not currently on the roadmap.
I hear Nokia is looking for PR reps, maybe you should apply?
HAHA, my dream job!
Honestly though, if you really think about it, if/when the free Premium MAPS comes to Nokia N900, this device will become the most ultimate tablet/phone ever created.
I know I know, no MMS etc etc, but let's be realistic guys, the major stuff camera, flash, web, video, phone, GPS all in one device...WOW!
