casper27 | # 1 | 2010-02-27, 13:26 | Report

Just spent quite a while reading through Ari Jaaksi's new blog.
There are some interesting questions raised and answered in some respects regarding the future of N900/Maemo/MeeGO.
I will skim over the important bits but all are direct quotes from the VP of Maemo software for Nokia.

"MeeGo has already gotten many more people interested in N900 than Maemo platform alone would have done. I already know many people now gearing up their Qt based application development on N900. Why now? Because now they know it will not be just a Nokia-only thing but will be much wider and thus worth investing in. This means that there will be more applications for N900 owners in the future than there would have been without MeeGo. This is for sure. This is the most important thing for the majority of N900 customers. With MeeGo, Maemo and N900 will only go stronger!"

"Thanks for you comments!! I'm so happy to see your enthusiasm. You guys care!!

We just launched N900. It is a brand new device. More updates and new software coming all the time. Even more now because of MeeGo, I strongly believe."

"Honestly, I'm a bit puzzled why this MeeGo announcement was interpreted so that we would be abandoning N900. Who said so? What is it in the MeeGo that makes you think so? -- I'm trying to do my best to explain why the opposite is true."

"And I repeat -- for what of the new software runs on N900 -- I simply do not know. Looking at the characteristics of our hardware and other plans, not all, I'm sure! But certainly many many apps will run.

And for you hackers, N900 is open -- as an additional bonus."

"Some examples of what N900 owners like me can be worried about:
- Ovi Maps with free navigation is set to me available only in Harmattan according Qgil on Maemo.org, so no free navigation for a 600 euro device while Symbian cheapier devices have it now.

==> MeeGo didn't change this. Sorry, this is what we've got. Symbian has been around for years, so it is further in many areas. While N900 is ahead in many things, too, which consumers seem to find valuable"

"- All 3 firmware updates available until now brought almost no relevant improvement, just bug corrections, and it seems that PR1.1.1 launched this week was just a strategy exactly so you can say "Nokia is not abandoning N900", but again just minor bug corrections.


==> Sorry if you feel so. Minor bug corrections? What have the updates brought to you? Ovi store, vertical browsing, new SIM card support to allow new markets & carriers, Microsoft exchange server 2003 support, performance, usability fixes, etc etc. You cannot seriously claim that this is a publicity stunt ;-)"


"And then about thefuture. As Meego will go Qt, we have also Qt support in Maemo 5. See e.g.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5Yd1ceVkHE. People are working on it already now!

or check out MeeGo 1.0 UI framework coming on Maemo 5: http://tinyurl.com/yk7e6e7"

"New cames ... more about the next releases: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7lHPX_iHKs"

Side stepped a direct answer on will MeeGO run on N900 but more or less stated

Some applications but probably not MeeGo itself will run on N900.
We will just have to wait and see if Nokia develops voice guided navigation for the N900(Maemo5) or more likely it will be released as part of MeeGo and maybe is supported through qt on the N900.

casper27 | # 2 | 2010-02-27, 20:08 | Report

This is quite interesting aswell a few new applications/games for N900. The roller coaster simulator looks amazing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7lHPX_iHKs

gerbick | # 3 | 2010-02-27, 20:17 | Report

I see promotion, advocacy and pr terms being flung about.

Answers, no. Hype, opinion... yes.

But it's good that the communication has not ceased.

maxximuscool | # 4 | 2010-02-27, 20:27 | Report

it will be not the last stand for nokia n900. i believe more uglier things will happen.

gerbick | # 5 | 2010-02-27, 20:32 | Report

Not quite sure I understand... care to explain? I'd rather not assume what you may mean.

rikisky | # 6 | 2010-02-27, 20:37 | Report

even if Meego it self doesn't run on N900, doesn't mean they're abandoning us, he says new applications are gonna be develop for N900, and ported from meego maybe, it's probably because the new nokia's devices hardware will be way better that we can't support meego as it is, capacitive screen, better processor, etc. at least they still have us in mind

rpgAmazon | # 7 | 2010-02-27, 20:49 | Report

"...But it's good that the communication has not ceased."
"... at least they still have us in mind"

OMG! WAKE UP!

maxximuscool | # 8 | 2010-02-27, 20:49 | Report

i meant that Nokia N900 maemo5 is a dead end project by Nokia even it is not going to either run MeeGO it will getting a small benefit from meego indirectly. But once the MEEGO device is announced! N900 will be soon forgotten by Nokia. The sofware running on MeeGo may not 100% compatible to N900 why? because it will be different hardware base on my assumption. Newer device will get hardware upgrade and more powerful CPU and capacitive multi touch. N900 doesn't support multitouch, so why would developer write an app on N900 when the official MeeGo is released? Think about it, the community will custome port the apps but it won't be easy, take the OVI Maps 3.0 for example, it will be in meego but Nokia did not announced that N900 will get it either. More uglier thing in the marketing strategy from Nokia just to keep N900 alive until MeeGO go live then in my opinion they won't do anything or brought anything new to N900 other than fixing a million line of bugs. Since N900 is getting QT4.6 in the update but the application like Phone, UI and other stuff is not written in QT4.6 either on the N900. It will stay the same as now. No fancy portrait and no usable decent free Ovi Maps 3 and Camera needing a whole lot of fixing. So I don't think we will see N900 and meego will work together too well. i will see more customers moaning and complaining and angry about it. It won't be the last complains from the N900 users. History is being written about the legacy of the first Nokia Linux Base Mobile Computer Device.

maxximuscool | # 9 | 2010-02-27, 20:59 | Report

"There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way"
From budha.

there is no way for users to feel satisfied with their device, satisfied with their current device is the only way.

rikisky | # 10 | 2010-02-27, 21:05 | Report

What did you expect? :S ... when you bought your phone you bought it for what it was, not for 100 years worth updates, Nokia is not gonna stop making a new and better device just cause you want your phone to be the ultimate/best/kickass one, if they don't release a new phone with capaciive touch-screen, multitouch, new user interface and better processor they will lose billion dollars when Iphone 4g beats them out, you want Nokia to go bank-rupt just cause you feel is unfair they're moving on too quick? ... i mean they won't go bank-rupt but they WILL lose money if people think iphone 4g is better than they're last phone. i think you're the one that should wake up.