ysss | # 31 | 2010-04-22, 15:59 | Report

@lcuk: cmon man.. you don't need to spend that much to get threaded messaging nowadays... and even 7 years ago I already have threaded SMS and qwerty thumbboard on my Treo 600.

SEVEN YEARS AGO!

NokTokDaddy | # 32 | 2010-04-22, 16:05 | Report

@fatalsaint:

That should've read my research. I recall reading somewhere that Nokia regarded Symbian being their main smatphone OS and Maemo 5 (/Meego) would be deployed for top-end smartphones from now on.

I understood that Symbian was to be replaced with a new version, not bthat Maemo would replace Symbian. I think it was referred to as 'Symbian^2' in December when I started thinking about my next device. By the time I decided to buy an N900 in moid-March things had moved on considerably.

As a Symbian user I had been downloading software for years and maemo.org was a new and exciting prospect - I should've tried harder at school!

Being in at the start was part of the experience for me - never had that with a mere phone before, but to come to your final question (what an N900 can offer a totally technically-uninvolved user)< I'd suggest the following:

Image (N900 is sold as being "the most powerful" etc.
Style (beauty is in the eye of the beholder)
Individuality (It's not an iphone. It's very distinctive)
Keyboard (a major plus to some people)
Storage (32GB - big numbers sell...)
Display (I watched some kids in awe in a shop recently)
Colour It's all black - colour does it for some)

All the above are very shallow, but having been in retail motor slaes for years I can tell you how most people's buying patterns are influenced by such seeming trivia.

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Last edited by NokTokDaddy; 2010-04-22 at 16:14.

fatalsaint | # 33 | 2010-04-22, 16:16 | Report

Well but again, it just seems to me that if a user is looking inside this very specific box with tunnel vision - that an iPhone or Android phone would be a better option for them.

I'm not bashing the N900; I just spent an ungodly sum of money - the likes of which nobody should ever have to pay for a "phone" on one... however, I think the expectations of people with the N900 are (in my opinion of course) largely a part of the reason there is a portion of very dissatisfied users that have decided to come "grace" us with their presence (and very, very, loud complaints).

The iPhone and Android are perfect for your point-clicky people that simply wanted a cool phone.

The N900 is perfect for people that like to actively get involved in a community, and see some really radical stuff done that any normal person wouldn't think of doing with their phone: like controlling it with a Wii Controller .

ysss | # 34 | 2010-04-22, 16:20 | Report

But dude... that doesn't sound like a market does it? It sounds... very... specific Even that line only describes a subset of the opensource community itself...

fatalsaint | # 35 | 2010-04-22, 16:26 | Report

It is a market... it's a market for me .

I'm the only important person anyway .

But no, and that is why the future of the tablet and N900-like devices is very bleak. Take a look at the Maemo 6 security structure for how they are going to handle paid software. If I recall right you will have to dual boot: One "secure" mode that locks you out of everything and becomes an Android phone, and one "open" mode that doesn't allow you to play your paid apps - but gives you root.

That to me sounds like "phasing out" those of that appreciate the openness of root. I of course understand the problem: How do you keep "root" from ripping off your app - but someone like me - I'm completely unconcerned with that. I don't write, nor use paid software (short of games on my Desktop). I haven't paid for a single app in the Android Market.

I am sticking like glue to MeeGo to see what they do and how they handle this dilemma; but because of the "market" and the "general consumer" - I see a very dim light for those of us that like the freedom that the NIT series and N900 offered us.

The N900 does a much better job at tricking people into thinking it's a normal device; which I guess is why people like in the OP can use it and be just fine - but I personally think if that user were to use one of the other, more streamlined devices - they'd actually be happier. YMMV.

andraeseus1 | # 36 | 2010-04-22, 16:29 | Report

im stuck on something.. why did you buy the n900? there are other phones out there with the same form factor. true this is the only one with maemo 5 but what was so special about maemo 5 to you at that point that made you want to get it? your a linux virgin. Do you have experience with other maemo devices?

also.. the n900 keyboard is more like a after thought i mean.. it gets the job done but is in no way anything close to what any of the top qwerty slide phones are. not dogging it but just saying that the n900 will never be notable for how Great its keyboard was. only the fact that it has one.

i agree with the browser.. this may be one of the best out there on a physical slide qwerty phone.

besides that.. there are a bunch of other phones that have these same feature like customizable desk top wigits and all that. Most of which are much cheaper

I was just kinda stuck on that. seems like you just wanted a good mid range phone (not even a smartphone neccesarily)with a physical qwerty and a good browser. much like my wife. so why jump oiut there and get the n900?

nosa101 | # 37 | 2010-04-22, 16:30 | Report

An unlocked iPhone costs a lot more than the n900. Same with the nexus one. And you still don't get 3g coverage (with tmobile) with the iPhone.

ysss | # 38 | 2010-04-22, 16:30 | Report

@fatalsaint: yes... and that will be a lose-lose situation for OSS. if you live by their code, then the open side will not thrive as much as the locked one (due to market demand, etc).... and if the drm code is subverted, it will give a bad name to OSS community/design.

fatalsaint | # 39 | 2010-04-22, 16:34 | Report

That doesn't affect me. I need some service, any service, to use 3G on any device in my pocket to be always on.

So whether I need to sign a 2 year contract or not is totally irrelevant.. because for the foreseeable future I will still be using a phone service.

And as you said in your post: Each phone has a specific set of ranges that it will work with - also meaning that there will only be one, maybe two if you're lucky, 3G services with which to choose from.

As far as the N900 here in the United States - if I want to use it for anything worthwhile all the time I have to use T-mobile. So regardless if I have a contract with them or not, I still require their service to fully utilize my new "phone".

So spending $99 or $199 on a phone + 2 year contract... or spending $500 or $800 on a phone and... oh - still using the service for the next 2 years...

I save nothing.

al678 | # 40 | 2010-04-22, 16:39 | Report

I had never used linux either, never even seen it in operation before I bought the N900. Although understanding what the phone could do as soon as I got it I loaded up this website, opened x terminal and started to learn.

I have now managed to customise my phone almost in every aspect and have installed many of the great applications developed by the genius people in this forum. Sure if i'm honest there was one point where the phone got a bit slow for trying to do too much but all I had to do was flash it and it's even more fun starting again!

As I can understand from what a lot of people said sure it is your choice if you want to have a phone with the ability to do so many things that you don't use. On the other hand it does seem rather pointless when a cheaper phone could do everything you want it to do.