Not right now. I love my N900 but I still have the feeling that I could get more from a 600€ device.

If that changed... then yes, I would pay for firmware updates

yeah, we can get all of those free on a desktop PC (i dont know with gps though) why cant we get it free for mobile?

well i will pay for new OS (like i use to pay on my PC) but updates should be free (sane on PC). am i correct?

Much like paying to upgrade your windows or mac os, i'd be more than happy to pay for an upgrade to maemo. I do however think minor updates and fixes should be free, kinda like service packs in windows.

edit: like gabby131 said.

Development costs on Harmattan will be subsidised by sales of new hardware.

To make a backport to the N900 will not only cost more that Nokia would ever recoup with such a low upgrade cost, but it would also eat into sales of the new device by extending the life of the old one.

Yes I would pay, no it's not going to happen.

that will not even scratch the idea of a paid update.

think about it: if there are 100000 phones sold, at 500u$s each, you got 50.000.000 u$s. and that is not enough to make them put love on n900.

thats because software engenieer is dead expensive, never profitable by its own. it only has a role in the business model.

Nokia is a PHONE maker, not a computer maker.

and the business model for every phone maker out there is to make a device and let it die.

there are few exceptions of course

ysss speaks wisdom!

Imagine if this was funded!

People would be in a position to justify stuff like Flash and OVI maps similar to Symbian version.

It will also show Nokia how much demand (hopefully revenue too) from maitaining/improving existing hardware.

I would have to learn what was in the firmware upgrade before I was willing to pay for it. I think that the next firmware upgrade will basically be solidifying this upgrade, and that doesn't deserve payment. At some point, when cool new features or compatibility were being offered, I would certainly be willing to pay for them. I am not willing to pay for, say, "stability". Stability is owed when the device is released.

@Spanner, @Clasificado

The fact that Nokia is a hardware maker and hence it is in their interest to let the device die hasn't escaped me. However, for the fact that people continue buying Nokia devices would take a bit more than purely hardware. I do agree that the model can't go on ad infinitum, however the N900 can certainly last for 2 years or so, and the benefit for Nokia would be that these people would probably buy another Nokia device after the end of the support period (seamless transition and all...a model that has worked well on PCs and even iPhones). So effectively they are subsidizing the costs of the current development against future revenues from these customers, whom they would have probably pissed off otherwise.

This is not all that far fetched given what every major software house has been doing for ages and is quite the accepted model in a lot of other hardware/software combination heavy industries (e.g. the CCTV industry upgrades you to the next available codec if you have the support contract and the hardware can support it). It definitely needs a change of mindset from Nokia's perspective though

EDIT: Another thing I forgot to mention is that Revenues is not the same as margin. While Nokia would have made a lot more revenues by selling the hardware, the margins on hardware, after factoring in all the distribution costs etc. are tiny. So $600 for N900 is not all profit...if anything the profit can be as little as $50, whereas a service such a a firmware upgrade can be much more profitable because there are very few overhead costs.

These comments really make me wonder...
Why oh why do people always want something for free. When is it getting through to some peoples thick heads that nothing is for free.. There is no such thing in our world (except the sun every morning)

PLEASE let me PAY for the software besides the hardware!! Then i can except something because i then i have something where i can say, look i want support, i want new upgrades because i pay for it with my subscription... No No nokia i dont want to upgrade to the next phone yet, i dont want to pay another 500 euro's again for a next phone, maybe next year i will do that, but NOW i just want new and updated software..

But we are going down the drain, everything is going the wrong way in my eyes, look at ovi maps.. I really dont like that it is for free now.. Why? Same reason as above, what is Nokia's incentive now to support older phones? Why would we ever get it on the N900??
Why would users of let say the N97 mini that has now an Ovi maps 3.0.x get Ovi Maps 4.0 if the N97 is already replaced by the next model? It is for free, you get want you get when you bought the phone, why would you get anything more after that, especially when the phone is not for sale anymore..

I just want to pay exactly for the stuff i get, i want to pay for the hardware, an then i want to pay for the software that gives me rights, then i am in my rights to complain that i dont get anything, Now many here are complaining and complaining (Voice Navigation, MMS and so on) but why? Did you pay for that? nope.. so why would Nokia give it to you?

I would pay Nokia 50-100 euro if needed if they then say you will get for 2-3 years the latest Meego releases fully supported by us including all the features new phones will get then in that time frame (except if the hardware can't handle it anymore)
(with firmware updates every 3 months)

I would like to pay! Yes!