Nokia N900 - Maemo 5 powered mobile computing

Originally Posted by hduty

Brighthand insists on that it can NOT do voice calls (non-VoIP).

I think we need a definite answer on this one, I know Litchfield said it is a phone as well but at this point we need a source from Nokia confirming it.

Look at the picture of the phone alongside other phones at the beginning of the article. What function is the N9000 performing there?

Does anyone know if this things has a digital compass?

Originally Posted by Jejoma

Have all you people out there raving over this machine actually tried the 770, 800 or 810? I have. I had a 770 followed by an 800 and raved over them telling everyone how wonderful they were.

Then I bought an E71. I haven't touched my 800 since. Why? One word - Maemo. It's for geeks only. A lot of hard work to get a poor replication of a program that can be downloaded with little effort on the E71.

So all you geeks who love playing with your phone / internet tablet for hours will think it is wonderful it but anyone that actually wants a useful tool . . .

At a slight tangent, it would be interesting to see how it lined up against the i8910 in real world usage.

I have an E71 and a N810. I use the N810 far more often than the E71. The web and Google Reader is the single biggest reason though. Try using Reader on the E71 with more than a couple of news feeds.

As a net device the N8x0 cannot be beaten. And with having its own data connection and much faster processor the N900 will be the ultimate mobile browser.

Originally Posted by UKJeeper

Did you actually read this thread? I also posted that i had forgotten Wayfinder as an option.

Yes, it can download SOME of the listed maps automatically, assuming you have a data connection. When you are driving around (when you actually NEED a satnav) your data connection is your 3g phone (via blutooth). My 3g phone had several completed satnav options already installed. Why would i use my 3g data connection on my satnav phone to download maps to a poor relation of a satnav solution?

I used to use Maemo mapper when out walking (again, via the 3g/bluetooth on my E90, killing the batteries on both devices), using the satellite imagery option. But the images weren't that great as Google satelitte maps wouldn't ever load and i'd have to use one of the other, lesser maps. Then i realised "why am i using a device that can't display the maps that i need when i can have topo (viewranger) and google earth on one device already?"



"but I wouldn't ever use it for navigation"

There you go, thanks for killing your own argument. Maemo Mapper is a satellite navigation application that you wouldn't use for navigation, either on or off the road.

I answer the thread as I read them. So obviously I haven't read the last messages.

I said at the beginning that Maemo Mapper isn't a sat-nav application. It is a mapping tool, but not much more.

I used it as a replacement for SportsTracker when I was without a BT GPS unit. It was good for that and I got several hours of GPS tracking out of the N810, even with an open BT connection through the phone.

I have also run Wayfinder and Maemo Mapper at the same time in the car. One for navigation and the other to record the trip.

[celios]

On the portrait vs landscape mode issue, the Maemo phone page has a clue:

http://maemo.nokia.com/features/phone/

"Make a call by simply rotating your device from landscape to portrait mode. From the desktop or dashboard, all it takes is a twist of your wrist to instantly access the phone application."

Which kind of suggests that the only thing you use portrait mode for is the phone app.

Regarding the "is it a phone or not?" question, while they don't explicitly say you can use the GSM/3G radio for making calls, can anyone really believe Nokia would include a 3G radio and then only have software support for SIP or Skype calls?

I think they are just trying to separate the N900 from the N97 in the mind of the buyer by de-emphasising the phone features and talking up the web side of the phone. In the same way they remove media apps and games from E-series devices in some feeble marketing department led attempt to make them appear more businesslike.

[celios]

Originally Posted by mvn

@Tzer2
Celios, all devices from all manufacturers are at their worst at their release. It's inevitable that anything which is used by millions of people will have bugs that the testers didn't notice, simply because millions of people using something will always spot more problems than hundreds of workers testing something.

All complex machines or devices have problems, but the measure of a company (and it's long-term viability) is how they deal with them.

Problems are seem by progressive companies as an opportunity to impress the customer with service and solutions. They are still fitting defective parts to the N97 and pretending there isn't a problem.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I have an E71 and a N810. I use the N810 far more often than the E71. The web and Google Reader is the single biggest reason though. Try using Reader on the E71 with more than a couple of news feeds.

As a net device the N8x0 cannot be beaten. And with having its own data connection and much faster processor the N900 will be the ultimate mobile browser.

I have an N810. It tends to be the stay at home for casual browsing or taking away on trips rather than a carry everywhere device. I can see this thing being about the same. It's smaller than an iPhone in every way but depth, however, like the iPhone the N900 is still too large and bulky to be truly portable.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I have an N810. It tends to be the stay at home for casual browsing or taking away on trips rather than a carry everywhere device. I can see this thing being about the same. It's smaller than an iPhone in every way but depth, however, like the iPhone the N900 is still too large and bulky to be truly portable.

Reminds me of the N80, I declined to get one of those because it was just so fat. Then the N95 came out and I was sold. Hopefully the N910 will cure the fatness problems of a 17.5mm thick device. At least 5mm need to go off that to make this almost a proper carry-about.

[rvirga]

Originally Posted by hduty

Brighthand insists on that it can NOT do voice calls (non-VoIP).

I think we need a definite answer on this one, I know Litchfield said it is a phone as well but at this point we need a source from Nokia confirming it.

1. Go to Eldar's review
2. Scroll down to the picture with the dial pad, which clearly states "Call type: Cellular"
3. Any questions?

[hduty]

Originally Posted by Nemoi

This is getting ridicilous. In Germany, where you can already preorder the N900 (http://shop.nokia.de/nokia-de/produc...&culture=de-DE) - shipment expected for 1. October for 599€ btw - it states more plainly than brighthand can ever refuse:

"Es ist ein Mobiltelefon. Und ein Computer."

-> "It is a mobile phone. And a computer."

What more proof do you want?

After I posted that I found the page you posted, in English:
http://europe.nokia.com/find-product.../main/internet


I'm convinced.

[nj7]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

With a 1320 mAh capacity battery one would need to charge this unit twice a day.

My concern as well... not even a day I suppose

[nj7]

Originally Posted by eccleshill

I did buy an N97. And I am pissed

I understand that...

[nj7]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Is there a fm radio in this device?

Yes, it has, see here:
http://www.forum.nokia.com/devices/N900

[irfanil]

It looks absolutely great... this should have been announced at the first place, than N97.

But my concern is; Where is Nokia heading?

- Maemo seems to be fully capable touch OS but will it have software support like symbian has?

- Will it support N-Gage or the games at all? It should with the spec and screen resolution it has.

- Will Samsung or Sony Erricson develop devices for Maemo? I'll prefer Samsung for it's OLED screen.

Maemo seems more promising than Symbian. S60 5th Edition never came upto the point of current devices. If it doesn't grow like the Apple iPhone OS, it'll be a shame.

a little mistake at the top there it says WVGA is 800X600 i believe it should be 800X480