Nokia N900 quick hands-on
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Nov 16th 2009 9:00AM
posted Nov 16th 2009 9:00AM
- Processor, processor, processor. Oh, and did we mention the processor? The N900's Cortex A8-based core yields significant improvements in day-to-day usability over the N810's ARM11 unit.
- Though it's still quite raw and feature-incomplete, Maemo 5 is by far the most user-friendly version of the platform to date, if for no other reason than the fact that it's very pretty. Screen transitions are smooth and look great, the home screen is as attractive and versatile as any widget-based home screen on the market today, and the Expose-style task switcher is a welcome addition.
- The N900 may very well offer the best browsing experience of any smartphone on the market today (yes, including the iPhone). What little ground it gives up in user friendliness is more than countered by the fact that you have the closest thing you can get to a desktop-class browser in a device of this size and form factor; it's straight-up Mozilla, after all, and everything renders faithfully. Flash doesn't blaze, but at least the Cortex A8 makes it usable.
- The hardware's a mixed bag. It doesn't feel cheap, per se -- but considering that this will become Nokia's highest-end smartphone, it doesn't necessarily feel the part, either. On the bright side, it's narrow enough to rest comfortably in the hand while using it as a phone, and it's not annoyingly thick -- don't get us wrong, it's a beefy phone, but not to the point of causing a problem in your pocket.
- The keyboard is mediocre. The N900 doesn't seem to slide open as much as it could, which means that it's got a uniquely narrow three-row QWERTY keyboard; fortunately, Nokia did a great job of shaping the keys to give them about as much feel as possible. The spacebar and directional keys are strangely located, which might necessitate a learning curve for some users.
- As we mentioned before, this is a pretty raw phone. Basic features like MMS and portrait mode aren't supported; MMS won't be a big deal for many users, but being forced to use the N900's non-phone functions in landscape is a pretty big deal.
- The N900 may have a "good" resistive touchscreen, but it's still a resistive touchscreen, which means it's not going to be as finger-friendly as it could be -- we were repeatedly disappointed by how much pressure was required to actuate scrolling gestures in menus, for example. Thing is, the N900 is a device where we can see many (if not most) users still preferring to have access to a stylus from time to time for precision input, and that being said, this is probably about as good of a resistive display as Nokia is capable of manufacturing.
THANKS FOR THAT!! NOW IF THE US RETAILERS WOULD GET THIS PHONE SO WE CAN GET IT
I gotta say, from the looks of that Video it seems like this is a major dissapointment. Why Nokia cant figure out how to include capacitive displays on thier high end phones is a mystery. Even HTC is updating Winmo to capacitive. If this is the phone to save Nokia, it would seem it is a fail.
They have capacitance displays available in the X3 & X6.
I still prefer a resistive display over capacitive anytime. Capacitive is just not accurate enough when I want to select something really small since you can't use your nails or stylus.
@Katie: what do you mean? should the whole web be redesigned for mobile devices???!?!? Just playing, you are spot on.
This isn't a phone more so than it is an internet tablet.
Capacitive screens may be more popular, but seeing as you haven't tried the screen on this device then who are you to knock it? Every screen is different on every phone, be it resistive or capacitive. What with the heavy emphasis this device places on the internet, I actually think a resistive screen would be better.
People need to leave this idea that capacitive is game-changingly better than resistive. Both have their pros and cons. Gun to the head, yes capacitive is probably better overall. However, same gun to the head I'd probably still take a top-end resistive screen so I can use a stylus, or a gloved hand.
What is going to be interesting is when they begin to use pressure as a dimention. Nokia has been getting a bunch of patents on the concept of 3d multi-touch....Maemo 5 is only the beginning. Many of the hic-ups we like to call out on this product are really software issues that will be fixed quickly.
"Better browser than the iPhone..." Wow. The webkit based Tear works pretty darn well on the 810, but looks like the new horsepower really helps. Any idea about battery life yet?
I dont think this will be the last of that type of comment
Battery life is supposedly betterwith the new f/w too. I've heard a full day with reasonably heavy use (phone, txt, a lot of web and GPS) but these things are relative, will depend a lot on personal use!
This isn't Tear, but a Mozilla based browser using the Gecko rendering engine. And the processor has helped make it alot smoother and faster than your average device.
it looks great
Nokia fails once more...why would you even want this piece of garbage with a resistive screen in the USA?
The iPhone 1g was better than this piece of junk...sure the OS is good, that's about it..hardware wise, it sucks.
The CPU goes to waste.
"The iPhone 1g was better than this piece of junk"
hahahahahaha..my freakin nokia n70 that came out '05 was even better than the iphone 1g..lol
You sir, are a giant bag of fail.
The Nokia N900 is 98% Capacitive so the Capacitive phones is dead
I've got to call out Chris Ziegler on this review just a little. I'm so happy you decided to not compare this device to other lesser devices or OSes out there. But I still have some niggles and points I need to make.
There are various video reviews, previews, demos, and hands-on interactions of the N900 online. I'm sure I've watched them all, or at least the major ones. I must say, almost every demo talks about how responsive the screen is, and some have even called it "capacitive-like" or "nearly as responsive as a capacitive display". About the ONLY ones with "negatively tinged" reviews are CZ and Om Malik. They seem unable to get a resistive screen to work, despite having reviewed at least dozens, if not hundreds, of resistive screened devices over the years. Perhaps your nerd muscles need a workout. I suggest the workout DVD "Carpals of Steel" to get that swiping motion up to par. And using the stylus won't require less pressure. Resistive screens are like paper, and the finger is a pencil. You have to press ever so slightly for it to register, and if a kid can do it, you have to question how much skill Chris really has. Notice he has no problem swiping the display early in the video, but as soon as he gets to the display subject, he can't get it to scroll. Give him an Oscar, this master thespian is on a roll!
Chris, like Om, is too fixated on the simple feature sets of the iPhones and G1s of the world, and their reviews fail to look at the N900's precedent setting capabilities that supercede anything available in the market today. Missing was any mention of the open source ecosystem and community behind the Maemo OS to allow the fast implementation of features and apps in days or weeks instead of months and years. Missing was mention of the availability of high quality free software via the APT powered Application Manager, a veritable App Store on steroids without any approval board to control what users want on their devices. No mention of the customizability of the OS, or how all of the hardware was openly accessible to developers without limitations.
I don't think it was very responsible to make such a snap judgement based on a preproduction unit. At least you did make sure and say that it wasn't a final unit, but did you ask if certain features would be added in the final build or ever? Of course prerelease firmware would lack features. I've never heard either Chris or Om call the iPhone or Android devices feature incomplete, when we know they still lack features out of the box to this day. But the N900 is "raw"?? And how is the current status of the Maemo OS called a "hack"? Besides lacking MMS and Screen Rotation for most apps, what makes it so raw? And lacking MMS and portrait mode for most apps means it isn't really "a true smartphone"?? Are you kidding me?! So the non multitasking iPhone isn't a smartphone, but the multitasking, phone calling, 24 live apps at a time, Flash toting, plugin supporting media player packing N900 made by the inventors of the smartphone as we know it today isn't!?! I smell FUD, sprinkled with just a dash of "out yo' bleepin' mind", and its coming from Engadget.
Did you bother telling the public that Nokia has committed to adding MMS, portrait mode for web browsing and other applications in Maemo 5, well before Maemo 6? I did like the comparisons to the N8xx and N97, which set out to pack as many features into the package, are its closest comparable devices, and NOT the iPhone and "Droid", which look to streamline and control the feature set of the device. I am waiting for either Chris or Om to say how the stylus is unecessary unless using software not intended for the N900, that any solid device can work as a stylus alternative, from a finger or toothpick to a car key or corner of the handle of your eyeglasses, and is an advantage over all capacitive devices since they can never use a stylus.
You found many quirks of the N900 far different than most of the common devices out there. Did you ask the reasoning behind these differences? Like why the space bar is on the right instead of the center? I'll bet using it for a few weeks would make it pretty evident. It allows for less thumb travel and finger fatigue when typing for extended periods by placing the space bar at a position where the thumb rests, just like the space bars on desktop PCs. Another actual value adding, accessibility feature you failed to expose, even after all of the information available about these design choices and how they'll benefit the end user.
Now come on and show us the main features users will use on any smartphone, like the available apps or methods to use Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, RSS readers, email, media sharing, messaging, phone calls, and audio/video features. And maybe start mentioning that all of the high end camera phones have thicker sensors and equipment, and will usually be thicker than a typical smartphone with a middling camera.
Very good and to the point!
This is truly an epic smackdown. However, I feel the need to make a point here: If you are coming to Engadget Mobile for high-quality journalism and unbiased reviews, you're bound for a lifetime of disappointment.
This coming from someone who has never even used an N900...
Nice novel...TLDR for the most part...I still stand by what I said.
Why didn't they use a resistive screen? Would have made the world of difference.
It's not just about responsiveness, it allows for multitouch as well.
This is what Nokia does...that's why, they produce sub-standard products and expect people to settle for less, when there are other devices out there that are better spec'd and have less bugs in their firmware.
"Missing was any mention of the open source ecosystem and community behind the Maemo OS to allow the fast implementation of features and apps in days or weeks instead of months and years"
If it only takes weeks or days and it's so easy: then where's the MMS-app, where's the PORTRAIT-modesupport,
where's the Ovi Maps 3.0 ? Let me rephrase that: where's the rest of the software? Maemo isn't NEW, this is
already the fifth version - if it's all so easy with Maemo, then why wasn't more software ported to R4/R5?
Oh and btw: developers on Android are free to offer their software as they like. The are not obligated by Google
to deliver their apps through Android Market. They are allowed to put their .apk-files up on their website or an alternative market. It's even
an option (allow unknown-sources) in Android Phones to download from other sources than the Market.
Oh and you might want to catch up on some reading developing for Android v Maemo. Everybody agrees that UI-programming
for Android is much easier and faster. Oh Android has a SDK for Win, Lin and Mac. Maemo's SDK only supports Linux. Android
is also way more better documented than Maemo at this point. So let me state that Android probably allows faster writing
of software from scratch than Maemo does.
"N900's precedent setting capabilities that supercede anything available in the market today."
Tell me: how is the N900's hardware capabilities any better than Motorola's Droid? Oh wait, in many ways
the hardware lags behind the Droid (smaller battery, lower resolution, smaller screen, thicker, heavier,
lower buildquality i.d. no metal parts etc, it lacks a internal compass - oh wait it does have FM Radio,
but that's oldskool tech).
"Did you bother telling the public that Nokia has committed to adding MMS, portrait mode for web browsing and other applications in Maemo 5, well before Maemo 6?"
Yeah and Adobe is well committed to offer full Flash 10 support in the first half of 2010 for Android. So you
can't say: "N900 has the advantage of Flash; and it will offer lots more in the future". The same goes for Android.
"Now come on and show us the main features users will use on any smartphone, like the available apps or methods to use Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, RSS readers, email, media sharing, messaging, phone calls, and audio/video features"
Take a look at Android 2.0 Contacts, or even better check out Sony Ericssons X10 with Time and Mediascape. And even
more social is on the way for Android. Oh and while your at it, go compare the X10 UI with Maemo 5 UI. It's like
comparing Windows 7 with Windows 3.1
" a veritable App Store on steroids without any approval board to control what users want on their devices."
So anybody can read your GPS-location without your permission? Read and Send all your emails stored on the
phone? Android Market shows you EXACTLY each permission the app needs. And no control, means a lot more junk,
trojans and virusses?
@ Holyshite3,
First off, realize the device hasn't even been released yet. But let's humor each other and see how long it takes for the N900 to get MMS. Nokia announced that it will be added, unlike Apple, that claimed it was an outdated technology, then turns around years later and adds it.
As for portrait support, it, too is planned for some core apps in December. Full ASR may not be added, but Maemo 6 is probably going to run on the N900 too, and it is coming in exactly one year. Ovi Maps 3.0 will ship on the production devices. Maps 1.0 was just for the preproduction models.
Maemo as a PHONE OS is in fact new. So some features are new to it. But what software is missing, as you say? Nokia has been pretty clear as to what is coming later, and they're known for adding features and apps during the life of the device.
Why bring up Android when comparing app development? Maemo allows you to install apps from anywhere, just like Symbian devices. You can also have your own repository, and use APT to deploy them. You know, APT, the part of Linux Google decided to ditch? You can install .debs from anywhere with the command line as well. And UI development for Android apps should be simple. ITS JAVA!! I'll stick to low latency code anyday. From all of the Android and Maemo developers I talk with (I'm a member of both developer communities...), it seems they all see Maemo as a better option, allowing more rich applications, and the only missing link is monetization, which Ovi will bring soon. You don't even need the SDK for app development, since its typical Linux development for the most part. And devs can do app development on Windows...
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=32537
...Linux, or Mac using VMWare, or even on the device. Have you ever done any Maemo development? I'm not a dev, but I am learning fast that you aren't totally right. You can develop apps for Maemo on almost any platform.
"Tell me: how is the N900's hardware capabilities any better than Motorola's Droid?"
I didn't say the hardware capabilities, I said device capabilities supercede anything out right now. For a little taste of what I mean, try and see how many apps you can run at once on the Droid, what video and audio codecs you can use, or how easily you can use the Terminal for CLI device manipulaton. Maemo is the first deskop OS optimized for finger control. Android is a smartphone OS, nothing near the power of Linux. Do you disagree?
Let's see. Which has better battery LIFE? Which has better pixel density? Which has the better keypad? Which has the better imaging hardware and optics? Which has a commercial Infrared transmitter for universal remote apps? How can you judge build quality when neither device has been used for any long term testing? Metal isn't the indicator of better build quality, though I do admit Moto makes good solid devices. But hardware is nothing without software.
If you think the Android Contacts app is anything close to the Maemo Contacts app, you need to quit babysitting the blunt and let someone else hit it! Does it show presence for all of your IM networks, social networks, etc.? Does it allow you the choice to make SIP or cellular calls? Do the contact images sync with your Twitter and Facebook profile photos? You seem cool with looking cute, but what can it do that any other phone or portable desktop can't? UI isn't everything, and function is more important. SE's new UI is cool, but so what? Put a wig on a pig, give it lipstick, and its still a pig.
"So anybody can read your GPS-location without your permission? Read and Send all your emails stored on the
phone? Android Market shows you EXACTLY each permission the app needs. And no control, means a lot more junk,
trojans and virusses?"
Has this been happening anywhere? The only time I've heard of mobile apps going rogue like that is the iPhone dev getting phone numbers. You made some point, but let's revisit them once these devices are in the streets. Android has a ~5% market share and many OEM partners after a year. Maemo has 0% right now. Let's see how well the N900 sells.
@christexaport
Why don't you get a job doing your own reviews if you think other people that's been doing it for a while don't know what they are doing.
@(Unverified)
"If it only takes weeks or days and it's so easy: then where's the MMS-app, where's the PORTRAIT-modesupport,
where's the Ovi Maps 3.0 ? Let me rephrase that: where's the rest of the software? Maemo isn't NEW, this is
already the fifth version - if it's all so easy with Maemo, then why wasn't more software ported to R4/R5?"
MMS is being worked on, and isn't something typically worked on by the community, but it is coming. Portrait mode browsing is coming in December. Ovi Maps for Maemo is in version one. Its a new app, not the same as S60's version, but it is pretty functional, despite what you've heard. It just needs refinement.
Maemo5 is new, since its the first time its been in an always on environment. iPhone I wasn't very refined either. Look at it now. This is starting off farther ahead than the iPhone, and already is way better than anything available.
"Oh and btw: developers on Android are free to offer their software as they like. The are not obligated by Google
to deliver their apps through Android Market. They are allowed to put their .apk-files up on their website or an alternative market. It's even
an option (allow unknown-sources) in Android Phones to download from other sources than the Market."
Who cares? They're heavily latent Java apps. That's too old school for me. But the delivery model is nice. But Google still exercises control over the OS, unlike Maemo, which has no one controlling it. Who controls Linux? Maemo is Linux, not Linux kernel based like Android.
"Oh and you might want to catch up on some reading developing for Android v Maemo. Everybody agrees that UI-programming
for Android is much easier and faster. Oh Android has a SDK for Win, Lin and Mac. Maemo's SDK only supports Linux. Android
is also way more better documented than Maemo at this point. So let me state that Android probably allows faster writing
of software from scratch than Maemo does."
Everyone?? And Java development is supposed to be easy. Is it as robust? Fast? Easy to make doesn't always equal best for the user or the app experience. If a dev isn't skilled enough for advanced development, his apps may not be very compelling anyway.
"Tell me: how is the N900's hardware capabilities any better than Motorola's Droid? Oh wait, in many ways
the hardware lags behind the Droid (smaller battery, lower resolution, smaller screen, thicker, heavier,
lower buildquality i.d. no metal parts etc, it lacks a internal compass - oh wait it does have FM Radio,
but that's oldskool tech)."
Capabilities isn't all about hardware. Look at Linux vs. Windows on similar hardware. Maemo is more efficient, and gets more out of the same hardware because of the maturity and robust nature of the OS. Little Android will never beat the years of optimization and maturity Linux provides.
"Yeah and Adobe is well committed to offer full Flash 10 support in the first half of 2010 for Android. So you
can't say: "N900 has the advantage of Flash; and it will offer lots more in the future". The same goes for Android."
Oh yeah? Flash is only part of it. How about running Greasemonkey scripts in the browser, or using Firefox add-ons? I'm doing it as we speak on my N900, adblock and all. So there is an advantage unless Android gets Firefox/Mozilla/Gecko engine for a browser. The architecture of Android promises to keep them locked out. Too latent and weak of an application framework. Ask Mozilla. http://androidcommunity.com/mozillas-mobile-browser-fennec-wont-be-coming-to-android-any-time-soon-20081110/
"Take a look at Android 2.0 Contacts, or even better check out Sony Ericssons X10 with Time and Mediascape. And even
more social is on the way for Android. Oh and while your at it, go compare the X10 UI with Maemo 5 UI. It's like
comparing Windows 7 with Windows 3.1"
I'm using the N900 right now, and you sound silly saying that. Its all really subjective, but no matter how pretty Android gets, its still Java. You can put lipstick on a pig, but its still a pig.
Is nice phone, but is too big, 180grams that thing can't be put in the pant pocker. sure you can put this in the belt but isn't idea.
I've been using an N900 prerelease device for a month now, and Chris pretty much sums it up.
My first impressions are here: http://tnkgrl.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/nokia-n900-first-impressions/
@tnkgrl
-At least you covered some of the pros. This engadget review was more of a "look at whats wrong" more than a "look at this devices capabilities" plus, it has some misinformation in there, and the whole resistive screen debacle really makes the reviewer look half retarded.
@Reviewer
Sorry for not being all about it, but cmon man, you fat fingered the fuck out of the screen. Some capacitive screens would have issues figuring out wtf was going on as you mashed the larger part of your thumb against the screen and smushed it up and down. That method is only good for giving fingerprints at the flippin Police Station, not for manipulating a PRE PRODUCTION unit with a resistive screen. GIve your sponsors some love, and quit being the same apple fanboy you have been for as long as ive ben reading, and give the phone a break. Ugh.
@phreck I totally agree with Chris' take on the resistive touchscreen. To me it's one of the biggest letdowns when I'm using the N900. A flagship device needs a capacitive touchscreen, and so far Nokia's been screwing this one up (N97 and now N900). At least the upcoming Nokia X6 is a step in the right direction, but it's just an Xpressmusic device. I've got a Pre, an iPhone 3GS, a Hero and a Droid for comparison, and I used the Samsung i8910 Symbian phone for 3 months. All are capacitive, and make the resistive N900 frustrating to go back to.
Please say you meant this Chris, tnkgrl... Don't let CZ get away with his contrived clowning...
putting it that way, tnkgrl, makes more sense. But overall, do you feel those other devices in total are far more functional and better than the N900, or is the N900 so far ahead of the game?
Nitpicking hairsplitting:
The N810 had an OMAP2 processor, not a simple ARM11.
The N900 has an OMAP3 processor.
The Motorola Droid is on all accounts a better phone. The Droid has a bigger screen, higher resolution, less thickness, bigger battery, an internal compass, more software, portraitmode for almost every built-in app, full flash support is upcoming, free navigation software, a better Maps app (streetview etc), a four row keyboard, push mail, mms, It has a capacitive screen, and the EU version even has multitouch. If FM Radio or a front cam are that important u can get the Saygus V1 Android instead.
I know a lot of the commenters here want this device to be the bees knees, and part of me does too, but don't get mad at the reviewer because the phone isn't as good as it could have been.
The best resistive, screens are still behind the best capacitive displays, and for having the option of a stylus for small objects? A good OS eliminates the need for a stylus and a secondary input method such as a trackball or dpad allows for clicking those oh so small links on web pages. Moving your thumb to a trackball is easier than pulling out a stylus. If I wanted a stylus, I'd dig out my old Palm Zire 72.
As for arguing Nokia eventually supporting portrait mode, that's not now and the reviewer can't review what Nokia might do later.
It is what it is, good OS with potential with good specs that's too quirky for mainstream adoption on a large scale. Don't be mad at the reviewer because of this. If you like the phone, then go buy one.
Wow - its amazing how fired up people are getting by this phone. Regarding the screen, it seems that those who are used to an iphone don't just seem to be saying "I am used to X, this is Y, I prefer X" but are saying "I am used to X, this is the only way things can be done, Y is a horrible blight on this planet." Chris is right to a degree - there are going to be users who will want a stylus for quite a few reasons (Asian character input, precision-use etc) and there are NO OS'es on the market today that can reproduce that functionality with a capacitive touch screen (for example, see the disappointing sales figures for the iphone in asian markets...)
The N900 is not really a 'mainstream' phone in that, as Nokia have stated, they see this as the 2nd last step in their progression from tablet to smartphone. They have repeatedly almost sabotaged its success, by announcing that the next maemo product will be the final step, announcing that it 'probably won't sell well' due to carrier reluctance to subsidise the phone, and arguably through the shipping delay also (don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger).
That said, I don't think this phone is meant to be the 'turnaround' product for Nokia. This is the toe in the water, in the same way the iphone 1G was (lets face it, BOTH phones missed out on MMS, the iphone had no copy/paste, no app architecture to speak of, no landscape keyboard mode, no video mode, its picture quality was/is poor, its signal strength sucked, it missed out on turn-by-turn GPS etc) and neither phone could really expect to be an amazing piece of tech. The iphone, however, benefitted from Steve J's RDF, the amazing hype that anything apple commanded, the tech advance of multitouch, and the fact that apple products were 'in' and therefore more likely to be received with fanfare than mistrust. The N900 loses out through the suspicion of Nokia's software generated by the poor N97 (I have one, trust me, it's poor), its lagging marketshare at the high end, Engadget's poorly disguised bias towards apple products, the lack of a compatible RDF, but truth be told, it is the SAME experiment apple made with its iphone 1G. This is the FIRST maemo 'phone' in the sense that it can make non-voip calls, and it should be seen as such.
Personally, I am excited about this phone: it's not the revolutionary unicorn-drawn rainbow-spouting saviour of nokia the fanboys want it to be, but I don't think that was ever Nokia's intention. This is the 1st Gen maemo-phone, and it may not have the mass-market appeal of the iphone 3GS, but it clearly put Nokia on a much better footing to compete with the current generation of super-phones that we are seeing today.
For a more detail non-biased N900 review, please check the following link
http://my-symbian.com/other/preview_n900.php
Just tell me one thing how the hell is Motorola droid is better than this....N900 has better features than any phone in the market. It just lags a capacitive screen.
No hard feelings but only Americans like the droid stuff coz its cheap and has a very dumb OS.
Rest of the world has many options to choose from not just an iphone or Android.
"Just tell me one thing how the hell is Motorola droid is better than this....N900 has better features than any phone in the market.", as I posted before - and these are FACTS:
"The Droid has a bigger screen, higher resolution, less thickness, bigger battery, an internal compass, more software, portraitmode for almost every built-in app, full flash support is upcoming, free navigation software, a better Maps app (streetview etc), a four row keyboard, push mail, mms, It has a capacitive screen, and the EU version even has multitouch. If FM Radio or a front cam are that important u can get the Saygus V1 Android instead. "
Oh and there's not a lot of software for it like there is for the Droid. So how free is your phone? It needs to run Maemo and it needs to be a Nokia product and there's not a lot of software to choose from at this point. Android allows you to choose from a lot of different phones, makers and networks; it also has way more software, so you can choose the program u like best: whether it's GoogleNav, Co-Pilot, Sygic, Destinator or whatever. The choice is yours.
"We'll hold back on final judgment until we use a review unit"
Don't bother. You just judged the device "it seems like it's got too many quirks and functionality holes to recommend." How can you do that based on pre-release model?
You said that N900 has the best browsing experience of any smartphone on the market today? Isn't that alone the reason to buy this? The new benchmark will be N900, not IPhone 3GS, and still you don't recommend the phone?? And many reviewers have commented that N900 resistive display is better and more sensitive than IPhone (maybe you did not calibrate your display).
What are these functionality holes you are talking about? No MMS - who cares and it will be coming later?
Now, we have N900 with better browsing and internet experience than IPhone and better UI than IPhone. But you don't recommend N900 because it doesn't have yet MMS? Oh, did you forget that neither does/did Iphone, and Iphone is also lacking multitask, tethering, landscape support and loses also in 3G speed, camera, video, IM, open source, stylus support (yes, stylus option is actually a big plus), etc. etc. But still you don't recommend N900 (do you then recommend IPhone?).
I think the real reason for your "judgement" is that N900 is made by Nokia. You have a mission to bash every Nokia product, no matter what. Please at least wait for the final sw/hw release, learn to use the phone, use it at least a week, and then place your final verdict.
Good browser but better than iPhone? Naww. From vids I saw on YouTube iPhone browser speed is way faster than this. Though nokia n900 does have flash.
Browser speed of Opera Mini is faster than iPhone, too. Is it better? NO. And neither is the iPHone over the N900. The iPhone can't go to every site, watch most videos, or use Flash apps. The N900 is compatible with more of the web than any other device out there. If Flash was disabled, it would be even faster. Of course you'd be fast if you blocked features that would slow you down, like Flash, which is the foundation for a majority of the content online.
@ surge,
I'm not surprised you found my post TLDR, nor with your dishonest appraisal of it as a "nice" novel. You obviously didn't like or agree with it, but saw fit to give an insincere and dishonest appraisal of the N900. You don't seem to be one to go in depth or be very thorough, and even though I've been a Chris Z fan for years, I'm so past questioning your lack of integrity and objectivity.
What'd you do, give my post the cursory lookover without getting to the information that would mostly help you and others? So this is your modus operandi, huh? That's pretty telling, although I don't believe you didn't read every word as you dishonestly claim. Just like this review, your reply set out with a purpose, an agenda, even, which was to accentuate the seemingly negative while keeping the US market in the dark on the advancements and positives, which far outnumber the other points, which mainly were to compare the simplistic and narrowly targeted iPhone with the N900, which isn't just a smartphone, but a portable desktop device.
Being this is the first portable desktop designed for use with finger touch, I don't see how a cursory once over of only a few minutes could ever give you or those interested in the device much insight. You observed the device from the perspective of an iPhone user looking only for the features commonly shared with the N900, since you think these devices are of the same class, when you should've been mentioning touch enabled netbooks and other multitasking, portable desktop choices as well. I think the iPhone should've been the last device chosen as a reference point. Where were the comparisons to multitasking QWERTY packing devices with high end imaging hardware and free access to all hardware for developers?
If you want to know why a resistive screen was used, do some research like me and all of the real tech reviewers out there. You'd know that a resistive screen is more versatile, allowing use with any solid device as well as fingers, fingernails, and even a toothpick. A resistive screen allows for more precise selection of small objects, instead of capacitive, which needs screen elements to be larger. Which do you think is more precise, the pad of your finger or thumb, easily a square inch, or a fingernail, fingertip, or other solid object used as a stylus/plectrum? It really comes in handy when using handwriting recognition or applications made for the desktop environment that aren't optimized for touch. Is this the first you've heard of this? I'm happy to school you.
Now here's a lesson for you. Think of resistive as using a pencil on paper and capacitive as a Bingo marker. You may have to press a little with the pencil, but its more precise. The Bingo marker is easier to write with, but not very precise at all. Choose your poison. Both are good at certain things. I know you used resistive screened WinMo devices a few years back, and the debit card slot at your local 7-Eleven. Did you suddenly get brainwashed on how they work? Don't make yourself look like a bigger idiot. It was funny during the first Engadget show, but now it is sad and contrived.
Now I get the responsiveness qualm, but some find capacitive TOO sensitive, which is why you had to learn to use such a light touch to avoid accidental presses. Multitouch is a plus, but was there any function that wasn't available on the N900? You COULD zoom using gestures as well as the dedicated zoom buttons on the side of the device. I'm not a big fan of multitouch because it throws all of the one handed usage research out of the window, and requires two hands, a big knock on the iPhone an other "pinch to zoom" devices. Once Stantum gets resistive multitouch out there, we can kill this silly debate.
I'm glad you're aware of Nokia's winning formula. Nokia is the global leader, and most people prefer them to your iPhones and other capacitive models. And Nokia devices have more features than any other, so how are they expecting you to settle for less? Isn't it Apple, that has the OS with the least features (ok, maybe not less than WebOS yet), the least access to hardware, and the least willingness to listen to the users (How long have they begged for multitasking, a keypad, a higher resolution screen, VOIP, tethering, video calling, alternatives to default software, etc.?)
Now where are these better specced devices out there with less bugs? (let me guess...The Moto Sholes and its clock busted camera focus issue?) If you know anything, hardware isn't the only part of specs. Software is what makes the hardware work, and if a device has 4GB or RAM and a 2Ghz processor, but runs Palm OS, and another runs Maemo or Ubuntu, whatever, on a lessor platform, only a fool would say the Palm device was better specced, because you judge the performance of the device in action, not just read spec sheets. Otherwise, cars with high horsepower would outsell cars with better handling everytime. It doesn't work that way, bro...
Oops! I mention to say resistive display.
Sorry if posted more than once, can't see my post?
I want to get this phone but I'm hoping that it will be upgradeable to maemo 6 when it is released early next year
Will N900 be upgradeable to maemo 6?? I was reading about this on http://www.maemocommunity.com/
So, dude. Where's the review we were promised? Still coming? I mean the phone's been out for what? 2 Months?
C'mon...