Re: Maemo 6 on N900
 

Agreed

I think Maemo may suffer from taking this step when Android is already strong. Nokia should realise that and make an extra effort to please the community and attract developers. Lots of people from the Linux community are waiting anxiously for the N900 to be released, but if it turns out to be just a "prototype" for what´s to come when Maemo6 is released, I think early adopters will turn their backs on Nokia forever.

I hope they are smart enough to provide enough continuity to N900 users... After all, we are talking about a very expensive gadget, one you don´t want to through away after 1 year!

Re: Maemo 6 on N900
 

What exactly would you like Nokia to do? They have given out N900s to hundreds of developers, they are constantly working on improving the developer tools. They have given plenty of information on what's to come in the next version so that the developers can prepare.

I don't know if N900 will run Maemo 6, but if I had to take a guess I would say it won't be supported officially. But still, would you have preferred them to skip Maemo 5 and N900 completely and move straight to Maemo 6? The "Who will ship first? Pandora or Nokia Tablet"-thread would be going forward at full steam for a year more.

There will be big changes in Maemo 6 compared to Maemo 5. If they are doing it, it's probably for the better. They still have a chance to do big breaks like moving from GTK+ to Qt but it will be a lot more difficult after Harmattan. I personally would hate if compromises would have to be made in Harmattan just for it to run on older hardware.

I think early adopters are generally aware of these realities but still choose to get an N900 because it is what works for them and they know it's not going to suddenly stop working after a Maemo 6 is released!

Re: Maemo 6 on N900
 

"Prototype for what's to come"? Ha!

It might actually have a subset of the N900 features. You just don't know.

Re: Maemo 6 on N900
 

In my opinion, if they are making all this noise about the N900 being more a little computer than a mobile phone, and about the strenghts of Maemo being almost a full blown Linux implementation, it´s hard to understand that such device would be condemned to such short life and suffer from the same shortcommings as other "just mobile phones" out there.

I mean, in practical terms, a cheap new (yet powerful) Acer laptop today costs around 500 euros, and you may even find cheaper offers. Obviously, not only is it a much more powerful device, but you could easily use such laptop for 3 of 4 years without an issue, always using the latest from the Linux community...

How can Nokia justify no extended development support for an N900 considering how much they are charging for it and how they are advertising it? Come on, they want this to look like a real breakthrough, so it better be treated as such...

And you are definitely assuming a LOT about early adopters. I don´t deny some people can afford an N900 now and assume such important shortcommings, but I am sure many people are hesitating to buy an N900 due to its uncertain future, and I am among them.

At the end of the day, we are talking business here. Nokia has an opportunity now to start on the right foot, build a very strong user base which is full of satisfied customers, then build on that. If they try to attract users at all costs, they may end up with a lot of people feeling left out, and we all know how powerful that can be.

I really hope they take care of their users and prioritise their interests over having the latest technology.

Re: Maemo 6 on N900
 

Relax, I am not assuming anything. "If" states that´s a condition. Just giving my opinion about a potential outcome.

Re: Maemo 6 on N900
 

Don't forget the different delivery channel for the Maemo OS - it's a binary that gets 'flashed' onto the device. It ain't like a linux distro that can accumulate a DVD-worth of legacy cruft to support Pentium3 machines onwards. Size constraints are a very significant factor.

If Maemo6 is well architected, then it may be reasonable to expect an N900 build to be hacked, stripping away any N920-specific hardware dependencies (multitouch frex), yet retaining the desktop sophistications that are envisioned.

Maybe.

Re: Maemo 6 on N900
 

The answer is simple:

When has Nokia EVER backported a newer (major version, not just bug fixes) firmware onto older hardware? .. NEVER

I doubt the reason's have been technical but solely about $$$. Encourage older users to buy newer devices, less testing and support for Nokia, designing the same software for both resistive and capacitive.. etc etc.

Unless it allows them to make more $$, I really don't see them doing it.

Re: Maemo 6 on N900
 

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me....they ain't a charity. We buy a device in a box...not a lifetime commitment.

Their enlightened stance on open source software is what gives the user community the greatest hope for longevity. I applaud them heartily for that.

Re: Maemo 6 on N900
 

Um, two Hacker Editions and, well, Mer (if indirectly) seem to refute your point. :)

Re: Maemo 6 on N900
 

isn't that a community effort instead of Nokia? (dunno, just asking)