maemo.org - Talk - Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

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- - Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android? (https://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=33685)

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

Well, Verizon raising their ETF's to $350 should show your how greedy they are.

Droid is completely out of the question for now here in the US.

Hey Verizon.. Go to hell! There IS a map for that too.

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

Quote:

Originally Posted by maven1975 (Post 367002)

$350 is realistic given the discount they are offering on phones. I can sign up right now and get the Droid for $199. Add in the $350 ETF and it comes to $549 which is cheaper than an unlocked Droid (or an N900 from most US retailers, for that matter).

I can't complain about their ETF. The cost of their data plan and their tethering costs and their data limits - THOSE I can complain about.

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

$15 is better than the alternatives ($30 for AT&T, infinite dollars for Sprint or T-Mobile-USA, since both simply don't allow tethering on smartphones). I agree it shouldn't cost more (bits are bits), but in comparison, the "$15 tethering fee", and their tethering policy in general, is probably one of the few things that I _like_ about Verizon (that, and having a mifi, are really the only things I like about them). I wish T-Mobile was as open about tethering these days (as they used to be before they launched 3G).

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

Quote:

Originally Posted by cb474 (Post 366974)

Here's an nice more in-depth review of the multi-touch situation with the Droid and Apple's tenuous and not entirely existent patents:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/04/s...nd-multitouch/

Engadget points out, as they did with the Pre, that Apple does not actually appear to have a patent on the pinch-to-zoom multi-touch capability. So it's pretty unlikely it has anything to do with why this feature is available in the European Droid and not the U.S. one. They also point out that Windows 7 and the HD Zune have pinch-to-zoom enabled. And Apple has not said a word, further suggesting that there's nothing Apple can do about it (because if they could why would they let arch enemy Microsoft "steal" the feature?). They also point out that if Apple had a patent claim, Google would already be in violation since multi-touch support is built into Android 2.0 (even if it's not implemented). So they just don't buy that Google is worried at all about Apple and multi-touch.

Engadget says there are some claims that the pinch-to-zoom feature on the European Droid was implemented by Motorola. And Google implied it was Verizon's decision to leave it out on the U.S. Droid. And Engadget thinks what's most likely is that Google just hasn't finished developing multi-touch yet, but that it will be on future devices. Still they conclude, as I do, that the whole situation is just weird and doesn't really have a good explanation, given what's known.

I don't think Apple has a patent on multi-touch specifically. If so the USPTO REALLY REALLY screwed up. But rather they obtained a patent based on certain gestures (e.g. pinching). Which is still a screw-up. So even if Google had multi-touch support built in, Apple couldn't do anything as long as Google doesn't do pinch zooming.

But it's more likely that Apple realizes their patent is worthless if any court case were to look into it so they're hoping nobody else realizes that. :P

I really do wonder what's going on.

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laughing Man (Post 367903)

I think if we realize it, Google and their lawyers definitely realize it.

Anyway, I don't think I said anywhere above that Apple somehow has a patent on multi-touch in general. I referred to Apple's patents (plural), they have patents on different gestures and techniques. I was already saying, what you're saying.

Also, in my post that you were quoting and responding to, I specifically pointed out that Apple actually doesn't have a patent on pinch-and-zoom (and cited a source to this end). So I'm not sure why you're referring to Apple as having a patent on pinching, as a reponse to my post talking about how they don't. That's part of the oddness of this whole thing. Most of the noise from Apple is about pinch-and-zoom, but that's actually one of the things that they don't even seem to have a bogus patent on.

In the end it seems like Apple has a lot of patents on things having to do with multi-touch (which are probably bogus), but nobody is necessarily copying those particular things. Still Apple is trying to intimidate people into thinking they somehow just own multi-touch in general. Except it doesn't seem like any handset manufacturer is actually intimidated.

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnkzin (Post 367803)

But this is not a problem if you bring your own unlocked, unbranded, smartphone to T-Mo US, correct?

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

T-Mobile generally won't care if you tether your device (if you can at all), it's just that you wouldn't get much use out of it because as with all other "unlimited plans" your real cap is just 5 GB a month. So outside of any browsing or work, if you plan on using it for videos or downloading any files your going hit the cap real quick and be subject to slow downs for the rest of the billing cycle.

Right now the phone I got from TMobile (Nokia 5130 Music Express) can tether to my n800 tablet and that's what I've been using so far. And the n900 will be able to tether to PCs too.

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

The problem with Tmo is pee poor 3G coverage. No coverage in Kentucky (or most states), but Verizon covers 80% of the state with 3G. Heck, Tmo only covers 20% of the state with Edge for gosh sakes.

You get what you pay for, unless you live in an area that has Tmo 3G, then it is better, but if you travel a lot, Verizon is still better.

If the N900 worked on Verizon, I would bail from Tmo instantly. With my 15% discount, Verizon is only $9 more a month and I would have 3G everywhere.

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

True, it really depends on where you live. I lucked out, all the areas I am in 99% of the time in the USA, TMobile covers with 3G access. So I rather not pay alot more money for Verizon when the phone doesn't work outside of the USA (I plan on using my n900 in other countries when I have time to travel), and it would cost me more monthly. I'll take the 1% of the time using Edge for those benefits. :D

Re: Can someone tell me why N900 and not Android?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enyibinakata (Post 363606)

Motorola RAZR sold over 100 million (much more than the N95) and since the DROID is a throwback to that, it may just click with most people. Its overly optimistic to claim that N900 will outsell the Cliq and Droid put together, Android may not be as powerful as our beloved Maemo but it ticks all the right boxes in this day of apps. Added to this, Nokia has failed to make much traction in the US market and the delay of the N900 has killed off any chances it ever had considering the DROID and Xperia plus numerous Android phones which are ready to go.

Motorola DROID will be on sale in Germany a week today as MILESTONE - thats fast delivery, much faster than N900 which was announced back in August and still bears a tentative release date.

The N900 is still in labour.

Be wary of speaking too soon.

This is completely irrelevant to the topic.

The difference here is that the N95 was considered as a mobile computer, while Razr wasn't. I'm sure that the Nokia 1208 with a black-and-white screen sold even more. But what does that have to do with this case (Iphone vs Symbian)!?