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-   -   N900 vs Iphone. (https://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=31039)

ikarizdat 2009-08-28 19:20

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
I think the main difference between both devices is that the N900 is not designed as a phone.

What strikes me most is the phone capability being marketed as subsidiary. "Your mobile computer can also be used as a phone." (http://maemo.nokia.com/features/phone/), says the N900 official site, and not even in the home page.

It's not just about marketing, I guess, it's much more about Nokia not willing to target the average iPhone user. Landscape orientation will prevent most users to consider this device as being actually a phone, I mean.

I think Nokia does not feel ready to compete with the rich user-friendly experience that Apple provides throughout the App Store. The N900 is intended for geeks and gadget lovers, whereas the iPhone has a slightly larger audience. Just my opinion.

Paxicide 2009-08-28 20:24

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Was this link posted before?

http://www.fonearena.com/blog/2009/0...okia-n900.html

pelago 2009-08-28 20:35

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Paxicide (Post 317513)

Yes, in comment #53.

sachin007 2009-08-28 21:06

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
http://www.reddit.com/comments/9eyag..._side_by_side/

Bitmap Frogs 2009-08-28 22:29

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Some of you in here like to rag a lot about the iPhone and well, it's expected since it's pretty much the biggest game in town insofar as the new wave of touchscreen smartphones but seriously, it's making an impact because Apple actually got several things right and if the new wave of Maemo devices aspires to achieve similar success they should look at it closely.

Just as an example, legacy support is exemplary. Every iPhone iteration so far has been able to install the yearly revision of the OS and not just the bug fixes, but new features too. Is the Maemo team and Nokia committing to such legacy support? Or I'll need to buy the n910 in a year and the n920 the following year as it's been the case for symbian phones?

gerbick 2009-08-28 22:34

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by sachin007 (Post 317304)
May be you dont like bluetooth. But it has been very well used in the developing countries to send pictures and ringtones from one phone to another. So i would consider it very useful.

And I don't live in a developing country. Bluetooth is insecure - bluesnarfing is heavy in Europe - and above all it is slow as hell. You wish to make it more important than it is because it suits you, so be it.

I'd rather avoid it because I'm not that patient.

Quote:

I am sorry i am not talking about google maps. I am talking about an inbuilt maps application which doesnt need to download data and will work without the cell connection. I understand that tom tom released an app recently. But the advantage with ovi is that you can still browse the maps for free and only routing is paid.
And these precious downloadable maps are updated how frequently?

Exactly. Not for over a year for the N810. Downloadable maps are only as good as how up-to-date they are. And from what I've seen, downloadable maps tend to not be as up to date as a Google Maps iteration time and time again.

Again, justification is all I see here. It's not an advantage you're describing, it's a preference. I prefer my maps to be as up-to-date as possible.

Quote:

Push notifications work for those applications like skype too? I mean how can someone call you on gtalk or skype without your application being open? On my friend's iphone i have to physically open the application and leave it open for me to be visible as online on another computer and the moment i open another application it shows me as logged out.... so how do i call a logged out person?
Because it runs in the background. When I receive a message on BeeJive and I'm on a phone, it tells me what the message is... I switch to BeeJive and use it.

Same for notifications of messages/IM's in Fring and Nimbuzz. It's not multi-tasking as you'll invariably refer back to in the N810 or N900. So instead of centering around that, let's center around what you don't know.

I can, I have, I will receive notifications of messages sent to me when I'm not in an app such as Fring for instance. I will switch to that app, and resume my conversations. And if I miss a phone call to my IPKall account that I use via Nimbuzz or Fring, I will see who's called me, and be able to call them back.

That last part, I particularly do not like. But It does alert me when a phone call is coming in. Is it multi-tasking, we already know that's not the case. But I am not left out of using those apps in a bit of app usability darkness that is so prevalent around here - and so very wrong.

I'm suggesting that you do more research. Your bias is far too easily noticeable.

Quote:

My whole point is about the 3G data. Even the n900 has quadband edge and so it is similar to the iphone 3G in that respect.
And I can't add a few new frequencies to the N900 either. And no mf'n way I'm using EDGE. Again, I'm not in some developing country. I'd rather use 3G over EDGE. I'd rather use wifi over bluetooth. I'd rather use USB2 over bluetooth.

I don't want to use some slow tech because it's popular in Latvia or Liberia. Or because it's so easy to get to via the terminal either. I don't have time.

gerbick 2009-08-28 22:45

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by iamNarada (Post 317416)
This is pretty much the silliest thing I've heard today (it's been a quiet day). The n900 has all 4 GSM bands for voice (850,900,1800,1900), which are the same bands that the Iphone has. Granted, the 3G bands are different. So, you could take the n900 to AT&T, and use it for voice. Note that since the Iphone doesn't have 1700 and doesn't support CDMA, therefore (in the states) the iphone is effectively locked to AT&T in the same manner that you're saying the n900 is locked to T-mobile. They both can be used for voice on other networks, and neither of them can be use another network's 3G (in the states). I want to know why the n900 doesn't have 850MHz and 1900MHz in addition to the 1700.

How is that silly? You want a data phone that can't access the data if you don't use it on T-Mobile.

Pray tell, how the hell would I use the 3G data? Use EDGE?

Now that's silly.

Mara 2009-08-28 22:51

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Well.. I think the 900MHz and 2100MHz cover the most of the world 3G bands except the US... So TMO and AT&T both are to blame on picking some obscure bands. (Or is it FCC?) :rolleyes:

gerbick 2009-08-28 22:56

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Mara (Post 317606)
Well.. I think the 900MHz and 2100MHz cover the most of the world 3G bands except the US... So TMO and AT&T both are to blame on picking some obscure bands. (Or is it FCC?)

It's a rather stupid decision indeed. Heap that into the many stupid decisions by carriers in the US.

I think it's just stupid altogether that they're not all competing on a level playing field, all phones are able to be used by all carriers and stupid stuff like this wouldn't happen at all.

It's downright stupid and frustrating. FCC allows it, the carriers won't compromise. The consumer suffers.

sachin007 2009-08-28 23:08

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by gerbick (Post 317597)
And I don't live in a developing country. Bluetooth is insecure - bluesnarfing is heavy in Europe - and above all it is slow as hell. You wish to make it more important than it is because it suits you, so be it.

I'd rather avoid it because I'm not that patient.

So how do you transfer files between your iphone and a wifi less device? Even the n900 has wifi and you can use wifi to transfer files between two wifi devices. But i am talking about an additional feature which has been blocked by apple deliberately.




And these precious downloadable maps are updated how frequently?

Exactly. Not for over a year for the N810. Downloadable maps are only as good as how up-to-date they are. And from what I've seen, downloadable maps tend to not be as up to date as a Google Maps iteration time and time again.

Again, justification is all I see here. It's not an advantage you're describing, it's a preference. I prefer my maps to be as up-to-date as possible.

Again the n900 can take advantage of google maps. Ovi maps is in addition to google maps. Why is it so hard for you to understand that the n900 already has what you are talking about and my point is that the iphone does not have in built maps without the need for data usage. For example you are in remote area where there is no cellular service just open the maps application instead of using google maps with insane roaming data charges. Again i want to to remind that the n900 has both maemo mapper and also can use the web browser for directions.



Because it runs in the background. When I receive a message on BeeJive and I'm on a phone, it tells me what the message is... I switch to BeeJive and use it.

Same for notifications of messages/IM's in Fring and Nimbuzz. It's not multi-tasking as you'll invariably refer back to in the N810 or N900. So instead of centering around that, let's center around what you don't know.

I can, I have, I will receive notifications of messages sent to me when I'm not in an app such as Fring for instance. I will switch to that app, and resume my conversations. And if I miss a phone call to my IPKall account that I use via Nimbuzz or Fring, I will see who's called me, and be able to call them back.

That last part, I particularly do not like. But It does alert me when a phone call is coming in. Is it multi-tasking, we already know that's not the case. But I am not left out of using those apps in a bit of app usability darkness that is so prevalent around here - and so very wrong.

Again why would you miss a call? The whole point of having those applications is to communicate real time. And seriously what is the point of instant messaging if you have to be notified by some other program and then go back into that program. In the meanwhile you have to stop doing whatever you are doing and open the application, respond to the im and then come back to the application again. Well that indeed is a lot of work for me and i would never do that for Instant messaging. But if you are happy with it then it is great.


I'm suggesting that you do more research. Your bias is far too easily noticeable.



And I can't add a few new frequencies to the N900 either. And no mf'n way I'm using EDGE. Again, I'm not in some developing country. I'd rather use 3G over EDGE. I'd rather use wifi over bluetooth. I'd rather use USB2 over bluetooth.

Seriously how can i explain to you. I dont understand what you are trying to prove. I will try again. The iphone works on 850/1900/2100 bands for 3G access. This is used only by AT&T. Now the n900 uses 900/1700/2100 for 3G access. And both are quadband gsm and edge. SO basically what this means is that the iphone can only use AT&T 3G. Even if you officially unlock it it will never work with T-mobile 3G, and similarly the n900 can only work with T-mobile 3G. Even if you unlock it, you cannot use it for 3G on AT&T. Of course since they overlap in the 2100 band you may get spotty access. But that is going to be very spotty and will differ from one area to another area within a matter of several meters.

So bottom line there is really no advantage here. It just depends on the carrier you prefer. Of course the only advantage right now is that t-mobile's 3G is lagging in comparision to AT&T 3G.


I don't want to use some slow tech because it's popular in Latvia or Liberia. Or because it's so easy to get to via the terminal either. I don't have time.

I understand i am biased to nokia because i have used it much more than the iphone and i like nokia as a company way more than apple. But this is a nokia forum what do you seriously expect?

gerbick 2009-08-28 23:26

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
The way you answer makes it real damn hard to reply to...

Quote:

So how do you transfer files between your iphone and a wifi less device? Even the n900 has wifi and you can use wifi to transfer files between two wifi devices. But i am talking about an additional feature which has been blocked by apple deliberately.
How do you transfer files to a phone without bluetooth transfer? Not all phones support that - this isn't exclusive to the iPhone either. To center around one small *** feature is frustrating as hell.

You want OBEX. Great for you.

Quote:

Again the n900 can take advantage of google maps. Ovi maps is in addition to google maps. Why is it so hard for you to understand that the n900 already has what you are talking about and my point is that the iphone does not have in built maps without the need for data usage. For example you are in remote area where there is no cellular service just open the maps application instead of using google maps with insane roaming data charges. Again i want to to remind that the n900 has both maemo mapper and also can use the web browser for directions
Is it location aware? It's not Google Maps as in google.com/maps - this is an application that pulls in the apps, and layers on top of it location aware tracking, movement - I can see my car move as I drive on the map (dead serious).

Google maps as you're describing on the N900. Can it do that? Can the N900 say "you're here" and then show me routes? No. I have to tell it, via the browser - which I can also do on the iPhone - where I am, and then where I want to go with zero updates as to where I am.

The iPhone Map app does tell me where I am, where I'm going, what is North/South, and directions therein.

I've yet to hit a place without coverage... and I'm in a pretty damn remote area myself. So... until then... I can't answer your question. It would be the same if you're in an area that's a GPS deadspot. They also exist.

Quote:

Seriously how can i explain to you. I dont understand what you are trying to prove. I will try again. The iphone works on 850/1900/2100 bands for 3G access. This is used only by AT&T. Now the n900 uses 900/1700/2100 for 3G access. And both are quadband gsm and edge. SO basically what this means is that the iphone can only use AT&T 3G. Even if you officially unlock it it will never work with T-mobile 3G, and similarly the n900 can only work with T-mobile 3G. Even if you unlock it, you cannot use it for 3G on AT&T. Of course since they overlap in the 2100 band you may get spotty access. But that is going to be very spotty and will differ from one area to another area within a matter of several meters.

So bottom line there is really no advantage here. It just depends on the carrier you prefer. Of course the only advantage right now is that t-mobile's 3G is lagging in comparision to AT&T 3G.
I hate to be rude, but are you being intentionally dense here?

How about this. You're describing voice. I'm describing data. I already know people can hear me on the phone.

I don't think [b]you get what I'm saying[b]... I can't download a damn thing on those frequencies. I'm totally against going to T-Mobile, I can't use the data, nor will I switch to EDGE. I can't get more clear than that. Face it, you are locked into a frequency that nobody else in the US uses but T-Mobile.

AT&T 850/1900/2100
T-Mobile 1700/2100
Sprint 850
Verizon 850

Now... let's see. 3 of them have 850. One has 1700, one has 1900. Two have 2100 - I might be wrong about AT&T rolling out 2100, but I swear they inherited some areas that were 2100 from some dealings with Suncom, who T-Mobile bought a year or so ago.

With that, the overlap is minimum whereas in Europe, it's 1900/2100 for the most part.

Now... with that out there... how in the living hell do I take a phone that's made for only T-Mobile work on the AT&T frequencies when I refuse to (yet another stupid US carrier decision) pay for early disconnect and I'm in an area where T-Mobile coverage is utterly non-existent.

Laughing Man 2009-08-28 23:28

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Because it runs in the background. When I receive a message on BeeJive and I'm on a phone, it tells me what the message is... I switch to BeeJive and use it.

Same for notifications of messages/IM's in Fring and Nimbuzz. It's not multi-tasking as you'll invariably refer back to in the N810 or N900. So instead of centering around that, let's center around what you don't know.

I can, I have, I will receive notifications of messages sent to me when I'm not in an app such as Fring for instance. I will switch to that app, and resume my conversations. And if I miss a phone call to my IPKall account that I use via Nimbuzz or Fring, I will see who's called me, and be able to call them back.

That last part, I particularly do not like. But It does alert me when a phone call is coming in. Is it multi-tasking, we already know that's not the case. But I am not left out of using those apps in a bit of app usability darkness that is so prevalent around here - and so very wrong.
Yeah, with the iPhone it's more of a serial tasking (one task at a time). With notifications, you pause/stop/suspend one task to switch to the other. And then back. Though aren't Push notifications reliant soley on Apple's servers?

There is an advantage towards the n900 in that one. You can continue what you were doing while talking on the phone (I do it all the time on my tablet currently). But saying the iPhone's VOIP is useless is a bit unfair and biased.

Battery life however will be the n900's problem. But I prefer that the user has control over that situation rather than Apple's locking it down style and not giving you a choice in the matter.

Anyway, thanks for the post though, besides the bias :P it does give a handy tear down between the iPhone and the n900.

gerbick 2009-08-28 23:38

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Laughing Man (Post 317633)
Yeah, with the iPhone it's more of a serial tasking (one task at a time). With notifications, you pause/stop/suspend one task to switch to the other. And then back. Though aren't Push notifications reliant soley on Apple's servers?

Serial tasking. That's the word I've been looking for this entire time! Thank you.

And yeah... it's not true multi-tasking and I refuse to buy into it personally. It does "work" but I'm not 100% sure if it uses the Apple or AT&T servers.

Quote:

There is an advantage towards the n900 in that one. You can continue what you were doing while talking on the phone (I do it all the time on my tablet currently). But saying the iPhone's VOIP is useless is a bit unfair and biased.
No doubt. I was just using my tablet while out, got a phone call via Fring, answered it, was still surfing the web et al. The iPhone won't do any of that... thus my interest in the N900 - I just want to use the forward camera too!

Quote:

Battery life however will be the n900's problem. But I prefer that the user has control over that situation rather than Apple's locking it down style and not giving you a choice in the matter.
I'll have to default to hardware mostly people, like GA or the likes. I'm willing to bet it won't be as battery hungry as people fear. But I'd keep a battery charger nearby though.

And for the record... allow me to say that despite owning an iPhone, I'm not enamored nor a fanboy. I can tell you the faults of it left and right...

sachin007 2009-08-28 23:38

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by gerbick (Post 317631)
The way you answer makes it real damn hard to reply to...



How do you transfer files to a phone without bluetooth transfer? Not all phones support that - this isn't exclusive to the iPhone either. To center around one small *** feature is frustrating as hell.

You want OBEX. Great for you.



Is it location aware? It's not Google Maps as in google.com/maps - this is an application that pulls in the apps, and layers on top of it location aware tracking, movement - I can see my car move as I drive on the map (dead serious).

Google maps as you're describing on the N900. Can it do that? Can the N900 say "you're here" and then show me routes? No. I have to tell it, via the browser - which I can also do on the iPhone - where I am, and then where I want to go with zero updates as to where I am.

The iPhone Map app does tell me where I am, where I'm going, what is North/South, and directions therein.

I've yet to hit a place without coverage... and I'm in a pretty damn remote area myself. So... until then... I can't answer your question. It would be the same if you're in an area that's a GPS deadspot. They also exist.



I hate to be rude, but are you being intentionally dense here?

How about this. You're describing voice. I'm describing data. I already know people can hear me on the phone.

I don't think [b]you get what I'm saying[b]... I can't download a damn thing on those frequencies. I'm totally against going to T-Mobile, I can't use the data, nor will I switch to EDGE. I can't get more clear than that. Face it, you are locked into a frequency that nobody else in the US uses but T-Mobile.

AT&T 850/1900/2100
T-Mobile 1700/2100
Sprint 850
Verizon 850

Now... let's see. 3 of them have 850. One has 1700, one has 1900. Two have 2100 - I might be wrong about AT&T rolling out 2100, but I swear they inherited some areas that were 2100 from some dealings with Suncom, who T-Mobile bought a year or so ago.

With that, the overlap is minimum whereas in Europe, it's 1900/2100 for the most part.

Now... with that out there... how in the living hell do I take a phone that's made for only T-Mobile work on the AT&T frequencies when I refuse to (yet another stupid US carrier decision) pay for early disconnect and I'm in an area where T-Mobile coverage is utterly non-existent.

Yes i want OBEX. It is an additional feature and i will use and so will millions of users.

Regarding google maps. I have a nokia n95-8gb and i use google maps a lot. This app is same as the one you use on the iphone. Since this is a google application i would expect google to port it soon. I also have nokia maps on my n95 and it has locations specific search with navigation. I got the 6 month subscription free which includes voice commands too. So i assume that is the same port for the n900. Now this is significantly different from the wayfinder application which does not have network access. So yes nokia maps is location aware.

Please correct me if i am wrong but i have always thought that cdma uses different technology compared to gsm. If that is true then there is no point talking about sprint and verizon which are both CDMA.

I understand that your area does not have t-mobile coverage and i feel for you, but some areas have better t-mobile coverage. So it is a matter of choice.

Laughing Man 2009-08-28 23:50

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by gerbick (Post 317639)
And for the record... allow me to say that despite owning an iPhone, I'm not enamored nor a fanboy. I can tell you the faults of it left and right...

Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean you. The last part of my post was directed towards the topic creator. I should've clarified that better.

gerbick 2009-08-29 00:23

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Laughing Man (Post 317651)
Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean you. The last part of my post was directed towards the topic creator. I should've clarified that better.

Oh. I didn't take it like you meant me. I was merely stating that I'm neutral about either, just answering questions where I saw some prior wrongs.

gerbick 2009-08-29 00:26

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by sachin007 (Post 317618)
I understand i am biased to nokia because i have used it much more than the iphone and i like nokia as a company way more than apple. But this is a nokia forum what do you seriously expect?

I expect facts. And I don't expect opinions and preferences to be stated like facts. State them as opinions and preferences...

christexaport 2009-08-29 00:47

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by allnameswereout (Post 317372)
Oh and you lack App Store framework for micro payments and developers traditionally don't get paid in Maemo community. So it requires technical and cultural/moral changes.

With Nokia Money, I believe the payment system can be easily implemented.

daveb70 2009-08-29 00:50

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by jsmanrique (Post 317016)
What about 10Mbps download HSDPA on N900 vs 7Mbps on iphone?;)

These are theoretical limits/caps in the current gen technology (and yet I believe some carriers have been testing beyond these here and there for eventual release- of course your hardware has to support it to be useful), highly unlikely to be achieved once much less all the time on either device. And as others have pointed out, Tmo's 3G coverage has been the weakest thus far- in both initial growth, real-world download speeds, and major market coverage. A lot of their cities they cite to pump numbers aren't nearly as big as other cities that are completely void of Tmo 3G. Go figure.

I want my, I want my, I want my LTE.

christexaport 2009-08-29 01:01

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by gerbick (Post 317631)
How do you transfer files to a phone without bluetooth transfer? Not all phones support that

Since 2003, most phones have had this feature, even feature phones. Every Motorola, HTC, Sony Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung feature and smartphone support OBEX push. I think expecting it from a $699 "premium" smart featurephone isn't too much to ask.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerbick (Post 317631)
Is it location aware? It's not Google Maps as in google.com/maps - this is an application that pulls in the apps, and layers on top of it location aware tracking, movement - I can see my car move as I drive on the map (dead serious).

Wow! Just like..every other GPS enabled phone running Google Maps. Now tell me this. What good is a navigation app if it won't work when you're lost away from the cell network?

Ovi Maps requires no network connection, and is owned by Nokia, which owns Navteq, the world's best map data provider, and much better than TeleAtlas, which Google must pay for its data, and which may not always be up to date. Ovi Maps is yards better, with support for navigation inside architectural landmarks comng soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerbick (Post 317631)
Google maps as you're describing on the N900. Can it do that? Can the N900 say "you're here" and then show me routes? No. I have to tell it, via the browser - which I can also do on the iPhone - where I am, and then where I want to go with zero updates as to where I am.

Not sure Google Maps is made for Ovi as a download yet, but with Ovi, who needs it?
Quote:

Originally Posted by gerbick (Post 317631)
I might be wrong about AT&T rolling out 2100, but I swear they inherited some areas that were 2100 from some dealings with Suncom, who T-Mobile bought a year or so ago.

They bought some AWS frequency to keep TMobile from having continuous bandwidth and try to force them to try to trade for some 850 and 1800 bandwidth, but it didn't work. at&t refuses to use its AWS signal, just squatting on the publics resources...

Ive written extensively about that on Symbian Freak

gerbick 2009-08-29 01:02

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by daveb70 (Post 317691)
I want my, I want my, I want my LTE.

Here we 100% agree.

christexaport 2009-08-29 01:04

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by daveb70 (Post 317691)
These are theoretical limits/caps in the current gen technology (and yet I believe some carriers have been testing beyond these here and there for eventual release- of course your hardware has to support it to be useful), highly unlikely to be achieved once much less all the time on either device. And as others have pointed out, Tmo's 3G coverage has been the weakest thus far- in both initial growth, real-world download speeds, and major market coverage. A lot of their cities they cite to pump numbers aren't nearly as big as other cities that are completely void of Tmo 3G. Go figure.

I want my, I want my, I want my LTE.

This isn't very accurate the way you imply it. Tmobile's speeds are consistent because TMo has ratcheted the network to build in for capacity issues. As it matures and gets more users, it will allow for more speed up. Its in safe mode right now, but consistent, high quality, reliable, and nothing like at&t, accordng to jdpowers. It takes time to launch a city, and alot of that is the fcc's fault for releasing the spectrum.

daveb70 2009-08-29 01:09

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Bitmap Frogs (Post 317596)
Some of you in here like to rag a lot about the iPhone and well, it's expected since it's pretty much the biggest game in town insofar as the new wave of touchscreen smartphones but seriously, it's making an impact because Apple actually got several things right and if the new wave of Maemo devices aspires to achieve similar success they should look at it closely.

Just as an example, legacy support is exemplary. Every iPhone iteration so far has been able to install the yearly revision of the OS and not just the bug fixes, but new features too. Is the Maemo team and Nokia committing to such legacy support? Or I'll need to buy the n910 in a year and the n920 the following year as it's been the case for symbian phones?

Well, we can all (hopefully) agree that the 770 and 8xx series are a far cry hardware-wise from the N900. Perhaps, to help those complaining about the new ARM not being clocked high enough, over the course of the next year or two the power drain/heat/stability issues for that core can be worked out and we'll see a 910 or 920 with faster clocks that will indeed retain compatibility as the core hardware will remain the same, possibly some flash memory boost (I don't know what the limit is on the new ARM). This will allow development of Maemo to continue on said 920 device and once it is polished and ready for release, the 920 can have the new code out of the box (a la 3GS) and at the same time or nearly so, current 910/900 owners can update their firmware to match.

The bottom line is, it's a choice-buy it, don't buy it. If Nokia jacks around and people get frustrated enough, elements will fail and they'll learn a hard and painful lesson. If they try and make everyone happy, we'd never see a new Maemo device. They have to make choices too; r&d takes time and money and those neck-breathers are relentless. Time will tell if they are able to please everyone by way of a broader Maemo lineup.

Oh, and despite being anti-Red Fruit since I heard of them in the 80s, I agree and admit to their successes with the iPhoney. I'll never own one, but they obviously did more than one thing right. (my colleagues had dropped jaws when I admitted admiration for Red Fruit's market-sucking performance the past few years.)

gerbick 2009-08-29 01:22

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by christexaport (Post 317694)
Since 2003, most phones have had this feature, even feature phones. Every Motorola, HTC, Sony Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung feature and smartphone support OBEX push. I think expecting it from a $699 "premium" smart featurephone isn't too much to ask.

Palm Pre doesn't support OBEX.

Quote:

Wow! Just like..every other GPS enabled phone running Google Maps. Now tell me this. What good is a navigation app if it won't work when you're lost away from the cell network?
I've yet to be out of my cell network - and I've traveled 49 out of 50 US states. Mind you, when I'm out of area, I tend to know where I'm going anyway.

Quote:

Ovi Maps requires no network connection, and is owned by Nokia, which owns Navteq, the world's best map data provider, and much better than TeleAtlas, which Google must pay for its data, and which may not always be up to date. Ovi Maps is yards better, with support for navigation inside architectural landmarks comng soon.
Too bad Wayfinder isn't the same as Navteq because Wayfinder on the N810 basically sucked.

Quote:

Not sure Google Maps is made for Ovi as a download yet, but with Ovi, who needs it?
On your platform of choice, you have Navteq and whatever Ovi will hopefully deliver. On the iPhone, it's there (Google Maps) by default and other options exist.

Architengi 2009-08-29 01:40

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by ColdFusion (Post 316158)
For those that can't load the video on maemo.nokia.com here it's on vimeo:

http://www.vimeo.com/6296297


Nice device. I want one!

nhanquy 2009-08-29 02:10

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by skatebiker (Post 317002)
... and lower price. An unlocked iPhone costs Eur 800 and an N900 Eur 600.

holy mackerel ! Eur 600 ?

best price still: N800 !

barry99705 2009-08-29 02:11

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by gerbick (Post 317701)
I've yet to be out of my cell network - and I've traveled 49 out of 50 US states. Mind you, when I'm out of area, I tend to know where I'm going anyway.

If that 50th state gets really cold, then you'll have a hard time getting lost as long as you stay on the road, there's only 4 highways. Though knowing which way is what can get tricky sometimes.

slha89 2009-08-29 14:25

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by sachin007 (Post 316980)
I dont have an iphone...Thanks

But you compare things you don't own together? I think N900 looks promising, it looks like the PIM apps are the ones I really really miss on the N810 and video playback capabilities.

Now I own an iPhone since 1 year and NEVER looked back to N810. I look back to the camera from my N82, that's it. With my 3GS it doesn't hurt so much.

After a year I must say: Apple doens't have all features and it's not "open", but everything works as expected. This is one huge plus over technical data.

I never miss changing batteries or OBEX transfers (I have WiFI).

One other thing is the integration with my desktop. It's feels it's the mobile version of my desktop. There are so few times I really miss my desktop. iPhone can do everything I REALLY need on-the-go.

I don't need 1000 features implemented 3/4 to release I COULD do if I want or hack this or that. I need 100 mobile features which works very easy.

Ok, one point is lack of multitasking for Skype. But I don't Skype that much or do oversea calls or need the feature I could do oversea Skype calls if I want. Skype ates a look battery on the N810 (for a good voice quality I must powered off power saving in Skype app) and it ates battery on the iPhone.

And I don't need a lot of phone features on the go. I need an internet tablet with exchange features which works.

Now I'm happy with iPhone since one year and maybe N900 becomes a gadget / 2nd phone, because N900 is what I expected on my N810.

volt 2009-08-30 01:04

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by allnameswereout (Post 317355)
(...) I contributed as well.
(...)
Ah, yeah, you compare with a non jailbroken iPhone (why?)

I thank you for your contributions.

Question. Apple is trying their best to make it (more of) a crime to jailbreak their phones. Why would one want to compare a stock Nokia with a jailbroken Iphone?

To me, that's kinda like saying that an Acer that comes with Photoshop can be compared to a Lenovo that has access to The Pirate Bay.

The Iphone isn't ment to be jailbroken, Apple works against it, it's against the user agreement and they want to brand you as a terrorist for jailbreaking the phone... Some jailbroken phones have had side effects with being denied upgrades, if I remember correctly...

And the Nokia could always get access to a whole lot other stash by doing stuff to it, too, like installing stuff like EasyDeb. But that, and what follows (like OpenOffice) is also not something we should add to the brag list - unless we want to add the feature "EasyDeb can be installed".

Really, I think stuff you need to breach the user agreement to do, comes with a bit of bitter taste.

Now, all of this is personal opinions and as such, I understand and respect that jailbreaking is more or less required to get the best out of an Iphone.

But jailbreaking isn't a feature, it's a crime. According to Apple.

ysss 2009-08-30 03:04

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Jailbreaking an iPhone is just like breaking the warranty seal of your device to get extra mileage out of it. What Apple says in their PR campaign to appease their developer community doesn't have much bearing on me. Apple have made claims (following RIAA) that pirating aids drug dealers (??) and terrorists (????), but no one is going to get sued for jailbreaking their iPhones and if they ever need to claim the warranty on their iPhones, jailbreaking is completely reversible.

What this practically means for iPhone user is that they get the best of both worlds. They get community created apps and still get all the content from developers that require DRM protection. Yes, certain premium contents requires DRM before the developers will even consider making the app available for said platform. I think this'll be obvious in time when we compare the apps available for maemo vs the iphone.

PS: You can even enable multitasking capability by running community created utility (backgrounder).

izzox 2009-08-30 05:13

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Is it late to ask Nokia to make java and symbians applications workin on the N900? it could help us to use more applications.

gerbick 2009-08-30 05:16

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by volt (Post 318119)
Question. Apple is trying their best to make it (more of) a crime to jailbreak their phones. Why would one want to compare a stock Nokia with a jailbroken Iphone?

I don't like how Apple and AT&T have made jailbreaking your iPhone a crime. I dislike it and disagree with it fully. And I'm one of the few iPhone users that have never asked for a moment of support. So I should be able to do anything I wish to my phone.

Quote:

The Iphone isn't ment to be jailbroken, Apple works against it, it's against the user agreement and they want to brand you as a terrorist for jailbreaking the phone... Some jailbroken phones have had side effects with being denied upgrades, if I remember correctly...
Bingo. But because it's not supposed to be done doesn't mean it shouldn't be.

Jailbroken phones are typically denied upgrades; however the scene supplies the updates rather quickly. I'm just not a fan of being told what to do on my item I've purchased.

That's why I wanted a N900 somewhat, but that T-Mobile frequency is the limiting factor.

Quote:

But jailbreaking isn't a feature, it's a crime. According to Apple.
And I disagree with them.

imperiallight 2009-08-30 05:33

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

5) Many people own iPhone 3G instead of iPhone 3GS. The iPhone 3GS is not a big upgrade compared to iPhone 3G, while the N900 will provide far better performance than iPhone 3G.
It has to be the most disappointing highly anticipated release I have seen in my life (3GS). I had most features on my JB iphone anyway.

gerbick 2009-08-30 06:51

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
You know... performance is brought up time and time again as a positive; however I hope the apps come forward and have the things that people want.

Video chat? Not shown so far - Skype won't have it. Location aware? It did make it, it seems... but will all apps (or most) be location aware?

Sorta takes me back to BeOS. 64-bit file system journaling, made for media from the ground up, made the PowerPC 604 actually scream whereas nothing else really did.

And yet, the fact it had no compelling apps for it other than the ones that came from BeOS and Gobi... it faltered. Well that and a healthy dose of Apple switching directions to BSD/NextStep surprising BeOS... but that aside.

It was pretty damn superior to everything out at the time, yet it had no apps that compelled people to get it, use it. And that's a potential problem I see with the N900. Only because I see how the N810 went down.

Not a lot of apps were updated. Not a lot of commercial apps came out for it. And as it stands, the community has yet to create a video chat app - outside of aMSN - that really was reliable enough for me to champion.

Now... with this talk about the iPhone, let me say this as an original iPhone and iPhone 3G owner... the 3GS should be seen by Nokia as a way to really stick it to the competition. The 3GS is a money grab. It's a disappointment because the rumors were better than the reality. Simply put, Apple got lazy. There could have been so much more potential - even a new look... and all of it centered around a slightly faster processor, a slightly better OS... but same look, perhaps a rather usable compass... and full 3D specs that will cause a slight rift in a bit (look for 3GS only games in a bit).

Now... with that said. the iPhone has fun, funky, stupid and some are downright deplorable. But with the advertisements stating "there's an app for this/that"... Apple is proving that marketing can make more strides than sheer technical awesomeness. A situation where the mediocre will come out on top.

Why? All of the bickering about "Which shell will it have?" or "Why isn't there a pipe key on the keyboard?" or even "Can I compile GCC on it?" (all of these are hyperboles, so treat them as such) don't exactly endear this platform to the masses.

And the masses, if they come... will ensure that commercial apps, or even support from those initial commercial apps (Skype, Gizmo, RTComm, Pidgin, et al) will continue and the better platform is not left behind.

I'm sure Nokia has this covered. But as far as it goes... seeing how the technically better product doesn't always mean a sure-win... I'm officially concerned. Very concerned.

And the majority of this site; forgive me... y'all are pretty damn niche for the most part. OpenMoko didn't survive due to its niche market. Zaurus (outside of Japan) had only a niche market... and it didn't survive. The aforementioned BeOS... while technically superior and it took some 10 years for some things to show up in other competing systems... it died too.

The 3GS release allowed the N900 to gain ground. I hope - no... I think that Nokia will take advantage of it. But as it stands, the marketing needs to be better than it ever was on the N810/N800. Which sounds simple - it's a phone now.

But it's not. A Linux based OS without any prior iterations of apps that were truly compelling to those outside of this community is a steep hill to climb.

Sorry for this long "rant", just came from the most interesting conversation with a bunch of commercial (read: non-technical) iPhone owners. I whipped out my N810... and confused the living hell out of them. It just... well, in their words "If that was also in a phone, I'd want it. But it'd take a bit of an investment to learn it fully..."

And that, my friends... is a concern of mine. The iPhone "just works"... sure it's locked down, Apple keeps it way too damn closed. But it "works". I don't have to add Application Catalogs for it. Not that I personally don't mind, but to see enthusiasm go to sheer terror in a few moments once they had to open up a terminal or installing something might include more than two steps.

I feel better with that out. Feel free to flame me. I just hope Nokia does well... and hopefully, they're listening.

sachin007 2009-08-30 07:14

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
I understand about your pessimism regarding apps. Let us see what apple had that made so many apps to be ported:

1. Easy to use interface
2. App store
3. Good Hardware
4. New OS and single form factor
5. Apple brand name

Now let us see nokia. Please dont compare earlier apps to maemo 5 because even though the platform is the same maemo 5 is for the masses.

1. From the user interface it looks like the UI is very easy to use. Of course the only problem is that unlike apple everything is so customizable that iphone users may be confused in the start... but i assume will get the hang of it if they can stay a little long.

2. Nokia already has app store. Nokia's policies will be way better than apple.

3. N900 has the best hardware.... there is no question about it.

4. Maemo 5 is a brand new OS for nokia unlike symbian which was just scaled for touch screens. And there are no variants like the symbian. This takes out a lot of varaibility within the applications in comparision to symbian apps. There are 100s of phone models using different symbian os with different packs and firmwares. The n900 atleast initially will be the only one and we know meamo will be on touch screens only. So less confusion and more usability

5. Apple's brand name is a bid advantage especially among the fan boys. Nokia cannot compete with apple with brand name atleast in the US.

Let us see what will happen..... time will tell.

gerbick 2009-08-30 07:39

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
I personally think you're overlooking the SDK and the ease of developing for that platform.

I'm not pessimistic, I'm rather hopeful yet concerned.

And besides, in the realm of phones, who's bigger than Nokia?

The best hardware does not always win.

jakiman 2009-08-31 02:04

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by gerbick (Post 318202)
The best hardware does not always win.

That's true. But is N900 really supposed to compete with iPhone?
It's like comparing Windows and Linux and saying can Linux win.

iPhone is for the masses. N900 can be but it's not.
Nokia makes like 50 different models. Apple = just one.

I think this N900 should be more compared to HTC / Sony Xperia.

When I got the N95 8GB, it was great. Very customizable, very "computer" like.
Tons and tons of 3rd party apps available and did nearly everything I wanted.
But it wasn't something I would get for my wife or my mum etc.
I'll tell them to get an iPhone coz it's nicer and MUCH simpler.

But with this N900, it's a bit different.
Seems it's much 'nicer'. Nearly iPhone-like easy also.
Maybe finally, Nokia made something which apeal to both.

Laughing Man 2009-08-31 02:07

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by ysss (Post 318149)

PS: You can even enable multitasking capability by running community created utility (backgrounder).

Eh, I was looking at that when considering the iPhone (though the AT&T's huge plan costs is a big negative.. it's 70 a month!). But backgrounder is very instable and crash prone it seems.

christexaport 2009-08-31 02:16

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Said gerbick:
"Palm Pre doesn't support OBEX."

Of all the devices out, you mention the newest one with the newest OS? How long before you think Palm supports it? Three years?? Besides the Pre, what phone, smart or feature, over $275, doesn't have OBEX push?

Gerbick said in response to my assessment of Google Maps' lack of offline data:
"I've yet to be out of my cell network - and I've traveled 49 out of 50 US states. Mind you, when I'm out of area, I tend to know where I'm going anyway."

Ok, but a navigator is mainly for when you get lost. And what do you tell the Indian farmer is the remote village where there is no data service? He had a Tom Tom for navigation, but wants a smartphone. Should he get an iPhone or a Symbian/Maemo one with offline map data? If you rarely travel outside of civilized or networked areas, do you even need mapping software?

You make many excuses for Apple, but were you stuck in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, with no cellular service for miles, you'd see the superiority of the more flexible platform. Like the guy on HGTV's "Real Estate Intervention" says,"I think you will make any excuse for your [device], but you have to admit, this [Nokia device] is better equipped and worth more than yours."


Gerbick said:
"Too bad Wayfinder isn't the same as Navteq because Wayfinder on the N810 basically sucked."

Wayfinder sucked period. Navteq isn't an app, by the way, but a map data company. They make the maps many companies use for maps and programs. It's owned by Nokia, and most companies pay them for that data to make their maps. If a map app has Navteq maps, they're usually the best, much better than Google's.


Gerbick said:
"On your platform of choice, you have Navteq and whatever Ovi will hopefully deliver. On the iPhone, it's there (Google Maps) by default and other options exist."

We all know that. You see an app that's free to download on every device that supports installing apps as a selling point? Ovi Maps vs. Google Maps is no contest! And much more options existed for Symbian, and will for Ovi as well. The fact is that Apple lags on navigation features. But the iPhans call it a computer??

gerbick 2009-08-31 03:40

Re: N900 vs Iphone.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by christexaport (Post 318553)
Said gerbick:
"Palm Pre doesn't support OBEX."

Of all the devices out, you mention the newest one with the newest OS? How long before you think Palm supports it? Three years?? Besides the Pre, what phone, smart or feature, over $275, doesn't have OBEX push?

I chose that one for a singular purpose. They didn't support it for a reason in the initial release. I won't even start to guess why they didn't... so you have two modern OS on popular phones that don't support something that's... well, wanted by you and not on those two mainstream phones.

Reason all you want, they had a reason for not including OBEX. Could possibly be the stupidest reason ever.

Quote:

Gerbick said in response to my assessment of Google Maps' lack of offline data:
"I've yet to be out of my cell network - and I've traveled 49 out of 50 US states. Mind you, when I'm out of area, I tend to know where I'm going anyway."

Ok, but a navigator is mainly for when you get lost. And what do you tell the Indian farmer is the remote village where there is no data service? He had a Tom Tom for navigation, but wants a smartphone. Should he get an iPhone or a Symbian/Maemo one with offline map data? If you rarely travel outside of civilized or networked areas, do you even need mapping software?
ahem. 49 states. I travel a lot. And some of these areas, are rather remote.

I still don't escape my cellphone coverage nor places where I just can't figure out where I'm going. I'm not your typical case.

Quote:

You make many excuses for Apple, but were you stuck in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, with no cellular service for miles, you'd see the superiority of the more flexible platform. Like the guy on HGTV's "Real Estate Intervention" says,"I think you will make any excuse for your [device], but you have to admit, this [Nokia device] is better equipped and worth more than yours."
I make no excuses for Apple. And I don't see jack crap that a "superior" open platform brings to the table either.

Apple sucks. I don't get where you'd think otherwise. Nokia didn't deliver on the 770, N800 nor N810 in these so-called "superior" areas in communication nor mapping. Not a damn thing.

Stop hyping what's not there. Once it gets there and is even better, I'll do you one better... I'll actually use it.

Seriously don't know where the hell you're getting your ideas from dude. I've not big-upped Apple at all. And don't get me started in on AT&T.

Quote:

Gerbick said:
"Too bad Wayfinder isn't the same as Navteq because Wayfinder on the N810 basically sucked."

Wayfinder sucked period. Navteq isn't an app, by the way, but a map data company. They make the maps many companies use for maps and programs. It's owned by Nokia, and most companies pay them for that data to make their maps. If a map app has Navteq maps, they're usually the best, much better than Google's.
Better is opinion. Your opinion. I'm always looking for better, but with what I've seen, Nokia has yet to deliver. I'm waiting to see.

Quote:

Gerbick said:
"On your platform of choice, you have Navteq and whatever Ovi will hopefully deliver. On the iPhone, it's there (Google Maps) by default and other options exist."

We all know that. You see an app that's free to download on every device that supports installing apps as a selling point? Ovi Maps vs. Google Maps is no contest! And much more options existed for Symbian, and will for Ovi as well. The fact is that Apple lags on navigation features. But the iPhans call it a computer??
iPhone isn't a computer. It's a money grab. I said that a few posts back too.

Seriously, you got a chip on your shoulder while addressing me that doesn't even need to be there.

Later.


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