Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

Is there something like an owned section of the Wiki where new versions of this could be posted permanently? The reason I specify owned is that I think that not just anyone can be trusted to handle this issue judiciously, as etuoyo is doing, so I would like someone like him controlling new entries, not some pro-Nokia hothead.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

you can assign numbers for cell, cell(home), cell(work),phone, phone(home), and phone(work).

you can't edit the titles though. but you can assign your sister's blackberry to "cell(work)". I'm assuming it is a work phone

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

i admit the n900 has its problems but i couldn't live without it.
i only have the issue with the media player widget play button not working and nothing i do will solve it

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

ye it has its problems but i LOVE IT. work around them dude. just installed the pythn script to manually focus and turn on/off the red/white light during video/photo moments. wow

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

This is not entirely true... There are two options for turn-by-turn maps, one is free (Maemo Mapper) and the other is pay (Sygic). I noted this in my sister thread in the top post. The gripe on OVI maps is totally valid still, but you may just want to say you need to find alternate solutions since the built in nav program is not useful. :)


This is actually a power-save feature, where widgets don't update while the screen is off to save power on the device. Not all widgets behave this way. Some that do this power save trick shouldn't (like the clock) and some that don't should (the Facebook widget for example until it was fixed in PR 1.1.1).

The screen redraw happens within a second usually, but I do see a valid complaint here, especially for status-bar icons and the clock. Those should update regardless of screen status, since they don't update often (they're not usually animated), and people rely on seeing them instantly to know the device status after a quick flick-on.


Portrait mode is handled on an app by app basis, even for Nokia based apps. PR 1.2 is going to expand the number of Nokia based apps that support portrait mode, but by default any app on the phone can use the existing APIs to detect and trigger portrait mode. An example of an early adopter of this was Xornal, which has had portrait mode since before PR 1.1 came out.

This is the way the device was designed, having a hardware keyboard. Just like most apps for the iPhone don't work in landscape mode (try it some time, only some apps support tilting), most don't support portrait on the N900. A key difference is that most of the vendor supplied apps on the iPhone do support tilt, while most on the N900 don't.

I can browse the OVI store on the N900 just fine if I go to the store via the standard browser. There's a link on the desktop that ships with the device that doesn't work, but just going to the store works fine. If you click on items while browsing from the store the link loads the App Manager and begins the app install process rather seamlessly. This is how I've installed all my OVI store apps. I didn't even know about the SMS option until you pointed it out. :)

The problem with tags and the like is that there is no one set standard out there to follow. Some program add art tags with JPEG images, some with PNG, some with GIF, some with proprietary formats.... and it's not clear from the tag which method is used in most cases. I've had similar issues with compilation CDs with "various artists" on Sansa players that list by tag vs by file name. I would like to see an option in the media player to sort by file/folder name though, that would be nice.

As for media playback, I've seen very little in the way of stuttering or problems, initially or otherwise. I've gotten texts or calls while the media is playing and seen it stutter then, but I can't say I blame it in that case. Putting the device in "airplane mode" while doing playback will fix such issues, but then you're "off-line". I've yet to see a device handle taking a text or a call gracefully while playing back media though, even iPhones stutter when that happens.

I have to disagree with this. My default media manager (a generic windows based pod-cast program) has no issues syncing with the N900. I point it to a folder on a mapped drive, and it works just fine. Any tool that can sync with a Sansa media player, or a file-based player that looks like a media stick will have no issues syncing with the N900. iTunes doesn't sync well with anything but iDevices, since that's it's target audience. iPhone can't sync with Google calendars, where my N900 can... Am I surprised? No. I don't expect companies to write their programs to play nicely with competitors products.

As for generic syncing, I sync my N900 with Google and with my office Outlook (via Nokia's free PC Suite) and it syncs contacts and calendars pretty seamlessly.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

I don't know if the OP mentioned it, but you can't adjust the volume when listening to music unless you unlock the phone. That's with the current official firmware. If you have the RC of PR 1.2, then you can do it. I found that out today.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

The OP needs to correct the sync issue. There is GoGadget for mac and pc, pc suite for pc and nokia multimedia transfer for mac

nokia multimedia transfer syncs with itunes and iphoto

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

factoids:

- iTunes sync calendar, contacts, notes, todos, email preferences, apps, music, videos, subscribed podcasts, audiobooks, ebooks.... but no, it doesn't sink the kitchensync.

- GoGadget is $19.95.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

it is issue with software and hardware. those two (linux & hw) not playing along causes the reboots (https://supportforums.motorola.com/t...86278855.node0). if I was you, I'd try to get the device switched to another.

and I am talking about bug #6334 now. not sure what the situation with proc/bootreason: sw-rst is...

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

Okay what word would you like me to replace Issues with in the Heading? It is meant to be a comprehensive list of all possible negatives on the N900 so a potential buyer can see all the annoyances, major hardware defaults, minor software defaults, major software default. It then helps them to make an informed decision. On that basis it is not a question of deleting any of those things. Amending the heading is possibly the more appropriate thing so any suggestions will be appreciated.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

i read to page 5 then skippped the rest , since it was getting kinda repeating ...
one issue maybe missed by many , is the BT , the device seems to refuse to connect to many BT headsets . i had a nokia BT ( dont remmeber model ) it was working with my N82 , i checked the nokia site for combatibelity and it was listed as cobitable with the N900 but it refused to work . i got a samsung stereo bt headset and it works just fine .
the issues refering to the phone app , call log and mms support , where kinda " known " cause the n900 was oriented more toward a Tablet with phone call support . althought im not 100% satisfide with the phone features and there is a lot o potential for improvments , the thing that annoise me is the " small screen " , i love the flash support etc but the screens doent help in that section.
as for the mp3 tags etc , it is nice to have the tags shown etc but its not a major thing ..

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

One major thing, that was a big disappointment for me, is missing SIM toolkit support. So no SIM apps on N900, which cripples internet banking here a lot. When I bought mine, I did not know that phones without SIM TK support exist anymore, it is a feature present on very old models, not even smartphones.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

Thanks have edited it in (though I have no idea what it means). Have seen that issue mentioned a few times during my time here. Have a look to see if it covers the issue adequately. It is number 14 on the list. Maybe we could add the country you are based as an example of affected territories.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

I'm just seeing "mission creep" here, which is a common problem in these "common issue" threads.

They quickly devolve into "list of ways the n900 isn't a (Symbian | iPhone | Android) phone.

You could start the list with this notice

PART OF EDUCATING YOURSELF BEFORE PURCHASE IS TO READ THE PRODUCT SPEC HERE (with a link) FOR THE FULL LIST OF FEATURES THE PRODUCT CLAIMS IT HAS. THE LIST BELOW ENUMERATES ISSUES WITH THOSE CLAIMED FEATURES. IF YOU WANT A FEATURE THAT IS NOT ON THIS LIST, BUT IS ON A (Symbian | iPhone | Android) PHONE, THEN YOU NOW KNOW THAT FEATURE IS NOT AVAILABLE ON THIS PHONE, AND HAVE EDUCATED YOURSELF. IF SAID FEATURE IS CRITICAL TO YOUR USE/ENJOYMENT OF THE PHONE, THEN YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO CONSIDER THE N900.

That will eliminate about half of the "issues" that follow.

Otherwise, you're just whining about stuff you wish was there, but wasn't and was never claimed to be there. As this list is supposedly to educate a potential buyer to HIDDEN issues, not features that differ from (Symbian | iPhone | Android) phones, it keeps the list on target and also keeps the discussion from devolving into a whine-fest.

You could make a second section of "STUFF YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT BY COMPARING FEATURE TABLES TO OTHER PHONES, BUT IN CASE YOU CAN'T WE HAVE SUMMARIZED THEM HERE" that lists all the ways that Maemo Is Not Symbain, iPhone, or Android OS.

I just suggest you keep to your original mission, which was great.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

I did read most of the thread and searched for AT&T and ATT before posting this.

I think people in the U.S. should be aware that the hardware does not support AT&T's 3G frequencies. This is knowable by a careful (and I do mean careful) reading of the specs but some people might be surprised when they by the phone. I find that the 2G support is not so bad and is able to keep up with most internet radio streams for instance (I generally don't stream video to the device). But nonetheless, it could come as a surprise.

Fred

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

I think your description is ok. I'm from Estonia, we have a system called "Mobiil ID" (Mobile ID), which is used by a number of internet services (public institutions, e-banks, etc.) to authenticate people. Part of it is a sim application on a sim card. It does not work without sim toolkit support in the phone.

@schettj
Comparing the spec sheets ... the sim tk support is almost universal, you may find it there, but more likely it is not mentioned even when the device supports it.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

On schettj's suggestion I have broken this down into Issues and Annoyances. Issues will cover more significant issues and possible annoyances will try to cover things that some may consider to be nothing but are important for others. An example would be the lack of custom ringtone which many don't care about but is a big deal for me. Both categories though will still try to list all the things people would take into account when buying a phone but will not necessarily be able to find out from reviews. For example I have read three lenghty HTC Desire reviews and don't know the answer to many of the things I consider important. All I can tell is it is smooth and can be customized alot but I can't tell how much.

Something like the media player widget not working may not be a big deal at all but I have put it in issues because well it shows a general lack of care and attention to detail from Nokia towards their product. You may or may not agree with me but can't think of any other big phone company creating a widget that does not work.

Input would be appreciated on any items that should be moved from issues to annoyances and vice versa.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

Problem is the product list wouldn't list every single thing the phone has though. For example, the N97 may not necessarily say you can have custom ringtones per contact or other such things which are totally insignificant for some and major for others.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

This is fine. If it's not apparent from the feature list, or manual, or user guide, great - put it here. If you're just pointing out something that is (or is not) in the feature list, then I think you're missing your goal of "issues for potential buyers"

The thing I see *most* often with people who are violently unhappy with their n900 purchase is the "I assumed it had feature/function X" where there was no reasonably expectation you would actually assume that at all, if you had spent 10 minutes browsing the product page.

I agree there are some things that you'd have had to download the manual or spend 10 minutes googling to verify that said feature was NOT in the currently shipping hardware/software.

There are then a smaller list of things that you'd have to hunt around for 30 minutes here to find out are problems with the shipping hardware/software that should not be there, and impact the functioning of the device, and are actual issues you might not expect as a potential buyer.

Maybe it's just me, but of those three categories above, only the last one falls into the category of "stuff I could have possibly missed before purchase" - since you're posting this list to maemo.org, however, the only way someone would find it before purchase is to come here - and if they are here, then they already can see the other thousand posts a week outlining these same issues...

I don't know about anyone else, but when I'm purchasing any high end device I spend quite a bit of time digging around to see what it can do, and to make sure it has every feature I need before I purchase it. That's why I'm always surprised by people posting to maemo.org (the place where they would have found EVERYTHING good and bad about the n900) about how they didn't know it could not do some function. I mean, they're here... so they sure should have been able to find that out ahead of time, right?

Anyway, I appreciate your willingness to continue the effort!

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

Probably not exactly an issue but new buyers should know that the N900 does not have a digital compass. I just assumed it had one since phones much less expensive like the HTC Hero have this hardware, and I was disappointed when finding out it didn't. They should have put this in and left the useless IR transmitter out.

Re: N900 Issues and Possible Annoyances: For Potential Buyers
 

Another big issue is lack of provisioning. I can't get my work email on N900. iPhone is advertised both as media and enterprise device. I switched to 3gs and can't wait for the new iPhone OS 4 with multiple exchange accounts

Re: N900 Issues and Possible Annoyances: For Potential Buyers
 

It also beats me why this device does not support google maps. Ovi maps is the most counter-intuitive software I used

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

Yes. Done.

No. Posts are ordered by date, no exceptions. I've asked, and even Reggie has no means to do the equivalent of stickying within a thread. So, were I to merge all those other, past threads into this one, their posts would bury the thread starter here down to post number 3,824.

I remember one blogger who reported the N900 had a ridiculously easy to scratch screen, and I remember numerous pre-production N900-toting posters here responding with reports to the contrary.

The screen of my own N900 does have a few scratches. I believe they're from one of the rivets on the watch pocket of my jeans.

Early on in the life of the N800, GeneralAntilles posted here to report finding Nokia had used two different screen types for that Internet Tablet, and my own experience bears that out.

• My bought-just-after-launch N800 had a soft, squishy screen that scratched easily. Far more easily than any Palm device I ever used. The scroll bar and handwriting recognition areas of my N800 were thoroughly scratched by its own stylus within about a month and a half of purchase.
• The N800 screen I scavenged from a broken N800 later on is much harder, like the screen of my N810. It's more resistant to scratches and at the same time requires less pressure during use.

So, scratch resistance comparisons between the N800 and N900 may not be completely straight forward.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

For those of you who are wondering why the N900 belonging to 9000 (post #43) functions better than all ours N900 (e.g. can have custom ringtone for each caller), there is a simple explanation:
A person named 9000 is a new N900 user from Hong Kong. As it was reported, all new N900 currently in shops in Hong Kong have a new PR1.2 version software. His N900 obviously is one of them so some of the issues listed in this thread don't appear there.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

I was wondering....which function I mentioned in #43 is better than yours?

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

@9000: What is better? For instance:
"Cannot dial numbers starting with * or #" (The widget resolves only part of the issues.)
"The device can sometimes be slow and unresponsive."
"The phone cannot say the name of the caller."
"You cannot have custom ringtones for each caller."

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

Does anyone have problem when the phone hangs for few mins and touch doesnt have any responce...i get the sound looping continuiously.....!
I also use screen and phone lock!

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

To answer your question:

I confirm it works.

As far as I've been reading from the discussions here, the N900 with the leaked PR1.2 firmware installed can use the code as well. Correct me if I'm wrong.

It's mainly due to the architectural design of ARM. As you may know, ARM changes its freq according to load, and that behavior might affect the user experience on a multi-tasking OS (thus my answer in #43).

You might get a better user experience by changing its default scaling governor:

The above would cause the CPU runs at max. freq. regardless of load. To revert to default, you can type:

I've the caller display working here. I'm not sure if this function is firmware specific (couldn't find related discussion on this atm), and I'd like to know if the leaked firmware PR1.2 has this function too.

I wrote a script for the purpose. Thus my answer in #43. Of course, if the questioner excludes solutions from 'third-party' (which apparently he does), then his point would hold.


I'm also anxious to know the different between the leaked PR1.2 firmware with the firmware on Hong Kong stock verion of N900. Because at time of speaking, I still cannot get hold of the Hong Kong version PR1.2 firmware, so in case I bricked my phone for some reason, I'd have to send back to Nokia for maintenance, or tried the leaked PR 1.2

Hope this help. ^^

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

@9000- can you confirm that your version of the phone enables an option where the phone speaks out the name of the person calling you without needing an app?

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

Sure. Hope this help.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

i think you are misunderstanding! speaks out means "says the name of the caller out loud with a voice!...like someone talking to you..

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

Anything that you buy that only does basics AFTER you download something you would consider half finished. That in itself is a bug IMHO, a problem and well worth pointing out to anyone that needs or wants to buy this phone. Buy a BMW but you have to download and apply later the air con, central locking, electric windows and back seats. The kind of thing every other decent car provides


For me the three killers.
Ovi store is less than rubbish.
Ovi suite doesn't support this phone. (Neither does PC suite fully)
Ovi maps. What is the point. (Can we get google maps?)

Out of the box MMS, caller / SMS notification (Missed and arrived), ringtones for separate callers. And of course downloading 14 apps to get basics is a problem.

Of all the apps you have mentioned, how many are ACTUALLY finished. I have a massive issue of battery life when I put extras devel lists on. So I don't, and funnily enough, hardly any useful apps appear six months after I got the phone.

Vodaphone and Expansys (Main UK suppliers) sell it as a phone. So somewhere that message is being ignored. If you buy it as a phone, have it sold as a phone, listed with other phones and actually titled as a phone. You expect a phone.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

You serious?

Imagine your phone is shouting "YO MOM IS CALLING YOU!!!! YO MOM IS CALLING YOU" during a business meeting, or yelling "SEXY BEACH IS CALLING YOU!!! SEXY BEACH IS CALLING YOU!!" when I'm picking up another girl. Ooops.

Sorry man, this is the last feature I'd want in my phone. Just no.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

Hi twigleaf1976, you're making good points here. I wish you don't mind I bring points from other perspective, just for discussion.

Windows comes along with outright crappy word processor (wordpad) and a lousy image editor (mspaint). So can we say Windows can't do better job in word processing and image editing because it doesn't provide the best things by default? You know the answer.

The key is whether you consider N900 as a phone or as a computer. Please read on.


How is Nokia marketing the N900 ? Is it a phone ?
It is sold as a mobile computer with the Internet in its heart, and it was introduced as 'step 4 of 5' for tech leaders / lovers. If you want a mature Nokia mobile phone with extensive Java support and full SIM features then there are plenty of choices based on Series40 and Symbian. I think Nokia has been clear on that since http://maemo.nokia.com was launched this Summer.

Source : Quim Gil (Nokia) (http://wiki.maemo.org/What_can_we_realistically_expect)


Nokia does sell N900 as a mobile computer. I'm sorry that it failed your expectation, but it's just not sold as a phone, only.

I want a tablet PC with cellular communication capability running Linux. Nokia makes a product I really want so I buy it and am happy with it. You expect something else, so your disappointment is understood.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

well the nokia n95 had it for example by default. its only an option, you can turn it off. its very practical when you are far away from the phone and it tells you who is calling because you can decide whether you want to go to the phone or let it ring..

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

I think putting the word "Possible" at the front of this thread's title may make it more accurate. The lack of some features isn't an issue for everyone, in fact some folks are happy not have some of the over-hyped "features" mentioned in this thread. Also, not everyone experiences the same bugs or problems.

While some of the comments here are just hyperbole, this thread is useful and informative and it is impressive to see such open and lively discussion.

BTW, I don't understand why this thread's stickied. If this merits a sticky perhaps a thread that helps to show solutions should be stickied too.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

Google maps has to be made available by google and not nokia

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

I second you. I'm surprise it ever stays sticky, given the fact that majority of the posts in this thread are whining and babbling.

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

I don't see why it would have been so hard to include all the typical "phone" features ppl have come to expect as standard these days.

It sort of feels like they developed it to a certain level, then someone said "yeah, that'll do", and then went home and never came back.

I still <3 my N900 :D

Re: N900 Issues: For Potential Buyers
 

I suspect they were targeting users like myself, for whom some phone features are secondary to everything else the device provides. As a result the device's phone capabilities fill my needsfully, and I get way more out of the networking and openly *inx aspects of the device.

Not the device for everyone, definitely not primarily a phone (though usable as one,) and definitely not perfect, but a good device nonetheless.