Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

Now that the Motorola Sholes is going to be released on Nov 6
unlike the continuously postponed N900 several people consider buying that Android 2.0 based device.
For us the advantages of the Sholes hardware (thinner+lighter, keyboard layout, larger capacitative screen, battery life, D-pad, compass) seem to outweigh the ones of the N900 (better camera, speakers, IR, FM, builtin 32GB flash).

The only drawback is the crippled platform Android.
I wonder how difficult it would be to port Maemo/Mer to such an
Android phone?

They share the same OMAP hardware and AFAIK the hardware drivers for Android are open-source.
I've found ports of Debian to an Android phone and there are the usual firmware mods
which also replace the kernel. So a port seems to be possible?

Another advantage of an Android phone is that you get a license
for using the proprietary but so far unique Google apps like Maps.
With Canonical's port of Android stack to Ubuntu we may even be able to run the Android apps
in a X window in the future!?

Are those just pipe dreams or do you think that's feasible?

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

did you see something that said that droid battery life will be better than the n900? I highly doubt it.

Also, reviews on the droid keyboard are coming back pretty rough.

Also, verizon 3g no simultaneous voice and data AFAIK

And android, yuk!

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

Oh for goodness sake it's been postponed once, by a few weeks only, for OUR benefit!

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

so far most comparisons are based on speculations and pre-releases. I'll decide when I can physically check them against each other.

No idea. Reviewers seemed to be quite enthusiastic about it, while
I've heard that Nokia is not be happy with the power management yet.
It's possible that Motorola found some clever tricks or that Nokia
is just overly perfectionistic..?

there seem to be mixed reactions. some reviewer write
that after getting used to it they had no problems.
All mobile keyboard are different, anyway.
I'm waiting for the European GSM/UTMS version,
which is supposed to be Quadband.

yes, that's my main problem.

I think a Maemo/Mer port to Sholes would prove that Maemo is a really open (=portable) platform and popularize it,
especially if you can run your old Andriod apps in a subwindow.

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

It doesn't have a digital compass (as rumored), just like it didn't have internal memory either.

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

Stereo speakers
Kick stand
Camera cover
Better quality lens
Not as long or wide
More keyboard travel
Stylus
FM transmitter and receiver
Integrated 32GB
TV-out
IR-port
Front facing camera
Resistive touchscreen
SIM card slot
No need for underclocking

And don't forget the most important thing of them all: better overall quality* (including build, speakers, camera etc.).

*According to previews.

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

You would end up with a N900 that was crippled by not having a sim card slot and only working on Verizon, how useful is that?

About as useful as sawing of 4mm of the N900, looks nice but....

Mike C

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

I just can't imagine an n900 on a cdma network. Can you imagine all the stuff that would have to reconnect after every phone call?

I wonder how droid handles map updates if you receive a call during navigation

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

titan, the comparisons mean little. Both the BMW M3 and Chevrolet Cobalt have GM transmissions, but are nothing similar. Look at how the devices perform, what functions do they, or CAN they, have.

I haven't heard a single bad review of the N900 keypad, but several on the Droid. Being thinner is a component of that bad keypad, and probably the camera's performance, which I'm willing to bet isn't as good as the N900 in image quality. The Droid's screen is slightly larger, but with a similar resolution, I think the N900 has it in pixel density, which directly affects image quality, as I learned on the N95 8gb.

Now it has a compass. How will the Droid use it to give it more function than the N900? It can have a jet engine, but it needs fuel to go, or its nothing. So software directly relates.

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

I seriously doubt the N900 will have better build quality, having owned many top-end Nokia devices. Don't get me wrong, I'm getting an N900, but I don't think anyone should expect better build quality than the droid.

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

@c0rt3x
do you have any evidence regarding the compass?
BTW, interesting post:
http://www.howardforums.com/showpost...&postcount=842
yes, the N900 has its advantages, but for me FM, TV, IR, camera,
speakers and integrated flash are not so important.
What I like most about the N900 is the Maemo OS, not the hardware.

@mikec, quipper8
a GSM/UTMS version is going to be released in two weeks
(in Germany).

@christexaport
my point here is not the hardware comparison (everybody has different criteria) but how easily the Maemo OS could be ported
to other hardware than the N900.
I'd like to have more freedom so that the hardware does no longer constrain the mobile OS choice.

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

I'll have to second this: the current plastic Nokia's I've seen recently are far from being well-built. The 5800 feels like a flimsy toy, the N79 WAS a flimsy toy and such...I don't see why the reputation of good build quality still remains. I'm afraid of breaking these new plastic toys when I touch them.

However, my old E70 was built like a TANK, for real. It could take all the punishment in the world, I dropped it on pavement many times. Same with whatever few ones I had before that, sturdy and durable. But I haven't seen them release a phone like that in a while. Also, I've heard of people breaking and servicing their Nokias a lot more lately, having them replaced (I did with the N79 Active) and such, too. Build quality is a myth, I'll believe it when I see it.

(And no, I haven't held a N900.)

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

I've found some interesting infos about porting a full
Linux to Android hardware:
http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Openmoko_on_HTC-Dream

and some proprietary hardware drivers are userspace libraries,
which could be copied form the original firmware and be linked
by Linux applications:
http://www.telesphoreo.org/pipermail...ry/000495.html

so it seems doable!

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

Maemo Fanboy

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

I totally agree. My n810 is going back to play.com for good as screen just quenched /died all of a sudden. Nokia used to make rock solid devices but times change. I believe it's down to change in management - what sane manager would release the n97 knowing fully well the camera lens cover scratches the lens not to talk of the flimsy build of the 5800 : it's earphone melted away in days. My Moto Razr is still rock solid and does take knocks I believe the droid will match this.

I am into maemo Os but not the flailing, stumbling giant that Nokia has sadly become.

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

Don't know anything about Nokia's build quality besides the n800 (well I have a Nokia 5130 ExpressMusic now and nothing wrong with .. besides a few odd UI decisions though). Girlfriend's 5130, had two problems (something wrong with the speaker on the second one since it would be extremely fuzzy and the first one just stopped working for some reason the day after we got them).

Though I've dropped my n800 so many times now (sorry buddy it wasn't intentionally) and the only thing it has to show for it is scratches on its bezel and sides.

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

1. Droid's keyboard is not good. They have them on demo at Verizon. The d-pad seems worthless, too big and takes up space from the KB. It is very easy to press two keys by mistake and reminds me of the VK as far as usability.

2. The camera seems to suffer the same strange delay as the G1 camera and pictures seemed not much better (comparing on phone screens). Dark area pictures were of course better though.

3. The sd card behind the battery is original N-Gage level lame. I have one so know.

4. They pack a class 2 16gb and no practical room for expansion and swapping is hit by issue 3.

5. The main killer though is the space. The Droid has about 200 megs free space. The other apps that come with the OS take up about 50 of that 256 space.

6. Build quality of Motorola devices is on average poorer compared to Nokia, but assuming anything with Droid and N900 is conjecture for us now.

Still, when all is said and done, they both seem very good devices for their "intended" users. Just be real thrifty on those app installs with Droid.

Android = App juggling ;)

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

A clear majority of the previewers stated that the device feels rock-solid. Of course all companies have their own exceptions.

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

Fortunately, after todays release in Germany
I can rule out the Motorola Milestone as an alternative to the N900:
for almost the same price it includes only a slow 8GB SDHC card,
no free Navi solution and cannot be used in both EU+US.
and porting the full Maemo stack to an Android seems
to more difficult than I thought...

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

People were saying the same of the N97 before it hit stoes too, exactly the same comments "E-Series build quality" etc etc. It maybe true, but I'll wait until I have one in hand till I make final judgements.

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

I got to use the Droid for one hour today during lunch- power lunch ;) . A good thing is the rep is a gamer too :)

1. Screen is amazing
2. Very solid build
3. Device had 222 megs free for app installs, but there were already some apps installed by the rep.
4. The keyboard is more annoying than the G1's
5. The camera has trouble focusing and the barcode scanner had a hard time, but the G1 had no problems in same light conditions.
6. Pictures are poor due to the focus problem. When it worked, the pics seemed good.
7. D-pad is only four directions and diagonal movement results in no change.
8. Higher res 720X480 MP4 plays fine but chokes and dies on G1.
10. Metal Slug series plays "perfect" with full sound. Catch is the keyboard, but grenades still just as lethal ;) G1 has trouble with all but first Metal Slug and it has frame issues with sound on.
11. Web surfing was faster on Droid with same pages on 3G compared to my G1 on wifi. (not good comparison, but not enough time for others)
12. Has a class 2 16gb card under tha battery
13. Ran out of time

I give the Droid an A-. Would have been an "A". but the "card under the battery" issue bugs me. Still, my G1 is like a cheap Trac-Phone compared to Droid.

I think the KB can be gotten used to and the camera must be a software issue. The focus issue is VERY obvious though.

Re: Best of N900 and Motorola Droid/Sholes
 

According to the driod website it has a "e-compass for augmented reality" sounds like a digital compass to me

just go thru the option "wheel" and youll see it between Video and Tunes
http://phones.verizonwireless.com/motorola/droid/