This how Nokia announced the N900
 

This came from another thread, but there has been so much confusion about the goals and announcements concerning the N900, I thought a reminder was needed.

This was written by a blog earlier this year:

Read the rest here:

http://www.unwiredview.com/2009/09/0...900-really-is/

Yeah, I don't wonder why that is. It was exactly because people might not "get" what this product was about and buy it under false expectations.

If only the media, public and some factions of the Nokia PR machine would have followed through on what the Nokia executives announced us.

Re: This how Nokia announced the N900
 

I am with you 100% however that is NOT how they are selling it and i think this is the major issue.

i have had first hand experience and been to a nokia store played with the phone oops mobile computer :P and spoken to staff. luckily i no the score but Nokia is not letting on that its for geeks and Linux lovers now. its sell sell sell.

the argument that they are a sales person what do u expect is also irelevent. i think that if someone ;
- goes to a PHONE shop
- sees a device that catches their eye in the PHONE shop
- speaks to a sales man that sells it as a smartPHONE

u cant really blame people for maybe just maybe mistaking the said device for ....... well a phone. stands to reason doesn't it, or am i missing something.

thats doesnt excuse the stupid ****ers for buying a £500 phone before researching it tho :)

Re: This how Nokia announced the N900
 

Yes. Well, the N900 will be the best selling maemo device ever. I am confident, because it's out there. Being advertised.

If people expect something, throws caution to the wind, makes a decision and... Well, that's how you get married ;)

It may become the most returned, most complained about maemo device ever. tmo-users will probably end up thinking back at the N900 launch as a black period in the site's life. On the other hand, it will draw in lots of new people to stay, including developers, testers, or idiots like me.

What worries me is that after the N97 spectacle, it's not good if the OS "Maemo" because of the N900 gets associated with "the most overhyped yet underwhelming phone ever".

It's a great machine. But I am not sure it should have been marketed at all through regular channels. Not when it lacks features like "list missed calls".

Re: This how Nokia announced the N900
 

Well actually branding it "N-series" on the case-back could be a stigma. According to people selling phones in phone shops that I have talked to, they think the N96 and N97 were botched devices and the public see N-series as poor. Especially as they expect it to continue on from the N97, due to lack of knowledge by the general public (we don't count in that).

Perhaps it should have been branded M900, M for Maemo? Or the X range should have been saved for Maemo phones?

Re: This how Nokia announced the N900
 

The Nseries brand is perfect for the N900. The reception is a response to it being closest to what consumers have been wishing for for years, and even though it isn't made for prime time, its good to see interest ahead of Maemo6.

Re: This how Nokia announced the N900
 

I saw all the presentations until the break. I thought Anssi Vanjokki's presentation was excellent, probably the best of all the presenters. Passionate. Clear. Good pace. Excellent message. He was proud of what they had accomplished and how they'd gone to market with the N900.

Re: This how Nokia announced the N900
 

(1) Non-subbed/Non-operator is the way 90% of phones in Asia are sold.
(2) the only place limited sales is true is in Asia :]
(3) limited promotion? I continuously see Nokia churning out new N900 videos almost daily... which tends to get on the nerves of the people who are in Asia...

Re: This how Nokia announced the N900
 

Well... it might be a mistake to talk about one monolithic company called Nokia.

It's possible that the part of Nokia which sells Symbian-based devices is a bit worried by Maemo taking over the high end (yet that's clearly what Maemo is doing). It's a huge sprawling company and some of its departments overlap with each other in what they do.

The Maemo part of Nokia might have to tread carefully to avoid stepping on anyone else's toes. Implying that Maemo is only going to be a non-subsidised computing-oriented device is one way of being careful. But it's pretty clear which way Maemo is headed, with its newfound support for 3G, for ordinary phone calls, and with a smaller physical size. Give it a few more iterations and it will do everything Symbian currently does but much better.

But... a further complication is that Symbian isn't standing still either. It's due for a massive graphical overhaul soon which will make it look much more modern and attractive, leaving behind its softkey-based roots. How this overhaul will affect Maemo's position in Nokia is unclear to outsiders, but I wouldn't be surprised if rival elements within Nokia are competing to some extent.

Re: This how Nokia announced the N900
 

Did you see the presentations on their "capital markets day" or whatever it's called? IIRC, one point they were making there is they hardly spent anything on traditional advertising for the N900. "Only" internet campaigns like the videos you mention. This is what I'd call "limited promotion". (They also said they're going to change that, though.)

Re: This how Nokia announced the N900
 

I take you have never worked as a salesman or with salesmen?

I have, so let me tell you something. Their base salary is miserable. The only way they can gain decent cash is by selling, selling, selling, because they get a % of the cash.

So yeah, when a salesman sees someone interested in an expensive device, he or she will say anything to close the deal.

After that, if the customer has any problem, then it's a customer care issue, not theirs.

May sound harsh, but that's reality. I personally blame people for not researching adequately before such a purchase.