In German:
http://www.faz.net/s/Rub36B71B0E8E5C...~Scontent.html

My (probably weak) translation:
[Title: "Unfortunately, difficult to use."]

This year, Nokia has not released a phone which we can recommend without reservation. We bought the new n900 for 600 Euros because a new, linux-based operating system called Maemo is being used. But after a few days, our desire for new things has been greatly diminished.

Immediately by operating it, one finds a basic construction mistake; the device with its camera cover mounted on the back doesn't lay on the table, but rather wiggles and tips when one wants to work with the tiny keyboard keys. In addition, it has no dedicated telephone buttons; one must always go into the menu. The next surprise: the offered data alignment [not sure what "Datenabgleich" means here] with Mail for Exchange doesn't work on our n900. The emails from Google can be loaded, but not contacts and calendar entries. Word- and Excel-attachments can only be viewed for 30 days with the bundled demo software. The internet browser doesn't understand multitouch and shows, for example on faz.net [their website] shows only one column instead of the three to four like its competitors.

[Image of n900 with caption "The Nokia N900 with side keyboard is seldom a pleasure" or "The Nokia N900 with side keyboard gives happiness seldom" to be more literal]

The email system doesn't work correctly with HTML formatting. Telephone numbers in the email cannot be dialed with a single click. There is no real call list. We have previously complained about the incorrect symbols in the call list, but this is even worse: there isn't even a possibility anymore to find out if a colleague called from the office or his private cellphone. We could easily continue this list of the minor and major difficulties.

[Subsection title: The display changes by itself to side display]

The K.O. criterion for the n900 is its interface. It is neither designed to be consistently usable ["kosequent ... zugeschnitten"] with the stylus nor with a finger. From this comes an unexpected mish-mash system, at least for people over 30. For a a large portion of the menu use, the display changes to side display, even if one doesn't want it. When one strokes over the menu items with a finger, the device doesn't distinguish with sufficient precision whether the contents should be scrolled down or if one wants to select a menu item. One constantly ends up in the wrong menus, and then one searches without success for an escape key. All this is torture.

It may be that the N900 with its multitasking and different virtual desktops, 5 megapixel camera and nigh on complete offering is a good device. We have tried it out for a few days with an open mind, but we think that there are now certain standards for smart phones to which the user interface must adhere [more literally, back before which one cannot take the interface]. One doesn't need to mention the iPhone. The new Motorola Milestone, the Palm Pre, or the HD2 from HTC are products which one can master to the extent of being fun within a half hour. This is not the case with the N900.