Hello,

I am currently in the market for a netbook which I would use solely for taking notes for my college classes. I currently own a high-end, Ubuntu-powered desktop, and a Nexus one running on T-Mobile. While considering my options, I thought of the Nokia N900 device. It would be very appealing to have a fully capable, 3G cell phone with the power and versatility of a netbook. While it might be awkward to use it as a regular phone, the kickstand design would be perfect for quickly placing it on a desk to type notes with a small Bluetooth keyboard (yes, I know it includes a physical keyboard, but I don't see myself using it for up to three hours at a time). And, an iPad would be too bulky and unnecessary for my needs. At first glance, this seems like the perfect solution. However, I do have some concerns.

The N900 is an amazing piece of hardware (FM transmitter and receiver, very high quality front and back facing cameras, a powerful ARM processor, and a full operating system based on Debian GNU/Linux with Skype video calling and Adobe flash support out of the box) however, certain aspects of it are dated (4G phones with dual core processors are coming soon), and the lack of a capacitive interface. Also, as noted on Wikipedia :

"It was announced in May 2010 that the Nokia N900 will be the last mobile communication device running the Maemo 5 operating system, which will be replaced by MeeGo. Nokia will continue to support the N900 with updates when necessary.[79]

While transition to the succeeding MeeGo operating system is possible, this is mainly of interest to developers rather than consumers, as it not officially supported by Nokia.[39][79] There has been some interest within the user community in working on backporting MeeGo developments to Maemo for the N900, and this places it as being an interesting device for people within the wider Open Source community more than consumers.[79]

A download of the MeeGo operating system is available, but not officially supported by Nokia.[39][80] MeeGo will succeed Maemo for new devices."

I think the issue that concerns me the most is "Nokia will continue to support the N900 with updates when necessary [emphasis mine]" I read this as meaning "They will provide security updates, but no new features". Also, Nokia is no longer selling the device directly from it's USA web store; however, it is still being sold on Amazon and NewEgg. Is it still being manufactured, or are these retailers selling the last of their stock? I realize that Maemo development could continue with the open source community when official development finally does cease, but the lack of official updates (particularly security updates) is what has left me frustrated with my current phone, and smart phones in general. when I pay $xxx for a device, I expect the manufacturer to provide at minimum, prompt security updates for at least two years after the device is no longer manufactured. A customer shouldn't have to rely on an open source community for that (though I am grateful that they provide this service). At least I'd have the option of using MeeGo if this occurs.

I've read some about the N9. MeeGo does not look like a bad OS. I'll take a full-featured Linux distribution over a watered down mobile operating system any day. However, there is speculation as to if/when the N9 (the next-generation of Nokia tablet?) will be released. Has there been any official news on this front?

The bottom line: I need to purchase something within the next two months. I would hate to spend $350 on a device, just to have it become outdated by a next-generation device from the same manufacturer in the near future. although, I suppose I could mitigate this risk by purchasing a used N900 on eBay. However, I am particularly leery of buying a used device which could potentially have been used for years, especially with respect to battery life.

Any insight would be appreciated. I realize I'm speaking to a biased audience, but for the reasons mentioned above, I like the idea of having a all-purpose device running a full Linux distribution. I could just purchase a netbook, but it seems like a waste of hardware and money to use it for such a simple task. I should also note that I'm incapable of using a traditional writing tool due to a disability. So, what would you suggest?