My answer is largely off-topic, please forgive me. It's just to answer you, but let me be clear that this is not a complaint about whether the Neo900 can or cannot run Android stuff!

I don't like Android either (and let me please avoid talking about iOS ). I am almost a hater, to be honest. I have had a N900, a N9 and now a Jolla, but I have tried Android. I always thought I could survive without anything running on Android, and I still think so.

However, now that I have tried Alien Dalvik on Sailfish OS, I am forced to admit that, even if this is not mandatory, sometimes, it's better to have an application developped for Android than no applications at all. I am clearly on the side of those who will develop native applications, and they have done a great job on the TMO-friendly OSes (particularly Maemo 5, I'd say the number of applications is still greater for this OS than for its successors, and they tend to be more advanced, maybe because the OS is more open?), but there are applications that will just never be ported. It's a shame. Accepting that fact by running the Android versions sounds like a surrender, it's true, but sometimes you have to think about what you want from an application: encourage people who would perhaps port it someday (but most probably never because the application is for a niche), or just use it in its Android version because you actually need it, not just hope using it someday.

None of the applications I have in mind are life or death questions, but there are instances that I know will never be ported to something else than Android and iOS. For instance, I have one application that I need for calibrating a motorized tripod mount on Polaris, when I do some skywatching/astrophotography. I just can't calibrate the tripod head without the Android (or iOS) application. I'd survive, but I'd just have to drop that hobby, so I prefer running the Android application (which is by the way quite simple and used only punctually, so I don't really mind the Androidness of it).

I also have a PNJCam, which is a GoPro-like camera. There's an application for communicating with it, set up parameters, transfer video files, and even have live preview. I don't think the manufacturer will ever bother porting the application to any other OS than Android and iOS. That's a shame. I have the camera, and it works on its own too, but it would be a shame too to just pass on half its features.

I also have two professional applications that only exist for Android (and one of them for iOS too). I know for sure the guys who developped them will never port them. They probably don't know Maemo 5 or its successors anyway. But the problem is I need these applications, and if I can have them on my primary phone, well that's way easier.

Buying a cheaper device would of course work (though it has to be a recent enough Android version, as we now that only latest Android phones will be supported by latest OS versions, which is by the way a really unbelievable marketing strategy). But the point is that I prefer having only one device, and even if my prime use is not for Android applications, it would be a significant plus if the same phone could run those applications. This is what I discovered with the Jolla, though I thought until that point that Android support was a gadget because "Maemo 5 and Meego already had everything I needed". I would not buy a second phone just for Android apps, but if I can run them on my primary phone, that's a significant plus. And it won't keep me from prefering native apps.

Thanks a lot for the detailed answer Joerg_rw!

So I guess I should pick the LTE Europe version. I didn't know the translations for dummies were "4G" for LTE and "3G" for UMTS. What is CDMA exactly? Wikipedia says it's only for the USA.

I totally understand your point, but thanks for your honest answer. That's already something if you say that all known barriers have been eliminated.

That is what I thought, just wanted to be sure because I was already asking a zillion questions, so I figured "why not one more?"

Great! That's a relief.

OK!

Thanks for the clarification! I still have to think about it though. Again, it's twice the price I was willing to spend on the Neo900 (though I understand how much work it represents, and that you can't control currency changes). I really want one, but on the other hand I am afraid of getting an incredible device, unique, open, reliable, and to which I'm totally hyped, but that would maybe not be as useable as a more mainstream one. Just have to think about it, 990 is something, psychologically, and it's just the board (with UMTS modem).

Is it possible to pay more for the down payment in order to pay less later when it's time to complete the order? What happens if I put 500€ in down payment for just the board, and the project is abandonned? I know you said that backers would be refunded based on the unspent money, but would my refund be based on the 350€ amount (value for board down payment in the shop), or the 500€ amount actually paid?

Thanks. That would be something already, though I have not followed NitDroid since a long time. I don't know what works/what doesn't on the N900 currently. I'll have a look at it. I guess that with the increased storage and RAM on the Neo900, having multiboots would be easier than on the N900. On the N900, I always ended up removing NitDroid because I needed space.

When you say Debian, which version would it be? Would it be a normal desktop version? The stylus would be supported like a mouse, just like in EasyDebian? Would it be full support? I remember that not everything could work in EasyDebian.

Thanks again for your time Joerg_rw, and keep up the great work on this awesome project.

Will the wifi module support monitor mode and packet injection?

the module uses same chipset as N9 which is basically the evolution of the chipset in N900. So I'd say yes it does.

Hmm, It is kind of working on the N9 chipset...still very buggy

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=91637&page=8

I think Slashdot and similar sites are crippling the shop!

I admit the write-up could have been better...it's a pretty bare 2 paragraphs...
more explanatory... would be better...
But how are they exactly crippling the shop though?
I mean...I'm having no problem getting into the shop..
or do you mean "crippling the shop" in some other meaning?
Considering currently at this moment we have 72 people on this thread alone...btw just a sec.

Hi everybody! [me waving] ...
for those new people ..
I'd suggest starting to read at the beginning...
254 pages back..
if you wish to play catch-up and read the book..
" The Epic Saga of the Neo900" ...
sorry I don't have Cole's notes for it.
Ask any questions and someone will point you to the answers you need.
and if you need to ask.."what's all the commotion? what's the big deal?"...
well..the neo IS the big deal
get enlightened.

ok ...back to the "crippling" thing...
I did find it a bit slow to connect to the shop than say..yesterday...
I'm guessin' the shop is gettin' alot of traffic at the moment..
which is good.
Is that what you mean by "crippling the shop" ? ...the lag to connect and get into it at the moment?

yes, and now tmo does as well ;-P
We might have to take the shop down. sorry, we are not prepared to this

Hhahahaahaha....
This is great!!!!
Forget Kim Kardashian crashing the web!


[me chanting] Neo-Neo-Neo-Neo-Neo-Neo
where's Belushi when you need him?
ahhh...there we go...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1Mk7idVfcA

Neo-Neo-Neo-Neo-Neo

I used to love my N900, then I had a USB problem which unfortunately got to the point where it was beyond repair.

I see there are some used N900 for around $200.
I would totally buy the used $200 phone + $300 Neo board.

Going over $500 is a bit of a stretch on my budget.