I admit to not having read all 11 pages... but if by "phone" you mean, directly, that "it makes phone calls" - then I'd classify the N900 as a phone in that department.

If, however, you mean a "phone" that most people in todays world have come to expect from their phones... then no, it isn't.

When someone says they have a phone now-a-days they usually imply a certain list of features or specifications. Very few people still have those old brick-sized cell phones with foldout antenna's anymore... so there is some expectation to be had if someone thinks they are buying a phone.

That's why I say it isn't a "phone"... because if someone wants an N900 they need to re-adjust what their expectations of a "phone" are going to be.. the "phone" features of the N900 are haphazard, and seem added on or second in importance to other things on the device.

fatal that post is gonna confuse this argument up dude

the nokia tablet worshippers are calling this not a phone because they dont want your argument for it not being a phone to be heard(that its not up to par)- they have had enough of hearing it, they want everyone to say- omg yep your right its not a phone- therfore i have no right in critiising its features, so lets all just say flowery things about x terminal.

the reality is this

have nokia given us something that it does what it says on the box and how it was marketed.

this argumnet has nothing to do with wether its a phone or not, but everything to do with slightly frustrated people that bought a nice phone but isnt 'as described' against nokia tablet fanboys.

Yup, I have an e51 which I now only use in the car as it works with my hands-free better - I'm quite surprised just how much it has replaced my phone - I bought it primarily to replace my n810

so its replaced your phone probally more than your netbook , and completly replaced your n810. (to more mainstream peops this n810 could be switched with a media player or itouch etc)

i think thats about the way this phone is shaping up-- repacing your toy-gadget, replacing your phone and not having to allways grab a netbook or sit at a pc.

While I see your point.... and I understand arguments like, say, the GPS maps software sucks ... I can see that as being "not as described"..

But the vast majority of complaints I've seen (or maybe they just leave the bigger impression) .. or at least people comparing the N900 to iPhone or Android .. aren't about it not being as advertised on the box.. but more something they expected to be there just because it's on/in Android or iPhone - so they just "assumed" the N900 would also have it.

This is why the only proper response to someone asking "Should I get an Android, iPhone or N900?" is "What do you want it to do?". They are so completely different that any expectations from one can't seamlessly move to the other. Just Android vs iPhone makes a little more sense - they both strive for similar goals. The goals I see of the N900 appear to be completely different (at least at this point).. but I don't know what Nokia officials truly think.

However.. I don't give the proper response... when people ask me that I say "Get an Android." Not because I don't like the N900.. but because until I have hands on one, after reading this forum, I'm not convinced someone asking me that question wants an N900. They appear to want a "phone", ala "smartphone", not a computing device. I don't classify the N900 as a "smartphone" or "phone" like the iPhone or Android; and since I hate the iPhone and everything apple.. I just don't bother giving it as an option .

my biggest complaint is the fact that i have a device that doesnt have decent battery , because of the reboot problem fix.. that is why it doesnt act like a phone- it doesnt last long enough.(yes i could have taken it back and still can under warranty at any pooint- but they are telling me it will be fixed in a f/w update WHEN???????. the email doesnt work as expected for me- and that should work on a phone these days- it should certainly work on a computer????!??

i advise most to get a 3gs tbh, my sister was looking at my n900, and she wanted it- i said no get a 3gs. most people cannot be bothered with all this hassle the n900 can give. if the person wants something diff to the norm- then id say android. i would never need to advise any to get an n900- because anyone that would want one - will allready know about it!!

I agree with your last point.. which is why I don't normally recommend it. That may change with whatever they fix in the F/W's to come.

As to the battery... My G1, if I use it pretty much at all for anything but making and receiving phone calls or texts, will not last from 7:30 to 17:00 in a given day. I get the "less than 15%" warning as I'm on my way home after using it for basic browsing and such. If I dare listen to pandora.. it'll die before 1300.

Should I consider my G1 not a phone? I personally never thought that way.. I just consider it a phone with a shaity battery.

my nokia is a phone to me and i class it as a phone-- why because i use it as a phone- simple........- what i am saying is that it is not functioning like a phone should- i am used to having psp's/archos's run out half way through the day, a phone should stay on well it needs to stay on- this is a paramount function for any phone- its still a phone but its an inadequate phone.

and yep your right its not just the n900 that fails on this score..

but my n900 would actually be ok if it wasnt for the fact that 20% of the nokias have problems due to a driver fault in the firmware and i wouldnt have had to disable power off mode.

the biggest problem with what nokia did was realise a product that isnt stable- and not just that far from stable.

if only every company was like nintendo er.

I concede that point. The number of people reporting the "reboot loop" problem - especially considering, if left unattended, results in a sudo-"bricked" device that requires a reflash... is most certainly concerning.

That shows a real QC problem there. I don't think EVERY device has suffered it though.. so the only place I can put at fault is QC.. not necessarily Maemo, or Nokia for "releasing" an unstable device - because some of them are very stable, at least from what I've seen.. and some people get days worth of an idle battery with the N900, while mine won't last 1 full day even completely idle (the G1). It's normally deep in the red by the time I hit the sack at night.

So those complaints have merit, but are individual device specific - not "platform" or total device as a whole. Thus, negative feelings towards the N900 as a whole would be unwarranted. But.. the numbers are alarming, and something should really be done in the QC department to detect that kind of stuff.

The definition of a phone:a combining form meaning “speech sound” (homophone), “an instrument of sound transmission or reproduction”

What you are questioning are functions of modern mobile devices.
and peoples understanding about what to expect in them.