Are you still getting security patches for the previous tablets? Because to me it seems like the biggest improvement IS the window manager. Do you really need Maemo 5 if you can't have that? I've never used the older ones, but based on screenshots they look fine for the purpose they serve.

A LARGE discount (and I mean 40%+) on a M6 device may mitigate the impact, but you're still talking a big hit.

In terms of multitouch maemo as an OS is not (should not) be targetted at a single piece of hw. It should be a platform (like android) which can be extended to support new devices

* I would have thought maemo will end up supporting both capacitive and resistive displays
* Multitouch is an additional form of input - a non-multitouch capable display just won't generate those gestures
* For accessibility & usability reasons the interface must not entirely RELY on multitouch

Given this I don't see it as a reason why M6 can't support N900 (there may be other reasons)

So we're now presenting a set of options
* Continue broad support for M5 (personally I think this will be incomplete/restrictive & costly)
* support M6 on N900
* offer incentives for people to upgrade (reward early adopter community)

suspect nothing much will happen though :-(

Nope, Symbian is optimized for running on a wide variety of hardware. Maemo is the best platform, and optimized for the best hardware. I'm guessing three variations, max.

I was bored and waiting for a train so I decided to read the review of the n900 in the latest issue of What Mobile. The review was n't super enthusiastic score wise but actually summed up the phone's strengths well.

The thing that jumped out at me was that it clearly stated that the n900 will get Maemo 6 and that this would increase the life of the phone. For those of who want portrait pictures and ovi contacts not to mention turn by turn navigation this would be good news.

I assume this national UK magazine must have got this info from nokia but an official confirmation would ease a lot of worry

I think you should send them an e-mail. Any good journalist should give their source when there is no good reason to keep it secret.

Just done that - We'll see what happens

that was quick - thank you Jonathan



"Nokia has a policy on the (former) Internet Tablets to offer an upgrade to the following version of the OS, which has been the case on every device since the original 770 was released (back when it was OS 2007, 2008 etc).

We were told at Nokia World (last September) that this would continue on the N900 and its successors. It seems likely that the next two models (one which is going to be a netbook design) will have Maemo 6, upgradeable to 7. At this point, the N900 would be on 6 and theoretically have no further support.

Having said that, Nokia has usually continued support for longer than you'd expect. I suppose with Apple and Google/Android now offering free upgrades on an ongoing basis, Nokia will find it harder to simply say something is end of life as quickly as they have done before.

I hope this helps!

Regards,

Jonathan Morris
Editor, What Mobile magazine & online"

Excellent - that's the closest I have ever seen to solid info regarding M6 on the N900, thanks!

This is great news!

And I also find the netbook-design with maemo interesting.

Lots of interesting stuff in that text. Wouldn't mind to see this "netbook" either if it's true.