I actually came from an iPhone (jailbroken) to the n900. I don't want this to turn into an iPhone vs. n900. I just wanted to know what makes the n900 so much more of a "computer" than any other phone because so many people keep saying "You should have known you were buying a computer that happens to have a phone" when people are disappointed about the n900. So far we only have multi-tasking and an operating system that lacks a lot of the apps people are really looking for (Facebook etc).

N95 was designed as a mobile phone from the beginning - thus phone functionality was a priority not ie. POSIX layer compatibility.
N900 had different design priorities - ie. true multitasking and desktop-like experience not ie. video calls.

I don't say phone functionality is not wanted or possible on N900. It's just not first priority. There were more important things in N900 development than MMS.

The problem is not that the phone is not good. Many people realized the phone was primitive at its release but they expected Nokia to provide rapid fixes and updates to the phone. It has been over 5 months since the phone was released and yet there is no USSD functionality... No GPS navigation ( mere 1990s maps), yet, Nokia is thinking about releasing their maemo/meego device 2Q (next month) simply to keep up with other smart phone devices. Instead of focusing on producing quality product, they produce mediocre product hoping users work on it. I hope they don't abandon their next phone as they did N97 and the N900.

Its the ONLY real pocketable computer with a finger controlled UI! What exactly are you comparing the N900 to but lowly smartphones? Why is it a bad pocketable computer??

You thing the browser is what makes the N900 not a smartphone? Its nothing many Android and WebOS devices won't soon be replicating. Its really about the class of OS the N900 is running. It has the same app frameworks and components of a desktop Linux distro, meaning less limitations. Robustness is the applicable word here.

Now I'm shocked you missed the multiple Twitter options. From editing the Twitter webpage using a Greasemonkey script, web apps like Hahlo, native apps like Witter or Mauku, or the Conversations plugin, there are multiple options!

Video chatting is possible using aMSN or if you recieve a Gtalk video conference, and it works very well. Was it not to your liking? There are various Office readers and editors, with more to come. Its been just 5 months, and this isn't a mass market device OS, so things are doing well. Once a second Qt Maemo/MeeGo device lands, more development will ensue. Apple's iPhone had far less its first 5 months, if you recall.

You have to be more realistic, and know that the promise of nirvana with Maemo/MeeGo is tied to Symbian^4, which is still months away. Once S^4 and MeeGo are launched and the ecosystem broadened, apps will pour in.

Mostly because it inherits from the other Internet Tablets. That alone told me what to expect, specifically:
- I would not have to work around Apple or a 3rd party to control my device.
- I would encounter a standardized environment, compatible with existing Linux environments.
- Phone capabilities would be secondary to general data capabilities, but would be more than sufficient for my needs.

The N900 is the polar opposite of the iPhone. Where the iPhone tries to mask and hide the computer nature of the device, the N900 exposes it fully. And that's why I bought the N900.

Maybe we will read something like this, but now about N900?:
Anssi Vanjoki, EVP of Markets at Nokia:
"The N97 was a success for Nokia in terms of sales and the margins (money collected) on the device, but" it has been a tremendous disappointment in terms of the quality experience for the consumers ""

Personally, I'm relatively happy with my N900 because it satisfies the reasons for my purchase, but I agree that the promise is much more than what was achieved and the prospects for development and support are not clear

Sorry, you're confusing quarters with halfs. The next device was said to come in the second _half_ of 2010. I guess the timing will be similar to the N900, ie. announcement somewhere in the autumn and on sale in time for the Christmas season. That would mean a year between the devices, just like certain other companies do.

People on this forum really likes to throw around words like FOD and troll a lot.

Fact: the N900 is not an internet tablet. If you want to use that excuse, at least get it right. It is a mobile computer.

Now, as far as I can remember, multitasking or an open system is not required to be a mobile computer. A computer is " a programmable machine that receives input, stores and manipulates data, and provides output in a useful format". The Iphone is, I hate to admit, while not a true smartphone, also a mobile computer. As is any S40 phone.

In advertizing I have seen the N900 described as a "superphone". Not an Internet Tablet. And you don't have to look any longer than to the shape of the thing to realize that if you think of it as a tablet, you're actually really just wishing for it to be more like it's papa, tall and slim.

Eat the bitter fruit. This is a phone.

I gave up reading the OP at 'i bought a nexus one', i don't know whether it was supposed to make the rest of us feel inadequate, give me cold hard solid facts and constructive reasons and i will be interested. i Wanted a device that could browse the internet, but could also make phone calls, storage, camera, music and video we're a high priority too. the N900 has what i require, i researched, made sure i knew to the best of my knowledge what i was getting and i'm a simpleton who knows nothing of linux or the phone's full capabilities, but it has best in class web browser, which is what i wanted, hence i bought the phone, and 5 months later i'm still happy. it's not rocket science.

I think even that is wishful thinking... Maemo 5 was basically obsolete already when it was released. It is what it is.