OK, guys.
Last night, I cracked the glass on my N950. I've been using it for a phone and my N900 for a tablet/ssh/music etc.
My N950 still works, but I need to replace it soon if I don't want the LCD cracking.

I've been researching replacements, and the best I've found so far is a Photon Q:
1. QWERTY keyboard, 5 row
2. Decent processor + ram
3. Screen with more resolution than the N900, making it usable for desktop type apps.
4. Bootloader can(and will be) unlocked.
5. Can work on T-mobile with a quick hardware mod.
6. CM supports it.

I've been looking around and it looks like Android is more useful now than it was - an 'easy debian' like system is available(Xserver XSDL making it all possible).

At this point it looks like a decent option. The only annoyance is that android doesn't seem to have decent multitasking like the N900, nor any window manager.
Is there a way to get this sort of multitasking and "open programs view" like the N900 does? What would it take?


Also, any other decent replacements? Note that I /refuse/ to have a device that I don't control(unlocked bootloader) or no hardware keyboard.

Thanks,

-Rob

The only option: http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=95650

not at all...
www.pyra-handheld.com

Are you going to get one of those? I spent a lot of time reading about them a few months ago, very cool piece of kit!

I wish I could

I'm in a big financial crisis at the moment, hence they made this:
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=95712

Is Pyra being developed? Never seen any real picture of it...

check out the blog on that website, proto is coming soon

Careful with that axe, Eugene. People around here, especially those accustomed to the Jolla vocabulary, have learned to read that word as profanity

Having used N950 for 4 years and played with Photon Q, I personally don't really like it.

- HW mod seems unreliable. You have to unmount the pre-installed sim chip and solder a micro-sim slot and cut a sim door on the case. The antenna seems unstable depends on how the work is done but there are lot reports of constant signal drop. And antenna performance might not be optimised for global gsm/wcdma. (Although I have to say, N950 signal reception also not so good.)

- This phone is SUPER UGLY. Front and back. This is one of the ugliest phone I have even handed on. Overall build is less robust.

- Worse camera.

- Slightly better specs. Larger screen, better CPU. But it's running Android. Such internal is really dated for modern Android now.

But since N950 is impossible to get fixed, there is not much choice. Maybe a Jolla with TOHKBD.

It's rumoured that both the SG6 Edge Plus and SG Note 5 will both have official hard keyboards (integrated into a case) purchaseable separately. If that transpires, it's quite likely there'll either be an official or 3rd party peripheral that's similar for the upcoming Nexus 6 (Huawei) replacement. Unlocking bootloaders on Samsung or Nexus devices is very easy.

Something to consider, though obviously a lot more money.