Hi there, afternoon.

I have a Nokia N900 in its original box that I bought last year in an impulse, I've had 2 of them in the past when they came out and wanted to have it again just for good memories.

I had time to install the latest official firmware on it, I think it's 1.3, but even after that and without anything extra installed on it the phone was so slow that I couldn't force myself to use it even as a secondary/work phone, so I put it back in its box and kept it in a cupboard at home.

I've been reading this forum for the last couple of days, I didn't even know it still existed after so many years tbh, and I've read about different firmwares that can now be installed on the N900, some can damage it, but some seem to be "ok" or safe to install...

I only want to be able to use the phone without it being so slow, if this is possible without damaging it, so if there is a firmware, kernel, OS, or anything I can install on it that will make it "usable" at a speed a bit closer to modern devices I'd really appreciate any help or pointers on the right direction, many thanks

I do not know what your criteria of "not slow" is. I find mine starting to get a bit slow when I get about 6-8 applications open, depending on what kind of application of course. The only exception is the browser which I admit is a bit sluggish, but there is not much you can do about that.

To install the most up-to-date firmware, follow the "Maemo community update" link at the top right.
You cannot miss it, it is a big icon like this:



You will have a number of choices there. I personally use CSSU Thumb and can wholeheartedly recommend it.

I had a similar experience when I turned on my N900 last week. It just seemed so slow that at first I though there was something wrong. But then it occurred to me that everything has just gotten so much faster. I was so much more patience at a younger age! Wish there was a continuation of this series. It's a wonderfully capable device and I learned a great deal by playing with it. Now, I use android for the most part and I try to mod it as much as I can to give it something close to N900 capability but it really is like putting a square peg in a round hole. Maybe something more N900 like will come in the future.

It's not the browser that has became slow, nor golden memories or patience of youth...

The web has just gotten so much fatter.
There' nigh a site that doesn't load up 20MB worth of javascript when you go to it!

Well, thanks to all for the answers, pichlo's one was funny as hell
I'll have a look to that big icon and see what I find, when I meant slow is just that, the thing is slow, not that I'm going to get rid of it because of that, but it's slow, opening apps, flicking through the menu, anything I do feels slow, but mscion is right in that things got so much faster over the years, I use an Andoird phone and I'm used to the speed phones work now, so the N900 is always going to feel slower.

So true! Fortunately maemo.org still loads up pretty fast!

Indeed. Still I find turning off javascript or using something like no script helps a lot.

Opera and "links" still render for me well as well as the stock browser.

Isnt this phone like 6 or 7 years old?

if no js is required, dillo is the best one :P Fastest browser ever used wtih GUI.. maybe someday someone will add better shortcuts and clipboard facilities in that.. :/