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Posts: 13 | Thanked: 0 times | Joined on Nov 2009
#1
Hi all,

I've been drooling over the N900 for at least a month now, I've seen every video on YouTube and elsewhere and read almost very review or comment that exists and I'd like to share my observations.

As of yet, I don't actually own any phone - but I have seen, held, played-with the N900 for a short period of time.

Jerky Screen Scrolling

The screen scrolling (sideways) is very jerky and causes visible tearing, at first I put this down to bad videos on YouTube - but all of them?

Is there some limitation in the graphics hardware or a software limitation or bug? who knows - but it does not look good. I would expect it to be absolutely 100% smooth, no excuses.

Here is an example of the Marketing Manager from Nokia demonstrating this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Az8VE1NtY8


Dodgy/Misleading Advertising

All of the Nokia N900 promotional videos have speeded-up multitasking and task-switching much like the way Apple did for their iPhone Ads in the UK - these got pulled by the ASA for being misleading.


Multitasking

I'm not sure this device can comfortably run two or three tasks at the same time, from what I see in all the videos it is more "Task-Switching" rather than Multitasking and even that is not very responsive. When an option is selected, there seems to be a noticeable delay of about 1/2 second before the device responds - Very slow internal storage?, Overworked CPU? I don't know.

In almost every demonstration video of Multitasking, the user has to tap the screen a few times to switch tasks, almost like the CPU goes to 100% busy for a short period of time - particularly after starting the music player and if you listen carefully the music is jittery when switching tasks.

Task-Switching is not Multitasking, having said that, the N900 seems good at Task-Switching given that most the apps demonstrated are actually doing nothing e.g. IM, web page, etc. these are all 100% idle apps waiting for input.


3G Networks

I have yet to see a demonstration video of this device working fast using 3G, it seems everyone has a bad quality 3G connection when making a video!


Software Limitations

The device has lots of potentially killer applications pre-installed - but I suspect most of them are riddled with limitations?

I say this because applications like Mail for Exchange is a major app for corporate users, but know one is shouting about it, why?

Skype integrated phone App + WebCam but no video calls? but I've read that Nokia "may" include this at a later date - well, I "may" buy it then.

What other software limitations exist? -


Slick Advertising

Nokia's advertising is very slick and cool - e.g. (http://maemo.nokia.com/) and I really I like it - but it promises something I suspect this device does not deliver.

For me the glass looks half empty, I think this device is still a few generations away from where I'd expect (like) it to be


Shipping Delays

Even though I have not ordered mine yet due to these delays, these delays are not nice and I'm starting to suspect there are more serious reasons why only a limited number are available - I hope I'm wrong.

Al.
 
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#2
well you are so freaky and know nothing about the device and your review is based on an old versions ! i mean common didn't u see all the updates and the new videos and some people already got it but look if u dont want to buy it dont blame it =)
 

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#3
Hello Troll welcome to the forums.


Originally Posted by RealityCheck View Post
Hi all,

I've been drooling over the N900 for at least a month now, I've seen every video on YouTube and elsewhere and read almost very review or comment that exists and I'd like to share my observations.

As of yet, I don't actually own any phone - but I have seen, held, played-with the N900 for a short period of time.

Jerky Screen Scrolling

The screen scrolling (sideways) is very jerky and causes visible tearing, at first I put this down to bad videos on YouTube - but all of them?

Is there some limitation in the graphics hardware or a software limitation or bug? who knows - but it does not look good. I would expect it to be absolutely 100% smooth, no excuses.

Here is an example of the Marketing Manager from Nokia demonstrating this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Az8VE1NtY8
The tearing on video has been explained and several people have posted already that Youtube on the production models is flawless. Read the first impressions thread.

Dodgy/Misleading Advertising

All of the Nokia N900 promotional videos have speeded-up multitasking and task-switching much like the way Apple did for their iPhone Ads in the UK - these got pulled by the ASA for being misleading.


Multitasking

I'm not sure this device can comfortably run two or three tasks at the same time, from what I see in all the videos it is more "Task-Switching" rather than Multitasking and even that is not very responsive. When an option is selected, there seems to be a noticeable delay of about 1/2 second before the device responds - Very slow internal storage?, Overworked CPU? I don't know.

In almost every demonstration video of Multitasking, the user has to tap the screen a few times to switch tasks, almost like the CPU goes to 100% busy for a short period of time - particularly after starting the music player and if you listen carefully the music is jittery when switching tasks.

Task-Switching is not Multitasking, having said that, the N900 seems good at Task-Switching given that most the apps demonstrated are actually doing nothing e.g. IM, web page, etc. these are all 100% idle apps waiting for input.
You obviously dont have a clue how the N900 works. Web pages are still active in the background as demonstrated by the fact that youtube videos etc still play and pages still load in the mini window - this happens real time as several videos have plainly shown.

While I agree that some multitasking videos show many apps open and not all are active - the very fact that you can have 30 apps open and they respond immediately to switching is a testimony to the N900 and the maemo OS

As for pressing multiple times to switch - watch the multitasking videos specifically pushing the limits of the n900 thread and the 30 apps video. Both show instant switching and background running tasks (music etc).

3G Networks

I have yet to see a demonstration video of this device working fast using 3G, it seems everyone has a bad quality 3G connection when making a video!
Ok not even going to bother trying to answer this one. How you managed to figure out their connection was bad I have no idea.


Software Limitations

The device has lots of potentially killer applications pre-installed - but I suspect most of them are riddled with limitations?

I say this because applications like Mail for Exchange is a major app for corporate users, but know one is shouting about it, why?

Skype integrated phone App + WebCam but no video calls? but I've read that Nokia "may" include this at a later date - well, I "may" buy it then.

What other software limitations exist? -
There is exchange support already in the OS and as for video calling this subject has been hashed out repeatedly and chances are will be addressed with a future update.

Slick Advertising

Nokia's advertising is very slick and cool - e.g. (http://maemo.nokia.com/) and I really I like it - but it promises something I suspect this device does not deliver.

For me the glass looks half empty, I think this device is still a few generations away from where I'd expect (like) it to be
You are right Nokia should have produced all their marketing in grainy black and white with people shouting and farting. Seriously its ****ing marketing - what the hell do you think its meant to look like.

Add to that the fact that the marketing for this phone is probably some of the lowest pushed of any Nokia release I have ever seen and it all ads up to you being a clown.

Shipping Delays

Even though I have not ordered mine yet due to these delays, these delays are not nice and I'm starting to suspect there are more serious reasons why only a limited number are available - I hope I'm wrong.

Al.
Then I strongly suggest you don't bother ordering one, **** off and stop posting pointless troll threads.
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#4
I have not seen a single one of the issues you mentioned in any of the videos. I did not notice the audio skipping except the one video where someone opened an insanely large number of applications then tried to close some of them. Then you can expect a little skipping, as it swaps data around. But in reality, you are being a bit unrealistic if you plan to have 32 applications open at the same time and not the occasional skip.

Also how come you start by saying you have used an N900 briefly then go on to complain that in all the YouTube videos showing the N900 scrolling, it tears? Surely if you have used one you can comment first-hand if it did or not.

Anyway for me, ALL YouTube videos themselves a prone to tearing. In the one you linked specifically I can see tearing going on when they scroll the N900, but its happening to the WHOLE video, not just where the N900 screen is shown, so its clearly the video itself.
 

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#5
Originally Posted by Alex Atkin UK View Post
Also how come you start by saying you have used an N900 briefly then go on to complain that in all the YouTube videos showing the N900 scrolling, it tears? Surely if you have used one you can comment first-hand if it did or not.
A friend of my has a pre-production version and I personally experienced these issues. I would guess nothing has changed on the hardware design side and from what I understand the version of software is the latest as of last week.

Last edited by RealityCheck; 2009-11-24 at 04:11.
 
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#6
3G Networks

"Ok not even going to bother trying to answer this one. How you managed to figure out their connection was bad I have no idea."

Because most people say so in the videos.
 
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#7
I bought the N900 this weekend and it works great. No complaints at all.
 

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#8
What OS version is installed ?
 
Posts: 41 | Thanked: 10 times | Joined on Sep 2009 @ Washington, DC
#9
1.2009.42-11.002
 
Posts: 891 | Thanked: 499 times | Joined on Nov 2009 @ UK
#10
Originally Posted by RealityCheck View Post
What OS version is installed ?
1.2009.42-11 for retail devices.

Don't compare the pre-production firmware with the retail firmware.
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