Tex what do you think of our filing of the clips? Seems like an alternative to changes for the phone. At least in the short term until a N900 hardware revision perhaps?

Filing the clips can help reduce stress, sure... but there's no way *I* can guarantee anything here. I'm really, really concerned about the actual failure mode...

Hehe nothing in life is guaranteed except death

I modified the clips on my AC adapter and Data cable using both methods.

For the AC Adapter I attempted to pull out the pins with a set of pliers, this is hit or miss, depending on where you break then pin you will still have some bit of clip protruding.

For the data cable, I ground down the clips using nothing more than the metal file on my leatherman. I held the leatherman steady and rubbed the male connector back and forth perpendicular to the clips (i.e. sliding the connector side to side) using the fine grain side of the file.

Of the two, I'd say the grinding is more effective, it's much easier than I would have expected to grind the clips down, and more difficult that I would have expected to pull them out. I ended up grinding the excess bits of clip left after pulling them out of the AC adapter anyway.

Be sure to blow out you're connector after grinding to remove any excess metal shavings before connecting it to the n900

Biggest downside seems to be that there is no 'click' that lets you know when the connector is seated, but the built in 'whoosh' sound effect helps mitigate this. Removing the connector feels much less fear inducing now.

Modifying the male connectors is only a temporary preventative measure to try and reduce the stresses on the weakly mounted (and difficult to repair) connector. Most useful for those who do not have a warranty for their n900.

If you are already having intermittent charging/connection issues this sort of modification will likely do you no good.

I'm thinking of getting me one of them manual metal files and getting to work on my charger and usb cable now. Better them than the phone itself.

Likewise, pics of the pre-production and production usb ports would serve quite well to reassure those less inclined to do this fix.

When I put my plug in now it's like hmm should I try an push it in more as it takes a second or two to get the "whoosh". Much happier with the modification now but as Texrat suggested this really needs to be addressed on the hardware side of things.

Since I'm in Australia it's not practical for me to send the phone back to the states unless I have a serious hardware failure. This "fix" has hopefully prevented one for me.

Hate to add even more worry to this thread, but while waiting for PR1.1 to install last night I came across this thread on forum nokia:

http://discussions.europe.nokia.com/...hread.id=2662#

2 reports of not only the microUSB port coming dislodged, but of Nokia not covering the issue under warranty.

That is both outrageous and worrying.

Where I live (UK) I would remind them that it's the law that products sold must be fit for their purpose, and furthermore during the first few months (I forget the number) the burden is on the seller to prove that it was not their fault, or sort it out, with a replacement or refund if necessary, and quickly.

If Nokia are telling people that the USB connector coming out is not covered by warranty, yet it is a defective hardware design rather than misuse, that's the sort of thing which leads to class action suits.

There is no question that this is a design fault. The thing is we don't actually know how many n900's this has happened to so far vs how many have been sold. Nokia probably doesn't think this is their fault at the moment as I suppose accidents do happen and it's not hard to trip over a cable and rip out the port for example.

Look at the n97 with the gps and camera lens issues. Took Nokia ages to acknowledge that they were at fault. Will be the same deal here. Difference this time is that this is not a $10 dollar part they have to replace.

Nokia have already paved the way for free replacements, they have done so for the unlucky few so far. Just document all the cases when you see this and use it as your argument if the unfortunate happens and they want to charge for repairs.

Looks like I am gonna have to escalate this...

quibble: design fault.