You are kidding right? When I am in the middle of something e.g. carrying my baby who I am pampering to sleep and my phone rings I want to know e.g. if it is my wife calling me or my mum calling me from abroad or if it is a friend who I can always call back later. I don't each time want to have to disturb my baby just because the N900 doesn't tell me who is calling (either by ringtone or by saying the name of the caller). This is just an example. There was another example I think on this site giving by someone who works in the emergency services.

Apart from that it simply makes the phone more interesting just like adding your own background makes it more interesting. Having four different images of my son on my desktops is something I particularly love about this device. I hate Apple and could never by an Apple product again (I forced myself to have an ipod touch because Zune HD wasn't coming to Europe but could not live with myself anymore and had to sell it after 3 months). One thing I hated about the ipod touch was the inability to customize my own device. If I did not hate Apple I would not buy an ipod due to this lack of customization.

I can't remember now but I think I knew about this ringtone thing when I bought the N900. However, coming to this forums and hearing about how the device was hackable and completely open I was under the impression this problem would be fixed if not by Nokia or by developers. If I heard that it could never be fixed then I don't think I would even have gone for the N900.

After reading through the seemingly endless rants and flame wars, I think everyone needs to take a step back. First off, to set the stage, I have the N900, I love my N900, I did my research as best I could before buying it, but was still surprised by how unfinished it was. Thankfully, with the help of the good people on this forum, I was able to get the phone to my minimum requirements, and I am hopeful that future changes will make it all it can be.

It used to be choosing a phone was fairly straight forward, there were not that many things to consider, but those days are long gone now. While doing my homework there was very little information out there. Here in the US, unless you live in NY or Chicago, there was no way to see, touch, and play with the N900, so you had to make a leap of faith at some point. For me, that worked out but my hard requirements are not that demanding. We all need to make a list of what we really care about and then prioritize them, and the N900 is not the right choice for a lot of people. For those who feel it is sacrilegious to talk about the IPhone, please chill. The IPhone is a great device and for a large group of people, like my wife, it is the best option. I have several friends that have the IPhone and I truly believe it would be a mistake for them to switch to the N900.

The key points that pushed me to the N900 were:
1. I wanted an open and unlocked phone (Not an option in the US with the IPhone)
2. The Android platform requires you to accept the cloud concept and I can’t.
3. I refuse to sign another two year contract with ATT and the N900 works great on the TMobile network without a contract
4. I wanted a great browser. My last phone was a Blackberry and the browser was dreadful, the Iphone is better, but can’t hold a candle to the N900

The above list is unique to me so I would not suggest it applies to anyone else, but the point is everyone needs to assess what matters to them. Also for me, I don’t use Exchange, I don’t listen to music, I like to play with features like assigning ring tones but most are not critical “must haves” to me.

For those outside of the US that claim we Americans think the world revolves around us, certainly there are some ugly Americans that feel that way but don’t think for one minute that Nokia is not concerned about the success of the IPhone. For all those that slam the App Store, do you really think Nokia would complain if OVI could start generating buzz and cash flow like the App Store? Nokia, Apple, Google, etc. are all businesses and they need to make money to survive and grow. I suspect that many on this forum have deep Linux roots, and while I run Linux on my desktop and love Linux, and truly appreciate all the hard work that went into Linux, that is not a business. When I have trouble with Linux I can’t really get mad at anyone, because I did not pay for it. I understand it for what it is, roll up my sleeves and try to find a fix. With Maemo we have the intersection of two worlds and that is causing some turbulence. The “community” at Maemo.org is fantastic and I think it is unfair for this community to be taking the hits for the short comings on the N900. I did not spend money with the community, I spent money with Nokia, and when one spends money, there is a reasonable expectation that one will get what one paid for. That said, I don’t regret spending my money because I still believe that most of these issues will be addressed with future releases and updates, but for those that want a polished device that just works, with lots of apps, great support (For those in the US, Nokia has virtually no presence in the US, not a judgment, just a statement of fact), then maybe the N900 is not the right choice for you. It is really great that we have choices, competition drives everyone to reach higher and there will never be one device that is perfect for everyone.

Its the most competitive market that Nokia wants back. You dont know how lonely I am with Nokia smartphones.........

You truly dont know what you are talking about

Well, the first signs that the N900 is a non-provisioning device actually appeared in these forums in early September, before the N900 was available for sale or even loaned out at the Summit. As "provisioning" was not mentioned by name in that thread though, the information may have been difficult to locate.

You can, via Evolution, easily.

It's possible, just not yet on the N900.

Ah, I remember that thread. But the lack of official documentation is a problem.

But thanks for pointing out earlier evidence that it might not support it directly. I've been waging a slight war with people in telling them of the problems they might have; and the documentation that supports it other than linking to the rants.

I hate seeing such threads in 'Active Topics' every time I log on to maemo.org.

Anyone who replies after this post is a Guber!

what's a guber?

http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...83&term=goober