haha, no way. So much more advanced phones

As a phone, it works fairly well. Cannot think of any complaints. Speakers quiet? Well, it may be just my worn out device, full of dust or something.

Browsing the web is very spotty, since default Nokia's web browser is Firefox 3.6, ancient, and some web pages don't work at all, or work very slowly. However, a variety of web-browsers can be installed, such as Chromium, Opera, Fennec (Firefox 17 for mobile), and others. I am still using MicroB, though; with Fennec as back-up for troublesome sites - but I admit there are better browsers out here.

Wouldn't know how an android smartphone works, never used one.

Watching youtube videos is possible in theory, there are guides on upgrading Adobe Flash, and there are dedicated apps like CuteTube.

Yes, I did connect Nokia N900 to a TV, several times, works like a charm. No, I don't do it often, we don't use TV much - mostly for watching movies in the evening, either from a DVD, or from PC-RGB computer's output. Since switching between different TV modes is difficult on this TV in particular (TV's buttons work intermittently and irregularly), we prefer to avoid switching TV to different input unless necessary (it's possible, just frustrating).

Yes, you absolutely can develop apps with Python for it. Have a look at Modrana, very popular navigation app for Nokia N900, written in Python. And Maebble, Pebble support for Maemo, also written in Python. https://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=97591

Emacs, yes, it is available. See http://maemo.org/packages/view/qemacs/ and http://maemo.org/packages/view/emacs25/
Default Python is 2.5, but Python 3 is available, too.
Yes, you could execute a python script to download some data from websites, in Nokia N900. I occasionally execute a python script (firefox_decrypt.py or something) in Nokia N900 to look at passwords remembered by MicroB browser.

Yes, I would recommend a Nokia N900.

There are other smartphones out here with sliding qwerty keyboards. But if you want a phone running Linux, with familiarity of command-line tools and root access...

Of course, I have heard about other Linux for mobile operating systems, such as Ubuntu Touch and Sailfish OS. If you wish, you could go for Nokia N950 (rare, developer device) or Jolla 1 with keyboard TOH or one of other devices supported by unofficial port of Sailfish OS, such as:
1) Motorola Droid 4 and Motorola Photon Q (besides Android 4.1, supported by LineageOS 14.1 [Android 7.1.1 "Nougat"]);
2) Moto Z Play (compatible with MotoMod accessories; runs Android 7);
3) HTC Desire Z (Android 2);
4) Sony Ericsson Xperia pro (Android 4);

I am using Nokia N900 as my primary and only phone, every day. It's the only phone I have ever had, and it's the first Linux computer I used.

I agree that semi-transparent on-screen keyboard I have seen on Nokia N950 (Nemo Mobile installed) is neat. See a screenshot:
http://www.robertocolistete.net/ipyt...SailfishOS.jpg
But while Nokia N950 might be better in some regards (hardware and software both), it's rare, very much so. And it has capacitive touchscreen, while I prefer resistive one, if only for its potential with drawing. https://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=50811

Thank you. Best wishes,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Per aspera ad astra...

Hello vascoferreira,

Welcome to TMO

Wikiwide has asked me to respond here.

The short version is: Please test jupyter-notebook server and Keras Library in a Maemo VM. Everything else is achievable to various extents.

The long version:

> I never owned a Nokia N900 but I like the way it looks with the keyboard. I read that Maemo is a linux based OS and I want to know if it is worth it to have a Nokia N900 from now onwards.

Great! I am glad you like Linux. I like it too. It

> As a phone, does it work well?

Yes - great sound, stereo speakers, front cam so you can video chat over the internet or sip or anything else as well. Only some 3G wavelengths are supported, please check what your provider is using (I do not have the exact names for the wavelengths, maybe someone else from the forum may provide them to you.)

> Can you browse the web like any android smartphone?

I do not know. I do not browse the web myself. I find this screen size a pain to surf the web with on any device.

Wikiwide uses Fennec or Dillo to surf the web. Websites load and show. Some JavaScripts do not work and most payment gateways die on it. Wikipedia, Wikinews, wiki editing work ok. Technically, the phone is capable of playing high-resolution music and video, including I think html5 video tags (?).

> Can you watch youtube videos?

Haven't tried. At my laptop, I watch it using youtube-dl script. This is kind of atypical - I am not an average user, and not an average Maemo user either. A quick web search brings up this interesting project http://mytube.garage.maemo.org/ which is perhaps on the right track to making YouTube available to Maemo users.

> Did you ever connected it to the TV?

Yes, this works well. We use this to view the filmed videos. The mic is great and the videos are interesting to watch.

> Do you connect it to the TV often?

Not every day, but I don't see any problem with this in principle.

> Can I develop apps with Python for it?

Yes, modrana is in python and the entire python stack is available. Some packages are several years old, but I think Python provides a means to have a custom Python environment in your $HOME, which would perhaps be able to keep you on the bleeding edge of modern Python developments.

> If I wanted to install EMACS could I install it?

It works.

> Can I install and run Python 2.7 or 3?

Yes.

> I often execute a python script to download some data from websites, can I do it in Nokia N900?

Yes, Maemo has a terminal and app launchers, so executing python scripts is possible.

> For example could I install jupyter-notebook server and go to the browser to run scripts, or could I install Keras Library?

Unfamiliar names. Would suggest to try these in a Maemo VM before purchasing the hardware.

> Would you recomend a Nokia N900?

To tell briefly about my use-case: together with my sister we used the XUL (XML)-based Fennec browser back when it was developed by Mozilla and was one of the official Firefox flavours. Started using our first Nokia N900 around 2010. The vast apps ecosystem is one of the strong points. Many of them already are rewritten to fit the Hildon environment, many aren't, reverse engineering of some proprietary Maemo parts is an ongoing process since after Microsoft purchased NOKIA and left source codes unavailable. Hildon is documented and FOSS itself (to the best of my knowledge).

I am a little disappointed with lack of good user and developer-friendly verbose internationalized documentation for Maemo that would show how apps work, and store all bug reports in a single location. Despite that thousands of apps are still there in the system in the main repository. They make Maemo unique and hackable. Hopefully we work out how to document them and document the bugs too (small well-documented bugs may be a starting point for new developers).

I personally would recommend Nokia N900 to people whose use-case fits. For you I would suggest to test the particular software you mentioned without buying the hardware first. There is a .iso of an ubuntu host + maemo guest vm on the website somewhere, it allows to try Maemo in two clicks. Can't find it on-wiki, it needs an archeologist: I can only locate http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=95567 now.

Best regards,
Gryllida

In that case, mine must have been full of dust since day 1.

Maybe you are used to it if all you ever had were Nokia phones but, coming from a different world, I always found the N900 speakers waaaay too quiet. The number of calls I missed because I did not hear the phone ringing in my pocket. Or the number of times I could barely make out what the other side was saying when I received the call outside on the street. All of that despite having the volume turned up to 11.

Back in 1999-2000, my Motorola V3690 was much, much, MUCH louder. And had a better vibrator (and voice dialing, but that is another topic).

If I didn't own a N900 I would consider buying one nowadays. But not as a daily drive. Why? Because it is fun to play with!

A bit offtopic -- I saw a mention of Jupyter in your original message -- if you're a student, maybe you want to participate in GSoC this year:

- http://wiki.octave.org/Summer_of_Cod...er_Integration Jupyter Integration (Summer of Code Project Ideas (GNU Octave))
- https://wiki.octave.org/GSoC_2018_application

I just bumped into that page today and saw a familiar word. Figured it's perhaps worth asking just in case you're a student and you are willing to participate. If you are not a student yourself, perhaps ask around

Everyone has mentioned the obvious and not so obvious reasons...for wanting or having an n900...
it's challenges and benefits...especially nowadays...

yes it is one of the few phones that are a computer ...in essence..as well...
and that runs linux...
with a physik keyboard and resistive screen...
and all the other jazz everyone has been saying...
and that yes you can work on your own programs for it..

sure there are other phones that run linux...
are they better?
some may be newer...some older...but better? ...I don't think so...

some still use the n900 as a daily...some don't...
hell ...there are some of us who still use the n770, n800 and n810 daily..


important is...
there is all the software for the devices here...and...there is the community here...and all those who help...

No I don't think so.

Since two or three days ago, I am using Maemo Leste on my 2nd N900 (with, unfortunately, broken modem), and I'm very happy!
So I wish I could get another N900 with working modem, or, to answer the thread directly, YES, I would buy an N900 in 2018

of course my daily phone is my other N900, and that's not about to change

I have been thinking of opening up a few of my X-SIM N900s and reballing the modem chip with my hot air reflow station, does anyone know the ideal temp for the N900's solder?

As for the thread I would LOVE a working browser, but I still use my N900 for everyday as I cant get anything near the same function out of my no-gapps LineageOS tablet but if I think I will need browsing or NFC for transit card I carry that. The reality is that it is not the N900 it is the ridiculous bloated web 2.0 abomination that is ruining the experience for anything lacking a bombastic processor, memory, and internet connection.