Admittedly, my knowledge about Android is rather limited. But still, why a whole new ROM, instead of just a "skin package" of some sorts?

Well because this is a overhaul/complete skinning of the system just like HTC's Sense or Samsungs TouchWiz. You may be able to port several things into your ROM, but it won't work/act like the MIUI ROM.

The easiest way would be to mesh the MIUI ROM, with your chosen kernel and radio rom (cdma/gsm/wimax etc) ... then work your way down to add in the correct drivers/stacks for other things (like hw3d, camera, fm radio etc).

I had already read about that study and it is quite "scary" knowing whenever you play an app; it secretly switches on your gps, records the latitude+longitude, then forwards the list of gps coordinates it recorded throughout when the App was turned on straight to the app developer.

But I get it, it actually could help the app developers improve their apps or apply better ad's on to it (so the advertisers must give the app maker more money = cheaper apps).

The good thing is that their is a notification when you're installing the app ... but there should be one that say's you must manually accept it to have access to those features (like MS Vista), but also an option to (do not remind me later) so that its less frustrating.

That was a terrible idea, I hate the iOS dashboard, so freaking boring rather stare at cardboard than iOS.

wtf was this anyway? some gay had some kind of mod in his nomatterwhat -phone? you can't get gay company if you don't have iPhone and its "cool" UI for behindered?
(sorry behindered for comparing you to iOS wannabees)

I completely agree with longcat....

wtf, where'd that come from?

I just scrolled back, it didn't say:

Firstly, i'm not a troll/fanboy and if you do call me that I will just point at you and laugh XD

Okay I have no clue what you just wrote... and where'd that come from?

Don't you mean just "time". What is "cpu time" meant to be?

I still don't see how this ROM = Fragmentation.
I mean if most Windows 7 computers from different OEMs had quite different UI's but they all ran the same software exactly the same (eg Firefox, MS Office, Quake3) ... I would say there is a lot of variations in Windows but I wouldn't say they're "Fragmented".
In this Windows scenario, if you think its not just a variant but indeed Fragmented ... then you must agree that Ubuntu is "Fragmented" before even installing considering how customizable the entire user interface is.

Maybe you should start learning how different distros of linux are made. For example if i want to change from gnome to kde I do not need to freaking format my whole hard disk for something so trivial.

For example if I want modified pulseaudio,modest,hildon-desktop should I reflash my n900 with whole new image of OS just because of one modified or many modified modules inside my core OS. NO and NO!

True.
Yet only after many "if's"...
Of course only if Nokia *finally* - after years of Android beeing out there - *eventually* manges to throw there new system on the market. By market - i mean for everyone out there who wants it. If this new system will be available for one single phone *again* nokia will dig its own grave.
And of course only, if nokia sticks with one system. Would be the first time since the Nxxx series now. And might be (only maybe) handy for programmers. By programmers i mean - the people that do the *real* work. The unpaid programmers that make the "SMALL" things Nokia doesn't care about.
Like Text editing, a usable Calendar, a usable search tool (where you can search more than just the "name" field), usable file-browser, Navigation (HEY nokia - great there is still no offline Navi available - really fantastic work guys - it's only N900 anyway. And who needs Navigation...), usable Music player (with file browsing capability, abilty to edit playlists, ability to use drag'n drop - i know those are really very special wishes - never seen on my other linux devices. Nokia definatly would have to reinvent the wheel there...)
and so on, and so on.
Not to mention things like voice dial, mms sending...

But THEN - yes then - if (and it's a big if) Nokia realy fullfills all that points, then they maybe have some chance to start competing with android & iOS.

If by system you mean the real operating system, i don't see what makes you think that? It's Linux. In both cases.

Again - what makes you think so? Compatible with what? Other progs written for linux? Well - they are not compatible out of the box & need to be compiled & testet. Yet even then - same goes for Android.

And another time - Why?

What meassures would that be? The ones that linuxes share? Like a usable file system? Well then i assume - same goes for Android.

See my answer to "better cross-compatibility"

That's so true! And yet - a few would at least be a few more than Nokia did the last years with there linux devices....

I still hope that Nokia throws a good OS on the market - for *everyone* (meaning of course also for HTC, Samsung & so on).

I will keep my N900 till it breaks/get's stolen - so hopefully at least another year.
If by then Nokia's & intel's MeeGo is allready available on some smartphones (with HW keyboard) i might give it another (would be the third then) chance.
If on the other hand Nokia keeps messing around & maybe even throws *another* version on the market, I will have to give some android device a chance.

Wherever this thread is headed at, count me out.

Honestly? Most people don't think that. I don't. In fact, I'll go so far to say that Nokia has improved their market without any North America nor Japanese marketing and despite declining sales in those aforesaid markets, they're doing great.

So no. Nokia doesn't have to win over America. America has enough problems with their carriers, policies and thoughts about subsidization.

In fact, Nokia should just forget North America. Doesn't need it. Keep selling where it sells. And it's not North America nor Japan... that's a given.

But one thing though I think that most people outside of America tend to forget. The whole concept of "freedom" of carrier is lost upon the North American market. If you buy a phone with Verizon, it'll invariably be CDMA. You can't take that over to AT&T nor T-Mobile nor Sprint. And if it's a GSM phone, the interoperability between AT&T and T-Mobile is minimum when it comes down to data; only voice is exempt from those problems usually.

So... carrying over to some smaller carrier - US Cellular for instance - might mean that you will be roaming the moment you start traveling/driving outside of your typical state, city, county. Where's the freedom in that?

And where's "freedom" if you call it so when the carriers are not compatible at all? The concept for an unlocked phone in the US is lost upon this market. And people tend to stay with a carrier for longer than a few months... thus subsidization and why it's important in this area.

And before any of you can respond... yep. North American carriers are using tactics that have been dropped in all other markets out there... but ours and a few Central America locales. It sucks.

Thus my prior answer... if Nokia comes, so be it. If they continue to ignore this market, so be it. If people still make themselves feel very self-important... so be it. I personally don't care either way. Informed folks will know where to go. The rest... meh.