I would of hoped to see more larger companies backing the 900, but i think the new boy to the market is leaving them weary of getting involved with it at this point with no security on where this is heading at the present time.

I know this device is aimed at open source & community based apps but larger developers look to be getting excited for Meego and not Maemo

and if thats the case... and Meego is far off release then were likely to see minimal backing from larger devs.

The large screen, great speakers & GPS out the box are begging for Sat Nav something TomTom maybe could of capitlized on or many of the other countless navigation softwares.

They developed for the Windows Mobile .. it did work great but i hated my Windows Mobile device!

Dont get me wrong i love the 900 i wouldn't go back to windows mobile and windows next OS doesn't look appealing at all and still looks years behind Maemo OS.

I'm sure others feel a lot of oppertunities are just begging to be opened up with the device and to no fault of community but uncertainty over what this thing will eventually run is slowing progress here.

I just wish Nokia would communicate a bit more and/or make more public statements about the developments of maemo and MeeGo.

Many of the developments of the n900 are/were based purely on rumours.
Usually qgil has had to make statements on Nokia's behalf.

I bought the n900 last year and never expected and mapping software at all. Unfortunately Nokia released a free version of OVI maps for other devices and completely ignored the n900 community.
No announcements were made either way -"yes you will eventually get it " or "no - only symbian devices will get it".

Nokia said absolutely nothing and upset many users.

It is the overwhelming silence that paints Nokia with an almost arrogant atititude.

We still do not know offically if we are getting the "free" version of OVI maps.

What is Nokia's business case for being so quiet about the N900?

Plenty of large companies are getting behind MeeGo:

http://forum.meego.com/showthread.php?t=46

It's been said many times by qgil and others that with Qt 4.6 compatibility for Maemo 5 coming in the 1.2 update, developers can go ahead and write now (for Maemo 5) and run later (on Maemo and/or MeeGo).

I don't see a significant problem technically. If developers aren't releasing more software for Maemo, it's very likely because there simply isn't enough raw numbers of Maemo devices in user's hands yet to support the cost of releasing more commecial software. The N900 by itself hasn't sold millions and millions of units like the numerous Android phones or the iPhone - not yet. They had a long head start and it will take a while for the number of Maemo/MeeGo units to reach critical mass for software companies. But remember, things change very quickly in the mobile device world.

The N900 has sold really well, better than Nokia expected for sure. The success of the N900 and strong support it demonstrated for an open mobile linux OS may well be what convinced Nokia and Intel to finalize the MeeGo project.

IMO the 'uncertainty' is not from Nokia, but is largely drummed up by all the speculation as can be found throughout this site.

The other week someone made a posting referring to an online article claiming that PR1.2 was imminent. I traced the sources halfway across the 'net and came right back to the same thread that was now claiming the 'News' - we are now creating our own mythology and the Trolls are eating themselves...

I don't think Nokia have that much doubt or uncertainty about N900. I think it's success has perhaps given them something new to consider, but against all the other new models and associated products they have to deal with this is very small beer.

In the meantime we have Nokia's support, the possibility of Meego and the excellence of Maemo as it stands.

Yay, I get to use my favorite figure of speech:

"It is what it is".

Anyway, since Meego doesn't exactly "exist" in a usable sense yet, the ability to run Meego apps with PR1.2 doesn't seem to be of much consequence.

I'm happy with my N900 and I'll continue to be a user for a couple of months to come, since my search for a good Android 2.1 equipped QWERTY slider with a hires screen came up empty. I am almost convinced however, that the N900 will never see a vast array of high quality apps. It is what it is - meaning you get what you see today. Don't expect the coming months to change anything.

I fully understand how almost no one wants to program for the N900 now, since we are all but left in the dark about the future. Will N900 Qt-apps be easily transferable to Meego by a simple recompile? Will the Meego GUI allow for the same kind of usability logic as present N900 apps? If I make something for the N900 today, will it be easier to just redesign almost the whole thing, if I want it to run on Meego.

Many say portability will be easy, but developers are not convinced and my guess is you'll see virtually no wow-factor apps for the N900 in the future, even though the hardware potential is huge.

If you're convinced that the N900 is not a dead end for developers, then how do you explain the lack of apps on a platform that should be a wet dream-come-true for all geek(ish) programmers?

One thing that seems to me ironic about the current state of the N900 is the way extras-devel is treated. It is supposedly a sin to run apps from extras-devel, YET large numbers of programs that are more or less essential live there, seemingly permanently. For example, Midnight Commander, which many people live by, has been there forever (though I haven't checked recently) It is often claimed that the developer of these programs considers them unready for even testing by common folk. I don't think that is true. For example, does the developer of Midnight Commander really have that opinion?

I have seen MANY comments by developers implying that they think that users are going to try out their programs the moment they are put in extras-devel -- and they are correct. They clearly are not of the opinion that users should stay away from their program. But it is a shame that so many programs languish in extras-devel. I have seen even developers complain about that fact. The developers who complain about it don't seem to be of the opinion that people shouldn't try out the programs.

1. The fact that it doesn't yet have - at least installed by default - all the 'smartphone' features many users expect (individual ringtones, turn-by-turn nav, MMS, etc. etc.)

2. Because a N900 sale is likely a lost N97, N97 Mini or other Nokia phone sale. IOW, they don't want it to cannibalize Symbian sales.

I think the n900 will always get community support regardless of what Nokia does.

But Nokia's hope of making money from the apps has severely diminished. Even with their symbian market things look doubtful.

I imagine any commerical software company looking at the n900 will be thinking "Yeah, nice device but how will I recoup my development costs in any meaningful way?"

After waiting for almost half a year to get the N900, and after 2 1/2 months after using it (really using it, downloading apps from extras testing and devel and even refalshing the phone because battery drainage was caused due to one of the extras-apps) I must say I'm disappointed. I'm still trying to like it, in terms of phone and sms it does exactly what I need and also exchange capability is there, however something 'fundamental' is missing from this great piece of Hardware.

When I look at an iPhone I always think "Damn, is there a similar app for N900?". The same thing applies to when I hold one of my friends' Android phone in my hands and scroll through the apps, and I realize how far behind the N900 is. I'm still hoping for some sort of breakthrough.

I'm also baffled as to why Nokia would promote this Portable Computer / Phone hybrid, if it can't even deliver a similar or perhaps even better experience as an iPhone/Android-Phone in terms of usability and fun in using this device.