Exactly.

Knowing it was a 'real computer' was the hook for me and it makes sense since I got a good deal and needed to renew two phones to have two of them. But just because a machine is a ferrari under the hood doesn't mean that you can get away with Trabant bodywork, to continue msa's metaphor.

I don't have time to spend making something that is sold as a phone useable - I expect the manufacturers to get it right. They haven't so I want to replace the OS with something that works. I'm prepared to do that once and I use Kubuntu all the time but it seems that these alternatives do not actually work as phones - even Android.

Then try asking more constructive questions instead of non-specific whining.

For those giving the 'fail to research' answer, can you tell me what the deficiencies and pitfalls of the N8 at this point?

I think it's about the perfect time to simulate\replicate that "You should f'in research the product before buying" on the N8, like many of us were buying the N900 back when the N900 was launching.

It is answers that are expected to be constructive.

The question was very clear.

Is there any replacement yet available?

The answer appears to be no.

Thank you Chemist.

The user experience design in Maemo 5 / N900 does not suck. It comes with +/- the same amount of controls and things that people can use to build a new application (I'm developping for both Maemo and iOS). The problem that you see is that some people port other linux apps to the N900 without adapting to the new GUI - that's why we end up with an unusable mess of different GUI's :-) If everybody would use only Hildon or Qt, every app would look the same - Apple has much tougher quality controls, they won't accept anything that uses the GUI in the wrong way. So the fault is not with Nokia, but with the devs.

For your other points, as seen in the Nokia Forum:

"0) Why when all other phones are black on white background is there no such skin?"
Mod it yourself - it IS easy, but quite some work to create a new theme. Looks like nobody else had your need until now.

"1) Why is it so easy to go into screen edit mode so you accidentally delete icons?"
I too would prefer a better edit/unlock desktop mode, but it sure isn't bad enough to go nuts about it :-) And I think someone created a new version of Hildon-Home with better locking.

"2) Why is the address book such a mess? When you search inder All Contacts there is no ABC etc list on the right to enable swift navigation, unlike when you go into Select Contact from the calls list."
I just slide out my keyboard and type the first few letters. So quick and easy.

"And you cannot edit the pre-set labels like Home, Work, Mobile etc. Many people have different numbers in different locations and I want to be able to say Work 1 etc."
Correct, but more than enough different types to handle MOST situations. Also, it's often easier that people adapt their needs/process to an app than that the app adapts/includes every different possible use case.

"And to be able to read the blue micro-font as well."
Perhaps you really need glasses?

"3) Why is there no flight mode so I can use it aloft?"
Click the power button once. Then choose "Offline mode" from the menu.

"4) Why does the satnav need to be connected to work?"
I have no clue. Ovi Maps is absolutely shameful on the N900 and a disgrace for Nokia. The manager reponsible for this should have been fired LONG ago. And the one above him, too.

"5) The App Store is very confusing. Why does Nokia have this thing called Ovi? Why not put it all in one place along with Maemo?"
Ovi = Official Nokia app store, free or payware, closed source.
Maemo Extrase = Community app "store", free/donations, mostly open source.

"I downloaded the voice recorder to my phone but when my wife asked me to do the same for hers, I couldn't find it either by searching or listing all the Apps."
Go to the app manager on your N900, find the app in the installed apps, see how it is called and where it's coming from.

"App Stores are for extras, not add-ons or replacements that the manufacturer forgot about".
And where would you draw the line?

"6) Why when I try to enter something in the Google Search box (for example - actually most things in an <input ...> form) does the virtual keyboard not pop up?"
Did you enable the virtual keyboard? (Settings > Text input > Use virtual keyboard)

"I have to slide the little keyboard out all the time. Similarly after the update, I have to use the little keyboard to switch on the Send button for an SMS. "
I have a SEND button right at the bottom right of the SMS dialog. Don't you?

N900 is a REAL computer, with a REAL OS...

So, if you like iPhone, then you really shouldn't stay with N900 , please, just do me a favor, and get rid of your N900.

Yeah, Apple make one phone, one system. But not exactly meeting your specifications it would seem? This is why we should be thankful that Apple are not the only producer of smartphones in the world and we all have a choice to use the device best suited to our individual requirements. I don't think that they quite have 100 models in production, but it is good that Nokia produce a variety of devices which offer a choice of hardware and services according to needs and budget. The Android OS allows competing manufacturers to offer a choice of models too.

You sound like one of those crazy tech reviews criticizing a great new device because it doesn't have exactly the same UI as an iPhone! Personally, I prefer the UI of Maemo 5 to iOS. It just works better for me. I have an iPod touch and the UI just seems like a large grid of application shortcuts to me, each of which I have to back out of if I want to run a different one.

If you're not just trolling here, and if you've only just got your N900, you need to spend a bit of time choosing and downloading some of the productivity programs, tweaking the performance, and customising the home screens with shortcuts and widgets to suit your needs. There's a thread here somewhere with loads of people's screenshots and they are all different. That's what I like about Maemo 5.

My barber was banging on about his new iPhone 4 last week and because he isn't a very technical user, he couldn't understand why I wouldn't choose one for myself to use. I explained to him that the eco-system of Apple products is very much like the Truman Show. The whole movie set was designed to make Truman Burbank think that he lived in the real world when in reality his world was extremely limited. That's how I feel Apple treat their users, like Truman Burbank.

Don't feed the troll

Semantics be damned...

I've never seen a computer lack a true upgrade path before other than a toy or perhaps those OLPC things.

N900 comes with Linux in the form of Maemo 5. No upgrades for any third party nor even first party apps as well as the lack of ability to upgrade the screen, RAM (the swapify trick is just a trick) disqualify it from being called a computer in my book.

I just wasted my time reading your post.