I do have a pretty good idea what multitasking implies, thank you (having used such systems for decades), and I believe I have said nothing that contradicts what you're saying about resource-demand characteristics. What I'm saying is that the concept of multitasking does not slow things down, other than on a very low level (context switching cycles in the kernel) - and you won't notice that.

On the other hand, it is exactly the quickly-formed first impressions that will make or break a product.

I don't think there's much of an argument here. Maybe there's a difference between how a computer scientist may see things and how a normal end-user may see things, but in real life, multitasking many apps can very often reduce the responsiveness (which many people would describe as "slow down") a device. This is common knowledge on Windows, Macs, and Maemo.

Personally, I like the fact that I can choose to multitask, unlike on iPhone, but I don't kid myself that it has no impact on the responsiveness of the device.

From all of demo videos I've seen (and I do mean ALL of them), I agree with pretty much everything the OP said.

The minimalist black and gray GTK UI combined with the less-than-fluid transitions aren't going to win over most people. You really have to be a geek to appreciate the inner beauty of this device.

Well I guess if somehow it reminded you of Gnome that would make sense, since the Hildon GUI is part of the Gnome project. I actually find your impressions promising. I like the Gnome desktop. For me it's a nice balance between being a full featured desktop and maintaining a relatively minimalistic look. Most desktops these days Vista/Windows 7, OS X, KDE, are just way too cutesy for me. They favor animations and childish graphics that add no functionality. So if Hildon is more subdued that's fine with me. I want functionality. I'm worried even that the animated scrolling workspaces will get annoying after a while. It might be nice to have an option to switch desktops quickly without having to watch a scrolling effect for the millionth time. That kind of stuff is really cool at first and I find really pointless after not very long.

Hmmm... I sincerely doubt that an n900 will remind me (or Joe Public_)of anything linux or Gnome, since neither Joe nor I have any previous experience of same. N900 will be my first serious contact with an Open Source OS, so no worries about that.

Wow, incredible how this is getting blown out of proportion!!

I just wanted to share my feelings as a non expert user who´s got a few minutes to play with the phone... And there are people getting suspicious??! (WTF?)

Let me try to clarify a few of my comments:

Obviously the UI is not like a GNOME desktop, that´s obvious. I got that feeling from the iconset on the workspace showing all the apps, it did have a GNOME/human vibe IMHO, but that´s just that, my opinion. Of course, most of the things in Nokia phones look Nokia, regardless of the OS, as the company has some definite branding and logically they will stick to it. Having said so, I could see some elements, mostly in the iconset style, that reminded me to GNOME, that´s all.

As for the performance, it has nothing to do with multitasking. When I started using the phone, I could see no applications open, nothing was running, and just clicking on certain menu items, like "sending email", felt to me a bit slow. It is most likely an OS version thing, like many of you mentioned, just wanted to clarify that I don´t feel it is related to many applications running at the same time, as I don´t think there were any.

Anyways, it feels to me like the Maemo community is similar to the Linux one, and seems to be making the same mistakes, only they can have a lot more impact in the phone arena.

For those of you interested, this is a an actual good read, an article from a UK journalist who was sent a Kubunty 9.10 netbook from none other than Canonical:

http://www.ubuntugeek.com/the-bbc-ta...ntu-linux.html

Although I feel like some of the journalist comments are unfair (it makes no sense to expect a Ubuntu box to behave as a Windows one, just like it would not with MacOS), it is important to understand the impact of these very simple things and how they can rule an OS in or out of the mainstream.

This is even more important in the phone world, I think, because phones should be a lot more simple and intuitive. If the N900 starts to generate fuzz about being over complicated or is considered an ugly phone, I think that can translate into poor sales very quickly.

My opinion is that those first few minutes with a device are very critical, because most people don´t really care about custimization or the technical stuff, and it was my experience in those few minutes I was trying to explain here.

I am a Linux user and love it, and that is what atracted me to the N900. As stupid as that may sound, I would rather use a N900 just because it uses Linux instead of propietary software. However, to be blatantly honest, if that wasn´t the case, and based on those few minutes, I would pick up an iPhone over an N900.

I hope the final production models are as good as you guys think and my impression is wrong.

For what it's worth, I think your posting was interesting and useful. Indeed first impressions do matter and such things probably make or break a deal more often than almost anything else (except for the few of us that tend to dig deep into the details before we decide what to buy).

And from your description it did sound like the model you watched had an older firmware version than what's currently available, but then again I'm not one of those with a loan device so all I have to go from is the introduction video and what's been written. But if this is right then it would be a good idea for Nokia to get updated/upgraded devices out to the shops as quickly as possible. First impressions do count.

Well, Mr. GodlikeCreature, your name implies quite a bit more enlightenment

However, you are absolutely right, this is just report among many and shouldn't be taken like you are refusing to drink the koolaid or something.

There is something called "cognitive dissonance," heard of it? Basically, people who do somethng arduous or EXPENSIVE are made to feel very insecure by people who cast doubts on a decision they have already made, because they fear such a point of view MIGHT MAKE THEM SEEM LIKE IDIOTS for having gone thru such an expense or effort for something less than superlative.

I am thinking very seriously about getting an N900 myself, actually, but I appreciate your report.

Yes, I have oversimplified the concept of cognitive dissonance, but I do think it fits the mentality in these sorts of cases.

Oh, and I just read the Ubuntu review. I think it was really pathetic. Are you SURE that someone running Windows FOR THE FIRST TIME who was used to Ubuntu wouldn't say the same stuff? I have seen MANY Linux users making the same idiotic types of comments about Windows. They are stupid when Windows users make them and they are stupid when Linux users make them.

(I often forget what environment I'm in, personally; I see right now that I thought I was in Linux but I'm in Windows 7! Once you get into a browser it's hard to tell, especially when you're sleepy and it is 3:40 a.m.

PPPS! Godlike, you should look at the Youtube demos of the N900 and see how they compare with your experience. I don't think those guys are lying, but their demos look awfully fast to me.

Yeah the level of fanboyism on this forum is depressing. I think the n900 looks like it will be the best smartpone for my needs when its available but on here anyone who suggests there could be *anything* wrong with it gets ripped to shreds, it's like a bloody console site :/

BTW the 'iPhone is cut down BSD' comment is rubbish. OSX isn't running a BSD kernel, nor is the iPhone, it's a Mach based kernel with a BSD compatibility layer and some BSD userland. So it has some BSD in it but it's not a BSD OS any more than a Linux kernel with BSD userland is a BSD OS.