I am really keen on getting a maemo5/Omap3 NIT, but am ignorant of phones for the following reasons:

1. I have never bought a smart-phone because i don't like phones, they are mere devices rather than flexible platforms like my beloved computers. (i have three computers and a netbook).

2. I also dislike being contracted into paying for a service, especially when that service is tied to me in a way that makes me 'visible'. (my phone is a £15 nokia orange PayG phone).

For this reason I have always had unregistered pay-as-you-go phones historically, and am woefully ignorant about smart-phones.
I am a net addict and have been really impressed by the iphone, but not enough to buy for the reasons listed above; its just a clever device, and you need a contract to make use of all the web services that make it great.

Why then am i interested in a nokia n900?

1. Because the n900 is the closest i have found to a phone which is also an honest-to-god computer rather than just a fancy device.

2. Because I [[hope]] that i will be able to use that open computer'iness to replicate the Web 2.0 functionality of current smart-phones with an unregistered pay-as-you-go sim.

I am hoping i can acquire a pay-as-you-go sim with internet ability.
I am hoping i can use local OSM maps cached on the n900 for navigation.
I am hoping the maemo/Ovi application development community can compete with the iphone app store.

If this isn't possible then i have to weigh up my dislike of service contracts against the ability to make the most of my new web-enabled n900 computer-phone......................
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So, after all this rambling what questions do i really want you to help me answer, well here it is:

a) Can i get a pay-as-you-go 3G sim that will enable all the web-services available on the n900?
b) Can things like caching openstreetmaps locally alleviate the high data costs associated with PayG data plans and still maintain the Web2.0 experience? (not too bothered by web video)
c) If yes to (a), are these sims/phones available in high street stores like WHSmiths so i can wangle an unregistered one?
d) If no to (a) does purchasing an unlocked n900 seem like a daft idea to YOU, and should i really consider a contract despite my stated dislike?

Many thanks

PaYG is pretty dear with data afaik.

I've just switched to PaYG as I'd ideally like to move to a Vodafone (yeah I know) £10/month 30-day contract. It should be possible to add data to this for ~£5/month, which would make it something like £15/month with almost no contract.

Many/most of the providers here offer decently cheap SIM only monthly deals, so that might be your best bet considering the price of PaYG.

Then again, someone else may know better. Anyone?

Three.co.uk do a £5 a month add-on to their PAYG accounts for up to 1GB of data (according to the Fair Use Policy).

That's got to be the way to go.

I use the £5 deal Jaffa mentioned, works great. I actually use it to tether my n800 to my phone. I make hardly any phone calls, and few texts, so it costs me about £6 per month. Oh, and three now offer 1000 free SMS per topup.

cheers all.

Jaffa,

Can you just get a 3G payG phone on 3 and then ask your newsagent for a £5 voucher for data?

I am keen to remain unregistered if possible, i just prefer it that way.

when the n900 comes out sim free (play.com will have it in a few months after lauch) look at vodaphones TopUp and Go Mobile Broadband its £15 per GB and on the n900 that would last a long time.

hmmm, that's interesting.

so, presuming i got hold of a vodafone PayG phone with 3G, i could just walk into a vodafone store and pay in cash for a voucher with a code printed on it?

The intention is to remain unregistered as i am now............. and have data. Just to clarify i am not a bad person, never so much as a parking ticket, i just like remaining unregistered.

REMFwhoopitydo, you top up as a regular PAYG phone, then use their mobile web site to active the 30 day internet add-on.

They also offer a "mobile broadband" add-on for £10 for 30 days/1GB, but I've never found anything that the "mobile internet" doesn't do that I've needed broadband for. Probably VPN etc...

REMFwhoopitydo, I always pay cash for the topups, and for the original SIM. I've never given three my details at all, or any oportunity to get them from credit cards etc... I tend to get the topups from the supermarket for convenience too.

I like to stay off the grid too - there's enough people with my details who don't need it already.

If you don't want to be tied to a network, don't buy it from a network! :-)

Pay as you go is just another way for networks to control your phone, don't let them do it.

You can buy 100% of Nokia devices without any kind of network branding as unlocked unbranded SIM-free models, which can be used on any network, or if you prefer you can leave the SIM card out completely and just use them through wi-fi.

You can use SIM-free models with any SIM card in the world.

SIM-free phones are also easier to sell when you've finished with them because they're compatible with literally every buyer's network so you'll get more bids in ebay or wherever.

You can get SIM-free phones (also called unlocked or unbranded phones) from many electronics shops and online places like Amazon, Microanvika etc, and you can also order them directly from your local Nokia website (go to Nokia.com and select your country).

SIM-free phones also get more firmware updates and get them more quickly too as manufacturers always do the unbranded firmware first.

Seriously, if you are annoyed by networks controlling your phone then vote with your wallet and buy a non-network phone. You might think SIM-free are more expensive but they're not, the networks just fool people into thinking they are by hiding the charges on locked phones in various bills and restrictions.