ok so iv been wanting an N900 since it first dropped in the US. finally i bought one by impulse last week off ebay and hope to get it this week. i have been reading and have some questions... some may seem simple, but im new to this so dont be too hard on me

1. what is PR1.2? i understand that its an update. if so, what will be new about it?

2. everyone talks about debian. i know its an OS. why would i want or need this on my phone?

3. when MeeGo comes out will we be able to have it on the N900... i guess what i mean is, was my purchase a tad hasty? would i have been better off waiting for whatever phone they release with meego?

4. whats the app that lets me change LED colours depending on the notification? i have to say that having different colour LEDs for differnt things is one of the best features of my blackberry

5. how do emails and facebook notifications come through to the phone? becuase on my blackberry they come to the inbox like a txt instantly. is N900 the same?

....im sure more questions will arise. but i cant think of any for now.
anyway, i cannot wait to get my N900

any help appreciated!

Hi Paul,

You'll love your N900, just wait

Now, onto your questions:
PR 1.2 is an update indeed. It is the second official major firmware update for the device. Your question requires an enormous answer, which can be found here: http://wiki.maemo.org/Maemo_5/PR1.2. In a nutshell, a lot of bug fixes are done. Furthermore, the following features are confirmed to have been implemented (except for the last one):

• Qt 4.6.2 is now preinstalled on the OS.
• Changes for the video recording in the Camera Application.
• Video calling can be accessed through contacts.
• Can dial USSD Codes.
• No more "More" menu in application launcher, and is rearrangeable.
• Virtual Keyboard has been modified and now looks different.
• File Manager is now able to share any file and/or folder.
• Typing in Application Manager starts a search (like it is in Contacts or Media Player).
• Status area is now reachable in portrait mode
• Portrait mode Virtual Keyboard for browser. *Not yet confirmed* (Source)

Debian is indeed an OS, it is one of the many Linux flavours that are around. Why would you want a computer OS on your phone? Because it gives your mobile device PC functionality and enables computer applications to be far more easily be coded/converted to the mobile platform. It's simply a step towards closing the gap between computers and mobile devices. As is Meego.

Everyone that owns a N900 device is still waiting for this answer, as Nokia is holding its lips shut tightly. Still, at the moment it looks as though the N900 users can expect the Meego platform to become available for the device, at least, that's how I interpreted all the different news messages. As far as I'm concerned, you didn't make a hasty purchase at all; the device is very functional as it is as both a phone and an internet tablet with Maemo 5 running. It's powerful and extremely versatile.

As far as my knowledge goes, no application exists for that yet, but one is being developed (see here). However, the Maemo WIKI contains an article on how you can change the patterns yourself here.

E-mails and Facebook notifications (which are also e-mails, right?) simply go into your e-mail inbox once you set up your e-mail account on the phone. You will be notified by a sound, flashing blue led and icon at the top left of your screen.

Hope this helps and have fun discovering your new device!

Cheers

Great answers Thomas. Maybe to question 2...
Maemo 5, n900's OS, is based on Debian. Maybe that is why you hear so mucho about it

regards!

You're right, how could I forget to mention that? Thanks for the addition

Thanks for your in-depth and helpful answer ThomasAH - but there is an application that allows you to change the LED notifications, right down from the pattern and frequency to the colour of the LED notification. Its called LED Pattern Editor (if you search within Application Manager using simply "LED" as the search string) and is currently (I believe) in Extras -devel, so you will need to enable that repository using these settings:

Catalogue Name: Maemo Devel
Web Address: http://repository.maemo.org/extras-devel
Distributions: Fremantle
Components: free non-free

HOWEVER

You need to be very aware about anything you install out of the -devel repository. Be prepared to have non-optified applications taking up all of your rootfs and in worst case, flash your phone after you've bricked it.

By the same token I have edited all the LED patterns for notifications on my phone and haven't bricked it. Yet.

hi guys,

this is either a noob question or a known bug (which i can't find probably because im not sure what keywords to use)..

is there a way to access the SIM card menu?

some SIMs have extra features like extra phonebook or msg space, shortcuts to the service provider features/promos, ways to do inquiries (outstanding bills, mobile banking, etc).. plus some dynamic menus which the service providr can update over time.

in symbian phones this menu appears by default either in the main menu or the 'apps' folder. even winmo phones display this menu. in my n900, ive had no luck finding it.

its not really that important since i can pretty much do anything that menu does manually, but it bugs me that my superpowerful tablet cant do what really really old phones (like nokia 5110 or 3210 old) do flawlessly. haha. :P

hope somebody could help or point me to the right direction.

tnx in advance!

No.

you summed that all up quite nicely Thomas.
which brings further questions.
should i instal debian? what are some applications i can run if i do? and will installing it change the UI of the device?

any word on when PR1.2 will come out?

also, as i said i am currently using a blackberry bold. maybe not a question for you guys, but how can i move my saved messages and contacts from my blackberry to my N900?
they both use a micrSD, but i dont think i can save txts to the card..

i hope the postage on the N900 is quick. i want it now!

tonight..

seriously? tonight?

ouch haha. thanks anyway. if anything urgent from that menu, i guess still have my trusty old e71.