Last month I got a chance to use the Nokia N900 for a few weeks. It’s about time that I finally write this article; right? For a few reasons I will hold back from giving a full & detailed review of the N900 and instead just let you know how I felt about the device after only a few weeks of use.

Reasons for the short analysis? Here they are…

1) You can find plenty of huge reviews all over the internet. View the official N900 page here.
2) The N900 has been out for awhile now and is no longer hyped up & exciting to read about.
3) I have been a Symbian S60 loyalist for years now. Two weeks is not nearly long enough to learn a new OS and review/criticize it too harshly or enjoy the small details which might make it a joy to use.
4) The Nokia N900 was never meant for the “masses”. My full review would have been looking at it from a “masses” point of view.
5) A Meego (not Maemo) smartphone is rumored to be announced by Nokia later this year. The N900 will not be “officially” updated with Meego. The life of Maemo is essentially coming to an end.

Below you’ll find my overall analysis and opinion on the Nokia N900 and Maemo.

My thoughts on Maemo & The Nokia N900

I’ll start with the things I like about the Maemo operating system & Nokia N900

I was very impressed by the Maemo operating system. I love the way notifications are handled for incoming messages and emails. A popup shows up at the top of the screen and only stays there for around 3 seconds and has a preview of the message. If you click it you go straight to the message. The multiple homescreens and a plethora of widgets is awesome. It’s not until I stopped using the N900 when I realized how useful the multiple homescreens can be. The menu is very simple and the settings are easy to find. Everything is very snappy and smooth. There is virtually no lag time and perhaps the biggest thing that sets the Nokia N900 apart from other phones is the way it handles multitasking – thanks to the fast processor and the power of Maemo. When you touch the menu button in the top left of any screen you first get a screen that shows all your open applications. Touch it again and you go to the menu. I love that feature, all operating systems should work like this. The browser is insanely powerful and packed with features. Full flash is huge for mobile users who want a real desktop experience. The photo & video applications are solid, not much to complain about. Nokia & Maemo developers nailed it in the multimedia departments.

The body of the Nokia N900 is rock solid. It seems like it can survive a hard fall without cracking or denting. Nokia always makes solid hardware. The keyboard is good – not great, and the screen is very nice to look at. Sound is up to par with other high end devices and the camera takes some excellent photos. The notification led light is nearly perfect. I know some people don’t care for the plastic stand that kicks out but I love it. Coming from the N97 I love reading the internet and watching videos with device standing up on it’s own.

What I didn’t like about Maemo & the N900

I don’t have a lot of problems with Maemo, but the few that I do have are enough to put me off a bit. This list might seem a little longer than the “likes”. It’s not because I dislike the device or think it’s bad, but I often feel the need to defend myself when I say “The N900 is just not worth the money for me”. Maemo fanatics SHIT whenever I say that.

Portrait view. Auto-rotate is for portrait mode viewing is not supported out of the box. Some applications will rotate with a shortkey or key combo, but not all. You must use the N900 with two hands.
3rd party applications. I’m not impressed with the 3rd party applications that are available. There are a ton of applications out there, but nothing seems completely finished. I’ve yet to find an application with a great UI, besides some of the weather applications and greader. Heck, even Ovi Maps, Nokia’s own navigation software, doesn’t have all the features or new UI that the Symbian version sports. Everything, especially in the Application Manager seems beta.
Which brings me to the application stores. Ovi Store on the N900 sucks. There isn’t much available and what is there isn’t anything great. Then you have the Application Manager. I like the idea of it, but again it’s not polished enough. There are no ratings, user feedback, or an easy way to see what the application does.
Lack of MMS. This is a no brainer. Yes there is a 3rd party application that resolves this, but it shouldn’t have to come to that.

I mentioned I really like the hardware of the N900. That’s not to say that I don’t have a few bones to pick with Nokia.

It’s too bulky and fat. When it comes to a phone that you put in your pocket all day and every day a few millimeters can go a long way. In pictures the N900 doesn’t look much bigger than the N97, but when you’re holding it you will notice the difference in weight and size.
The tactile feedback on the keyboard is great and I love the way the buttons feel. I just wish there was more separation. Maybe it’s just that I need to get used to it, especially coming from the N97 which has the keyboard buttons spread out.
Battery. I feel like hitting my head on the wall whenever I try to understand why Nokia would put a weak battery in their most powerful device. I can’t get a full day with one charge, not even 3/4 of a day. And that’s just using a 2g connection. Which leads me to my last bullet…
No AT&T 3g. Nokia’s small North American fanbase mostly have AT&T as their mobile carrier. Why make the N900 with 3g bands that only work on T-Mobile? That’s exactly what Nokia did. It’s not like they were trying to introduce their product to a new user base. Maemo will be obsolete soon. The N900 was not meant for mass sales or to introduce new users to a powerful smartphone lineup that they fully support. The lack of AT&T 3g was the main reason I didn’t pick up a N900 for myself. Some say Nokia wanted to “throw T-Mobile users a bone”. I don’t believe that for a second and I’ve yet to see a good answer for the “why T-Mobile 3g?” question.

That concludes my analysis of the Nokia N900. I can go on and on about the N900 but I would just be going in circles. Notice I tried not to compare to other devices on the market? That’s because the N900 was and still is in a league of it’s own. If you have the money and love tinkering with your phone then it’s perfect for you if you can get past the negatives I mentioned. Some can and some cannot. I am one of those who will not fork over $450 for this device, but I would enjoy it thoroughly if someone gave it to me for free.

Let me finish by saying this…

In no way does my experience with the N900 affect my opinion on the first Meego smartphone that Nokia will unveil to the world later this year. I’m extremely optimistic and confident that Nokia will get it right and make it a true powerhouse with little to complain about. I think Meego will be simple enough for the everyday user and powerful enough for the mobile fanatics that read this site.

Visit our Photo Gallery for more N900 photos or N900 vs. N97 photos. Visit Maemo Fanatics for more coverage on Maemo & the N900.