Nokia Releases Linux Handset 484
galaxy writes "Nokia releases their first Linux mobile handset, the N900 The handset is based on the latest release of Maemo, the Nokia mobile Linux platform, and includes e.g. GSM and 3G access (with HSPA, giving datarates of up to 10Mbps downlink and 2Mbps uplink on suitable networks), WLAN, Bluetooth, camera, assisted GPS and, most importantly, a touchscreen complemented by a hardware QWERTY under a slider. The beast is powered by an ARM Cortex-A8 processor at 600 MHz, has PowerVR SGX with OpenGL ES 2.0 support, 32GB internal memory etc."
DO WANT (Score:5, Insightful)
Open source? Check.
Looks stylish? Check.
Hardware built by reputable supplier? Check.
Did I mention it was open source?
I know what my next phone will be!
Re:Sigh (Score:3, Insightful)
It uses flash memory as it's storage method. Call it memory or storage, whichever you prefer, & it doesn't matter, since it's both...
FTFW:
Mass memory
* 32 GB internal storage
* Store up to 7000 MP3 songs or 40 hours of high-quality video
* Up to 16 GB of additional storage with an external microSD card
Re:Answers all my biggest iPhone gripes (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't trust Apple, why would you? ;)
Re:how much is it? (Score:4, Insightful)
Much, much higher resolution screen, 800x480.
Resolution (Score:5, Insightful)
No one here ever mentions resolution as a feature on phone screens, and they should. I have eyesight just good enough to pass the DMV tests without corrective lenses and that's sufficient for my old iPhone's 320x480 screen to be painful for me in comparison to the 640x480 screen on my new phone. I can read significantly smaller text, meaning I can see much larger chunks of real web pages, on the higher resolution screen.
The N900 described in TFA has an 800x480 resolution. That should get people very excited!
Dvorak? (Score:1, Insightful)
Qwerty only? You insensitive clods!
Re:T-Mobile's 3G (Score:5, Insightful)
"Another dumbass that doesn't bother reading the tech specs [nokia.com]:"
Whoa, some people don't *understand* those tech specs. Seeing "* Quad-band GSM EDGE 850/900/1800/1900" doesn't necessarily make it obvious to people who aren't familiar with which signaling standards and frequencies a given carrier uses.
I think it's a little harsh to calls omeone a "dumbass" just because they don't understand the particulars of cell phone networks. Granted, this is /. so you hope most of the readers understand, but, even though someone is a 'nerd' doesn't make them knowledgeable iin *every* area of technology. They might know more than you ever will about astronomy, or quantum physics, or computer programming, and not know anything about cell networks.
Re:Thanks for obseleting my N97 (Score:3, Insightful)
Thanks for obseleting my N97
If you're mad that they've released something better, that just doesn't make sense. Should companies stop releasing newer, better products because this would mean existing customers are getting "screwed"? It's not like your current device is any worse than it was before the announcement, you know.
I bought an N97 expecting it to be THIS phone.
If you're angry that you bought the N97 expecting it to do things that it actually cannot do... then, um... shouldn't you be mad at yourself for not properly researching the product, rather than mad at the manufacturer for not automatically including features you assumed would be present...? Or perhaps they should have read your mind and prohibited you from buying it, knowing that you'd be dissapointed?
It was supposed to have a fresh Symbian with a lot of power and a solid software base. Instead it's a feature packed piece of hardware with neglected software, an inappropriate processor, and absolutely no future.
"Supposed" to? Can you explain. Are you saying that Nokia lied and misrepresented the capabilities of the N97 in marketing material and spec documents after it was released? If that's actually true, then it is a valid complaint... but you have not provided any specific evidence thereof.
thank you nokia for keeping me from making an informed decision.
What exactly are you saying that Nokia should have done to help you make more informed decisions? Obviously companies can't announce products in the pipeline before they reach a certain level of maturity (e.g. many projects get canceled or altered). So they couldn't exactly tell you, when you bought your N97, that the N900 would eventually be released and what exactly it would look like.
When you bought your N97, you should have just made a decision about whether it suited your needs or not, and whether those features were worth the price. If the purchase was "worth it" then it remains "worth it" regardless of what new things are released. If, on the other hand, you are accusing them of producing bad products, or lying in their marketing material, then please give the specifics (with links, if possible).
Re:Answers all my biggest iPhone gripes (Score:2, Insightful)
Personally I don't care for Android because it's so Javafied. I really truly detest Java.
People who "detest" programming languages are posers. Go back to writing the Next Big Rails App on your aluminium Unibody Macbook (if you can distract yourself from admiring the reflection in the glossy screen) and spare us the ego.
I'm asking too much, aren't I.
Only compared to an iPhone (Score:4, Insightful)
The iPhone is a fashion accessory, and fashion accessories do not require removable/swappable anything.
You dispose of, and replace.
Re:Answers all my biggest iPhone gripes (Score:1, Insightful)
The most important feature: (Score:2, Insightful)
The most important feature is that you can legally write applications for it without having to get the approval of Big Brother Apple. Although this may result in a severe shortage of Fart Applications (of which the iPhone currently corners the market), it will still appeal to people who want to write actually useful applications.
Re:how much is it? (Score:2, Insightful)
You must have a part time job for under 15 year olds.
*Everyone* I know at my workplace has an iPhone/Blackberry/Nokia Smart phone worth that much or more.
Re:Skype? (Score:1, Insightful)
iPhone: the platform of "but", "only" and "limited to".
Re:how much is it? (Score:4, Insightful)
Yeah the iPhone is so free as in speech you can't install arbitrary apps unless you jailbreak it. Also as the other replier to your message mentioned, OSX doesn't have a BSD kernel, it has a Mach kernel with a BSD compat layer and some BSD userland.
Re:how much is it? (Score:4, Insightful)
Where's the iPhone's 3GS 5 megapixel camera with flash (and Carl Zeiss optics and integrated lens cap), and 800x480 @25fps video? Oh, wait, iPhone 3GS only goes up to 640x480 on the video and 3 megapixels on the camera, no flash, no lens cap.
Also, what's the display resolution? The N900 ix 800x480, a whopping 384K pixels. The iPhone 3GS weighs in at a paltry 480x320, sporting less than half the screen real estate at 153K pixels.
Identical specs indeed.
Re:Only compared to an iPhone (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:how much is it? (Score:3, Insightful)
Scroll down to 'Operating frequency'
* Quad-band GSM EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
* WCDMA 900/1700/2100 MHz
My guess is it will be sold unlocked in the US, much like many of their high end phones.
Re:CDMA (Score:2, Insightful)
/me goes to send Nokia some feedback asking them to support 3G CDMA.
Why should they support 3G CDMA??? It's a crappy and outdated technology that will die soon(4G/LTE will not work on CDMA, only GSM)