Nokia N900 now shipping in the land of Ford freedom trucks
By Thomas Ricker 
posted November 25th 2009 7:50AM
posted November 25th 2009 7:50AM
[Thanks, Alex]
posted November 25th 2009 7:50AM
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@dana, for the n-th time, it's not a part of Communicator series. Communicator series died off with S80 platform and they will not be coming back. This is a device that comes from a long stream of internet tablets (770, N800, N810) featuring Maemo OS (currently v.5 aka Freemantle) that just got a GSM (+3G) radio added to it.
About time.
Awesome!
It's only been a week? I ordered mine on the day that Engadget first said they started shipping and it feel like I've been waiting *forever*.
@cibyr
Tell me about it - Today I got yet another "sorry, we won't be able to ship you N900 as planned" *grumble*
@(Unverified) if you ordered when they announced shipping, you're far behind. It was one of the top preselling devices on Earth, and your order is far down the que. Some of us ordered months earlier, and are still waiting.
@christexaport: Agreed. Those who ordered as soon as as it was possible have already got their devices in hand. Check gdgt, nokiaexperts, various twitter posts etc!
Demand for the device is very high across the globe and as it always is initially supply low. A friend in the UAE told me that around 300 were released into the markets and are already going upwards of $1500usd!
Be patient and thankful thats US is one of the first markets and getting it at a obscenely cheap price!.
FOR REAL THIS TIME?
@Eternity
still says pre-order on amazon.
@(Unverified) Play.com (UK) says 31st December now!
I guess it's for fake then... :(
I just hope they work out all the bugs. That may be why all the delays are in place.
Really?
That thing is a beast ! 28 apps running at the same time:
http://www.mobiletechworld.com/2009/11/21/more-nokia-n900-multi-tasking-madness-28-apps-running/
@Crapolin Holy shit that was awesome. The power. The power. 700 dollars is too little to ask for all that power...
I find it harsh to call Maemo 5 a beta SW. It certailny is very capable, very stable and even if it may not yet be ready for the i-masses I wouldn't call it beta.
@(Unverified) Didn't mean to imply that Maemo is beta, it certainly is not. Updated by changing "software" to apps.
Thanks.
I don't doubt you but I guess I will have less problems with the N900 than I had with my N78 and all the signing fuss and non compatability with S603rd fp2. We'll see.
@Geozec : it's beta. lack of portrait modes for key tasks, MMS support, all point to beta or RC1 at best. There's a precedent for this, it's called Android 1.0
@sybgtwy No MMS, aka iPhone OS v1.0-2.2.1
@sybgtwy If lack of some features means it's beta, then I guess the iPhone is still alpha.
I need to wait for at&t support. I really want the n900 too. To bad.
@mchenetz
I'm almost tempted to switch over to T-Mobile for this thing, as I use an e71 off contract. either this or the Droid for me...
@(Unverified) I like the n900 over the droid because the Linux underbelly is more easily accessible. However, the Android operating system has much more software already ported over. If i was deciding on T-mobile and the n900 or Verizon and the Droid (in the US) then i would go with Verizon and the Droid right now. Although, If Nokia comes out with a n900 that has a radio that supports at&t 3g then I would probably go with the n900.
@mchenetz Same here would buy it right away if it had att 3G support,
@mchenetz
yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking too. I was pretty excited when the n900 was announced. but t-mo's 3g is still pretty lacking where I am. now that I see the droid, and the android apps that have already been ported over, I've been pretty tempted to get that instead.
plus I am a java developer, and I can develop an for the android right in eclipse if I want. no java support in the n900 from what I understand. :(
@mchenetz
wait, no java?!?! r u serious!?!?!
im prolly still getting one. but i rly wish it had att 3g. oh well, my edge speeds often feel faster than my "3g" speeds anyway. lol
source? or is this just hearsay? beta apps?? lol, i guess whatever strokes your iEgo.
Nothing like some left-handed compliments to let everyone know exactly where your loyalties lay.
OOh right, it's blogging not journalism.
to bad amazon haven't shipped my order :(
HERE'S THE DELL DEAL AGAIN FOR $449.
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=A3076016&cs=19&c=us&l=en&dgc=SS&cid=39715&lid=1003769
@yayankee Too bad that folks ordering from Dell are getting shipping dates off into February...
I ordered at Amazon for 529 out the door not including the 50 dollar mail in rebate. The real question is when will they actually start shipping. I wish Nokia would clear this up with SOLID communication on what customers can expect with regards to shipping for the third party retailers.
The lack of communication, and poor communication when they do decide to drop a press release is crazy.
Seems to me you don't like this phone or platform Tommy. Care to explain why?
@7070 Well, they're full of iWankers. Know what's great about the N900? Not AT&T.
@7070
Because he is a fanboy of another os
@7070 I do like the N900. I've been using it as my primary device for over a week now. But just because I like it doesn't mean that it's ready for mass market, it's not -- Nokia and Maemo will tell you the same. This phone is for enthusiasts like Engadget readers. Maemo 6 and the hardware it rides should take this platform mass-market.
@Thomas Ricker
I don't envy you my friend. I'm sure at this moment you're preparing your review of the N900 knowing the backlash you'll get from the fanboys for not stating that it's the next killer device. Yet, what you've been saying so far has been reflected by others with their early hands-on impressions as well.
@Anyone giving Ricker flack
Check this thread out on Howard Forums
http://howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1592993&page=1&pp=15
This device is getting severely criticized by a guy like you who ordered it early on with much excitement only to be disappointed by the same things Ricker here is going to say in his review. This phone has terrible mapping, a poor keyboard, horrible exchange support, terrible e-mail client in general, and poor battery life.
I know it's easy to condemn someone on Engadget for not sharing your enthusiasm for a device and call them an Apple fanboy, but really, you should wait and see what the reviews are like for this phone. So far Ricker and this guy on HF are the only two I've read about who have it and both say the same things.
@Malkmus: Thanks for the link. It's an interesting read. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and venting their frustrations especially when they have spent their hard earned money on a product (ala n97 and the ram debacle!).
However most of his issues do not make sense, The built in ovi maps client is gen 1 whilst the actual product is v3.x. Everyone following the device has known this from day one and that nokia are working on porting it in the first firmware that will hopefully be released by December.
As for all the other issues, idk what the guys envoirnment was but check out the links to reviews on gdgt or use google and show me another review where they do not praise the mail esp exchange setup and ease of use!
Keyboard is a personal thing and impressions vary from person-person while battery life depends on your usage. People who have been using the n900 for more than a month have been reporting anywhere from .5-1.5 days of use on a single charge and the battery life has dramatically improved with every firmware upgrade. This again depends on the person and usage patters. Although sometimes my ipod touch g2 lasts a little over a day before charge but most of the time it barely lasts 3 hours before i need to find outlets. The iphones have only been worse for me and at least this thing has removable batteries!
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I've been visiting Engadget since the early days and when Ryan came on. Even before Thomas came on!, and have mostly found his sarcastic take on posts ammusing especially the quality of stories he's found over the years has been right up there with the best.
However I do not think all the flak he gets for his nokia is not 100% undeserved. Just look at his post history over the past year objectively and look at the facts or how others have taken them. Most of the time either his writings have facts conveniently missing or the post is written in a "smart-ass" way that given his history is seen as derogaratory. All you need to do is watch the vids in his n97 review.
That phone deserves a lot of abuse but none for the issues he picks on. He does not even try to answer the call and then starts throwing the device, in what i can only assume is "comic relief". Check the comments or Youtube which has dozens of reviews. How many people /reviewers other than him do you think have had the problems?
@Munk we'll certainly put down a detailed review of the N900. What I find fascinating is how forgiving some people are of the device because of its *potential*. I like the device for that very reason but when you're reviewing a product, you have to review the device in front of you, not what it could be next year.
True, I didn't go into the details of S60 5th in that two-party review -- that was chris' role. My role in the review was from the perspective of a user looking to buy into S60 5th for the first time given all the other options on the market. Yes, the video was exaggerated, but it did exemplify my profound frustration with the OS.
@Thomas Ricker: You are absolutely in your right to say it how you see it. The reviewer represents the customer and as I said earlier, If someone spends his/her hard earned cash on a device and it turns out to be crippled, frustrating to use or does not live up to their expectations then they have every right to feel aggrieved and vent their frustrations. However the reviewer also has a responsibility to keep things into perspective. Given Nokia's history of firmware updates which address the bugs and issues is it not irresponsible to call the device a failure out-right for things that can and HAVE been fixed via firmware? You will notice that around the web people have updated their reviews in lieu of firmware 2.0 and some have increased their scores. I do not expect you to do the same but what is the point in linking to the initial review and specifically pointing out issues which may not exist?? (I still think the n97 deserves criticism for the severe lack of ram among other things that cannot be fixed via software).
s60v5 is not where it should be - in the eyes of power users, reviewers and most importantly Nokia! But look at the number of devices out there running the os. The 5800xm was not given the best of review's by Chris (you just need to overview the comments to see what the readers thought of it), yet its sold over 12M devices to the point that its cannibalized the release of nokia's other touchscreen devices.
If you read sites like gdgt or forums where actual buyers are discussing the devices, the vast majority are either happy with their purchase or do not have the same issue as you guys had.
Every device on earth has weak and negative points and an honest review should point them out. However highlighting the few (in case of 5800xm) negatives while not even discussing the positives/advantages over the competition or value to the consumer is not very objective now is it?
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" What I find fascinating is how forgiving some people are of the device because of its *potential*".
I do not think i used that word :).
I do suggest you go to talk.maemo.org and see for yourself as to why people might associate it with the N900.
The device is not even out the door and there are over 300 app's in the repository with many more being worked on. The developers, coders and compilers are most excited about the device not because it has a X-terminal on board, but because even with initial use they have been able to make rich and complicated applications that they were not able to achieve on other platforms.
The hardware on the device is as good as the other popular devices on the market and nokia has already said that users will be able to upgrade to Maemo 6 next year when the device is out.
No one who knows anything about the device expects it to be the the "one device to rule them all". You said it yourself that its not ready for prime-time (aka average joe consumer) and these sentiments are shared by most others reviewing it. Even Nokia has not promoted it to the masses and is still positioning it as a tablet which is step 4/5 in their plan for maemo!
I look forward to a honest review from Engadget as always. Just hope there is some objectivity and you guys do not take paragraphs detailing why the device fails because it has a resistive touchscreen!
PS: Why do the readers not have the ability to rank an author/editor's comments anymore?
Amazon still says "The following item will arrive after December 25", and I pre-ordered quite some time ago, so YMMV.
I have a feeling this phone will be very popular among the geek crowd -- which means tons of mods, hacks, apps, roms, etc.
Now, why couldn't Nokia ship this with a universal radio chip that works on ALL 3g bands worldwide? Guess that is asking for too much?
Where Engadget, where I ask you? Aside from Nokia who is selling it at that silly price how about you report some real news. Do journalist even bother researching before the excite the poor folks that have ordered from Amazon, NewEgg or Buy.com?
Dell is even showing that orders won't be filled that are taken now until 25th...
Sigh...Maybe black Friday we will see some real shipments through places like Amazon but as of now if you look around the web by and large this release has been a disaster with very little in the form of any real communication with respect to delivery expectations for the customer.
Errr...meant the 25th of FEBRUARY not today...
Nokia store: $569, stock currently sold out.
Got two responses regarding additional stock:
1) we don't know when, we can call you when they get here.
2) Next week or week after.
NYC Nokia store, btw. Went yesterday.
@c w j went yesterday as well. this phone is exactly what I've been looking for. They told me they'd call, I'm on the wait list, and that it'd be sometime BEFORE thanksgiving... we'll see
got my call last night. they told me the price will be wit tax!
(/sarc)
I don't if it's physical or software, but it's seems like the smoothest resistive I've come across.
What a joke, expect delivery February 2010 of a product ordered September 2009??
Seems a shame that this device will be obsolete by the time it reaches the consumer, there are already phones out there with twice the processor speed, better displays, & more apps..
Thanks again Nokia, I wonder how you ever got to be #1
@LinuxPrfsnl Yeah, not like any other manufacturers had delays in getting anything out...
Hold on guys! Engadget doesn't like this phone so let me go buy a not very open, carrier locked DROID or weak as hell Droid Eris!
Or how about a completely closed iPhone, so I can have access to 100,000 apps (10,000 of which are fart and flashlight apps!)
Nokia should stop sponsoring the Engadget show, seeing as how you shit on them so frequently.