Nokia n900 reviews. The Last of the Mohicans: a detailed review of the Maemo communicator Nokia N900. ICQ, Jabber and everything, everything, everything on Nokia N900

Nokia N900 Communicator - review

Market mobile devices in Russia and, for example, in the States, they are very, very different. In the States, RIM (BlackBerry) is in first place. Windows Mobile and iPhone OS are used there about half as often, and Symbian (Nokia) generally hangs out somewhere in the back. In Russia, the situation is completely different. In our country, Symbian, that is, Nokia, is in first place. So, all our attention is usually focused on Nokia - what else will this mobile giant, so popular in our country, release. And the mobile giant just recently really made a trick with its ears - it released a unit called Nokia N900, which does not work on the developed Nokia operating system Symbian, and on the Maemo platform, of which Nokia Corporation is the main sponsor. What is Maemo? It is a Linux-based platform for portable devices. It has already been used in the so-called Nokia Internet tablets (N770, N800), and now for the first time it has appeared in mobile phone. Nokia, apparently, is betting heavily on this platform for its portable devices, which is why in press releases the Nokia N900 device is proudly called a computer, and not, for example, a smartphone or communicator. But let's see what kind of “computer” this is, whatever it is...

Nokia N900

Equipment

Front part

The front part is entirely covered with glass in a plastic frame. The ends and back are finished in matte black plastic.

Rear end

The lens and flash are covered with a special curtain (you have to open it manually), there is also a special plastic stand that can be opened, and with its help the phone will stand horizontally on the table in front of you. With the keyboard pulled out, the device looks like this.

Pull-out keyboard

The keyboard slides out with some effort and snaps into place in the extreme position. When the keyboard is closed, the automatic closer is activated. The SIM card slot is located under the battery. The microSD slot is next to the camera.

Back cover removed

There are no control buttons on the front panel of the device at all. On the top end (in landscape layout) there are volume control buttons, a power button and a camera call button. On the side there is a screen on/off switch. The stylus is stored on the bottom right (landscape layout).

Device with a style

The N900 is powered from the microUSB port (and synchronizes with the computer via it), the headphone output is a standard 3.5 mm. The speakers are located on the left and right sides at the top. (Only the iPhone thought of making the speakers so that you can easily close them with one hand during use.) Software Nokia N900, as already mentioned, runs on the Maemo platform. When you first start, the following window appears in front of you.

Desktop

This is the Maemo desktop. More precisely, one of the desktops - there are only four of them, they are looped and change with a gesture across the screen from left to right or from right to left.

Other desktops

All desktops are customizable. Just click on the screen and a settings icon will appear at the top.

Desktop customization

You can add application shortcuts, site bookmarks, contacts and widgets to your desktops. There are, however, only a few widgets: a player, an RSS feed, location detection, and a video on working with the N900.

Customized main desktop

On all desktops, there is a sensor panel and a task manager button (launching applications) at the top. In the sensor panel - time, signal level, charging level, enabled interfaces. If you click on it, a convenient settings manager opens.

Settings Manager

The task manager and application launcher button works as follows. If some applications are loaded into memory, then when you press the button, a window with application previews appears.

Running applications

If in the window running applications Click on the upper left button, then the window of installed programs opens.

Installed programs

If there are no running applications, then when you click on the upper left button on the desktop, the window of installed programs opens. Made, on the one hand, convenient, but on the other hand, I would still prefer to have two different buttons for the task manager and the application list. The device is synchronized with the computer via the standard Nokia PC Suite. You can transfer files, audio, video, make backups, use your phone as a modem, update the operating system, synchronize data with MS Outlook, Outlook Express, Lotus Notes or Lotus Organizer.

Nokia PC Suite

Synchronizes with Outlook, by the way, perfectly - everything you need is transferred, even with pictures (in the case of contacts). Standard Applications Now let's see what the standard applications are here - contacts, phone, SMS, and so on. Contacts The contacts here are made perfectly: they look impressive and are very convenient to work with.

Contact list

If you need to find a contact, just start typing the first or last name - a quick search is performed.

Quick search

The contacts menu is as follows.

Contacts menu

I was especially pleased with the “Recent” item - it’s very convenient. In the parameters you can set the display mode: first name-last name, last name-first name, nickname. In contact viewing mode, everything is very clear.

View a contact

When editing, a bunch of fields are supported, including even all sorts of exotic ones like data from instant messengers and all sorts of social networks.

Editing

Additional fields (not all)

Call list

When you click on any call, you will be given a list of phone numbers for that contact.

Phone selection

A similar question is asked when selecting from the contact list. By the way, there is a flaw here. When a person has only one phone, for some reason this question is still asked. Why is it unclear? When answering a call, you can turn on the speakerphone or turn off the microphone.

Call

You can also call up the call hold and new call menu.

Call menu

N900 allows you to set VoIP and instant messengers in the phone application. Here, for example, is registered and loaded Skype.

Skype

Here's a conversation on Skype.

Skype conversation

In general, when something like this is done using the operating system itself without any applications, it’s very cool! Moreover, when Skype is launched, its contacts are included in the phone’s contact list. Messengers also work easily here - Google Talk and Jabber.

Conversation via Google Talk

Well, the best thing is that when you turn on the push-button dialing keyboard, there is an option at the top which type of connection to choose. That is, a telephone or, for example, Skype.

Selecting a call type

The phone also has timers for various calls.

Call timers

list of messages

Moreover, messages in this case include both SMS/MMS and instant messenger messages. Creating a message looks like this.

Create a message

If you click on “To”, you will see a list of contacts where the quick search works. You can tag multiple contacts to send messages.

Contacts

The message dialog is displayed beautifully and clearly.

Dialogue

Month

As usual, there are three types of presentations: month, week, day. You can switch from a month to a specific week number. You can watch upcoming events, you can watch today's events.

Events

A new event is set up much like in Outlook; you can also set the recurrence and select a calendar (personal calendar, general device calendar).

New event

Not only meetings and events are attached to the calendar, but also tasks and notes.

Calendar menu

The tasks are very simple - title, date and completion mark. Notes are even simpler - just text (the title is the first line) and the date of creation. Browser The browser works quite quickly and is convenient to use. On such a screen, even ordinary websites look very decent.

My site in the browser

IN full screen mode the browser can navigate automatically, leaving a small return icon from the full screen at the bottom right.

Full screen mode

Bookmarks are provided with preview icons - in my opinion, this is convenient.

Bookmarks

The following menu is available in the browser window.

Browser menu

And a very important point - the browser understands Flash Player! Media player The media player plays music, videos, and displays Internet radio stations.

Main window

Audio tracks can be displayed by albums, artists, genres, playlists.

Artists by album

The player seems simple, but it has everything you need.

Player

Play an Internet radio station.

Internet radio station

The video player amazed me in that it knows most of the main container codecs (DivX and XViD in Avi, H.264 in MP4) and plays movies in DVD quality without any brakes. Cards The package also includes the Ovi.com Maps navigation system. The system, in general, is very so-so, but you can use it if necessary. There are houses on the map of Moscow, but the map itself is not very accurate or detailed.

Moscow map

The route is also more or less laid out, and there is even some kind of service, but this is not a full-fledged navigator - there are no hints for turns and other necessary things. You are simply given a curve drawn on the map, and they can track the location of the phone - then somehow they do it themselves.

Route settings

As far as I know, there are no full-fledged navigation programs for this platform yet. Sygic promised something, but considering what a miserable nightmare they made for the iPhone, I don't think there will be anything more decent for this platform. Other applications That's probably all the basic applications. Of course, there is a world clock, an alarm clock, a calculator, weather, email, RSS feeds, a drawing tool, file manager and all sorts of other utilities. Also using the Application Manager you can search and install external programs, which are divided into groups for ease of search. For example, I found there FBReader reader, which supports fb2 and many other formats.

Instructions in the reader

By the way, there are already a lot of external applications offered there. Battery The battery here is 1320 mAh, which is clearly not enough for such a screen. In fact, the capacity is enough for a day with relatively intensive use - thank God. But I would clearly like a more powerful battery. Price The average price of a device in Moscow is 25 thousand rubles. For such hardware and capabilities, it’s generally tolerable. Many users say that for that kind of money you can buy good laptop. On the one hand, they are, of course, right, but on the other, I don’t see the point in such comparisons at all. With the same success we can say that for that kind of money you can buy 280 bottles of vodka. A laptop is a laptop. You can't put it in your pocket. And this is - mobile computer. It can't cost two pennies. conclusions They are quite contradictory. The machine is, of course, very, very interesting, but along with obvious advantages it also has obvious disadvantages. The main disadvantages would be the thickness and weight of the device (a whole “brick” compared to many analogues), an inconvenient (in my opinion) slide-out keyboard and a resistive screen. On a capacitive screen, the Maemo platform will work much more conveniently - after all, it is well tailored to your fingers. And here, on the resistive screen, the gestures of scrolling or scrolling vertically begin - you immediately have to remember all sorts of curse words, because you can’t scroll normally on such a screen - everything goes through one interesting place. Or using a stylus. I was very pleased with the Maemo platform. There is often an opinion on the Internet that Maemo is a platform exclusively for Linux maniacs, but this is definitely not the case. More precisely, it is by no means only for Linux users. The version that I had (and this is a regular phone, like in a store), showed a completely complete system with a good set of applications, many of which were noticeably better and more advanced than similar applications from WM, iPhone OS and Android. I was simply delighted with certain solutions - it looks beautiful and is very, very convenient to use. So, in my opinion, Maemo is a very promising thing. It now looks noticeably more convenient than Android. Another thing is how all this will develop for both Maemo and Android... Would I take the Nokia N900 as my main work communicator? No, I wouldn't take it. Mainly due to the thickness and resistive screen. Once you get hooked on the capacitive one, you can no longer see the resistive one. But if you haven’t dealt with capacitive stuff, then maybe it will do. (For the sake of objectivity, I would like to note that the resistive one also has certain advantages compared to the capacitive one - for example, it can be used in the cold without taking off gloves.) Well, you should also keep in mind that the N900 is primarily a mobile computer, not a phone. Because there is not even a phone button - it can only be called as an application (by adding, for example, an icon to one of the desktops or simply calling it from the list of programs).

2 years ago 0

1. Multi-tasking, you open everything you can and want, well, it’s very convenient (an iPhone CAN’T DO THAT!). 2.MAEMO5, roughly speaking, I bought it only because of this, and it still paid off. 3. Complexity, in my opinion, is a very important advantage of this device, I know Symbian like all 5 fingers on my hand, I think I understand it. 4.32 gig, 5mp, excellent wi-fi. 5. Application manager, a huge number of applications, for everything (games, gps, office, etc.) 6. Media player, something new and very cool (it’s high time to do this), music, movies, radio, everything there. 7.QWERTY keyboard, although I’m not used to it yet, I prefer the virtual one. 8. One of the best devices released by NOKIA, so to speak. 9. EQUIPMENT, 5 times better than Yabloko’s, like that.

2 years ago 0

Linux!!! I didn’t expect this - I bow to the developers, seven pardons in one sitting!!! Free software, responsive screen, user-friendly! A little heavy, but for me this is not a vice - it is an advantage, at least you feel that there is something in your pocket.

2 years ago 0

1. Good functionality and technical equipment; 2. Opportunity CPU overclocking from standard 600MHz to 1.1Ghz; 3. Almost all software is free; 4. 32Gb of internal memory + support for microSD 32Gb; 5. Full browser with the support Adobe Flash.

2 years ago 0

Of all the advantages, I will highlight multitasking (you can watch a video while several pages are downloading on the Internet).

2 years ago 0

Quite a good device. The case is reliable, and the speakers are pleasing, although, in principle, Nokia is famous in the phone market. The images are clear and bright. The camera for 5 is even very nothing when compared with some brands that exceed this number, and the quality reduces and repels people.

2 years ago 0

I won’t say anything about the advantages. Everything has already been said before me. I’ll just add that this device will never replace a netbook because of its screen.

2 years ago 0

1. The screen is super, although there is almost nothing to compare it with (well, perhaps the Samsung i8510 and Nokia n86). Very bright, high contrast and excellent color reproduction. Watching the video is a pleasure. 2. I have not yet had time to try the sound on my favorite headphones from Shure, however, on my own headphones the sound is good (not great, just good). 3. There are no brakes in the interface. This is a huge plus, after long obscene monologues addressed to the s60. It works clearly, smoothly, very nicely. 4. The keyboard is comfortable - although I’m still getting used to it (I’ve only been using the device for the 3rd day). A big plus is that she is not only on-screen. 5. 3.5 headphones are not new, but still nice. 5. The built-in speakers are excellent :) 6. The rest is trivial - no need to convert video, Internet chat service and VoIP are well implemented, and much more.

2 years ago 0

Nice case, excellent screen, sensitive touchscreen, 32GB of internal memory. A promising, unlocked OS. Not a bad camera, takes good pictures (for a phone), records video just as well.

2 years ago 0

excellent screen (on it you can watch any videos and films in high quality), built-in memory 32 gb, keyboard, 4 desktops, convenient locking, front camera, 5 mpx camera, flash, 2 speakers, stylus, TV output, and much more. I would especially like to note the excellent maemo 5 operating system (I got used to it in 2 days). In general, the phone is excellent.

2 years ago 0

The model has a lot of advantages - the Maemo operating system, Nokia quality, and good screen, and much more. (I won’t describe it.)

2 years ago 0

The battery is rather weak, that's a fact. GPS is attached to WiFi which is inconvenient.

2 years ago 0

1.BATTERY! People are a disaster, in 6 hours the battery was all dead! I was shocked, okay, at least for 12 hours, but it still depends on how you use it!
2. Not fully developed MAEMO5, small little things, interfere with such devices, they can’t be super, it’s a shame
3. There will be no further continuation of MAEMO, which is a pity, we still hope... (that there will be)
4. Manufacturer KOREA?!? How and what is this? Nokia awww, with such success the Chinese will release it, we don’t need this!

2 years ago 0

Personally, I didn’t find it!!! USSD requests can be made - easily...

2 years ago 0

1. Lack of portrait mode in most applications and menus;
2. Inconvenient organization of telephone calls;
3. Lack of standard ability to send MMS;
4. High battery consumption;
5. The ability to listen to the radio only when installing third-party software;
6. 3-row keyboard: the numeric keypad is not allocated in a separate line, although the space on the front of the keyboard unit allows this;
7. No MultiTouch;
8. OS Maemo 5 was abandoned by the manufacturer to the mercy of fate.

2 years ago 0

2 years ago 0

There are few applications and when downloading them from a computer, the information is drained via the Internet. For those who don’t have unlimited, it’s very expensive. And on top of that, as many have already written, the battery doesn’t last long. The only option is probably to buy a couple of batteries.

2 years ago 0

and again they brought me a new device. for the umpteenth time.
this time checking the screen showed no burning pixels on a black background. already progress.
however, when the screen is filled with white at maximum brightness, two NON-WORKING pixels are clearly visible, that is, simply black.
and again the phone was given back to the seller.

2 years ago 0

1. The interface, although crude, is very stupid. The absence of a vertical mode everywhere except the phone makes the device more stationary and less functional than its Simba counterparts.
2. Everything is arranged illogically, not thought out, not polished. After all, it’s stupid to choose a melody for an alarm clock the same way as on the n900 (I already forgot how - I came across it by accident, like many other things).
3. I’m not used to paying attention to such things - however - the stand for watching videos is made stupidly - the tilt is not optimal for watching videos.
4. Someone wrote that there are a lot of programs. I’ll say with a clear conscience, when I took a break from the Internet, I found almost NOTHING new. There may be a tiny number of them on the site.
5. There is no proper navigation program, and ovi maps are terrible garbage, inconvenient and illogical.

2 years ago 0

How inconvenient the phone is. The interface is glitchy and slow in places. Few useful software. There are no timely useful updates, Nokia support is disgusting. Individually, many disadvantages can be described.
There is no normal navigation program.
Thick, heavy - the mouth hangs down.

2 years ago 0

The phone is touchscreen, but it’s better to touch it with a stylus rather than with your fingers, which can sometimes be inconvenient.

Problem solved

Advantages: Skype with video call is a major plus! TONS of plugins! ALL SOFTWARE FOR FREE! Screen - NO complaints, poke with gloves in winter and no problems! The keyboard is GORGEOUS! It just feels lovely to the touch, and it turned out to be comfortable to hold and I quickly got used to it. A computer in the literal sense of the word - if you want, install Windows, if you want Android, if you want more wisdom, the flag is in your hands. But your own system is better than writing others, take my word for it. Flash on the Internet... in short - if you need a device for communication, working with documents, surfing the Internet, taking photos good quality reading books or just studying is one big PLUS! Disadvantages: The battery lasts half a day, unless of course you really try to kill it, including everything in the world. While I installed the usual Asya, I searched the Internet for a day (there was only one problem with it, other programs for communication were no problem at all), but when I found it, there was no end to the joy! The almost complete absence of portrait mode is TERRIBLY inconvenient if you want to write while crossing the road or when walking in a crowd... although this can be counted as a plus... And also - this device is wonderful as a toy, but there are not enough games. That's all. It's useless for show-offs if you don't use your brains. An uneducated person with such a phone will only emphasize his low level IQ. Comment: Skype with video calls solves everything in this phone! After all, on this moment This is the cheapest device that supports this function! The screen has excellent resolution; in winter you can poke it with gloves and there are no problems. The keyboard really shocked me. Of course, I thought that it would be inconvenient and that I would only get used to it over time, BUT - I got used to it on the second day of use!!! And I also write perfectly in Russian with the English keyboard (so if writing in Russian with the Russian keyboard is inconvenient or unusual for someone, try without it, you’ll immediately change your mind) The memory of the device is immediately pleasing, especially the ability to increase it with a +16GB chip. Contacts can be configured as you like, but you need to read carefully and believe what the device writes. If, for example, you “simply” delete an Asi or Skype number from your phone, then it will of course write that the contact will be completely deleted from your account, but some do not think that the contact will be deleted from all accounts, as if it were deleted from desktop computer. Anyone who needs a toy is in the wrong place - buy either an iPhone or PSP, although they are paid there, they are available in HUGE quantities, although the N900 also has games in excellent quality. Whoever says “the software is not enough”, here is your answer - “everything you REALLY need is there, and it’s absolutely free!” Plugins, features and improvements are endless! You can install Windows or Android on this phone - no problems. Yes, your own operating system is still better. If only she had a portrait mode, they would have sorted out her arms and legs altogether! The only serious problem that I personally spent a day on was installing a regular ASI. It hasn’t been officially installed yet and you have to record it with plugins, but it works perfectly after that, just like Skype! I advise everyone to buy this device, because it is more than a phone in every sense! Perfect for all people who like to customize everything for themselves with maximum benefit. P.S. If the development of this operating system continues, paid things will appear, but it's worth it

The very announcement of this phone greatly excited the public. A vigorous “symbiosis” of the Nokia N810 Internet tablet and the N97 smartphone, with an improved keyboard, a new processor and the latest operating system Maemo Linux 5. HTC Touch Pro 2 and the newly announced Sony Ericsson Xperia The X2 instantly faded in comparison, since they were just communicators, and the N900 was strikingly different in operating system and concept.

Of course, because Nokia N900 is not cellular telephone, which acquired smart functions, learned to play video (that is, a communicator), and a smaller computer that learned to make calls with a QWERTY keyboard, power equivalent to early Pentium II models, and a full-fledged Maemo operating system based on Debian Linux. Especially for programmers and system administrators, we’ll add that GTK+ and Qt are available, you can log in via SSH, Pidgin compiles.

In other words, the original orientation of the Nokia N900 is completely geeky. However, this does not mean that the N900 is only suitable for those who like to delve into code. Even a person who is not very well versed in Linux can customize this operating system (usability is at the level of Ubuntu Linux, almost everything can be done without command line). However, it will be much better if you understand Linux - there will be more opportunities.

general review

However, first things first, let’s first tell you a little about the hardware.

Main technical characteristics of Nokia N900

There was a lot of gossip on the Internet about the device being too heavy. In our opinion, it is within normal limits, given the presence of a QWERTY keyboard and a 3.5-inch diagonal screen. It fits comfortably in your hand and does not weigh down your pocket.

For clarity, we provide a table with the weight and dimensions of other QWERTY sliders.

The Nokia N900 is approximately the same width and thickness as the HTC Touch Pro 2, only half a centimeter shorter.

The device comes in a single color – “black anthracite”. And the design is very reminiscent of the Nokia N97. The latter is somewhat narrower and longer, but the devices fit almost identically in the hand.

All materials are extremely practical and look solid - dark gray, absolutely non-marking plastic, on which no marks remain, a minimal edge around the touch screen (it does not interfere with controls); The camera is covered with a curtain that protects the optics from damage.

The assembly of the case is excellent - absolutely no gaps appeared after a month of use.

However, this assembly also has a drawback - it is very difficult to open the back cover. However, a Nokia representative showed us a cruel but effective method, allowing you not to spoil your nails.

Cruel but effective

On the back wall there is a folding foot-stand, which turns the device into an elegant watch or into a mini-TV for watching videos - whatever you want. A similar solution could be seen in Nokia N86 8MP and Sony Ericsson W995.

promo foto n900 1

On the front sides there are micro-USB/TV-out interfaces, a 3.5 mm audio output, a speaker and a switch to lock the keyboard.

promo foto n900 2

On the top side there is a power button, a shutter button for the built-in camera, as well as a volume rocker.

In terms of ergonomics, the N900 does not cause any complaints - perhaps the only surprise is that if the phone is connected to charge, then during a conversation the cord “sticks out” upward.

Control

The keyboard in the N900, I must say, is made much more convenient than in the N97, where I could type the simplest post only by spewing curses. However, it does not reach the convenience of the N810 - there are no buttons for switching applications and returning (there is a key combination for the first), and the cursor control keys in the Russian version of the phone are pressed with an additional modifier. However, after a month of use I can say with confidence that this does not cause any problems - except in games. If desired, you can type text on on-screen keyboard(unlike the N97, which was deprived of this feature).

Having “hung” the control on the touch screen, the company was as concerned as possible with its quality. Despite the fact that traditional TFT is used, color reproduction is simply excellent, and due to the high resolution, films and photographs look very good. The screen fades greatly in the sun, but the information remains readable. Of course, using AMOLED would make it brighter, but would significantly increase the price of the device (in Europe it costs 450 euros, and in Russia - as always).

The only negative is the resistive sensor. However, the screen is very responsive; in most cases there is no need to take out the stylus.

Camera

On the back of the N900 there is a built-in camera lens covered with a shutter, as well as a dual LED flash. The choice of an LED flash is quite justified. The new product will not become a top-end photographic solution; a xenon element would only increase the already high cost.

Traditionally for Nokia, the N900 uses optics manufactured by Carl Zeiss. The camera allows you to take pictures in resolutions up to 2584 × 1938 and save them in JPEG format. In addition, the device perfectly shoots video in .mp4 format.

The N900 is the first Nokia device based on the ARM Cortex A-8 processor. His clock frequency is 600 MHz (this is the minimum value for the processor). This is exactly the hardware base used in Sony Ericsson Satio and Samsung i8910 HD. The power of the solution is quite enough even for playing unconverted video.

Out of the box, the media player allows you to play audio in .WAV, .MP3, .AAC, .eAAC, .WMA, .M4A, EFR, AMR formats and video in .MP4, .WMV, .3GP formats; codecs: H.264, MPEG-4, Xvid, WMV, H.263. At the same time, you can easily install any player you like from the wide range available for Linux.

In addition, the N900 has a PowerVR SGX 3D accelerator with hardware support for OpenGL ES 2.0 - its capabilities are beautifully demonstrated in the classic game Bounce Evolution.

To surf the Internet, the MicroB browser is used, built on Mozilla technology - even if one wants to, it can hardly be called “mobile”. It successfully opens any of the most complex websites without “breaking” their structure or getting confused in the layout.

The standard delivery package includes the device itself, as well as a battery, Charger, adapter CA146C, stereo headset, video cable and velvet for wiping.

Time battery life Nokia N900 is not impressive when compared with phones and communicators: a maximum of 8 hours when actively working with Wi-Fi. Powerful hardware and Full time job with the network there is no chance for the BL-5J battery with a capacity of 1320 mAh. I prefer to carry a second battery with me at all times, just in case, and charge my communicator at night.

1. Games

There are few special games for the N900, however, it is possible to emulate many consoles, and even run old DOS games.

2. Built-in keyboard
Perhaps the main drawback of the iPhone is that it does not have a keyboard. And although fans of Apple phones claim that the touch keyboard is very convenient, in practice they still type slower than on a hardware keyboard. In addition, it is inconvenient to control emulator games without a keyboard.

3. Cameras
Nokia N900 has two cameras, one of which is 5-megapixel, with autofocus, good optics, a bright flash, and, most importantly, this camera is covered with a curtain! And the internal VGA camera is useful for video calls (via Wi-Fi, of course). The iPhone's camera is also good, but it doesn't reach the level of the N900.

4. VOIP and videophony
Nokia Skype, Google Talk and SIP are built right into the dialer. That is, you can call via Skype by simply clicking on the corresponding icon - hurray!

5. Normal GPS
Which works not only with Google maps. And although Ovi Maps first version is not the best navigation program, there are many alternatives. Of course, things are better on Windows Mobile - but we are comparing with the iPhone.

6. Browser with support for Adobe Flash and addons
Adobe Flash is supported out of the box (hello to fans of casual games), and since the browser is based on the Mozilla engine, add-ons are supported (AdBlock Plus has already been ported).

7. Flash card support
The phone already has 32 GB of built-in storage, and maniacs can add another 16 GB card. And transfer films to friends on it.

8. Freedom and free
Instead of spending a lot of money on software, you can simply benefit from the labors of the entire maemo community. Working with root is possible out of the box using the command sudo gainroot- none Jailbreak no need!

9. High resolution display
On the iPhone it is only 480x320 pixels. And the Nokia N900 has 800x480. Everything looks very nice and clear.

10. Supports almost any codecs
Moreover, the number of supported audio and video formats is increasing. Theoretically, the formats can be any. In practice, it’s impossible to play HD.

11. FM radio and FM transmitter
You won't get bored when all the music ends. And you don’t have to worry about connecting the device to the car radio.

12. Ample opportunities for geeks
The x-terminal is immediately available, the repositories have the ability to be accessed via SSH, and using a cross-compiler you can make almost any program for Debian (Ubuntu) work.

13. This is not an iPhone
The iPhone hysteria has done its dirty work. Now everyone has this wonderful phone.

However, this is not to say that the iPhone does not have its advantages. So, in fairness, we will also present the second text

6 reasons why iPhone is better than N900:

1. More applications
Today at app store over 100 thousand applications (although many of them are repetitive and useless). The N900 only has about a couple hundred apps right now (but more are appearing every day).

2. Games
It is unlikely that many developers will consider the N900 as a gaming platform; there will still be few specially written applications. The iPhone performs well in this role, and accordingly there are a lot of games for it.

3. Popularity
If you can't figure out your iPhone, just ask someone you know to help you. But finding someone you know with Nokia N900 is much more difficult. However, ask questions and communicate on ours - we hope that we can answer all your questions.

4. Multi-touch
There is nothing to say here. Thanks to multi-touch, the iPhone has one of the most convenient interfaces.

5. A little less
Since the iPhone doesn't have a keyboard, it's a little more compact.

6. Human Interface

What the iPhone has the most better interface- undeniable.

So how do you decide what you need? iPhone or N900? Very simple. If you want to delve into code and are not afraid of difficulties, take the N900. This is what it is designed for. If you want everything to be simple, take an iPhone. And if you are somewhere in the middle, then decide for yourself.

But let's assume you chose the Nokia N900. Actually, I’ll tell you in order what you need to live a happy life with this device (and at the same time, what I learned during a month of tests, of which I spent two weeks without a computer, only with the Nokia N900).

Installing programs on Nokia N900

Good news: The Nokia N900 already has a great variety of applications, some of which have never been released for communicators before. All programs for Nokia N900 are now free, because they are created by the Maemo community. And if there are paid apps, they will be real Killer Apps, no $999 diamonds!

Bad news: Your favorite software that you used under Windows Mobile, no, and most likely there won’t be. The situation is exactly the same with software for Symbian (however, there is more hope that everything will work). You cannot run Java yet - there are ways, but they are similar to removing teeth through the nose; however, the situation may soon change.

So, let's start the instruction. The software in your Nokia N900 is installed from repositories. So Linux users can immediately sharpen their favorite apt-get. However, if you don’t know what it is, don’t worry. The developers of Maemo made a program called "application manager", which has a graphical interface that allows you to install applications in a couple of clicks.

From the very beginning, you will not have too many applications available to you - only programs from the Nokia Applications repository, that is, those for which the company vouches.

However, among them there are many interesting things. First, try installing an app like Bounce Evolution (a great game where you control a ball using the tilt sensor). Just click on it and then click on the "continue" button. The program itself will be downloaded from the repository along with all the libraries necessary for work and installed. Now you can find it in the same menu as the application manager, or place a shortcut on your desktop.

Unfortunately, the set of applications in this repository is not amazing. Many interesting programs and applications have not yet been approved by the company or tested by its harsh testers. They are located in the repository Maemo-Extras. There are also repositories Maemo-Extras-Testing And Maemo-Extras-Devel. They, accordingly, differ in the degree of “polishing” of the software. If the first repository contains high-quality applications approved by the Maemo community, then Devel contains what is usually referred to as Bleeding Edge - applications that have just been developed and not fully tested. But also the most interesting.

It’s up to you to decide which repositories to install programs from, but I’ll tell you how to do it.

You need to “poke” into the middle of the top status bar (if you have a Russian version of the N900, then it will say “application manager”) and select “Application Directories”. The list will include "Nokia Applications", "Nokia System Software Update" and most likely Maemo Extras. However, if it isn't there, don't worry.

So, in order to access all Maemo applications, click "New" and configure the directories as follows:

For Maemo Extras(stable programs tested by the Maemo community):

Directory name: Maemo Extras
Web address: http://repository.maemo.org/extras/
Spreading: fremantle
Components: free non-free
Disabled: No

For Maemo Extras-testing(relatively stable programs tested by the Maemo community). Programs from this repository may destroy your information. Before installing anything from this repository, be sure to read the reviews on the forums!):

Directory name: Maemo Extras-testing
Web address: http://repository.maemo.org/extras-testing/
Spreading: fremantle
Components: free non-free
Disabled: No

For Maemo Extras-devel(programs only downloaded by enthusiasts and not yet thoroughly tested. Only at your own peril and risk!):

Directory name: Maemo Extras-devel
Web address: http://repository.maemo.org/extras-devel/
Spreading: fremantle
Components: free non-free
Disabled: No

Video instructions for adding repositories on Nokia N900

Video instructions for installing programs on Nokia N900

Try installing! At one time my desktop looked something like this (and this is only one of four):

Below I will give short list programs that can be called a must-have for beginners - install them immediately and try them!

• accounts-plugin-haze- one of the most useful applications. Allows you to add Jabber and ICQ (and many other networks for instant communication) to your contacts and communicate through them.
• AdBlock Plus- banner cutter for the built-in browser. Significantly saves traffic.
• Conversations Inbox Desktop Widget- all incoming messages on your desktop.
• fbreader- a program for reading e-books in common formats, among others, it can read .fb2.zip directly from the archive.
• ForecaWeather widget- weather forecast on your desktop.
• load-applet- shows the use of memory, CPU time, allows you to take “screenshots”.
• WordPy- utility for blogging. A kind of Semagic. Allows you to upload photos to services like flickr.
• maemo-recorder- a fairly simple voice recorder.
• mauku- Twitter client.
• mauku-widget- latest tweets - right on your desktop.
• pidgin- one of best clients instant messages. I use it for ICQ, because the haze plugin is not very stable yet.
• pixelpipe uploader- the ability to reduce and load images “on the fly” directly and galleries.
• qik - unique service Streaming video uploads from the built-in camera to Youtube in real time.
• transmission- Bittorrent client.
• unzip- a program for unzipping zip files (often books are packed in zip, for example).
• MPlayer– a player that can play many formats.
• KMplayer– a graphical shell for this player.
• Bounce Evolution- to understand graphic capabilities N900.
• Decoders Support– expanded support for video standards in the built-in player.
• DosBox– an x86 machine emulator, useful for running old “toys”.
• OpenSSH server– allows uploading to work with file system N900 via FTP.
• Personal Dataplan Monitor– a widget showing the consumption of GPRS and 3G traffic.
• ScummVM– launching old quests from Lucas Arts and Sierra on the N900.

Questions about installing software can be discussed in a special forum thread: .

ICQ, Jabber and everything, everything, everything on Nokia N900

We talked about installing programs on the Nokia N900 in general, now it’s time to detail our impressions.

So, what IM services do we usually use? The most important of them:

• ICQ (although it is being gradually abandoned all over the world)
• Jabber (aka Google Talk)
• Skype

Moreover, it is desirable that all these contacts be aggregated as much as possible in one place (that is, you don’t have to run a dozen programs to be online - after all, the N900 has less memory than a desktop computer).

The great news is that you won't need to install multiple programs. For Nokia N900 there are only two options with which it makes sense to communicate in IM networks. This is working with built-in contacts and Pidgin.

Right out of the box, the Nokia N900 already supports working with Skype - so if this is your only IM manager, then simply add your username and password in the VoIP and chat account settings (located in the “options” menu).

But Skype is not the only user who can live, right? There is a way to add to the contacts window All necessary instant messaging services. We are, of course, talking about a special plugin Accounts-plugin-Haze.

This plugin can be found as part of the Maemo-Extras-Devel repository (read more about installing programs on Nokia n900, ask questions on the forum). There is also a second plugin that further expands the functionality of contacts, telepathy-extras.

Once installed, the window for adding VoIP and chat accounts will look something like this:

This list contains:

• Ovi by Nokia – chat in a special service from Nokia
• Skype – not only the possibility of voice calls, but also chat
• Sip – any Internet telephony services
• AIM is a popular instant messaging service in America and Asia.
• MSN is a popular instant messaging service in Europe.
• Gadu-Gadu – a chat with an unusual name for Russian ears, popular in Eastern Europe
• Jabber is an open messaging protocol
• Google Talk – Jabber-based service from Google
• ICQ is the most famous messenger.

• Salut
• Sametime
• Yahoo

In other words, everything you might need. If you suddenly need some other protocol, then it will be easier to convince a friend to switch to Jabber or Skype than to find a client that supports such an exotic client.

After installation, the corresponding fields will be added to your contacts menu.

You will be able to communicate with any interlocutor in the same way as when sending an SMS - the entire conversation history will be recorded in the N900’s memory. If possible, the plugin will receive contacts from the server - most importantly, do not forget to combine them with existing phones. New messages will pop up in the same way as regular SMS.

Although the “contacts” solution seems ideal, it has its drawbacks. Thus, the N900 stores correspondence history in its own database, which is not very easy to access. In addition, working with “contacts” is associated with some risk - do not forget that, for example, if you delete a user record that contains ICQ and a phone (but at the same time you wanted to delete only the phone), the N900 will erase the contact as well in the instant text messaging service, not only from the device, but also from the server!

Another disadvantage of this approach is that you will be constantly online (unless, of course, you deactivate the connection to the service). Someone prefers to be online only at the moment when they launch the corresponding program.

Nokia N900 works perfectly with all kinds of instant text messaging services. Of the more or less popular protocols, I have not yet been able to “unearth” only the method of accessing Mail.Agent. If you managed to find a way to connect it, be sure to post in the topic on the “” forum.

Setting up an email client on Nokia N900

Tune mail client Nokia N900 for Gmail is not easy, but very simple. We decided not to even give step-by-step instructions on this matter, but simply show the process on a screencast taken from the Nokia N900 emulator.

However, setting up Rambler.ru, Mail.ru, Yandex.ru mail is also simple - you can see this by watching the video.

Some users complain that the built-in Maemo email client is too simple, since it does not support IMAP and does not work correctly with encrypted transmission to SMTP. If you have any problems with the built-in email client, try installing a third-party email client, ClawsMail. To be honest, I didn’t really like it, and I’m waiting for a normal Thunderbird to be ported to Maemo.

Watching a video on N900

The screen size on the Nokia N900 is approximately the same as on the iPhone, but the resolution is much higher and is as much as 800x480 pixels. It would be a shame not to watch the latest movies or TV series on such a display.

Thanks to the Linux Maemo 5 operating system, Nokia N900 allows you to view almost any video file format without converting! In most cases it is enough to install the package Decoders Support- and you will be able to view files in the built-in media player. Unfortunately, this approach has certain disadvantages - for example, you will not be able to switch audio tracks or add subtitles.

To have more viewing options, install two more packages: mplayer(file player) and kmplayer(graphical interface for file player), and in kmplayer settings select mplayer as decoder.

But, unfortunately, not all files can be played normally using the Nokia N900 - the “tablet” simply does not have enough processing power to display files encoded in h.264, and so on. However, in this case there is a way out. The easiest way is to install a special converter for Nokia N800 (it is compatible with N900). It can be obtained from http://mediaconverter.garage.maemo.org/Downloads.html.

Working with blogs on Nokia N900

Mobile blogging is an extremely popular topic today, and, of course, it is not ignored on the Nokia N900. For this there is great program– WordPy (also sometimes called MaStory).

With this program you can not only write the text itself...

But also upload pictures. True, I would not call the interface for installing photos convenient - you have to add images one at a time and focus on the name of the photo.

By the way, about PixelPipe. This service serves to distribute your photos and videos throughout the Internet - on flickr, facebook, ovi, picasa, youtube. Moreover, this can be done not only from the Maemo WordPy blog client, but also directly from the Nokia N900 photo album. To do this, install the add-on from the repository, and then add the services you need.

Working with documents on Nokia N900

It’s time to talk about the most pressing issues, what worries thousands of users of business smartphones and Internet tablets. Editing doc files. So, there is no such possibility at the moment.

The device comes with software called Documents To Go. It can only view DOC files. “But let me!” - Symbian experts may say - after all, this is what this package was called on Nokia communicators, and it was good at not only reading, but also editing DOC files? Alas, the problem is, first of all, money - Nokia does not want to independently purchase the package in order to make it free, and Dataviz is not yet going to completely port the software to the free OS.

How to be? After all, working with Word files is one of the most important components of a business communicator, let alone Internet tablets. There are three exits:

Wait by the sea for weather. There is a possibility that Dataviz will still come to an agreement with Nokia, and we will have the opportunity to buy the software we need so much. And, even more likely, independent software developers will be able to port one of two well-known packages: the Gnome office shell (gnumeric and Abiword) or KOffice. The latter, by the way, promise to roll out the first version by the new year.

Use Google Docs. Despite the fact that this option is quite cumbersome and inconvenient, it is optimal for today. Loading documents sent by mail takes seconds, and formatting is displayed relatively correctly. Plus, if you haven't tried document collaboration before, you'll love it (but your company's security team might not).

Editing Google Docs Docs on N900

1. Finally, the third method, popularly referred to as “removing teeth through the ear,” is installing a Debian virtual environment (easy debian chroot). It is downloaded from the Maemo-Extras-Devel repository (read more about how to install programs on the N900), and AbiWord is added to this “virtual” with the help of a mercilessly slow package manager. Leisure users can also use the included Open Office, but this process is very similar to Zen Buddhist enlightenment - the process of opening documents takes a minute (after all, the N900's processing power is comparable only to the Pentium II).

Linux games on Nokia N900

In general, the article itself about games has just been published, so if you have already read it, then there is no need to read it a second time. So.

Despite the fact that the Nokia N900 was not initially conceived as a gaming platform, due to powerful processor and open operating room Linux systems Maemo provides the player with the broadest opportunities.

At first, it may seem like there aren't that many games available for the N900. In the official repository you can only find the boring Bounce Evolution - a game that perfectly demonstrates the technical capabilities of the platform, but, in my opinion, is unbearably boring. But if you add the rest of the repositories, you can unearth, for example, SuperTux - an extremely popular "Unix" platformer, and Mad Bomber (a clone of Kaboom!, a game that came to us from the Atari 2600 and controlled using the accelerometer), all sorts of implementations of classic arcade games, puzzles and logic games like PushIt (Sokoban), Scrabble, GBoggle (Boggle), gpe-sudoku (Sudoku) and others.

In other words, at the disposal of those who like to play there is a classic Unix collection, time-tested hits, among which there are such gems as Vulture's eye (Nethack, “the most complex and interesting game in the world” in graphical design), Knights, Maelstorm (a clone of Asteroids "), Mortar (unforgettable Tanks!).

It’s also worth mentioning that OpenArena (a Unix port of Quake III) works quite well on the N900, OpenTTD (a Unix port of Transpor Tycoon Deluxe) works well, and Wormux (a Worms clone) works well. The repository also contains The Ur-Quan Masters (a port of the second Star Control), but I could not install it - it constantly complained about the absence of Joydev, which I could not find.

A little hint about most platform games. The fact is that most Russian devices differ in keyboard layout from American ones (“arrows” are pressed with a modifier), and not all games allow you to reassign keys. In order not to delve into configuration files for each game, before starting, just go to “Settings” - “Text input” - “Hardware keyboard layout”, and select US-QWERTY keyboard.

It all started at the end of 2003, when Nokia announced a very unusual-looking device, equipped touch screen with a resolution of 640x320 pixels, running the Symbian operating system (Series 90 platform). The device was equipped with a VGA camera and supported the digital DVB-H television. The model never went into mass production and was available only to developers. At that time, only the Sony Ericsson P800 could compete with the Nokia 7700. In general, the future of touchscreen smartphones was still in question.

More interesting for the market was the Nokia 7710, announced a year later and using the same Series 90. It was even sold in Ukraine (according to our information, about 1000 units were sold) and was equipped with a megapixel camera. Like the 7700, the device supported SD memory cards. By those standards, it was a large smartphone with a 3.5-inch diagonal, which, as we know, is already the standard for 2010.

A year later, in 2005, the Nokia 770 model was announced, which was called an Internet tablet (that is, it was not a phone). This device did not have the ability to make calls (only VoIP - Google Talk or Jabber) and in general it was intended to work with the Internet. The Nokia 770 introduced a USB host, but it was not widespread either. The display diagonal has increased to 4.1, and the resolution to 800x480.

A year and a half later, in January 2007, the Nokia N800 was announced, and we first learned about the word Maemo. And the operating system was called Internet Tablet OS 2007 Edition. Wi-Fi support appeared, but it was still a tablet, that is, there was still no possibility of GSM voice calls; Nokia considered this direction of development a separate branch of development, a kind of experimental one.

Also in 2007, the N810 model was introduced, which differed from the N800 with a retractable QWERTY keyboard and a 4.3-inch display diagonal. SD cards were replaced by memory cards of the miniSD format, promoted at that time by the company and no longer widely available anywhere. Among the relatively interesting features, the N810 had support for the UPnP standard intended for controlling home appliances and a headphone jack. The operating system received the version Internet Tablet OS 2008 Edition, although the platform was still called Maemo. In April 2008, the tablet received a WiMAX Edition modification, which featured WiMAX support.

Technical characteristics of Nokia N900

What do you need to know about the characteristics of this communicator? It has a 3.5-inch resistive screen with a resolution of 800x480 pixels, a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and full set technologies inherent in advanced phones - GPS, Wi-Fi, HSDPA. Like the flagship N97, this device is equipped with a built-in storage capacity of 32 gigabytes. The Nokia N900 model is equipped with a completely non-phone browser with support for technologies such as Flash and AJAX, which are widely used in modern web programming. Together with the high resolution display, this allows you to browse websites almost as comfortably as on a full-fledged computer. Among the technological capabilities, it is worth noting support for the XViD codec and playback of unconverted video. With detailed technical characteristics This model can be found on the manufacturer's website. The memory is divided into two parts - 2 gigabytes are reserved for storing applications. Based on sizes existing applications for Maemo (they can take up several megabytes, in rare cases the file size exceeds 10 megabytes) - this is a lot.

Nokia N900 equipment

The scope of delivery of the Nokia N900 is fully consistent with the class of the device and includes such additional accessories as a TV cable and a reusable napkin, which allows you to quickly restore the aesthetic appearance of the display.

1. Soft cloth for screen
2. Box
3. Quick user guide in Russian and Ukrainian
4. Charger with microUSB connector
5. Adapter for classic chargers
6. Stereo headset with clip-on remote control
7. Cable for connecting to TV
8. USB cable
9. Stylus
10. Battery
11. Nokia N900
12. Two sets of ear seals of different sizes

Appearance of Nokia N900

The phone is equipped with a QWERTY keyboard with three rows of keys. In general, horizontal orientation is basic for the Nokia N900. Therefore, it is perfect for those who use Internet applications a lot, conduct active correspondence, work with mail, social networks (Facebook, Twitter) and SMS.

Although the Nokia N900 is generally designed for work rather than entertainment, the device can provide good sound while playing music, radio broadcasts or watching movies thanks to its stereo speakers. There is a microUSB connector that allows you to connect the communicator to a computer using a standard cable and still charge the battery. On the right side panel there is a jack for standard headphones and a keyboard lock lever. Please note that it is most comfortable to use when holding the device horizontally. Which once again confirms its “computer” origin. A modest hole in the corner next to the microUSB connector is used to attach a lanyard or keychain. To the left of the headphone jack is a compartment for the stylus.

The bottom panel (which is on the right in phone orientation) is clean - only the stylus socket is visible on the right. But the upper part contains (from left to right) a paired volume control key, a power button (at Nokia it is always traditionally in the upper part), a camera button and a sensor infrared port, with which the developers decided to equip this model.

On the back panel there is a folding stand that allows you to place the device on a table like a watch. In this position it is convenient not only to watch movies. Incoming calls, names of songs being played - any information is perceived more conveniently. It is worth saying that the stand itself looks flimsy and can easily break off if used carelessly.

A 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and dual LED backlight is hidden behind a sliding curtain. Back cover The device is made of matte, non-marking plastic.

The back of the sliding screen is reinforced with a metal plate. Noteworthy are the inscriptions ARM Cortex-A8, 32 GB and Designed in Finland, somewhat reminiscent of the boasts of Asian manufacturers.

Although this is less pronounced than in the Nokia N97.

The communicator itself looks solid, the stylus gives it a very businesslike look, although this is more of a fashion statement and you can do just fine without it in everyday work. The physical dimensions of the screen are even slightly larger than those of the Nokia N97. Together with high resolution, this gives a clear picture.

Under the cover there is a 1320 mAh battery, a SIM card and a memory card slot.

The SIM card and microSD card are mounted in special slides.

To be honest, I like the look of the internals - everything looks solid, right down to the elegant polished plastic around the camera module (although it's not noticeable with the cover in place).

The dimensions of Nokia N97 and Nokia N900 are comparable. At first, the Nokia N97's conveniently angled display was missing.

The Nokia N900 has 13 keys in a row instead of 11, which undoubtedly improves the convenience of typing - only the “yu” and “b” keys are placed on the second register, while the N97 also has “e” and “x”.

Basic Maemo interface

Maemo's interface is visually different from those currently on the market. It clearly shows a ancestral connection with Symbian and the current S60. It is present in the menu logic and icons. At the same time, visually it is fundamental new system, adapted to work with a touch screen. The desktop has 4 screens on which widgets, application shortcuts, browser bookmarks and contact icons from the address book are located. Interestingly, not only widgets are interactive, but also browser bookmarks - they display the state of the web page to which they lead. The basic ones are gadgets with a calendar, OVI services, RSS reader and OVI maps.

The Nokia N900 does not have a dedicated button to access the main menu, like the N97, for example. Its role is to some extent played by the icon in the upper left corner of the screen. It sequentially switches the interface between icons of currently running applications and a screen reminiscent of the main menu in the S60. The “Advanced” item is essentially a list of installed applications. Another element of the interface is the status menu, which appears when you click on the top menu bar with the clock and battery charge level. The status menu appears in the pop-up window and allows you to control the sound volume, clock, wireless connections and availability in messaging systems. When such pop-up windows appear, the background is blurred, which makes it beautiful and elegant in a modern way. A feature of the Maemo interface is the alert system - they appear on orange bars. In addition to the usual icons in the interface, you can also find large, convenient buttons with blue shades that are easy to press with your finger.

The "Options" menu section contains all the main Nokia settings N900. It allows you to change the system time and date, themes, settings of the phone itself and Internet connections. If desired, you can choose which notifications can be displayed on the screen. To enter text, both Russian and English languages ​​are equally needed. To switch between them in any application, just press the Ctrl + Space key combination. The size of icons for running applications automatically adjusts to the size of the display - the more applications are running, the smaller their icons. To close any of them, you need to click the cross in the upper right corner of the icon.

Installation, updating and removal of programs is managed by the Application Manager, located in the “Advanced” menu. It allows you to access existing online application libraries for Maemo and add new ones. To make it easier to find new applications, they are all sorted in catalogs into 12 topics. There are many applications available, so a keyword search will help you find something useful. Already installed applications can be checked for updates by pressing just one key.

An interesting and, for some, extremely important fact - in fact, the only application that has a vertical screen orientation is a telephone dialer. The historical past of previous models plays a role here - they were Internet devices and were not intended for calls. Just as your computer is not designed for calls (it also does not have a vertical screen orientation mode, although, in principle, computers still have this capability).

If we talk about GPS navigation, then maps of Ukraine at the time of writing the text have not yet been implemented for the N900. At the same time, the map widget worked exactly in a good and convenient scale for work, but when it was launched, a map with low detail was loaded, on which Kiev is depicted as three intersecting streets. The map interface also looks original and is made in its own interesting way. But I never had to use it.

Widgets and Maemo desktop

The first thing that stands out in the Maemo interface and what the user encounters is the system for organizing the desktop and widgets. Small applications located on the desktop and independently updating information from the Internet. This could include news, weather forecasts, emails, and social media activity. One of the most useful widgets already pre-installed in the Nokia N900 is an application for reading RSS news feeds. This allows the phone owner to read news from popular sites without visiting the sites themselves in the browser and, thus, saving time and traffic. At the same time, you can add an almost unlimited number of RSS feeds and control the modes and frequency of their updates. One of the 4 Nokia N900 desktops comes with pre-installed bookmarks for Google, Twitter and Facebook. Dimensions and resolution Nokia screen N900 allows you to work with the same Twitter directly from a web browser without a special Twitter application. Such features bring the Nokia N900 closer to a laptop, erasing the difference between a phone and a laptop computer. Likewise, you can go straight to Google search, and in the browser watch a video on YouTube without using any separate YouTube applications. Strictly speaking, these are not widgets at all, but browser bookmarks. If we talk about Twitter, the disadvantage is that the service's feed does not update automatically on the phone's desktop, which makes it practically useful. This decision is more for show.

To add a new widget or shortcut to your desktop, just press your finger on any icon on the desktop and hold your finger until crosses appear in the right upper corners icons The second option is to point at any free space on the screen and then click on the gear that appears at the top.

In this editing mode, you need to call up the desktop drop-down menu by clicking on the system line labeled “Desktop Menu”. Then you can add shortcuts to installed applications, contacts from your address book, browser bookmarks or a widget to your desktop. Can be changed background image, choosing it from a dozen preset options.

The Nokia N900 has the ability to control all 4 desktops. By selecting the “view management” item, you can disable (although it is not entirely clear who might need this) or, conversely, enable any of them. And also choose a different theme. Another pre-installed widget allows you to control music playback without going to the player menu directly from the desktop.

On your desktop you can place icons with selected contacts of people with whom you communicate most often. From the contact menu, you can dial a number, send an SMS, send an email, or send a message via Google Talk or Skype with the click of a button. Please note that the icons are all interactive and the appearance of the desired person online is marked with a green dot to the left of his name. That is, the user, to determine the availability of his friends online, only needs to glance at the desktop.

Address book and working with contacts

There are several ways to get to the address book in Nokia N900 - move the icon to the desktop or go to contacts from the menu. For individual people with whom you communicate most often, you can add separate icons to your desktop. All contacts can be sorted, in addition to certain groups, by belonging to various communication systems - Skype, OVI, Google Talk.

A contact card can contain a large amount of data, including information about accounts across various messaging systems.

To synchronize data, you can use Nokia PC Suite (by the way, the newer OVI Suite at the time of writing this text still did not support Nokia N900), which can transfer address book and other data from MS Outlook.

Or you can use an Exchange server (for example, provided by Google) for synchronization. However, the setup wizard does not recommend using PC Suite and Exchange to synchronize the same data. Apparently, to avoid duplicates.

Another way to import contacts is to synchronize with another Nokia phone via Bluetooth:

In Address Book settings, you can specify how names are sorted and displayed. An interesting feature of a card with contact information is the ability to call from context menu communication session history. It displays all the information about calls and messages and allows you to store communication history in a very convenient form, even if you have a huge number of calls and messages.

Another extremely convenient and well-implemented feature is merging contacts that are duplicated in different messaging systems. This is an extremely simple, but damn useful operation.

A special widget allows you to display information on the number of unread messages on your desktop. They can be divided according to their belonging to different message systems. At the same time, the exchange of messages, regardless of where it occurs - in Google Talk or Skype, looks the same from the user's point of view. Although a widget that uses the entire usable area of ​​the desktop and displays the text of the messages itself would be much more convenient. Perhaps Maemo's developers were motivated by privacy concerns, who knows.

Email

This is what is implemented in the Nokia N900 for five plus - it works with by email. Everything is very easy to set up and convenient to use. You can improve push e-mail using the proprietary Nokia Messaging service. The Settings Wizard is familiar with most well-known email services, including regional ones. So, she is familiar with mail.ru and ua.fm, which are widespread among us, not to mention the services gmail.com or the Nokia branded email service on the OVI portal. Setting up only requires selecting a service and entering a name and password. Everything is fast and simple.

I highly recommend using the Nokia Messaging service. To do this you need to create account on the email.nokia.com server (if you don’t already have it), and then include all your mailboxes in it (up to 10 are supported). After which all your mail will be available in the Nokia N900 and will begin to appear there just a couple of minutes after the letter arrives. You can manage all your mailboxes from the Nokia Messaging interface right on your phone.

The email program built into the Nokia N900 provides all the features that are available when working with email on a computer. Including choosing formatting (plain text or html) and setting priority. Of course, copies of recipients are supported (and hidden copies, of course, too). You can use file attachments and automatic signature. Another argument in favor of using Nokia Messaging is that any letter written or received can be sent or forwarded by selecting any other address from the drop-down list.

The simple and convenient organization of the menu allows you to easily cope even with a huge archive of letters and intensive correspondence using different mailboxes. Messages are divided into folders and can be sorted, just like on a computer - by date, size, attachment, subject, recipient and priority. You can move on to the next letter, forward and reply to all recipients with the click of a single button.

An important remark would be appropriate here. While working on the Maemo marathon and Nokia N900 review, I updated the firmware from version 3.2010.02.8 to 10.2010.19.1, which was offered to me by the phone itself. After which, for reasons unknown to me, he lost a bunch of useful functions, including the ability to conveniently sort letters in the mail. Changes were also noticed in the browser log - it was implemented a little differently (the item in the menu disappeared, and the log became available if you scroll the screen with a web page, which is somehow not very intuitive). And the not-so-important, but fun, ability to set a custom name for a mobile operator has also disappeared... And on the part - the real name is written. Because of this, I’m even somehow embarrassed to recommend that anyone update the firmware after purchasing an N900. And we can only hope that in newer firmware everything vitally necessary will be returned.

Calendar in Nokia N900

The large screen and high screen resolution allow the Nokia N900 to conveniently display calendar data with details by day, week and month. By pressing a couple of keys, you can go to the plan of the day, week, month, select a specific date using three lists scrolling under light finger movements (by the way, I have not seen a more convenient, quick and visual way to go to a specific date, regardless of its year and month ). You can also create a new event, navigate to tasks, notes, or calendar settings options from the one-click context menu. Of course, recurring events are supported (daily, weekly, monthly, and a convenient option - daily on weekdays) and the ability to alert.

At the same time, you can set an end date for periodically repeating events - in short, everything, like with “large” computers. It's not for nothing that Nokia calls N900-class devices computers - perhaps, in this case, it has a basis. Calendar options allow you to automatically delete appointments and events that occurred in the past by setting the archive size.

You can maintain multiple calendars at the same time. This is very convenient, because in addition to work, each of us also has a private life, hobbies and some interests within completely unrelated social communities - with someone you can play football together or go to yoga, fish fishing or being a theatergoer. Each calendar can have its own color - this coding makes the information easier to perceive.

One more convenient function calendar-diary is the ability to record notes. They don't require opening office suite, and the use of a QWERTY keyboard makes typing short texts a simple operation that you can actually do on the go if you wish. Finally, in addition to synchronizing data with your computer or remote server on the Internet, Maemo has the ability to transfer personal data from another phone (or to another phone). The transfer is carried out via Bluetooth and requires (since sensitive data is involved) authentication.

The key for corporate users and simply high-tech enthusiasts is the ability to synchronize calendar data with the Exchange server. A truly simple setup wizard and prompt system allow you to connect and sync in a minute. You can synchronize with Exchange not only your calendar, but, as mentioned above, also your address book and email. Although a special pop-up reminder says that it is not recommended to do this at the same time as exchanging data through PC Suite. This is fraught with confusion, which will then take a long time to sort out.

Internet browser

The advantages of the Nokia N900 browser (using the Mozilla engine) include support for Javascript, Flash, pop-ups and the ability to customize settings that allow or disable all these delights. Again, high screen resolution also plays an important role in ease of use - as a rule, columns of text on websites are easy to read without horizontal scrolling. The browser supports the ability to save web pages in the phone's memory and multi-window mode.

Implemented search on the web page. To save traffic, you can disable loading images. And for sites with small font, increase the text size, making it more comfortable.

A large number of settings indicate the serious capabilities of the browser. In essence, this is an almost full-fledged Firefox with support for plugins, which can be managed in a special tab, disabled and, if necessary, deleted.

The bookmark system is also normally organized in the browser. Adding a site to bookmarks is done with one click of a finger. And the list of bookmarks contains icons with previews of visited sites, which makes it more visual. If necessary, you can import bookmarks from a folder specified on the disk. Although this function does not look, frankly speaking, in demand.

The visit log is organized in an interesting way, although after updating the firmware, it began to work with a slightly different logic - now the log is available in any open web page, just move it to the side with your finger. The log also allows you to display your most recently visited sites in a simple list, keeping a long history of your web travel. Just like in a browser for a computer, it is possible to clear the phone’s memory (in this case this is a more critical option, since the communicator’s memory resources are an order of magnitude smaller) from the cache and visit log. But the highest aerobatics of the browser is, of course, working with YouTube. Perhaps, it is in this case that you will still have to get a stylus, otherwise it will be extremely difficult to get into the YouTube media player control buttons. YouTube itself works in jerks, playback cannot be called ideal, but taking into account mobile conditions, this is unlikely to go beyond the comfort zone - this is also the case regular computer happens. By the way, you may not be able to play flash games on the Nokia N900. Anyway, launched by Google on his page, Pacman successfully slowed down, especially at levels other than the first level of the game. Although a toy would be quite suitable for killing time.

Media player Nokia N900

Speaking about the Nokia N900 media player, we can say that its main feature is built-in support for Internet radio stations. The list of stations even included several of them broadcasting online in Russian. There is an FM transmitter capable of broadcasting FM audio to, say, a home or car stereo, but I personally don't know anyone who uses this feature.

The music player in the Nokia N900 can best be described as “ordinary”. Disc covers and quick sorting by artists, genres and playlists are supported. The player easily digests the Cyrillic alphabet in ID3 tags, and also allows you to create automatic playlists from recently added or frequently played compositions - such automatic care for users, expressed in attempts to predict their actions or preferences. But it doesn't even have an equalizer. Although it’s nice that you don’t need to waste time updating your music library - all added files become available right away.

The music player interface is simple. There are repeat and random music playback functions. When playing music, there are two visualization modes - with a progress bar and a playlist. The ability to rewind within a composition is supported - you can drag the progress bar with your finger.

The video playback mode is a little more interesting. The player easily works with large video files; they do not require preliminary conversion to the phone screen resolution. Although, experimentally, you can find out that the player is not capable of playing files larger than 2 gigabytes. At the same time, the system “sees” the file itself, but apparently it lacks some resources. Strange, but in this case a message is displayed about unsupported audio codecs, although files up to 2 gigabytes in size work fine with the same codecs. There is also the option to rewind while the movie is playing. It is worth saying that during video playback ( maximum volume and brightness, headphones connected) a fully charged phone lasted 5 hours 20 minutes, which today can be considered a very good, although not a record figure.

Camera in Nokia N900

The camera in the Nokia N900 is also not a strong point, but, hand on heart, it’s worth saying that, firstly, this device doesn’t really need it. And, secondly, for a communicator it takes pretty good pictures - we've seen much worse. The camera interface is as simple as three pennies and allows you to press a couple of buttons to switch between meager photography modes (macro, portrait, landscape, sports), flash and white balance settings. In fact, you won’t have to use the settings, although this, frankly speaking, is true for almost all cameras built into the phone.

Other settings are also so boring that your cheekbones hurt from yawning. It is possible to adjust the exposure and increase the sensitivity of the matrix in ISO. A couple of taps on the touch screen are also enough to switch to video mode.

You can assign meta tags to finished images, which then allow you to sort all the photos (after all, the huge amount of memory allows them not to be deleted for a very long time and stored in hundreds and even thousands), united not only by date, but also by topic. The most interesting photos can be immediately added to the Favorites folder.

The system helpfully suggests what tags there may be - examples, however, all as one English language, but if you wish, you can enter their analogues in Russian.

Photos from your photo album can be used to create avatars and assign them to your contacts. It’s always nicer to look at a live photo of a person than at the blue outline of a drawn figure. Perhaps this is one of the most common scenarios for using a camera in such a device. I took it out, clicked the camera, and used it for the contact’s avatar. A couple of minutes and it's done. Photos can be processed directly on your phone, resizing them and adjusting them to different screen proportions (for example, if you are going to show them on a TV). Although this already looks more like pampering, it is doubtful that the buyer of such a device will waste his time on such operations.

Of course, all pictures can be published on the OVI photo hosting site - in this case, integration with the service is implemented well, that is, intuitive and convenient, taking into account the touch interface. You can publish to background, and continue working with the communicator yourself.

In a similar way, you can even publish video files on the Internet. I really find it difficult to say who might need this opportunity. But you can leave the process itself running in the background. And you can return to it from the system messages menu, in which the “Exchange” item appears, calling which shows Current state publishing files on the Internet.

Sample pictures

The results, as I have already noted, are not particularly outstanding, but much better than could be expected. Not every $600 phone (unless it’s a device with photographic positioning like the Sony Ericsson Satio or Samsung Pixon) is capable of this. The camera shoots with a resolution of 2576x1936 and 2560x1440 in widescreen (16:9) mode. Video shooting gives mediocre results - the video is shot in a resolution of 848x480, while the speed barely reaches 20 frames per second. You can see more examples of photographs in original resolution in a separate photo gallery on Torba

Installing applications in Nokia N900

There are two ways to install applications on the Nokia N900 - through the OVI application store or the Maemo application manager. In the first case, everything is very sad and depressing due to the small number of available programs, so interest in it may be purely academic.

The catalog available in the application manager includes 12 themes. In the same section the system is updated software N900 - to check for updates, just click the “update” button in the main menu of the application manager.

The application manager also has contextual search, which allows you to search by program names and keywords in the description (by the way, after the already mentioned flashing, it also disappeared somewhere, I remember). Before installation, you can study information about the file and its developer. The download progress is visually displayed as a progress bar.

What about the available apps? They number more in the hundreds than in the thousands. You can find something useful. I personally managed to actively use a twitter client called witter. It falls just a little short of Gravity or the new Android clients (in particular, it was never possible to publish a photo using it, despite a number of attempts), but it is very possible to use it for its intended purpose. Techies of all calibers will certainly be pleased with the abundance of different utilities for remote administration. For example, there is a Maemo version of the famous PuTTY program that supports SSH connections. And there are enough of these small programs to be able to tinker with them for hours and days if desired. But it is worth remembering that all these toys are for technically savvy users. There won't be much for the mass consumer to enjoy in Maemo.

Impressions from work

Bottom line

It just so happened that the Nokia N900 came out as a very specific device, very much aimed at those who need an Internet device more than a phone. Telephone capabilities are secondary here (for example, there is no MMS at all). But as an Internet device, it is simply magnificent - here you have extremely convenient storage of contacts and message history, and the ability to using Skype, and the ergonomics of the device are such that it is convenient to use in a horizontal orientation. Not to mention that for working with email this best device in its class (perhaps it is inferior only to the BlackBerry devices that are not very common in our country, but it is very problematic to buy them legally from us and that’s a different story altogether). At the same time, the Nokia N900 has a good camera, which is generally uncharacteristic for communicators of this class. The obvious disadvantages of the model include the unfortunate fact that the model will not have any software future, since the company itself has closed the development of the Maemo platform. But the overall impressions of the Nokia N900 are such that it can be recommended even in its current form, for which it receives the editors' “We Recommend” award. But we do not recommend it to everyone, but only to those for whom telephone functions are secondary, and the first place comes active use mobile internet and various Internet services.

9 reasons to buy Nokia N900

1. Large display with a resolution of 800x480 pixels
2. Relatively well-implemented hardware QWERTY keyboard
3. 32 gigabytes of internal memory
4. Skype support out of the box
5. Excellent implementation of push e-mail
6. Playing unconverted video
7. Good selection of applications for network administrator
8. Relatively good camera

8 reasons not to buy Nokia N900

1. Focus on landscape display mode
2. Closing Maemo as a project (without hope of updating to MeeGo)
3. Resistive display
4. Very few apps and games available
5. A small selection of truly useful widgets
6. Lack of a map of Ukraine and GPS navigation
7. No MMS support
8. It is unclear whether it is worth updating the firmware in the future at all, if the update can not expand, but reduce functionality

Editorial gg sincerely thanks Nokia for the assistance provided, thanks to which we were able to introduce you in detail to this device and hold a Maemo marathon.