Video: Hands on with the Nokia N900
Posted on: November 14, 2009
Posted in: Video
Posted by: Cali Lewis
Shownotes:
Apparently, I left out an important detail when I’ve talked about the N900 in anticipation of its arrival because Neal, my husband who is with me all the time didn’t know that the N900 is able to make phone calls. Go figure. Let’s start by looking at the industrial design.
I have an iPhone 3GS here along with a Motorola Droid and the Nokia N900. The iPhone and Droid are almost exactly the same height and width. The Droid is a little thicker than the iPhone to accommodate the slider keyboard and the removable battery. The Nokia N900 is the same width as the iPhone and Droid, but it’s quite a bit thicker. I thought it would be fun to pull out the kitchen scale and weigh them. The iPhone is 4.7 ounces. The Droid is 5.9 ounces and the N900 is 6.4 ounces.
Specs we’ve talked about, but let’s hit them again. The processor is 600MHz. There’s 1GB of application memory. It has a 3D Graphics accelerator with Open GL ES 2.0 support. It has 32GB of storage out of the box and you can expand that to 48 gigs with a microSD card. The camera is 5 megapixels with a dual LED flash. The screen is 800X480, 3.5 inches diagonal and has resistive touch. The N900 has two hardware features that I hadn’t expected. It has a built-in FM transmitter for playing audio through your radio’s speakers. I had to put the phone on top of the receiver for the FM transmitter to work, but sitting on top of the receiver, it sounded really, really good. It also has what I think could be a killer feature if developers take advantage of it. It has an IR transmitter.
Software is really where the N900 can shine. It runs Nokia’s Maemo 5 and open source version of Linux and it really does feel like I’m using a computer rather than just another smart phone. To turn on the screen, simply press the power button on the top and just like on other smart phones, you slide to unlock.
The N900 gives you four work surfaces. You can add applications, widgets, and bookmarks from the Web. There are several basic apps already installed and you can add more. There aren’t yet tons of apps available, but the framework for making apps available is so much better than Apple’s gatekeeper method. There will be an Ovi store for the N900, but if you go there right now, you get a Coming Soon page. In addition to the Ovi store, you can add different software repositories where you can download Maemo apps for free. Because the N900 is running Linux, developers can develop whatever applications the hardware can handle. That’s one of the reasons I think the IR transmitter is so cool. It’s inevitable that someone will develop a really good universal remote.
The Web browser’s very good. It is a Mozilla-based browser and I wasn’t able to find a Web site it doesn’t display exactly as it should, including Web sites developed in Flash. You can also install a beta version of a Firefox branded browser. The Firefox browser froze for me, but the potential is exciting.
I really like the Nokia N900, but it’s important for me to point out, even though you can order one now, it seems to first be targeting hardcore geeks, extreme early adopters and most specifically developers who want a mobile device that they can customize as much as they want. The device as hardware is a playground with a lot of potential for exciting functionality, should the right developer take up the cause. For example. The IR transmitter’s built in, but it needs software applications that aren’t yet available in order for it to fulfill it’s potential. The N900 has an accelerometer, but very few applications flip into landscape. That’s something I hear will change by year’s end.
GeekBrief.TV bridges the gap between hardcore geeks and grandmas who are casually interested in tech. A less technical person would probably enjoy the N900. It’s by far the simplest and fun user interface I’ve ever seen on a Nokia phone. It isn’t as simple as an iPhone and maybe only slightly more challenging than a Motorola Droid. I think, though, the MORE you understand and enjoy Linux, the more you’ll enjoy all you can do with an N900. My big hope is that Linux developers embrace it and build exciting new applications.
The studio is freshly painted so we can start doing live production again and we found a great painter who gave us a great price using Angie’s List. If you’re not a member and you own a home, check it out. Promo code GEEK will save you 25% when you join.
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November 14th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
You mentioned an ir-remote for the n900. It’s already been done! It’s called irreco. (see: http://tiny.cc/2HKqK) Thanks for the show, I really enjoy it!
November 15th, 2009 at 5:43 am
How is the touch screen? I have an N810 and I’m not completely happy with it. It’s always full of fingerprints and it’s not as accurate and responsive as the iPhone for example. Does the N900 have any kind of lipophobic coating?
November 15th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Sold, goodbye iPhone and hello N900
November 15th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
It has to be good. Nokia has to step into the high end smartphone market. Nokia realized that only linux can only bring then change. Lets see how this will go. S60 based N97 disappointed me very badly.
November 15th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
since im more of a power user, this would be my kind of phone. iphone disappointed me so bad. iphone felt more like a toy than a smartphone.
November 15th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Very concise review. Thank you.
P.S. Your hair is getting longer again. Looks great.
November 16th, 2009 at 1:33 am
I was honestly a little shocked you could actually say the words ‘resistive touchscreen’ with a smile on your face! I suppose it’s a cost-cutting measure, since having a capacitative screen would likely add a good bit of cost to the phone, but still a bit dissapointing (just a bit tho!).
Oh, and one more thing Cali – ‘an open source version of linux’?? That’s like saying ‘an edible version of the hamburger’ o.0
November 16th, 2009 at 7:41 am
You can increase the FM transmitter’s reach by putting the phone next to your power cables in your house.
November 16th, 2009 at 11:32 am
What kind of table are you using? i love the blue glow….looks very cool.
November 17th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Hey, I love that background you used on this Brief..do you have a site where it came from?
I am a TMobile user and I have been waiting for the Nokia…can’t wait..
Thanks Cali! Good Work.
November 17th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
@Darvin, that was my impression of the iPhone, too. Until now, I was hesitant to write so, out of fear of offending people.
November 17th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
It’s a table from IKEA but we have blue lights shining up at it. :)
November 18th, 2009 at 12:10 am
The resistive screen is a huge let down, but then again Nokia must cater to the Asian customers… it comes with a stylus right?
November 18th, 2009 at 7:42 am
Prepare for something Else:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn1uPQ3zXMw
November 21st, 2009 at 2:10 pm
3 questions.
1) does it make an irritating click noise when i take a picture? is there a way to turn that silliness off? i gave away all my nokias barring an old cameraless e61 because of this stupidity. the amount of time i wasted trying to fix it after they broke my e71 really annoyed me and a few others who thought they could quickly fix it. turned a few people of nokia that did.
2) does it require windows software to update the firmware like the symbian devices that i have owned? at the start of this year i was dependent on windows for 2 pieces of software. itunes (ipod classic is better as a windows format than mac) and nokia software to update software. now it looks like i’ll be getting rid of the iphone and macosx and moving to android/ubuntu i don’t want to have to depend on wine or a vm with windows just for a silly single task. haven’t checked to see if i can update my hero using ubuntu yet.
3) what guarantee do we have that nokia have released a working os? the last few nokias from them n70, e61, e61i and e71 needed firmware upgrades before they became useable. they crashed a lot before they were updated. as it was a firmware ‘upgrade’ that added the unremoveable camera click i don’t trust them anymore.
/rant
November 21st, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Cali,
I absolutely love your idea, and would like to attend a filming!! I am attending the Art Institute of Dallas, and what your doing is basically the field in which I would like to go into, video for the web, as well as mobile devices!! I came across your site via researching video and web. I was trying to find how I could make my blog a little bit better! I love UStream and I am learning all that I can about web and video!! Your video came up on google about how you guys produce the show! I love that video, i’m writing a post about it as we speak!! If you guys are located in Dallas, I would love to be able to come and film my experience of visiting for my own blog!! I also have alot of questions as a student that I would like to ask you guys!! I hope to hear from you soon!!
November 24th, 2009 at 6:39 am
@moylan:
2) You don’t need Windows to update the firmware. In fact, you don’t need a computer at all. “Rather than requiring a reflash, Seamless Software Updates are pushed over-the-air and installed onto your live system. When Nokia pushes an update over SSU, you will see an update notification and be given the option to install the update—just like with your computer.”
November 25th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Got my N900 few days ago! This thing rocks!
Installed gPodder and now I can download Geekbrief podcast straight to my N900 and watch on the road.
Cali, keep up the good work, I love watching Geekbrief! :)
November 27th, 2009 at 6:14 am
I think you mean 2GB* Application Memory.
November 27th, 2009 at 6:16 am
@ Tarex
Your judgement is a huge let down.
You don’t even own an N900 and you’re already assuming and stating things you have no idea about.
Feedback from loads of people say that the screen is good & just as responsive as a capacitive screen. It’s not always the screen, it’s also the OS & Hardware.
February 1st, 2010 at 6:30 pm
hahahahha :D thanks i love it!
February 9th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
cool review thanks! just watched it on an n900 what a resolution!!