[LESS INFO] 92 VIEWS | ADDED 20:06:26 11/14/09
Apparently, I left out an important detail when I've talked about the N900 in anticipation of it's 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 its 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 32G 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'is 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 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 years 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 interfaces I've ever seen on a Nokia phone. It isn't as simple as an iPhone and maybe only slightly more challenging than a Motorolla 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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