Great Resistive Screen Phone for Users who like to Customize.
The Chinese version of this phone comes with a somewhat compromised Maemo ROM - I would suggest - before you start customizing the phone to your liking - go to the Maemo.org website, download and install (not update) the latest and final version of Maemo5 Fiasco and eMMC.
Once up to date, I found that the N900 is a great platform for customization, and starts out more like a tablet than a phone. There is an app downloader and installer right on the phone, and you can (again) go to Maemo.org for more detailed descriptions of the many different apps(which have been contributed by users, and are not warranteed by Maemo or Nokia). And with 32 gB of "disk space", you can add a lot of apps, media, or documents. I would definitely install the "Wi-Fi Switcher" app right away - the N900 sucks down a battery at an alarming rate when it's constantly hunting for or communicating on a Wi-Fi signal.
This is one of the few remaining resistive screen phones with a stylus, which I happen to love. My fingers are way too fat, callused, and dry for a capacitive screen, and every text I ever sent on my HTC HD2 required at least 2-3 minutes of corrections after it was done. With a resistive screen, I can use my fingernail, a pencil with an eraser on the end, or the handy stylus, and be much faster and more accurate than capacitive. A button push and a tap when you are done deactivate the screen so that it can be carried in your pocket or purse without registering the physical contact.
There's a lot of talk on the forums about porting over Android, MeeGo or W7M to the N900, but I really can't see why. The user interface on Maemo is absolutely intuitive, capable, and stress free for me - this is the ROM that I would like to be installing on my Windows Mobile phone!
I was able to successfully overclock the phone to 825 mhz and have been running it this way for about three weeks without incident. I've yet to encounter a situation where I was waiting for the phone, and it definitely boots faster at this speed.
One annoying little nitpick was that I found that although the charger appears to have a fairly standard micro-usb connector, it is NOT - either the connector or the charger is proprietary. I tried several of my micro usb chargers, both A/C and usb, and the orange charge light on the N900 would glow dimly for a while and then go out. When I plug the phone in using the Nokia AC 10U charger (which appears to have an identical connector) it charges fine, with the orange light cycling on and off brightly, as it should. The AC 10U has a higher current output, and that may be what the phone needs. These chargers are available on eBay for less than $5.00, so it's not a big deal.
Bottom line: If customizing or programming a phone sounds like a lot of work and/or confusion to you, and you just want to open the box and rock'n'roll, this phone could be just an exercise in frustration. However, if you like a resistive screen phone you can work on, build up, and/or customize to fit your unique needs, this is a great place to start.Read full review
