i'm due an up-grade on my phone, and can't decide between the iphone and nokia n900. anyone got either and any good/bad thoughts? not much in it price wise if i trade in my old phone and so that's not helping me make up my mind!

Does the fact you can press ctrl-shift-x at any time to get an xterm window on the N900 excite you?

If not, get the iPhone.

I could go on at length, but that's basically what it boils down to. The iPhone's a phone that can do some computer tasks, the n900 is a small linux computer than can make phone calls.

If you want more info or me to be more specific, fire away…

EDIT: oh and an N900 should be a lot cheaper than a 32gig 3GS or are you not comparing it to that?

I know nothing about the n900 except that the iphone's bound to be better than it.

"I know nothing about the n900 except that the iphone's bound to be better than it."

Better is very subjective. For most people, I'd say you're right*.

(i've an N900 sat right *here* and can see a 3GS just over *there*)

*i'd rather have the N900 personally, but I'd not recommend it to most.

The iPhone's a phone that can do some computer tasks, the n900 is a small linux computer than can make phone calls

Isn't the iPhone OS also a little linux variant? (though obviously you don't get console access etc unless you jailbreak it)

A *lot* less so than the N900 is (even jailbroken). And to be pedantic, it's nearer a BSD. 😉

Oh, tho my advice depends slightly on what you want it to do/be good at?

E.g. you've just asked "what bike" without saying which kind of riding…

(i give this thread 3 more minutes before the zealots arrive… 😉 )

I was of course being flippant.

What do you want it for dgoab?

I use nokia mostly for cost & camera reasons – they do lots of stuff but mine have been unreliable and you lose all your apps everytime it gets fixed.

Doubt I'll hand over teh wonga for an iphone anytime soo though – android will get a try first (though I like my ipod touch)

Of course, but you were right 🙂 (that was directed at "flippant" etc)

(FWIW this n900 I have is a trial one, so it's not like I'm saying it's good just cos I spent a load of cash on it. I've no incentive to say it's good/bad etc.)

n900 can go up to 40gb memory

most expensive iphone is 32, which is crap when ipod classics only come with 180gb now

n900 is a lot chunkier than iphone

If you want a phone that is very easy to use without needing a fifty page instruction manual, then the iPhone is the mutts. Easiest phone I've ever had, totally intuitive, and you can use OS maps on it now as well. There are those who like to get into the OS and fiddle with it who hate the ‘closed’ nature of the iPhone OS, but the other 98% of the population couldn't give a toss. If you can, wait until June when the next gen iPhone comes out, you'll get a faster processor and up to 64Gb of storage, and probably a 5Mp camera. Oh, and OS4 will probably come with it giving multitasking for 3rd party apps.

Never quite understand those obsessed with taking their entire music collection out with them. I find 16GB more than enough to take a huge selection. 8GB would be enough as well.

You're just using it as a music dumping ground. Manage your music better, swap playlists in and out depending on where you're off to.

Comparing the capacity of 180GB ipod classic (HDD based) to the iphone (flash based) is a bit pointless, you'd end up with a quite fragile and very chunky phone.

CZ – I doubt they'll allow 3rd party multi tasking. Most people don't actually need it, and it creates a lot of potential problems (though I have to say, the N900 handles it very well).

Regarding the instruction manual, I've not looked at one for the N900 either. "you" depends who "you" are…

Kimbers, up to 64gig in an N900 with a 32gb SDHC.

I'd be using it for mainly texts, internet and camera. If i opted for the iphone, i'd be able to use it with itunes which would mean only carrying my phone, instead of phone and ipod when riding.

Cost wise there's not masses to it (both cheaper than what i'm paying now) CPW quoted £37 for the nokia and £45 for the iphone (both included unlimited internet and texts and x amount of minutes)

Long term Mac user but I have an N900, when I'm travelling it's good enough to replace a laptop, the openess and the flexibility of it appealed to me.

Internet is a bit better than iphone on the N900, camera is a fair bit better IMO.

I use a mac (itunes) and the N900. But then just have all my music on the N900.

I'd not carry either riding tho incase it got wet/broken. Got a cheap nokia for that.

If the openness and getting an xterm don't appeal/mean anything to you, get the iPhone. £8 difference per month over 2 years would be nearly £200. You can go cheaper still tho, http://www.hotukdeals.com/item/618367/nokia-n900-600-free-mins-500-texts- etc.

And I'd say have a play with an N900 if it appeals, or make sure you can return it if you don't get on with it. Likewise the iPhone (shock horror not everyone likes them!)

Also I'd not recommend the N900 to anyone not prepared to reflash their device for the lastest OS upgrades. If that means nothing to you, I'd probably steer away…

What does the n900 come with? I'd love it if I could access say word documents on my home network..

molgrips, pretty sure it can do that, but then the iPhone probably can too. Access how? Browse samba shares? Ssh? etc. etc. Not actually tried a word doc, as I don't use them, could try it tho, there are certainly various viewers/editors.

N900 can pretty much do anything a linux machine can.

I'd say accessing VPN (possibly via PPTP since that's all I have) then samba, then something to read the docs with.

Is it powerful enough to run open office? And is the screen usable enough?

I really tried hard to like the N900, but in the end it's just a little too chunky, and despite being a full paid-up geek I can't see myself needing xTerm / Vi / etc. on a phone.

I'd get an iPhone, unless you can get a Nexus One which is nicer. And what I've got 🙂

See I wouldn't have a N1 cos of the screen (in bright light/sunlight), and the camera. Apart from that seems nice. But my phone's my only camera…so no good.

Open office does run on the N900, under easy debian tho a bit clunky cos teh UI isn't designed for finger use. There is a koffice viewer port which is better.

Screen's best I've used on a mobile device, it's lovely.

Not tried VPN, you'd need to google that/search talk.maemo.org. IF there's something specific you want me to try out, let me know and I'll give it a shot. But don't have much time spare today, so you need to be more specific than "vpn to a samba share and load a word doc".

I'm sure VPN samba etc work. I'd be interested if Open Office or somethign similar was usable, allowing editing and reading of word and macro-enabled Excel.

Or how about Eclipse? 😉

Haha, no eclipse*. No java in fact, due to Sun's draconian licensing of JVMs. Technically possibly, but a bit of a faff. Can't say I miss java mind.

Macro enabled excell, i have none to try. If you can point me at an online example I could give it a go. I can try editing a word doc for you if you want tho?

*you can get a full GCC toolchain going tho 😉

EDIT: we may have digressed off topic…

you could decide against either and buy a nokia 5800, like the one i'm selling.

plus point for N900, i can control my helicopter with it:

Not a great vid to be sure, better one hopefully once I've had time to write some control software.

Wtf? No Java? Will any linux jvm not work?

No java cos the jvm for embedded (ie ARM) devices aint free. Though you can get it working with a trial version, which actually goes indefinitely, but it's a bit of a hack.

More info over on talk.maemo.org

i'm still no further forward after this, it got a bit too techie for me 🙂

*ponders some more* is it worth waiting for the new iphone – i'm not really in a hurry but considering i've got a nokia n95 atm, the iphone will be pretty fast in comparison…

n95 – Anything will seem like an improvement.

n95 – Anything will seem like an improvement.

Yep…possibly worse even than the phone I had two phones before it…around 3 years ago! The day I whipped my sim card out of it and switched it off for the last time was a happy one.

Well… I should be getting my nice shiny new HTC Desire tomorrow, which is an Android phone and is equivalent, some say possibly better, than an iphone… so it might be worth looking into those as well.

I'm not sure I am helping much here am I?

"it got a bit too techie for me"

That should tell you all you need to know, don't get the N900. Great phone for geeks, but for non-geeks you'll probably get more out of an iphone.

Took delivery of my HTC Desire this morning, it has knocked the iphone from top spot. Got it from Tmobile, paid 90 for the handset and £25 pm for 300 minutes, 300 texts, unlimited internet and unlimited landline numbers.

Read the reviews here on Techradar UK, http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/15-best-mobile-phones-in-the-world-today-645440?artc_pg=16

" it has knocked the iphone from top spot*."

Depends on your needs. Basically a nexus one, so still suffers from the camera and screen issues.

*arguable the iphone was ever there.

(PS Arg, i'm feeding the trolls, or am I being one? :-O)

I have got the Nokia N900 and its wicked. Only bad thing to say is that it takes a while to load up on startup. And the battery life isnt great, will only last about 2 days till it needs a charge.

Never had a iphone, but i got the Nokia because i wanted something different, and glad i did…

Let me know if you want any more info.

Cheers
Josh…

Anyone point me towards setting up the GPS on an N900?

iphine allll the way , its not just a phone , its a friend as well.