Linuxchic » phone

Review: Nokia n900

linuxchic — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:14:32 +0000

Not too long ago I was sent a Nokia n900 to try out for a few weeks and review. It’s hot, I can tell you that, and I totally want one of my own. It has taken me a while to write my review though because I didn’t just want to cover a bunch of tech specs that you can look up. If you are even considering a n900, you already know what it can do, or at least you should if you are considering dropping over $500 on a smart phone.

So here is my ramble – it’s got a fabulous 5 megapixel camera with a dual led flash (I loved the camera and features), 32 gigs of internal storage. 1 gig of application memory, up to 16 GB of additional storage with a microSD card, a slide out keyboard (you can use an onscreen one in lieu of or in addition to) , a huge touch screen interface, all the bells and whistles of an iPhone, and it runs Linux. LINUX. Maemo 5 to be exact. This is the phone for the hackers and geeks.

Want to add whatever applications and functionality that you want? You can. Want to use an app style store? You can (Ovi Store). Want to SSH in or out of your phone? Yeah, you can. Want to dual boot your phone with Android? Go right ahead! Want to compile code? Not a problem. Want to hack your phone without violating a terms of service or add functionality without being sneaky about it? You can (maybe not on AT&T, I hear that they like to force phones to comply with approved install sources for apps).

The downfall is that the product needs more developers. Everyone seems to be forgetting about the platform and going gaga over Android and iPhone. It’s a shame really because this is just so much better. This is freedom. Are you a Linux developer? Get a crackin’ and push some of your eye candy this way!

What else can I say about this little gem? It’s from Nokia – which holds a lot of weight for me. I do love Nokia – I like the ability (even on my little candy bar XpressMusic) to add jar file apps. The platform is stable and the hardware is tough and reliable.

Other things I loved about the hardware:

TV out
Non-proprietary headphone jack
Easy peasy setup of Exchange, Gmail and Flickr
No tears for lost address books – popped in my SIM and off I went
Ability to add icons for not just apps but contacts right on the home screen
FM transmitter – played my tunes & podcasts through my radio with no additional hardware
Bluetooth
GPS
Wifi and 3G
Widgets (and anything else you want) on the home screen (four of them!!)
Dashboard interface to see what you have running on all your screens
System notifications are superb.
“Lens cap” for the camera – the sliding cap activates and deactivates the camera without needing to push any buttons.
Skype works amazingly well
Ogg support

Get one. You’ll fall in love with it. Want to read more? Check out the review at Engadget.

T-Mobile G1

Christa — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:44:10 +0000

The first Android phone was officially announced today at a T-Mobile press conference and is available for preorder by existing T-Mobile customers for shipping on October 22nd, the official public launch date. Announced price is $179 so I quickly signed into T-Mobile to order my G1 that I have desperately been waiting for. Clicking through the upgrade process I am quoted a *discounted* price of…. $299!!!? What?! T-Mobile says this is a special price just for T-Mobile customers. Apparently, T-Mobile only wants new customers. In case you mention that perhaps I haven’t had my contract long enough, I have seen more than a few Twitter posts about customers who are being told they are eligible for an upgrade and still being quoted $299.

I hope this is a mistake because I really would like to get a G1 but I am just not going to pay more for my T-Mobile loyalty. Another thing, if I am paying “full price” with only an online ordering discount, I shouldn’t be locked into a 2 year contract since I am not getting a discount for it. Dirty dealing T-Mobile.

Check out the Engadget blog for transcripts from the live event or visit T-Mobile to see video of the event.

HTC Dream + Andriod =

Christa — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:13:30 +0000

The touch screen, the keyboard, the hotness, the open source. My long wait for a hot phone may be nearly over. CrunchGear is reporting that the video below of the alleged HTC Dream running Android may be the actual phone after all. So much for the haters.

Wired is reporting that according to an unofficial T-Mobile blog:

“…the first version of the multimedia Google Phone will be released by HTC starting on September 17 for one week, for T-Mobile customers only. This offer will be immediately followed by a general release a week later. It will be called, ostensibly, the G1.”

T-Mobile offering a special early release to their current customers, with or without discount, would play perfectly into their customer base who tend to be faithful and loyal to the cellular provider.

While some may be wary of being an early adopter for a brand new mobile interface, I for one look at the potential of being able to work with something that isn’t locked down and closed source as the iPhone is. At least I won’t have to modify firmware to make it work.

Regardless as how it plays out, I am saving my lunch money in anticipation for the Android phone. Now I can stop scouring the market for an old beat up, overpriced iPhone to jailbreak & unlock while I wait for T-Mobile to release something better than their current Sidekick 2008 dud.

More Google Phone Rumors: Hello Linux Edition

Christa — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 21:17:48 +0000

From Mobile Magazine comes this tasty little tidbit:

I think that the Apple iPhone was garnering more attention and creating more rumors than the Google Phone, but interest in the latter is really start to ramp up now that the former is already out in the marketplace (with a price drop too). Five fresh rumors have arisen surrounding the secretive Google Phone, but unfortunately none point toward a potential release date.

Finish reading all about it…