Which one to buy: N97 or N900 ??

[ahmadka]

Hi guys !! Well I am in this confusion that which mobile should I get ? N97 or N900 ? I know many may say that I should get the N900, but I see it a little differently .. I have listed some of the main Pros and Cons I found for each set below. Please have a look, and then share your opinion about this ...

I specially value the opinion from existing N97 users, since they have experience with one of the sets being discussed here

Option 1: Get N900 ($582):

Pros:
-- A FAST mobile! Multi-tasking and whatnot !!..
-- A newer phone .. the latest from Nokia (i.e. you are not buying an 'old' phone )
-- Newer GUI .. moving on from the aging Symbian ...

Cons:
-- I would have to switch from AT&T to T-Mobile to keep my existing number and use 3G
-- More expensive: N900: $582, N97: $437 (after several discount codes I have )
-- I dont particularly like the multi-desktop concept .. I like the widget jam-packet homescreen of the N97 more ..
-- I think the phone can only be operated in landscape mode, and not portrait mode like normal phones ..
-- Probably not many 3rd party applications would be available for this set for some time, since its a new platform in the mobile world ..
-- Only available in black .. I actually wanted a white phone next .. not much of an issue, but still ..

Option 2: Get N97 ($437):

Pros:
-- Keep my existing AT&T number and be able to use 3G
-- I love the homescreen of this set. Personally, looks wise, I think the N97 beats the N900 ..
-- Lots of 3rd party apps to try out
-- Cheap ! Only $437 !!
-- Available in white too ..

Cons:
-- Uses the same old 'static' looking Symbian OS
-- Has 'mobile' type processing speeds .. may not be as fast as the N900

It boils down to this for me: I like the N900, really, but the concept of having multiple desktops is just taking it a bit too far imo. I have seen the multiple desktop concept on some samsung phones, and I didn't really like it that much; you have to look around where you placed some widget or shortcut, etc... If only the homescreen of the N900 could be like that of the N97's (just one homescreen with all the cool widgets on it), then the N900 would have been my definite choice. Putting widgets all over the place in an unorganised manner is not really very appealing to me. N97 looks good externally, but the OS itself looks very dry and boring now. I mean, its menus and calendar views look 'old' and very dry ... This is my only issue with the N97. I have an N73 right now, and although its a very capable phone, its has its issues due to being a symbian phone (gets slow, and has really boring unanimated menus, etc...)

So guys, which set should I get .. ??

 

[ahmadka]

any feedback people .. ?

 

[abaez]

Your negative of Maemo being a new platform is incorrect. This is the fifth version of Maemo and the sixth is almost ready to come out. There are probably not going to be many apps, but Maemo is not some new OS or anything. It's just never really been on a phone.

I have an e71 and the symbian app ecosystem is definitely not the best. 3rd party apps can get up to $30 for legit ones. I recently read a comparison of the n97 and n900 and the n97 had some benefits, but was trumped by the n900 by quite a bit.

I am definitely moving to the n900 once it comes out. How are you getting it for $587?

 

[shortylickens]

A lot of folks complained the N97 was not as super high-end as it should have been.
I know nothing of the N900, other than its spanking new and supposed to be super awesome, like Elvis coming back and singing a duet with Michael Jackson.

 

[aceO07]

Go for the N900. It's what the N97 was supposed to be.

 

[ahmadka]

Well yeah, Meamo has been around, but having Linux on a phone is an idea I never really liked that much ... I mean logically I cant give out a single complaint against having a linux based OS, but somehow my mind doesnt really want Linux all that much .. having said that, all the N900 videos I have been, this device definitely packs a lot of power !! Because of this I am giving N900 a fair shot ...

I know Symbian is not the greatest OS (I have a very slow N73, so I know what Symbian slow means ), but I have grown accustomed to it over the past 2 years ... N97 has a pretty strong 3rd party software lineup right now .. I don't know if it will be the same for the N900 ..

In summary I just have one main issue against the N900. I cant deal with all the others things, but this bugs me the most: The N97's homescreen appeals to me much more than the multi-desktop concept of the N900. Having widgets placed randomly all over the place is just inefficient use of the viewable area. N900 should have provided a method to maybe tile all the widgets up, or arrange them in some other, like in the N97's case, so that when you look at the screen, you get all the information you want in one view, and not have to scroll here and there to find the information you need. So I just need to know one thing ... even if there's a slight possibility that N900 may at some point adopt a homescreen similar to that of the N97 (1 widget-arranged homescreen), then I will go with the N900 ... its just that in its current form, the homescreen of the N900 doesn't look as appealing as that of the N97, simply because there's not enough information being placed on each of the homescreens ... widgets are too far away from its other, giving a look of 'emptiness' ... I hope you guys understand what I mean

Also, is there any specific N900 based site where I can maybe ask the dev's some of these questions ... ?

Lastly, I would like to try out the N97 and N900 before I purchase either .. As far as I know, only Nokia flagship stores let you try them out .. problem is there are only 2 Nokia flagship stores in the US, and both of them are very far away from me .. are there any other stores where I can maybe try them out .. ?

And the N900 is for $587 at Amazon, for those interested

 

[Chapbass]

looks like its even cheaper at amazon now (582?).


I hadn't even heard of the N900 until now. I was planning on grabbing a HTC Touch pro 2 or touch diamond 2 and staying with verizon...but this thing looks ungodly....


Anyone know how T-mobile does with coverage in the Chicago area?


edit: sorry, forgot to say my recommendation. for 150 bucks more, get the n900. I was looking at the n97 and was kinda blah whatever about it. The n900 looks sick.

 

[ahmadka]

Man, if only I could somehow talk to the devs about the possibilities of this Meamo OS ... if it has a good future or not ... anyone know how I can get in touch with the devs ?

 

[abaez]

I'm sure there are plenty of maemo sites where you could get information. One is http://talk.maemo.org and maybe my-symbian?

I really don't think maemo is going to go away anytime soon. At least not in the next two or three years while you use the n900.

Also trying to find a good post at howardforums that noted the differences between n97 and n900.