Comments on: Nokia N900 is now a consumer phone

By: noLoveLust

noLoveLust — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:30:31 +0000

did you notice whats wrong on that ad? it talks about video calling

By: Ewan

Ewan — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 06:16:29 +0000

That's super news!

By: Ewan

Ewan — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 06:16:16 +0000

It's far too clunky for the mainstream. Provided you're happy to put up with that, bring it on. As I said in the post I think it's super that Vodafone have given consumers the option of adopting the device.

By: Denny

Denny — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:05:49 +0000

"Your average normob is going to be horrified by the N900."

I don't see why. My gf has one and she seems to like it. It looks quite cutesy to me, the way she's set it up - some built-in theme with cartoon characters and such.

Now, true to your original post, she was watching the operator site for it, so the tube adverts were pointless as far as she's concerned... but she's still fairly representative of the '20-something on a Ã‚Â£35/month contract' group. She can tweak the settings on her desktop computer, she can tweak the settings on her consoles, and she can tweak the settings on her phones - it's not rocket science, 'normob' or not.

There's a huge group of people in-between 'people who can't work out how to change their default ringtone' and 'people who like to play with tech for fun', and I'm not sure whether you're classing those people are 'normobs' or not. I'd guess they're the (modal) average mobile phone user in this country, and they'd probably quite like the N900, even if they didn't ever use all its power.

What do you perceive as the negatives for the N900 to the average mobile phone user? Its thickness and weight are the only ones I can immediately think of. It's got a fantastic screen, a full(ish) keyboard, and it seems to allow quite a bit of customisation... these seem like mainstream features to me.

By: DC

DC — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:42:00 +0000

Got to say, I’m who may be considered a typical “normob”. Got my N900 about a month ago, and love it. I’ve had absolutely no problem understanding the user interface. I wanted a telephone/computer that is on the cutting edge of technology and has potential for growth, rather than one that is either a closed system or older technology.

By: Ewan

Ewan — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:25:11 +0000

If a user seeks out an N900 and decides they want it — brilliant. I'd classify a determined or curious user higher than an average normob (“normal mobile user”). The trouble begins when the normob is — for example — shopping for a new handset by phoning their operator. The call centre agent pitches them a few handsets with specs like 'it's got a big camera, and it's got more talk time than the iPhone' (or something like that). The normob says 'Yeah? And it's a Nokia? Brilliant. Send it over'. Your average normob is going to be horrified by the N900.

I think it's a stunning handset and if your Mom is enjoying it, that is fantastic!

By: Ms. Jen

Ms. Jen — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:49:08 +0000

You all (Steve, Ewan, et al) are being a pack of snobs. Don't discount a determined user or a curious user, you were one once, too.

I let my Mom have the N900 for an hour, she who hates technology & finds the iPhone very confusing, and she loved it. If the N900 was smaller, she would buy one. Then again, maybe we Californians are made of sterner stuff. ;op

The N900 is a great mobile device and it is no more and possibly quite a bit less confusing the average LG, Motorola, or Samsung that has been branded by Verizon/AT&T/Sprint/etc.

By: Ewan

Ewan — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:27:15 +0000

Mercedes S Class long wheelbase edition: Free on a Ã‚Â£35/month 18-month contract! ….

By: Steve Litchfield

Steve Litchfield — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:53:15 +0000

Agree 100%. Anyone in the market for an N900 will already know where to get it and what to do with it. Normobs shouldn't go anywhere *near* the N900…

By: Bowenarrow

Bowenarrow — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:02:43 +0000

Orange have announced the Nokia N900 on contract as well. Not that paying Ã‚Â£40 per month for the next 24 months sounds like my cup of tea… who in their right mind would pay almost double for a phone? I just bought it sim free for under Ã‚Â£440.

By: John Markson

John Markson — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:39:00 +0000

your absolutely right Ewan, by farming out what should be the halo Nokia product to the operators it potentially pushes it further down the consumer funnel towards mass market and has a huge effect on its brand value. who wants to see teenagers on the high street struggling to get to grips with the device when they could be tucking into the X6? whilst we all know that a ‘free’ handset from an operator is far from free that is the perception. You don’t see Mercedes offering the S Class for ‘free’ now do you?!!