i've noticed programmers and their assistants say that this phone is not made for non-developers and that it's full linux: not built for noobs. i'm just wondering what this phone can do to earn that description since i haven't really seen that many great apps, even in the extras repositories, that windows mobile, ios and android phones cant do. it lacks in so many aspects that calling it "open source" and "linux" is probably an insult to those two characteristics. android does it so much better. if your defense is saying that maemo is more "open" than android, then why is it 10x worse?

I suggest returning to /g/. At least there no one cares about deliberate flamebait.

First... which phone are you talking about? N900? A Symbian model? Are you calling all the Maemo devices phones (the Internet Tablets were never phone-capable, btw, although I used to use Gizmo to make phone calls despite that).

Delusional appreciation for Nokia's closed "open source" practices, typical symptom of Stockholm syndrome.

Open source/Linux promoters always talk about free software and the benefits of having an own understanding of software.
In actuality most of them aren't doing anything useful with their knowledge, it isn't paying the bills for anyone, it is just providing a free platform for a few basement dwellers and some people who don't want to pay for paid alternatives.

These promoters are analogous to the so-called experts who think they know better than their doctors just because they have access to Wikipedia.

That is until they realize that developing is practically a job and requires pay. And thats why Nokia will never fully release their sources.

I have 9 assorted computers running various unixes in my house and a virtual private root server somewhere in Dallas. I'd estimate that I can achieve 80% of every computer related activity I perform with my N900 in my hands, as long as I have network connectivity.

It also mean that I don't need to carry my ipod or a gps, although I'm not entirely converted to the device convergence concept yet, as an ipod is easier to carry around than a mains charger.

Heck, its still easier to carry a phone, an N800 and an ipod around than a mains charger. So battery life is the biggest single turn off for me, and I'm not saying the N900 is particularly bad - I don't think it is, but a revolution in battery tech is what we really need. Oh, and USB ports that fall out. Damn them.

N900: OpenOffice, Pidgin, EasyDeb, dual boot...
Android: Dalvik.

I don't think this line of argument is valid, OP.

Oh come the **** on man, your insistence constantly that those of us who don't hate the device are somehow abused and suffering from some mental illness is pretty goddamn pathetic. Nokia's handling of Maemo has been bad, but then we look at MeeGo which won't suffer from having things like a closed media players. I knew the device wasn't 100% open when I bought it, but it sure as hell was nicer than Android, which keeps you bottled up into a nonstandard Java sandbox. And with MeeGo, everything comes from upstream so you aren't reinventing the wheel or running something so horribly branched that it isn't compatible with the project it came from.

Drivers are the result of software patent BS and a closed mentality driven by Microsoft for years. Fortunately this is changing, but video chip companies (and Broadcom, for some reason) keep fighting it.

That you can't take advantage of it is no reason to dismiss the concept.

Come on man, **** on us some more. Bring up more piss poor arguments. Some people like the fact that their software vendor can't hold them hostage.

Are you a psychologist? Can you identify "Stockholm syndrome" or are you just saying that because you have access to Wikipedia.

The people who promote open source tend to be involved in the industry. They may not drop down into the code of every program they use, but they do see the advantages of having what is effectively a transparent system.

Many developers are paid quite well to work on open source. Most kernel contributors these days are paid to work on it. Suggesting that by being open source you are fundamentally incapable of earning money, and that the only way is to be closed source, is the height of ignorance.

no, the question is what did you bring to open source community?

Maemo might not be as open we wanted but there is a very different mentality of people who work on open source projects



Oh and OP before trying to answer please read Ubuntu's code of conduct it might enlighten you a bit

http://www.ubuntu.com/community/conduct

Open source: a half finished product that works sometimes. Occasionally made deliberately worse by zealots refusing to include "non-free" components (see: MeeGo).

Looks like the ignorant are out in force tonight.