> You mean apps like The New York Tiimes or the BBC?

Not much use without a network connection with which to download the news, unless I’m missing something here.

> Le Monde? National Public Radio?

Ditto.

> The various unit conversion calculators I use routinely? Currency converters? Scientific calculators?

The N900 has versions of these that I use, as I mentioned. I’m not sure which ones you use, of course – but lack of Free42 is my biggest annoyance with the iPad right now, so perhaps it depends on to what you are accustomed. :-). (I also really miss true multitasking, and Safari’s determination to reload pages when I switch “tabs” is really frustrating, too.)

> Shazam?

Hard to discover new music without a network connection, right?

> The United States Constitution? The complete works of William Shakespeare with full-text searching? The Paris Metro map?

Ironically, I have the first two plus a Bible on my N900 right now, along with a set of Tor novels for light reading. These are all searchable PDFs, and work very well.

I’m not saying no Android or iOS apps are useful or unique, and certainly some are nicely convenient – I’m using Conventionist on my iPad right now (for example) to manage my PyCon schedule. But my N900 did the same for me last year in the browser, and indeed I have it loaded in a tab as backup and for when I don’t have the iPad with me.

So, all in all, I think based on the examples you gave, the N900 is doing just fine with only a few thousand apps from which to choose. I don’t see why MeeGo would do worse. YMMV, etc.

If you’re an iOS fan, what apps would you recommend for me that are truly unique from the web and useful for business and computer systems engineering? I’m willing to be impressed.

Besides a tick-off on a spec sheet and twelve geek points, what exactly does “true multi tasking” offer that iOS and Android multitasking don’t offer? Please be specific.

I have both an iPad and an N900, and I can use either for most any task. The uniquely useful apps (for me) are on the N900, though – Free42 (best scientific calculator *ever* IMHO), PalmOS emulator, MyPaint (can’t do pressure sensitive drawing on a capacitative screen), Python (what’s up with devices that can only be scripted by writing “apps” on a different device?), and desktop-complex games like Crimson Fields and Transport Tycoon.

Granted, I’m more technically oriented than the average “consumer”, but I enjoy *both* tablets, which means that (for me) making every website an app isn’t a requirement at all. I look forward to trying a MeeGo phone and tablet. You should, too – you might be surprised. :-)

You mean apps like The New York Tiimes or the BBC? Le Monde? National Public Radio? The various unit conversion calculators I use routinely? Currency converters? Scientific calculators? Shazam? The United States Constitution? The complete works of William Shakespeare with full-text searching? The Paris Metro map?

Several phone OSes have developed truly vibrant ecosystems; ecosystems that put *ANY* Nokia ecosystem to shame. And badmouthing these other environments won’t build your preferred environment up one bit. But if it makes you feel better, I suppose you should carry on…

You guys are hilarious. For me, the random apps that are out there that you play with for 2 days and then don’t ever use again are just a waste of time. As long as the platform has 90% of the apps you need which most default Nokia’s do anyway then it becomes a competitive product in my eyes. Also with Nokia’s solid hardware and a new promised unique UI, this could be a sick device. Look at the N900, almost anyone who has it says it is the most amazing device ever, just shrink it’s size and it would be perfect. The N950 might be this shrunk device. I think the N950 is going to be awesome.

One more thing, people are all about ecosystems, yes this is important for mass people for selling but in the end, phone technology is changing so fast a new ecosystem or new device could come in at any time and take over. Phones are still very young…

The old “very easy to port”. Linux’s never ending story…

Here’s what, you build those apps and create an ecosystem and then we’ll talk.

Nokia sold their garbage their such promises of “it would/will be easy to”.

I am not bother with Nokia supporting Win7 Phone and Meego but anything more than two platforms is a bit folly.

Good luck selling a dead, experimental platform with no support and applications to people.

Good luck selling a dead, experimental platform with no support and applications to people.