It takes more than just a nippy 600MHz processor and pin-sharp touchscreen to make the Nokia N900 one of the most powerful multi-tasking mobiles out there. Under the hood sits the latest version of the open source Linux-based Maemo operating system, giving you a laptop-like experience in a pocket-size package. Maemo 5’s multi-tasking roots mean you’re able to run multiple apps simultaneously, letting you enjoy streaming Internet radio while you flick through and share photos, diving in and out of work documents open in the background.
A looping panoramic desktop helps you personalise and organise your mobile life into tidy and quick-to-access chunks, letting you keep track of your friends or business contacts, browse live web-connected widgets and flip between apps with a swift swipe of your finger. And because Maemo 5 is based on an open source Linux backbone, a legion of dedicated developers is constantly creating new apps and features – from add-ons for Maemo’s browser to useful communication tools and exciting games – all available in the dedicated Maemo Select and soon via the Ovi Store.
What they say
“The first impressions of the new OS were very good indeed. Not only does the Nokia N900 have a decent touchscreen, the UI also looks slick and works very well.”
Gareth Beavis, TechRadar
If you only do one thing
Explore all that the web has to offer with support for Adobe Flash 9.4: streaming media, 3D games, interactive sites and much more. Does it look familiar? Maemo’s Browser is based on Mozilla architecture, so you can be sure of the fastest, smoothest and safest online experience.
Miscellany
Ever wondered why ‘ae’ is sometimes written as two letters, as in Maemo 5, and sometimes as one, as in encyclopædia? Read on to find everything you ever wanted to know about the character usually known as ash.
The letter æ originally represented a dipthong (a compound vowel) in Latin.
In Old English, æ was called æsc – the word for an ash tree.
The letter is still commonly used in Scandinavian languages, where it sometimes has its own key on computer keyboards.
In Microsoft Word, you can call up æ by hitting Ctrl + Shift + &, then a.
If that’s too much finger twisting for you, the ae in most words, like mediæval, can simply be replaced by an e. Except in archaeology.