User Guide > Introduction

With your new Nokia N900 , you can keep track of your calls and mail messages, browse the web, and switch instantly between open applications and ongoing conversations. Some of the key features are highlighted here:

This device uses Maemo 5 software on Linux. The software is built for computer-like performance, enabling the running of multiple applications at the same time, and delivering a wide range of activities ranging from web browsing to video recording. Your device supports Maemo Update, which allows updating the operating system and applications over a WLAN or packet data connection.

With Maemo software, it is possible to develop your own applications for your device. To do this, you can use the Maemo Software Development Kit (Maemo SDK). For more information on what Maemo software is and how to develop applications, see maemo.nokia.com.

• Adjust the volume

  Use the volume keys.

Tip: You can view the current volume setting, and also adjust the volume, from the status menu. Tap the status area to open the menu. Use the volume slider to adjust the volume.

• Mute sounds

  Drag the volume slider in the status menu all the way to the left.

• Adjust call and message tone volumes

  Select > Settings and Profiles.

The notification light can indicate the status of your device. For example, it can inform you about the battery charging status, and tell you if you have missed a phone call or received, for example, a mail or text message.

You can activate or deactivate the notification light for each notification type by editing the notification light settings.

The colors of the notification light indicate the following:

Application triggered notification light (received text message, instant message, or mail)

Secondary camera active (internet video call)

Battery charging

Battery full

The desktop contains the following:

1 - Applications menu

2 - Status area

3 - Your network service provider (if a SIM card is inserted)

4 - Widgets

5 - Shortcuts

6 - Browser bookmarks

• Switch between desktops

  Swipe left or right.

• Search for contacts

  Start entering a name, using the physical keyboard.

• Open the virtual keypad to make a call

  On the desktop, using the physical keyboard, start entering a phone number. To enter the first number, press , and then the desired number. After entering the first number, you can use either the physical keyboard or the virtual keypad to enter more numbers.

The application menu displays the available applications. Select .

• Open an application

  Select the application you want to open.

• Close an application

  Select . All unsaved changes and selections are cancelled.

The status area informs of the current status of items that are relevant across the device. The current time, and battery and signal strength are displayed. In addition, the status area may indicate your internet connection status, available updates, or your active profile.

General indicators

Connectivity indicators

GPS indicator

Content sharing indicators

Call indicator

Availability status indicators

If the availability status is offline, no indicator is shown in the status area.

Sound indicators

If a third party application adds an icon to the status area, it is placed after the default icons.

Tap the status area.

The status menu displays, for example, the remaining battery life, device volume, and Bluetooth connection status. To change the displayed status, select the respective status menu item.

The applications that are currently running can be seen on the dashboard. The dashboard also displays the notifications that you have received but have not opened yet, for example, text and mail messages, as well as missed calls.

• Open the dashboard

  When you open an application, the icon changes to the dashboard icon . Select to open the dashboard. The application remains open, and you can return to the application by selecting it.

Tip: You can now open another application by selecting . The previously opened application is left running in the background.

• Switch between applications

  When several applications are open, select and the application you want to switch to.

Respond to a notification

1. When you receive, for example, a new mail, instant message, or text message, a notification is briefly displayed. You can view the message by selecting the notification. If you do not select the notification while it is displayed, the notification remains on the dashboard. To indicate this, the icon blinks and then stays lit.

2. To view the notification on the dashboard, select .

• Tap

  To select or open an application or other element on the touch screen, tap it once with your finger.

• Select .

  In this user documentation, opening applications or items by tapping them once is called 'selecting'. If you need to select several items in a sequence, the display texts to select are separated by arrows, for example > Phone.

• Select and hold

  In many applications, you can open a context-sensitive pop-up menu by selecting and holding. To do this, place your finger on the item, until the pop-up menu opens.

• Drag

  Dragging can be used, for example, to scroll up or down a list. To drag, place your finger on the screen, and slide it across the screen.

  

• Swipe

  Swiping can be used, for example, to switch between images in the Photos application. To swipe, slide your finger quickly left or right on the screen.

  

  Example: When viewing an image, to view the next or previous image, swipe the image left or right, respectively.

Touch screen backlight

• Turn the touch screen backlight on

  The touch screen backlight is turned off after a period of inactivity. To turn the screen backlight on, tap the screen. If the screen and keys are locked, use the lock switch to unlock them.

• Open the application menu

  Tap the title bar of the currently open application.

  

• Close a dialog

  Tap outside the dialog. All changes and selections are cancelled.

To use the physical keyboard, slide the touch screen up. When you use the physical keyboard, the virtual keyboard is disabled.

In addition to the character keys, the physical keyboard contains the following keys:

1 - Sym/Ctrl key

2 - key

3 - Shift key

4 - Space key

5 - Enter key

6 - Backspace key

• Enter text

  Press the keys on the keyboard.

• Switch between character cases

  Press the shift key. To enter only upper or lower case letters, press the shift key twice. To return to normal mode, press the shift key again.

• Enter a number, additional character, or common symbol

  Press and hold , and then press the key that has the character printed at the top of it. To enter only the characters printed at the top of keys, press twice to lock the mode. To return to normal mode, press again.

• Enter a character not found from the keyboard

  Press and hold , and then press the sym key.

• Use word completion

  You can also use the word completion feature. The word choices are displayed in the text input area. To select a word choice, press the right arrow key.

Add an accent to a character

1. To enter, for example, â, press and hold , and then press the sym key.

2. Tap the accent (^) on the touch screen.

3. Press the letter to which you want the accent to be added. To only add the accent, tap the accent twice.

To use the virtual keyboard, make sure the physical keyboard is closed, and select a text entry field, the web address field of the browser, for example. The virtual keyboard needs to be activated before you can use it.

• Activate the virtual keyboard.

  Select > Settings and Text input.

  Select the Use virtual keyboard check box.

• Switch between upper or lower case characters

  Select .

• Add an accent to a letter

  Select , then , and then the accent (for example, ^) from the list. Then select and the letter to which you want the accent to be added. To only enter the accent, tap the accent twice.

• Cut, copy, or paste text

  Select and the desired option.

• Insert a line break

  Select .

• Delete a character

  Select .

• Switch between input languages

  Select and the language. You must have the languages defined in the text input settings.

• Close the virtual keyboard

  Select .

To switch between the virtual keyboard and the physical keyboard, slide the touch screen up or down.

The virtual keyboard can provide character sets for two different input languages at the same time, for example, the Russian and Latin character sets. To define the input languages, edit the text input settings.

• Switch between input languages

  Press and hold the ctrl key, and then press the space key.

Select > Settings and Text input.

Select from the following:

• Hardware keyboard layout - Define the character set used in the physical keyboard. Changing this setting may lead to the physical keys not matching the hardware keyboard layout.
• Use virtual keyboard - Activate the virtual keyboard.
• Word completion - Enable word completion.
• Auto-capitalization - Enable auto-capitalization, to capitalize the first letter of sentences automatically when entering text.
• Insert space after word - Insert a space after each accepted word completion.
• 1st language - Select the first language. To select a dictionary to use for the first language, select Dictionary and the dictionary language.
• 2nd language - Select the second language. To select a dictionary to use for the second language, select Dictionary and the dictionary language. When you switch to the secondary language, the current dictionary for the word completion feature is also changed.
• Use dual dictionaries - Use both language dictionaries at the same time.

If word completion is activated, the device suggests suitable endings for the words that you start writing. Word completion is based on a built-in dictionary. When you enter characters, the device searches its dictionary for words starting with these characters.

You can select to use dual dictionaries to allow the device to search from the dictionary of the second language if it cannot find a suitable word in the first language dictionary.

The dictionary can learn new words automatically from the text you have entered. Text entered in password fields is not saved in the dictionary.

• Activate word completion and use dual dictionaries

  Select > Settings and Text input.

• Accept a suggested word

  Select the suggested word. When using the physical keyboard, press the right arrow key.

• Reject a suggested word

  Continue writing the word. With each character, the device updates its suggestion to suit the characters you have entered.

To prevent unauthorized use of your device, change the lock code, and set the device to automatically lock after a certain length of time.

Briefly press the power key, and select Secure device.

Unlock your device

• Enter the lock code, and select Done.

Set the length of the time-out period

• Select > Settings and Device lock > Autolock , and select the length of time.

1. Select > Settings and Device lock > Change lock code .

2. Enter the current code once, and the new code twice. The default lock code is 12345 .

If you tap outside the dialog at any time, the device lock code is not changed.

Keep the new lock code secret and in a safe place, separate from your device.

If you forget the lock code and your device is locked, you must take the device to a Nokia authorized service facility and additional charges may apply. To unlock the device, the software must be reloaded, and all data you have saved in the device, may be lost.

To lock or unlock the touch screen and keys, slide the lock switch.

Ovi contains services provided by Nokia. With Ovi, you can create a mail account, share your images and videos with friends and family, plan trips and view locations on a map, download games, applications, videos, and tones to your device, and purchase music. The available services may vary by region, and not all languages are supported.

To access Ovi services, go to www.ovi.com, and register your own Nokia account.

For more information on how to use the services, see the support pages of each service.

In Ovi Store, you can download mobile games, applications, videos, images, themes, and ringing tones to your device. Some items are free of charge; others you need to pay for with your credit card or in your phone bill. The availability of payment methods depends on your country of residence and your network service provider. Ovi Store offers content that is compatible with your cellular phone and relevant to your tastes and location.