Migrating to N900 from Series 60

This page aims to become a HOWTO for migrating from S60 devices (e.g. N-series phones) to the N900 without losing data, contacts or functionality. The aim is to provide users with a relatively seamless migration and to ensure that the N900 is capable of doing everything that the N-series did before delving into the world of new possibilities that Maemo brings.

Initially, this HOWTO is the work of a single author documenting the issues involved in migrating from a Nokia N96 to an N900. Therefore, it should not be taken as an exhaustive guide just yet. If you feel that something is missing, please feel free to add it, or raise it on the talk page.

THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS AS OF JULY 2010.

Contents

Initial setup & preparation

Back up old phone

Migrating physical components

Certain physical components must be physically transferred from the old phone to the new one. Migrating from an N96, the components that remain compatible with the N900 are:

  • SIM card - obviously (!) but it's worth remembering that we need to get the data off the old phone before moving the SIM card permanently.
  • Memory card - in common with later N-series phones, the N900 supports a 16GB microSDHC which can be moved directly from the N96. It will be backed up first in case I need to repartition or reformat it for any reason.
  • Mains charger - Nokia supply a CA-146C charger adapter in the box, so a previous Nokia charger can be converted for use with the N900.

Preparing the new phone

Migrating data, settings & applications

Migrating user data

Contacts

Calendar

Multimedia files

Personalisation

This section deals with personalising the behaviour and alerts of the N900 to achieve similar settings to those required on previous phones.

Ringtones

Caller Groups

Profiles

Major applications

Many of the applications I'm used to under Symbian won't be available in the same form under Maemo, but the aim of this section is to achieve N-series equivalent or better functionality in minimum time.

Series 60 applications

GPS navigation software e.g. Google Maps

Currently (July 2010) there is no native Google Maps for Maemo, but PR 1.2 now includes a browser with built-in geolocation so the instructions for using the maemo-geolocation plugin are apparently out of date, Hopefully that means that Google Maps for Mobile will just work, in which case a bookmark is good enough.

Multi-protocol IM client e.g. Nimbuzz

Replace with Pidgin for IM use?

Mobile WiFi hotspot application e.g. Joikuspot

  • BestBlacklist
  • BestProfiles
  • SlovoEd dictionaries

Web applications

  • Monilink
  • eBay, Facebook, et al