And so the end begins…
My worst fears were realized when I noticed a strange thing on the usb end after unplugging the usb cable. It immediately dawned on me that it was the USB connector, and it had suffered the same fate as many reports earlier (t.m.o, tabulacrypticum, engadget).
My use of the N900, as seen from lack of posts recently, had been greatly reduced due to the Blackberry Torch (from work) being my primary device. Even though I have an external charger, yanking out the battery every day, is not going to be a viable option. Sadly, this will reduce the usage even more.
The fact that the USB connector broke the same day I received a Palm Pre 2 as a developer device from HP was striking. The Pre 2, by the way, seems like a very interesting device but in no way as hackable as the great N900. I will keep an eye out for a good deal online because the lure of the N900, even after all this time, is just too strong!
My N900 Diary 
isnt it fixable?
Just bring it to a Nokia Care Center. My N900 (although obtained through Developer program, ie supposed with only one week warranty) was repaired at no cost two months ago (they send it to Nokia for motherboard replacement).
It is now considered by Nokia as a known problem.
Thanks for the tip Fred. It looks like there are no Care locations in the US. The only way to get repairs is by sending it in. Also, the website couldn’t identify my Serial#. Oh well, I will try giving them a call. Since I’ve had it for more than a year, I hope they still fix it.
haha…. I had the same pro some weeks ago… and luckily I was able to make a backup of my contacts via bluetooth. they exchanged the mainboard without further costs… but everythin was gone…. and I’m looking for a new mobile since then… can decide…
Have you read this (and many other posts there and at talk.maemo.org)?
The third party Nokia uses for repairs in the U.S. are so inept it will amaze you (as you will likely see). I had to send mine in 3 times because they kept doing absolutely nothing and sending it back to me. Then they just gave me another one (meaning did not repair it–not sure they are even capable of doing that). Good luck. You’ll need it if you go that route.
I did call Nokia Care USA and was able to get hold of someone pretty quickly but she politely referred me to placocellrepair.com. I guess the mistake I did was to divulge that I had been using the N900 for more than a year. The rep said that Nokia won’t cover it since the 1 year warranty had passed. Perhaps I will call again sometime later and claim that I’ve had it for < a year 😉
I just updated it with the Dev Edition to prep for the MeeGo Conference. I'm taking the external charger along 🙂
I’m charging battery in my old nokia and connecting using bt or wifi. I just can’t let die my n900. 🙂
Very sorry to hear you fell victim Mustali. 😦
FYI: there is a “hack” that uses the now very cheep powermat combo for the iPhone 3GS, using a couple of internal pads to do the charging on. It’d documented on TMO on how to do it, and it doesn’t use the USB connector at all. May be worth a look if you used the USB for mainly power charging. (You can always sync via Bluetooth?)
Just an idea, in case the Nokia repair route doesn’t pan out.
I am surprised at how many people break their USB port on their Nokia N900. I’ve had my Nokia N900 for nearly 2 years now, and have never had an issue with the USB. I unplugged and plug in at least seven times daily using different chargers or sync cables. Okay I do take care when plugging in or out (perhaps that is it!).
Just be aware that your lack of issues with a product doesn’t necessarily translate across the board (same goes for the opposite). There are a lot of variables involved here, and “taking care” is one– but many who have experienced failures, self included, took extreme care (with my second N900 anyway) to avoid problems.
If my suspicions are correct, the root cause is bad tinning on some connectors. Nokia tends to multisource, so there’s a very good likelihood that many connectors are properly tinned by one supplier and could even survive a degree of abuse– while others were poorly tinned by another and fall out with little effort.
What’s up, after reading this awesome article i am too cheerful to share my know-how here with colleagues.