Does it sell even worse than maemo based handset(s)?

You can run a marketing campaign blitz to push the N9 onto the masses, but I don't think it would 'cling' onto the plebs like the iPhone did, cause:

- It doesn't have the swanky 'Apple' brand/image/logo for them to treat it as a jewelry/status symbol/religious icon.
- It doesn't have a big content store like the iTunes store to populate their devices with constant stream of nonsense.
- It doesn't have as smooth/native hardware ecosystem like Apple does. The iPhone connects and automatically sync craps across and with other devices already in Apple's universe (the desktops, notebooks, other ipods, ipads, and the iwhatnots).

- It's not as well supported by the '3rd parties':

Do you know that the iPhone can connect to special Nike shoes and heart rate monitors to autolog your trainings, log them online and provide with customized and interactive exercises?

Do you know that it can also be used as wireless viewfinder for the Contour series of very portable HD cams?

Do you know that it can be used as a bloodpressure monitor and weight log/grapher with Withings devices?

etc.

Different priorities, different interests; all of which are required to sustain real products.

The 'real' product universe runs on money. You can't just throw time, interest and effort like the codes on FOSSworld.