May I just add a couple of lines to this interesting topic? My own personal experiences are on a 770 using OS2006 & 2007HE during the past 6 months. Like the user starting the 1st post in this thread, I am also a user of the tablet with very small/ limited linux programming knowledge. I fully understand the frustration of this user. I have been through similar experiences several times during the past 6 months.
In my experience the problem is obviously not Linux nor the Open source community of programmers that do a FANTASTIC job providing great software. The problem is the way Nokia run Maemo. The Maemo organisation need a THOROUGH SHAKE UP. Nokia need to literally hold them upsidedown & SHAKE them for a couple of hours!! They then need to pick up whatever falls out, put it all back in a proper organisation, staff it adequetly, provide much better resources & infrastructure & then I am sure we end up with a much better situation than we are in now. A situation where :

- The servers don't fall over as soon as a few people try to download OS2008!!
- Half of the repositories don't go down for days because everone in Maemo seems to be on Christmas vacation!
- Every software that is put on the 'download' list is at least tested to make sure it is a self contained package & doesn't complain that it needs libthis & libthat!!
- Provide at least some kind of e-mail support to ordinary users??! Not all people that have a tablet are LINUX PhDs!!!

I could go on more but stop at that & that was my 2 pennoes worth!