Why do you need an IR port? Seriously?

I have to agree this is a geek toy and I bought it simply for the reason that it's Linux-based and wanted something I could hack with other than just another PC.
Also this is definately a niche product and it's not meant to be a PDA. It has none of the features of my Palm and it will not replace it any time soon. The N800 is simply an internet access device and it does that pretty well.

I've not had the issues you have described, but then again I'm still using OS2007 and with the painful experiences shared here, will stay with OS2007 until the bugs get worked out.

I hope you can find the middle-ground with the N800 and see it's usefulness, but that it is not a do-all solution. Best.