I am really excited....just bought a like-new N810 in it's original box with all accessories, etc. I paid a bit under $200 so I think it was a good/ok deal. I hope at least?

My decision: I was going back and forth between: N800, N810 and Mylo-2.
I eliminated the N800 as I really wanted a keyboard and in the end I stuck with the N810 because of really two choices;
a) I have no Linux experience and thought it would be fun to get some, and
b) It seems like the N800/810/770 community is made up of people that are rather pleased with their device(s)
(See you are all party responsible!)

It is at my home now..but I am travelling and won't get to SEE it until next week (argh!) so...a few 'get me ready' questions;

1) What Operating System should I put on it?
It has not been updated since it was originally purchased.

2) What are the top-five applications you'd recommend getting?
(I am your regular geek who is into email (which app is best for multiple accounts?), instant messaging, sci-fi, movies, books, etc)

3) What are the top-five games you'd recommend getting?
(I like WoW (did I mention I'm a geek...?), Plants vs Zombies, etc)

4) Is there a need to, assuming it has never been done, to upgrade the firmware on it? How can I tell?

5) Is there anyway that I can place, and listen/view podcasts (audio and video) on it?
I use my Zune (hate iPods) for that now and I would love to, if possible, view my podcasts on a larger screen.
If it can be done;
a) What app/service do I use to grab/download/sync the podcasts TO the N810, and
b) What app would I use to play/view the podcasts?

Thanks a lot in advance. I am SO excited !! :-)