Are you saying the N900 will outsell the iPhone? Or at least accomplish economy-defying sales, like the iPhone?

The Nokia marketing vids are amazing, but ... Nokia is no Apple when it comes to reality distortion fields, fanboys, etc. I don't doubt that the N900 will do _well_, but I do doubt that it'll outsell the iPhone.

And, if I was Nokia, I wouldn't bank on it defying the economy, either.

Frankly, if I were Nokia, I would:

a) make versions of the N900 for every carrier (Euro UMTS, AT&T UMTS, T-Mobile-USA UMTS, (Asian UMTS?), CDMA/EVDO, maybe even CDMA/EVDO/WiMAX). Do NOT support carrier exclusivity in ANY way. They have to be more like the Blackberry and Razor in this regard: have versions _everywhere_, so that people can choose the device without having to also make a decision about whether or not they should change carriers.

b) before Christmas, price them as close to break-even as possible, just to move them. Possibly even (just for the holidays) sell them for a modest/affordable loss. Definitely price them noticeably less than an iPhone.

c) create Ovi for Mac (at least) ASAP, and the PC Suite sync tools, as well. Supporting Linux wouldn't hurt either. In fact, making an overt play for the Linux market (a side campaign, playing up it's Linux base, and the fact that iTunes/iPhones don't support Linux users, but "Ovi/Maemo do") might be a sure fire way to capture a market that is craving a mobile device that covers to them directly. (even Android isn't doing that; and the Linux-lover's attitude toward Android is mixed, for various reasons I wont go into)

Don't view the N900 as a profit maker, view it as a way to get "Maemo into everyone's hands". Reserve profit making for the N910 or N1000. Each of the three things I said targets an area where you can compete with the iPhone (lack of carrier choice, obviously price, and lack of support for Linux users).

If Nokia wants to duplicate the iPhone's success in a bad economy, they have to do better marketing than the iPhone, but do it without counting on Steve Jobs like levels of reality distortion (because, no offence to Nokia, but they don't have a cult of fanboys buying whatever device their CEO talks about at the key note address).

Make it available everywhere, for less than an iPhone, and with better platform support than the iPhone. Combine that with an aggressive sales campaign ... and then there's a chance they'll defy the economy.