While I am sorely tempted by everything about the N900 (except the unsubsidized price that we are seeing in the States), the statements above are a problem.

We now know what it's not. Of course the same three statements could be made about a loaf of sliced bread.

The N900's problem, as I see it, is a lack of definition as to what it is. Even on these forums, different people see it differently. What do people think it offers a non-developer that cannot be gotten with something like the Samsung Moment (to pick the latest announcement: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/07/s...ing-to-sprint/ )? While it may work in politics, defining yourself by what you are not tends to be a losing proposition in product marketing.

And please note that any use of the word Linux will immediately condemn the phone to failure. There's a reason that Windows netbooks advertise the fact that they run Windows but Linux netbooks do not advertise Linux. Linux is scary to the average user. Remember that a heck of a lot of people (most importantly, schools) were willing to pay extra for Apple over Windows solely because it was simpler. Apple's mouse had one button and Windows mouse needed two.

P.S. The Linux mouse has 13.5 buttons all of which are user configurable with jumper cables which can easily be made using the instructions available on HacksRUs.com