While not directed at me, I'll throw in my 2 cents on the question:

A debian-derived userspace such as Maemo allows you to compile, install, and run existing opensource programs of all types beyond what is available in the app repository (app store, Ovi store, or whatever you want to call it). If we wanted "just a phone"..there are certainly much cheaper alternatives available. Android, on the other hand, is much more restricted since it comes with a new API with which all of its software must be developed against...so there is a much smaller existing library of apps available in addition to far less flexibility for the user to get into the "guts" of the machine should he so choose. I'm not an Android expert by any means, but I'll take my root shell on Maemo any day for doing "serious" stuff