Well I didn't/wouldn't advocate abandoning the N9xx "convergence" efforts, but instead creating synergistic (uh), affordable and ideally multi-user add-on (companion device) to the mainstream Nokia phones to attract people to choose the Maemo platform instead of dumping Nokia phones in droves and moving totally to Apple's closed garden.

Any option that takes wind from iApple's' sails and breathes life into Maemo should be considered, and seriously.

Cortex A5-based WIFI/BT/USB (with GPRS/3G+ options) connected tablet-devices could be great especially in developing countries (the majority of world's population and where Nokia still remains top dog for now) with localized and slimmed down Mer/Maemo.

Being multi-user the device could be used by families (from living rooms to car trips...) or other small communities which desire internet connectivity but don't yet have US$500 to blow on a single single-user phone-tablet but would buy a sub-$200 tablet as companion to their sub-$100 phones. My wife likes to carry her slim and light Nokia phone everywhere, but occasionally she wanted to bring the (now-defunct) tablet along. A slimmer and slightly more powerful tablet with longer battery life would be perfect for her, and me too. Esp. if the Maemo/Mer apps keep maturing and the proprietary ones get an occasional update every year or three.

Back in the early days of Mac OS, M$ didn't take over the PC market because their bean counters were telling them to target the high-end only due to higher margins...