No, I agree with christexaport that Android's success can only be beneficial to Nokia And Maemo. Google is a dominant monster in certain business areas, but so is Nokia. But both have been overshadowed, or hampered, in the smartphone biz by Apple's iPhone hype machine, to the point that for many people, particularly in the US, smartphone = iPhone, or if they're a little bit knowledgeable maybe a Blackberry.

A major impact by Android phones would change that simple equation to one a little more sophisticated. General public-type buyers will become aware that more choices, maybe better choices than the iPhone or Blackberry, are out there, available, and will start seriously considering them. That increased public awareness and willingness to consider alternatives will open up the market for more than just Android. Nokia and Maemo should certainly benefit also.

As for the timing of the N900 introduction, IMO it's working out just about right, especially for the US market. It'll be out about a month before Christmas so just in time to pick up a few sales there. More important, instead of coming out just before the Droid and then being quickly forgotten in the Droid hype, it will work the other way around. The Droid will be quickly overshadowed in the tech media by the release of the N900/Maemo and it's (mostly) superior feature set and capabilities. Kinda like a celebrity that shows up fashionably late to the party and grabs the attention away from the early arrivals.

If Nokia wants to make a sizable dent in the US smartphone market, it will have to start with the high-end and it will have to be with Maemo. Symbian will not be able to do it. Why not? Because regardless of improvements, updates or the real merits of Symbian, unfortunately the tech media (especially in the US) will regard Symbian as more of the same old same old OS, much like WinMO is regarded now. The introduction of new mid or low-end Nokia/Symbian smartphones will just get lost in the crowd.

But Maemo is the kinda ultra-capable, radically different approach to a mobile OS that can generate enough general media buzz and developer interest to make a real difference in the the public psyche and therefore, the marketplace. Unlike Symbian, or even Android now that it's fairly estabilished, Maemo can position itself as the Next Generation beyond OS-X or Android, as the first mobile OS designed for real pocket computers, not just smartphones.

I also agree with christexaport that hardware is just hardware. It's changing so fast that comparisons are temporary and fairly meaningless. This is really all about the OS and supporting software. It IS the biggest thing in all this. The N900 is very good but not all that different or revolutionary compared to other hardware. Maemo IS compared to other OS. IOW, OS-X, Android and RIM are like 3 of a kind. Maemo is like a full house.

No doubt Nokia is well aware of all I just said as apparently their plans seem geared to take advantage of just this kinda scenario.