There are always manufacturing defects in large runs of any products. Bad parts, bad solder joints, etc. And even with OEM testing, not every defective unit will be detected. A marginal solder joint may work fine at the factory, but it can break or become intermittent after shiping and handling. The same can applied to parts. A weak conponent won't show until after many hours of operation. Unless the factory does a burn in period on the units, it won't be detected.

Nokia have a large number of units manufactured. I've not read any mainstream media reports of large numbers of N900s being defective. So I take the people in the poll are a very vocal and unlucky few who received defective units. I've had my N900 a week and a day. I had the initial weak battery problem fror the first couple of days. But after a few partial charge/discharge cycles, I'm getting excellent battery like. I'm continually online, check e-mail every 30 minutes doing a lot of playing around on the unit. I have had several slight annoying issues with the N900, but it's all been software of PEBCAK problems.

So I urge you not to make any decisions based on worry about having a defective unit. If it happens, it happens. I'd be more worried about being hit by a car or bus. The odds are about the same.

I will admit of having a bit of buyer's remorse the first day or two I had my N900: the smaller screen, thinking the vibrate on screen touch was a defective sliders and the seeming weak battery. But now like others, I'm loving it. It's been the device I've been waiting for. It's not ideal. There are still several annoying that I don't like about it. But I'm not about to give it up.

I see (and anticipated) the N900 as an Internet Tablet which is also a phone. It's replace the things I do with my laptop more and more. I'm to the point of not carrying my N810 and old phone any more. Even though I don't have 3G service in my area yet. (My old phone and carrier does have 3G.)