As a seriously on-the-fence buyer of the N900, I can completely understand the disappointment expressed by others in the forums. I did plenty of research about the N900 before purchasing it (I actually had a good experience with Nokia USA) and still possess a Nokia 770, so I had some idea of what to expect, but I still find the N900 really lacking in execution. Now, that may be a good thing in that there is plenty of opportunity for improvement if Nokia (and the community, I suppose) can devote the resources to doing so.

What I really like about the device:

• The screen is very nice and the resolution is wonderful.
  
• Web browsing is speedy (although flash is still really not very good -- hopefully flash 10.1 will improve that) and very desktop like.
  
• Multitasking is very good and doesn't seem to slow down the device.
  
• Notifications are good.
  
• Keyboard (like and dislike, actually. Like that it has one -- don't like the cramped nature of it and having to press multiple buttons for numbers and symbols).

What I don't like:

• Form factor: The N900 would not win any beauty contests. It's not incredibly large, but is chunky and noticeably heaver than my Android phone.
  
• Google synch. I would like to see a way to do this separate from Mail for Exchange or if this is the only option then I need support for multiple exchange accounts so that I can have work and google synching.
  
• No multiple mail for exchange accounts (see above)?
  
• Telephony features are not fully baked (Yes, I know it's not primarily a phone, but still a bummer). Others have expressed the flaws and they are valid comments that I hope Nokia will address soon with future updates.
  
• I am occasionally experiencing random reboots. It's not frequent, but it is happening.
  
• Many annoying UI issues. For example, WHO thought that having the browser zoom and volume control be the same button was a good idea? When viewing flash videos, I often want to adjust the volume BUT not the zoom. Now it seems that to do so I have to minimize the browser window and then adjust the volume and then maximize the browser window again. That's a lot of steps. Now there may be an easier way to do so, but it's certainly not obvious. There are many other annoying issues like this (someone, please let me know the best way express comments like this to the n900 developers, because it's not a bug, but it is quite frustrating).
  
• Don't really like the mail client/features. They are basic, but nothing special. I am thankful for HTML mail, but find it rather slow.
  
• GPS is very erratic. It's definitely not a quick or smooth as my other phones. I often have issues in getting a lock. Not very impressive at this point...
  
• Battery life is poor I often only get about 4 hours of usage before having to recharge. Now, to be fair, I have probably been really giving the N900 a untypical workout, but, still, not stellar. S60 seems much better at this than Maemo, but again the good news is that there is much room for improvement.
  
• Lack of applications (Yes, I know it's early in the game, but it's true and Yes, I have perused maemo extras and extras-testing...).
  

So, having said all that, will I keep my N900 or send it back? As I said above, I'm seriously on the fence. I definitely sense potential here. The browsing experience is superior to other devices out there with similar form factors. The multitasking is also superior to other comparable devices. The biggest problem with the N900 at this point is probably that the UI does not charm me and there are obvious missing pieces that will hopefully be addressed by Nokia in the near future. Also, there is nothing particularly special about other aspects of the device. I will say that Android (my primary phone) seems to be getting better by the moment (although Android has some performance issues, as well). I hope Nokia can also demonstrate the same ability to improve Maemo. Right now I would rate it a distant fourth in the UI race.

Summation:

• N900 as the ultimate geek device (for Unix gurus, early adopters and developers)? On target!
  
• N900 as a consumer friendly device to compete with iPhone, Android, Symbian and Palm? I whole heartedly suggest that you avoid it if that is what you are currently shopping for as it's not quite baked yet. Maybe with Maemo 6 it'll be ready for that.

I think I may keep my N900 and see what Nokia can deliver. My criteria for success will be getting to the point where I feel that I can forget my Android phone at home and just carry the N900 with me. At this point, I would do so very reluctantly. Nokia has a lot of catching up to do with maemo, in my evaluation. So, let the race begin... .