My story is identical to yours, except the dead pixels. I have received my device in perfect order, and I'm really happy about going with Nokia. I kinda swayed between Droid and the n900 after seeing how many users had problems with their devices, but in the end I'm happy I made the right choice. I simply love this device! (it's silly to just call it a "phone")

Battery life is pretty much the same for me. I don't need to use 3G since I have no data plan in my subscription; also I always keep WiFi on "on demand" setting, and the same GPS.

All I can say is that if you're a techie, then you're going to love the n900!