While I'm not a fan of the company or its policies, I'm focusing on the hardware here which is anything but "cr**p".

The iPhone 3GS hardware is pretty much a match for the N900 every side up apart from the lower resolution screen (plus it has a digital compass...), and this new device is speculated to have a higher resolution screen in which case it may well be the equal of the N900 hardware but with a logic board a fraction of the size.

Why does that matter? Bigger battery for a start and/or smaller & slimmer device, not to mention lower manufacturing costs (in the long run). I love my N900, but it's a beast.

Credit where credit is due, it's a feat of engineering.