I can compile my own software for it; pretty much any software I want and use on my desktop really. No learning curve for me because it's all the same software.

Sure.. there's an "app" for SSH and an "app" for IRC on both the iPhone and Android - but I have to learn them.

On this, it's the same CLI SSH I use on my Desktop; and it's the same XChat I use on my desktop.

I wrote my own software (never released, never cared enough) for Android that pulled like TFLN (texts from last night) feeds and such. I hate Java, I hated the Dev environment (mostly because I hate Java..).

I actually enjoyed writing pyPianobar. Before the N900 I knew Ruby, Perl, PHP, etc.. but never really got into Python. This prompted me to learn a new language that I knew I could actually use somewhere outside just the phone.

So FOR ME.. I can claim the N900 is the best phone.

Don't get me wrong; nothing against Android (and still recommend it to most people) - but for me the N900 shines where no other phone comes close.