Gary, it's unfortunate your experience with the N900 was short-lived and marred with disappointments. But, if I may ask, what did you buy the phone for? Did you use it for programming/devel or just to make the two phone calls?

I'm on the n00b-end of the spectrum, eagerly learning about Linux/Debian both on and off the mobile market and I have to say my 4 mos with the N900 have been a quite opposite to your experience. I can't count the hours I've spent hacking the phone; read: fun! Yes, I made a few phone calls also.

Frankly, I don't think I'll ever go back to a "smartphone." As long as there is Maemo/Meego or any other open source mobile OS, I'll be using it.

About Android's open source: Andreas Constantinou, research director at VisionMobile, paraphrasing Henry Ford, saying, "anyone can have Android in their own colour as long as it’s black."