when in doubt, use a car analogy...here goes

maemo/now meego, is akin to the racing technology of cars; it is a place to test and field trial cutting edge and sometimes wacky ideas to try to get the most out of what is available. Eventually, many of the features that we here have enjoyed in maemo since 2006 or so(and linux in general) will filter down into a mass market device in some reduced form, just as a race car crew may have first pioneered the use of some kind of crazy suspension, but then it finally was adaptable to mass market and better. While the racers were perfecting the suspension it sure was a rough ride sometimes

Just as with cars, this is acceptable to some people who might be mechanics or gearheads, you may suffer the rough ride if you appreciate what your cornering force is and know that you have the ability to tweak it to your hearts desire.

Anyway, Symbian is currently the mass market OS for Nokia and extremely suitable for most of the world apparently.