Just wanted to say that, being across the ocean from the US where I got my N900 - and therefore warranty service would be a major pain, I am so scared of this USB thing happening to me I reduced my use of the port to zero -

I got an extra battery and external charger, so I never have to use my charger (it's actually more convenient once you get used to it).

I transfer files from my PC using tinysmb, and if they're really big I use my 8GB micro sd.

The USB connector is really only for emergency cases - if I ever need to flash the device. Hopefully it will hold for a long time.

I know this does not excuse Nokia for the poor design but hey, I like my N900 and don't feel like parting with it just yet...