I use it to scroll through pics on say, Mirage or Obscura. Sometimes I try to use it to navigate when I can't/don't want to pull out the stylus (one hand use) but it rarely does what I want/expect it might do, so l leave it alone.

I. for one, welcome design/usability comments/criticisms when they are meant as constructive, because user feedback is one of the most critical parts of any design phase, and often overlooked.

If we think about it, this is why Nokia is moving iteratively, bringing out new objects as they learn from early adpoters (bravo 770 users...you deserve a discount information about how/when and why people will use them. The cost of design study in the field, using this core group of geeks and this forum to test and comment on their devices, is nothing compared, say, to the cost of a television advertising campaign.

So, yes, the object isn't released yet, but you know there is a design team getting ready for the N900 and I think they're already reading this forum for just these sorts of ideas. So, keep 'em coming (just keep 'em clean)!

All that said, I think the original poster's ideas for moving all that stuff to the front is completely counter-intuitive for a touchscreen device. My vote: please, fewer buttons, not more.