I have to be honest with you and say that if you want to minimize expenditures, the N900 wins and it's not even close. Maybe someone will explain how to use their HTC Desire for $15 a month, as I use my N900. Admittedly, it's a bit tricky, but I have more trickyness than money.

It's funny how these threads often have the unspoken assumption:

Money is no object.

From my point of view, Money IS an object -- an important one. So the cost of the phone and the plan actually matter.

Since you can now buy an N900 for $350, its economic advantage is bigger than ever.