I got my n900 cheap a year ago - nearly half price from Carphone Warehouse via eBay. It was a customer return. As far as I could tell, it was unused. A bit quirky to start with, but I reflashed and did the updates - not a problem since really. The only time I had advice on this forum was to return it unless I was prepared to mess about with it. Once I saw the potential, I decided to stick with it. Needless to say, I was a bit sickened that Nokia soon announced they were shifting from Maemo to MeeGo, and more recently W7, and now I hear so many different things, I don't know what to think any more.

I'm not sure all the rumours help - and Nokia ought to get a grip and state clearly what they will & won't support, and what the situation is for n900 is regarding official support into the future.

I think it is the uncertainty that p*sses people off as much as anything. As we have been told, that is not the community's problem. Yet, in a way it is. I have been very set on staying with official downloads and releases (comes from my former life as a system admin - if it ain't broke, don't fix it), not delved into extras, and kept any apps to those things I think I will use. If I thought that Nokia was not going to come up with anything that might enhance or extend the functionality in some way, then I would look at the CSSU, and extras. I'd probably get a stand-by device as well just-in-case.

So, the lack of any clear signals from Nokia does affect the community - in as much as there may be other people, less vociferous, who haven't p*ssed about with their n900, and who are hanging on to see what (if anything) might emerge for the n900 - but who, if they knew their wasn't anything, would get more involved with what the community has on offer.

I think this is where I need to apologise, because a few of my posts have been in that vein. But it is because I actually like the n900, and would like to keep it, and feel there is more potential as yet untapped - but find the uncertainty and the legacy of apparent broken commitment frustrating. I'd like to think that there will be another Maemo 5 update, or a Maemo 6 port, or even MeeGo (maybe... not sold on that one), that I could flash the n900 with. But the trust that there will be something is not there.

That is not something this forum can address - but I guess this is where a lot of people come who are trying to find out what is going to happen do come. It is odd, because while I tend to search debian and ubuntu and other linux forums for information, this is the first time I have ever been interested in doing so for a g*ddamned mobile phone/tablet. I could not imagine having that level of intrigue for my old 6300 running symbian (as long as it made calls and texts, what did it matter?).

It has changed the way I use this kind of device - I try and use my partner's e72, and despite having been virtually incapable of using anything other symbian on a phone before, I am now incapable of using it. It makes no sense to me. The n900 works like a computer - so makes more sense to me, until I want to use it as a phone. then it is a bit like trying to make phone calls with a computer. I don't think that would work for most people who want a mobile phone - and only works for me if I am not particularly mobile when I want to use it. The camera, on the other hand, is great, and I use it more than I have with any other mobile device.

It is good to let people vent, but I am not sure it is that productive. However, if it gives people the opportunity to explain why it is not productive here, that is not a bad thing. Also, if the criticism is constructive, and helps people to see what works and what doesn't, that is good thing. But just saying it sucks - no. That seems more like trolling, and I sometimes wonder if some of those posts are from competitors - just as I wonder if some of the posts extolling its virtues are from people with some kind of investment in Nokia. It is interesting that since the announcement about the tie-up with MS, apart from the whining about that, the n900 'fanboy' posts have decreased. That makes me wonder how far all of them were genuine, and how much was PR by Nokia folks.