I am so excited, it's supposed to arrive tomorrow. I have a few questions. Does it come with any temporary screen protection, i.e. plastic layer you're supposed to peel off? I ordered a screen protector, but not sure if it will arrive before the unit itself, and I don't really want to use it without protection. Secondly, before I get too excited when opening it...how long will I need to charge before using it? Thanks. Aaron.

You could leave the factory screen protector on until you get your ordered one.
Gently peel off the little tab.

sounds good, I just wasn't sure if it came with a "factory screen protector". How about battery charge time?

My battery was about 50% charged when I got it. You can use it when it comes, but not for very long.

That's the worst part, you unpack the box and just want to turn it on; but fight it.
Charge it up! N800 should display when it is done charging.

Actually, you can use it while its charging.

Rick

can anyone tell me how long it usually takes to charge it? I guess fully charge, just for reference so I know what to expect.

Around 3 hours give or take. I think. But you should as a general rule avoid discharging it completely, as it shortens both the capacity and lifetime of the battery. Top it off when you can, or when it's half full.
(You may allow it to discharge once or twice in the very beginning, this is ok for the battery, but even then it's not necessary to completely floor it.)

so, can I use it right away when I get it, or should I let it charge first? Best for long run?

Give it half an hour or so. Then keep charging while you start using it. If you have a BT cellphone, keep it on and visible when you first power up the N800 and it should detect and offer to pair it.