When is the next software update due out for the N810 Wimax? It looks like it has been awhile? Are we waiting on OS2009 rather than a yweak to OS2008?

While there will be a new Maemo operating system released this year, it isn't named OS2009. Instead, its formal name is "Maemo 5". If you want to search for information on it though, you'd do well to also search on its codename, "Fremantle".

One important fact you should know now: Nokia won't be releasing Maemo 5 for your N810 WiMAX Edition. The new operating system depends upon the faster processors, etc. in future tablets for a number of key components, so Nokia isn't porting Maemo 5 to existing tablets.

However, all is not lost. Instead, Nokia is supporting community development of an alternative, open source operating system, Mer, which will include as many Maemo 5 technologies as possible, plus some other nifty features. Mer isn't ready for general use yet, but should be soon. Once it is, easy-to-install packages will be made available.

has anyone got mer running ?

http://wiki.maemo.org/Mer/Documentation/Installation

there's evidence that they did work on more versions of OS2008 (one single file of build 2008.47 even got published as a hot fix), but for some reasons decided not to publish them and stop OS2008-related work eventually.

to be honest, though... from my POV there's only a few bugs in modest that would need fixing, but i use claws to work around them. although i would love more OS-upgrades and don't fully understand nokia not providing them, i have to admit the reason i want them is more the kick of "gimme something new to play with", not so much the real need for improvements.

my upgrade path will be OS2008=>Mer, probably. i have more trust in the developers of Mer: They don't need to have a working business case behind their work but can do what's good and what's right.

yes. installed it on my N800. installation was easy, runs without major problems, but lacks the "out of the box" experience you get with OS2008. even the browser, one of the few pre-installed applications, lacks functions i use on a daily basis and is therefore not an option for me (which has nothing to do with Mer as such, it's just their current choice of default browser).

anyway, i'm impressed by the speed and the energy behind this project and would be very surprised if one of the future versions (even before an official "1.0" release) couldn't be used as the main OS on the N8x0.

i've failed to install it, can it be flashed via the usual pc route ?

yes, but it's experimental and i didn't try.
lets not hijack this thread, though, you might get better answers over at
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=28586

cheers, apologies for hijack