Everyone on this forum is excited for the N900 and so am I. I really want one but I was wondering is it really going to be useful for someone with limited programming knowledge to use? I am pretty tech savvy but I am worried that I won't be able to use the N900 to its full potential. I want to basically have a phone that goes online, keeps me connect to everyone (skype, IM, gtalk, fbook, etc), maybe video chat, tv remote, etc... Are apps for the N900 going to be easy to install, use, etc.

Could explain me how you guys would choose this over a iphone or android phone, is their something really spectacular that you can do with its "openness" that even an average user can do?

I consider myself an average "pretty tech savvy" user. I have an N810 and I have never attempted any programming nor have I even tried to get under the hood. But I have enjoyed many benefits of the openness.

For example, I run Tear (the webkit browser) and I love it. I have installed a bunch of other open source apps including various utilities that I run all the time.

As a user, I appreciate and benefit from the free and open source apps. No special skills needed to enjoy that benefit.

The apps are typically very easy to install. As a former Windows user, I find installing apps in Linux to be much easier once you get used to the Linux way of doing things. And getting used to it is not difficult at all.

And I am not at the total mercy of corporate decisions that I might not agree with...

So I think you will be able to do everything you want and enjoy a great many benefits of the openness of the N900 without any need to get into programming (unless you just wanted to do that).

Be careful, though. Using Maemo may lead to Linux infestation. After I bought my N800 I ended up installing Ubuntu on my laptops, and now I'm 99% Linux and open source. Next project is setting up a Myth TV box so I can get rid of the Hava and finally dump Windows once and for all!

Funny thing is, I've done the ubuntu thing as well, I'm not quite ready to ditch windows, but I'm certainly trying to further my programming knowledge. I'd love to write an app for my n900