IMHO if I have to do anything on the n900 for longer than 5 minutes I will use my Mac and connect to it via SSH. I suppose its what purpose you use the device for that depicts how long you use it. For me, its firstly a phone followed by a useful device for email/browsing when I am on the road and without my Mac albeit I almost always take my Mac with me too. If I am in a restaurant or somewhere where I dont have my Mac then it is wholly a phone and nothing else. I mean, it isnt cool to take out your phone and start browsing or answering emails at such places.

That depends on "how cool" the people you're dining with think!

Thanks everyone for your input i almost fell over with LOL at some of the comets.

I am on the other side of 30 so it is potable my eyes are not as adaptable as they have been.

I could not have predicted that high DPI in the n900 screen was posable or that I would have reacted the way I did. (it is not like there are any other options like the n900 that have a bigger screen either.)

I have always held a book phone or something about 30-40cm away from my face (those romantic kissy moments have been a blur all my life.)

Web browsing is not such an issue as you can zoom. the real problem is when I RDP into my PC and I am in Windows UI 1:1 pixel ration. I have to get very close to my device and it is changing my biology. (a surprise for me.)

some of the comments on changing UI fonts are interesting and the comparison to the iPhone doing this is not truly valid as the iPhone screen is about the same size with less resolution.

All in all no need to get worked up, all problems not related to education and experience are legitimate.

Probably your Windows machine is set to 75 or 96 dpi or something like this, while the N900 screen is >256dpi I would guess. So things will appear half to one-third as big on your N900 screen as on your normal PC monitor (assuming your DPI is set correct there, most people don't have it set properly anyway...)

Windows lets you adjust the DPI (you'll have to reboot), it has an on-screen "Ruler" where you can adjust it so 1cm or 1 inch on your screen is actually that size. In Windows XP it uses a percentage, you can't just type inthe DPI, I would guess it should be 275% or so. Then fonts and stuff on N900 should be the same as a normal monitor

Be sure to change it back and reboot when you want to use the PC directly, because everything will be huge.

I like N900 because I don't have to use Zoom to read text (I keep it about 20-30cm of my face when browsing). And yes you have some problem with your eyes

My next phone MUST have 4" or greater screen.

I've had to buy progressive lenses

This is why the iPad had my interest. Squint-vision is not good for the long term.

I've concluded that the 800 x 480 in a 3.5" screen is too small and not my eyes. my n810 with a 4.13" screen does not deliver the same results.

The iPhone 4 has 326dpi on a 3.5" screen try and RDP at pixel 1:1 on that! I think the pixel density of 225 dpi in the n810 is great.

HTC and DEL on the right track here.

Before you bash big screens remember the n900 is not a phone its a mobile computer and if you want a small screen on a phone the iPhone's an option.