Oh I agree, the common misconception that Alien Dalvik is coming, isn't healthy.
I've constantly pointed out that it's far from certain, & if anything it's not coming.

I agree 100% that MeeGo must stand on it's own feet...
Long before looking at 3rd party apps, individuals will asses whether it has all the inbuilt functionality they want.
If it doesn't, they'll look to 3rd party apps to have their remaining demands met, or they'll look-to/stick-with other OS's (most will do the latter).

There's a real risk that...
[Despite all of Harmattan's inbuilt functionality -which I suspect will be amazing overall]
There just won't be enough of the right things there for a large subset of users.
And that subset won't be satiated by MeeGo's tiny (but growing) repository of quality 3rd-party apps.

This is where Alien Dalvik can play a critical role...
In instances where there's just one or two things not built-in, or available from the community in a reasonable time...
Users who must have that functionality, can turn to the Android apps repository.
Don't dismiss such instances as rare, it can potentially amount to a large group, of which many are influential/power-users.

Also I suspect you misunderstand how Alien Dalvik works.
It doesn't do anything WRT "enhancing/changing the UI, so that it looks like a new OS".

Finally I don't agree with the assertion some make that:
"Providing users w/a choice to buy an app/service that allows them to use Android apps, will be harmful to native app uptake/development."
If anything, I think it's more likely to spur native app development, than hold it back.

In response to BwackNinja & others claims that it mustn't happen, I've wanted to argue the case for AD, for ages.
But as I know it's very unlikely to happen, it's been way down the priority list TBH.
Hopefully I'll have time to do that in a dedicated thread at the MeeGo forum soon.

It's not like it's a totally off-topic thing to discuss in this thread...
Unlike some of the debates others seemingly want to perpetuate...
It relates directly to potential functionality/usability, not how screwed\blessed N9/MeeGo/Nokia et al is.
But I do concede it's still a bit too contentious, not to mention hypothetical, given it prolly won't happen.
And thus likely to add even more 'noise' to an already noisy thread.

Then again I do advise others that aren't aware...
It was agreed much earlier in this thread (for our own sanity), that this thread would be for general discussion.
And others like this, can focus on newly identified hardware/software features, or other community developments.
So in this thread pretty-much anything goes, not that you have to like that!

Excellent point & well conveyed...
That's primarily what I've been trying to argue from the outset.
The final knowing will be in the using, and it'll be quite unique to everyone.
There's no way we can possibly bag or praise it outright.
Until we've actually used it for a while.

So this sort of confirms 21-22.08.2011 as a sales launch in Russia (before 29th) because Nokia's store will have it first according to the press release. Good.

Hi guys, new one on board here

First news from Poland:

http://www.4cv.sklep.pl/nokia-n9-zapowiedz-p-1186.html

It says "soon in sale". The price (2399PLN) is approx. 600 euro.

Welcome

And you bring good news! loving all the N9's popping up on international sites.

So nice that there's finally some actual information, even if not absolutely reliable!! All this arguing here has been giving me headache lately.

The MS+Nokia event does seem suitably timed to around the possible release date of the N9 to keep media interest away from it. I hope I'm wrong, I just don't understand how it is in shareholders best interest for the company to try to undermine itself.

Uh man, 600 euro... sucker phone!

600 euro? Oh dear ...

"Last Clue: Tomorrow, August 3, at 9AM BST! #N9Seconds http://nokia.ly/rdFmTo"

Woohoooo.

Mango was finished a tad bit early.

A handful of you have asked if usb otg is going to work on the N9.

Well as you can see here
someone has asked for an n950 to work on developing usb otg for it.

66: USB hostmode. Give N9(50) access to external storage etc. (co-devels: Thomas B. Ruecker, MohammadAG)
Review the core functionality and find other similar fields to tackle (see *# starhash-enabler for N900). To mind comes: user profiles (refer the modest "default" & "silent" on fremantle), dialplans, location aware event triggers (cinema profile triggers automatically on entering the building), improved battery management and monitoring, theft protection and recovery...

cablefinder based on fast magnetometer readout detecting 50/60Hz fields (co-devel: alterego)

torch/flashlight app for N950 - possibly augmented to do optical data transfer, RX via a v4l2 based decoder app

I am contributing/associated to:
SnapGo / Ryan Abel [consulting on low level stuff]