I am tempted by the HD2 too, so I tried to make a comparison based only on specs sheets and not on winmo/maemo comparison:

N900---------------HD2-------------Comments

32+16Go > 16Go
Stereo speakers > not so good speaker
kickstand > additional accessories(GPS support etc)
5M photo > 5M photo not sure
video recording > video recording
physical keyboard > no
16M colors > 64k colors
FM transmitter > no
tv-out > no
Front camera > no
Price > Price


800x640 = 800x640


3.5' screen < 4.3'
no turn-by-turn < tomtom/navigon/copilot etc... To be solved?
pocketability < pocketability (a lot thinner) subjective
no compass < compass


Cortex A8 600Mhz ? Snapdragon 1Ghz Tests?
Battery ? Battery Tests?
resistive ? capacitive Depends on needs
RAM256Mo->1Go ? RAM 448Mo
micro usb ? mini usb


So in the end that's lot of advantages for the N900, despite the apparences
For me, the lack of FM transmitter and the limitation to 16Go are really minus points for the HD2. And the smaller screen of the N900 is compensated by the same resolution.
Plus the price of HD2 + 16Go Sd card + accessories >> N900
So only considering the hardware, I still pick the N900, even if I'd like the HD2 screen

And I'm 10x more attracted by the novelty of maemo OS than by the HTC touch flo that I've already use for too long (even if the new version seems cool)

Don't forget the processor in the n900 is technically capable of 1Ghz but has been throttled for battery life.

I think it boils down to the large screen and slim form factor of the HD2, versus the N900's QWERTY keyboard, 32GB storage, more consistent interface, better camera, lower price and open source software.

I tried to make a comprehensive comparison chart, but it hasn't helped me to decide. Do I want to get a superb device that will leave me forever squinting, panning and zooming, and will bulge in my pocket? Or do I want to get a fabulous screen with my perfect form factor, loaded with an operating system that will make me feel dirty and compromised every time I use it?

Some people say "don't knock a 3.5 inch screen until you've tried it", but I know from the N800/N810 that many websites are barely usable for me on a 4.13 inch 800x480 screen.

Video demos always use sites like the NYT or the BBC which have narrow columns and can be double-clicked to zoom them into nice readability, but the real web doesn't work like that. You might need to view an 800-pixel-wide diagram, or a wide table (PayPal history, for example) where zooming is useless and you really want to be able to see the whole thing at once on a screen as large as possible.

Regards,
Roger

You write in that chart (which is very well done, btw) that the HD2 supports USB host mode on micro USB. where did you get that info?
As far as i understand the USB host issue, it's the USB specs (specifically the Micro USB port) that prevent the N900 from providing host mode, because this port is meant to be the standard charging method. Is this any different on the HD2?

It's 800x480 :-)

Well, it's optimized for power saving but it's also the full-blown Linux kernel. Nokia has been one of the largest mobile contributors to Linux over the past 4 years and the results have been a lot of significantly powersaving optimizations for the kernel.

I can't confirm USB host mode support from any official HTC docs, but it is mentioned by various XDA developers (e.g. in the photo caption here). As they were spot-on about the other specs I think they are probably correct about USB host mode too.

Anyway, I've changed the chart to say "possibly with USB host mode".

I've heard that too, but I don't understand it. The Toshiba TG01 has USB host, for example (confirmed by this hands-on review, where they say "Allowing the phone to act as a USB host, we used the cable to bridge it with a USB flash memory and it performed really well.").

Regards,
Roger

HTC just posted a video ofthe HD2 to Youtube. It looks impressive I must admit.

What interesting times we live in !. N900 seems to be destined to thrash all before it and then HTC launch this large screen slimline beast which by the looks of it will make a huge impression. HTC is hot right now.

Say what you like about WinMo, at least it has the apps - that is where I fear Maemo will struggle. Maemo has a killer app though - XTerm .

I probably wont buy another HTC phone ever. Their constant lack of inclusion of a headphone jack on phone after phone after phone (yes I know they do it now, but STILL not on every phne they make) has left me soured on their stuff.

Add to that every HTC phone I have had has had to be replaced at least once within the first 12 months.

I have a 10 year old nokia that STILL works.

I wonder if N900 will have a multi touch function like iPhone has.
I think it is a really useful feature.

anyone knows about this?