Please post in this thread based upon your experiences with an N900. Also, please post the Version of the software, so we can honestly compare.
I'll start: Version: 2.2009.46-9
This is a prototype.
Things I love:
-Messaging (Conversations icon) This is seriously the best phone I have ever seen for messaging. I have used quite a few versions of Nokia symbian OS phones, a few Sony Ericsson phones, a couple of Samsung phones and an iphone. It is mostly the other software that enables messaging that make it great. The contacts application shows the different ways people are online, so it is one click to start an sms, skype, google talk, etc chat. All chats look the same regardless if it is sms, skype, google talk, etc. The multitasking allows you to keep many different chats open and switch between them quickly. I have left the chats open for a couple of days.
-Contacts. It's great to see the many ways you can contact someone. Call them, skype them, sms, google talk, etc. It's all integrated. What's also nice is the contacts application adds your google talk and skype contacts in the same list as your normal contacts, after you have entered your login credentials to skype and google talk. There is a contacts merge that lets you easily merge them all together. After that, you can scroll up and down to see who is online with different protocols.
-Media Player. Simple, fast easy to use. Absolutely add the Media Player widget to your desktop. One touch to start the music, go to the next or previous track, or to open the media player. I think this is easier than the iphone/itouch music player. (I am sure I will get flamed for that statement.)
-Ability to play the exact same video I would play on my laptop without use of any conversion tool.
-Image viewer thumbnails. These are fast and allow quick searching through a directory of images. If you select a directory from the file manager, it goes straight to the thumbnails, and is really fast.
-Speed of applications. The speed is almost the same as a PC.
-Many thoughtful little features, like the browser will go full screen after a few seconds. The N810 never did this, but it's a nice touch.
Things I thought was odd:
-Where the heck is skype? It is integrated in the phone and messaging applications. You set up skype, and can call people, and sms them, but it is not a separate application that you can start. After seeing how it is integrated, no one will ever need to start a separate skype application. D'oh! I just now saw on the Maemo select web page that it is "coming soon". Meh, it's already there.
-There are no more menus, just a screen of icons, and one icon says "More...". You select that to go to another screen of icons.

-The weakest thing about the N900 is how to find an application to start. It's just a screen of icons, but I know that many people will be asking, "Where's the phone?" Well, it's an application, and you can just click the icon on the desktop. On the iphone, they separate out the 4 most important icons at the bottom, so no one will miss them. Once the users get past this hurdle, they will be ok. Actually, the phone application is really good.

This phone is definitely for the under 30 crowd. Obviously I struck a nerve by saying this... Let me change that. This phone is definitely for the under 30 crowd and intelligent people. I have seen many middle aged people using the iphone, which requires almost no instructions, and they frequently seem to be asking for help. The N900 is quite easy to use, but will leave a lot of these people baffled. There is an initial learning curve that many people will not get over. It is definitely easier than any Symbian phone, though. How many people have asked you for help on really simple features of their phone, regardless of the model? I guess that's why they call them "Smart Phones", but they aren't talking about the phone... I'm in my mid forties, by the way....

Read carefully. He says it is a prototype. In other words, this is not the retail device he has since there is yet someone to receive his or her device.

Oh, really?
I'm sure I'm not the only one here who firmly intends to prove you wrong :-)

Where did you get that new firmware version? I'm still running 1.2009.41.something...

Thanks for the review. You refer to this being the best messaging phone you've ever used. As you do not list the other phones, this becomes rather meaningless. Could you update your post by listing them?

I believe you meant video that doesn't need recompressing . Thanks for the first look.

From TWWLN Nokia House? I reckon

That statement is simply... well, let's just call it astonishing.

(Oh, and get off my lawn.)

I ****ing hate Nokia, if they had started shipping the N900 by the end of October I would have been good, but now I'm too old, ****.

Hello guys and gals,

From what I've heard at the London meetup, everyone will get their preordered N900 soon and in preparation (and because I got mine yesterday ) decided to create this thread. The point of this thread should be twofold: a place where new owners can be happy about their shiny (oh yes, it's very shiny) new toy and also a place where prospective buyers can find those all-important first impressions.

Right, so on to my experience so far. The device is definitely starting to show that Nokia is paying it some attention. The build quality is quite good -- I the screen was mildly sticky for the first few minutes, which scared me somewhat, but I think that was due to the screen protector it ships with. Maemo 5 is really very responsive in a real-world test of a few browser windows and some applications running in the background. I really like the overall unified feel of the OS and, especially, how the phone and IM functions are well integrated with the rest of the system.
The keyboard does take some getting used to (and I can't find a way of writing "é" with the UK keyboard), but once you do get used to it it's quite pleasant to work with, inasmuch as a thumb-board can be pleasant to work with.
I have only just given it its first overnight charge so I cannot comment on battery life yet.

This is my first smartphone (quite a step up from my old Nokia 1110) so I have nothing to compare to, but I am definitely pleasantly surprised with it. Overall I can't say my expectations have been let down anywhere.

Finally, a big thanks to Nokia for giving me an early Xmas present!

PS: Questions are very much in the spirit of the thread, but please no whining! There are enough threads full of whining posts. Please do not whine here. Thanks.