Nokia N900 (unlocked)

Pros: Wicked web browser, deep HD screen, zooming w/ finger twirl or volume control, responsive screen for non capacitive, buttery smooth scrolling, charge through USB or charger, perfect slide-out keyboard, best contacts handler on any device ever.

Cons: A little brickish, battery drains fast, sometimes you have to plug in charger or USB a 2nd time for it to recognize - weird, Carl Zeiss optics & 5MP not quite as focused as on other Nseries, non-responsive to headset volume control

Summary: With 32 gigs of space, a supercharged CPU and such a fine screen, the N900 is as potent as it feels. At first, for anyone used to the Symbian UI of other Nokes, you feel wonderfully lost figuring out the Maemo UI - then you realize this is as easy as it gets to add, subtract and other wise customize the screen. There are 4 desktops you can slide through, so you can cluster social thins, work things, etc., however you like. No fight for tight space.

The power options help you make the little battery (same size as for the 5800 music express) go the distance, but if you are going distances and want to use real GPS, get yourself an extra battery. Fortunately, unlike other Nokias, this N900 does let you get a charge through USB, meaning car trips, desktop computer time, etc., can easily be used to keep the power level up.

It's tempting to compare with Moto's Droid due to the form factor, but it's just not fair. Droid is priced down and featured down for mass audience. It's android on a big wide screen, and that's about it. Doesn't have the horsepower, the connectivity, the multimedia, the storage to compare.

The one problem I had was trying to get the camera logic down. It didn't want to stay focused where I put it, and the delay seemed a little longer and disjointed from other Nseries devices with the exact same optical and resolution specs. Could be that it was early. The Ovi Maps on it is cool, but limited in some features from the Ovi Maps on N97.

Apps play very well, and run in widget-view or full screen. The catalog needs expansion - these are linux-based .deb files. Nokia is pushing that along with a new development environment, QT, to replace the old GTK language. If that does allow developers to convert even some of the cool apps already on Symbian or Java, the N900 will be ruler of mobiledom. And if they get it to plug into Ovi and all the mapping, sharing and syncing/messaging features in it, people will understand what a really connected mobile services network can really do.

Oh, and in case you were looking for "just a smart phone", the 900 is the Harley, not the Vespa.