Today sees the first batch of Nokia N900 handsets boxed up and shipped out on their maiden voyage into wild. Nokia hopes that its new flagship phone will compete with iPhone and Blackberry. The N900 model is Nokia's first phone running Linux Maemo 5 operating system, which analysts see as a key for Nokia to gain back ground in the coming years. The device will be touching down in Europe, the Middle-East, Russia and North America shortly, Nokia said today.

As the N900 begins to appear on shelves around the globe it will be price-gunned at around 500 Euros SIM-free, with plenty of contract deals making it available at a reduced cost and in some cases gratis.

"The Nokia N900 has generated a lot of interest since its public launch in August, which has been reflected in the device preorders. What?s exciting is the Maemo software, which takes its cues from the desktop computer and offers a full browsing experience like no other handset. We believe the Nokia N900 will be a very compelling device for people who are passionate about technology," said Jos?-Luis Martinez, Vice President for Nseries.

Nokia describes the Nokia N900 as "a truly mobile mini computer that takes multi-tasking off the desktop and puts it right in your hands."

Powered by the Linux-based Maemo 5 operating system, the N900 offers web browsing with the Mozilla browser and comes with a combo of a 800 x 480 touchscreen and slide-out Qwerty keyboard.

Maemo Select will let you download the latest apps, themes and wallpapers - including social networking apps and Skype - to its 32GB stomach. It has also an autofocus 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, A-GPS (with Ovi Maps and geo-tagging), Wi-Fi and HSDPA access, and even an FM transmitter. Road warriors could also find useful the on-board file readers, intelligent shortcuts, plus the numerous contact and messaging options that include support for Exchange mail.