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GLOBAL – Today sees the first batch of Nokia N900 handsets boxed up and shipped out on their maiden voyage into wild. The N900 has been the most discussed device we’ve ever reported on here at Conversations, so many of you are sure to be stoked to discover that the Maemo 5 device will be touching down in Europe, the Middle-East, Russia and North America shortly. Read on to find out what Nokia’s Vice President for Nseries had to say about the N900’s release, get more details on the new N900 as it begins shipping, and share your comments on the landmark launch of Nokia’s first Maemo-powered phone.

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.

José-Luis Martinez is Vice President for Nseries and had this to say about the N900 as it finally departs on its worldwide travels:

“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.”

The N900’s Maemo 5 backbone is indeed one of the key ingredients that makes this such an milestone mobile, and is the main contributing factor as to why the N900 gets better the more you use it.

When the N900 launches it’ll be compatible with most networks, although it won’t initially be available on new 3G SIM cards from 3 in the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark and Austria – a software update is in the pipeline and is slated to become available before the end of the year.

We’ve been lucky enough to have early hands-on access with the N900 for a couple weeks (find all our N900 coverage here), and we’ve got some cool stuff planned for it shortly, so stay tuned. Until then, soak up more details on the N900 in our Almanac entry, join the debate on the N900, and leave your comments on the global launch directly below.