frankly chaps, if you want a modern device competently made that includes a keyboard and linux then you might be best off pinning your hopes and interest to the gemini PDA. yes, it requires compromise on the stringent list of demands you have, but it is precisely that inability to compromise that has left you fruitlessly pining for a warmed over 600MHz Cortex A8 device with a flimsy jerry-rigged keyboard beneath its 3.5" svga screen.
What Linux distribution will Gemini run? We are currently talking to a few companies representing different Linux flavours and we are considering a number of options but the decision has not been taken yet. We are also taking into accounts comments from the backers into consideration, including Sailfish & Ubuntu OS, which have been suggested several times.