I like the sound of this and all the best in achieving, I would like to suggest to give a grip on the phone, i.e. few positions suggestions
1) Next to Infra-Red Port for holding the phone for camera or to hold the phone with single hand, well I am righty usually I hold phone with right hand.
2) at the bothom of the phone, for supporting the adove hold
3) on the backlid,
3.a) it would look stylist
3.b) helps in opening the slide with less effort.
So, what do you think?

BTW its high time I changed something with N900, it will be a great feeling holding a N900 in a metal body.

i would be interested in a standard cover (thus with the normal battery) primarily for the better thermal behavior.
depending on its esthetic and ergonomic, i may also be interested in a back cover for additional battery.

sounds amazing. Would be interested in fullbody w/dual battery back, and a single flat back cover (gotta get something for BOTH of my n900s, right?)

Awesome! more cool accesories for my beloved N900!

Its good you've already considered this. I might be interested, but I haven't used my dual-scud for a while, so I'm not sure, and I'd like to see what the finished product would look like before deciding.

I'll buy two sets, for my two N900s. I sure hope you can do this! Nothing would make me happier (which is really quite sad...).

Estel, I imagine you have the N810's kickstand as your example on how you want to make the N900's.

or not?

could these be shiped to the uk

Holy ****, this is awesome. Real augs for the N900.
Loving the idea of larger antennas, built-in cage for second battery/extra devices and the kick stand.

P.S., if the kick stand will work like the older Maemo devices (size of the entire back), I'm so pumped to get this.

Upgradable phones, gogogo!

I'd like to get a double-sized cover with body replacement. Who knows how much kit you can jam in there?

EDIT:

Estel, can we get some pictures/mockups when you decide on the final design?

I'm afraid I'm not so good @ optics BTW, due to way camera module is created, any zoom lens I'm aware off *must* limit view area (silly "black vignette" effect on photo), so effect wouldn't be probably better than using cheap Chinese magnetic lenses.

Of course, if some optics guru would prove that wrong and already prepare project with dimensions for proper optic, it would be awesome. Still, I doubt it's going to happen - hate to say that, but using compact camera with optical zoom is probably *much* less hassle.

To be honest, I have no idea what You're talking about. Anyway, backcover will be "sanded", so it should be both more pleasant to hold, and less prone to scratches.

I'm not sure if understand exactly what do You mean. Could you mock up some pictures?

i don't have it, but I know how it works and why it's superior. I'll try to make custom kickstand, that will be ever better. Can't promise anything yet, but I'm thinking about few ideas of implementing customizable "hold still" angle (allowing one to put N900 @ any angle, from almost flat, to almost 90 degrees). If it turns out too complicated/hassle, I'll revert back to pure meaning of *kick* stand.

I'll gladly ship these to anywhere in the world - You're paying shipping costs anyway so it's no problem for me.

@Everyone else

Thank You all for Your support. I'll order big piece of good quality aluminum, just after showing this thread to my family - maybe this way, they won't scrap me for "wasting money"

To be honest, I also can't wait to have such "elite" body for N900. Easy plugs for external antennas bring me chills - in fact, I'm already thinking about some portable, "transformers-like" (small to transport, big when You decide to use them) fractal antennas (to cover different frequencies, depending on needs - that is, different frequencies based on how You "assembly" antenna for use, fully convertible due to fractal nature). Of course it's only in my head now, so don't expect such things to arrive soon, and/or I have no idea if it would work as projected in 4nec

/Estel

// Edit

It will be either covering whole back, or made of few parts placed in "strategic areas" - I haven't decided yet on final design for details (projecting main brick of body now), but you can rest assured that I'll only choose result, that prove best on real usage We need a *real* kickstand for using device, not only decorative one, for placing it and watching movies without touching