Hey, I had something similar not so long ago! I got it from eBay for something like £3.50 delivered. It used an old Nokia battery (like the one in 3110) and could even be used as an external Nokia battery charger if need be.
Still, another thing to carry around... If I need a proper GPS then I will just use one. Like my old Tom Tom. My N900 is just for emergencies.
I would love to see some progress. Roaming charges can be extortionate and finding an open Wifi is a ***** without something like outSSIDer. Or am I supposed to be using aircrack-ng for this?