Nokia has begun shipments of its new N900 mobile computer to retailers in Europe, Middle-East, Russia and North America. The N900 is Nokia’s first Maemo-based mobile internet device to have phone functionality and features a 5 mega pixel camera and media player.

“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,” said Nokia Nseries Vice President Jose-Luis Martinez in a statement.

The Linux-based Maemo operating system is typically used for mobile internet devices, but has been optimized for smartphones. The N900 is equipped with an ARM Cortex-A8 processor and up to 1GB of total application memory.

Users can browse the internet the way they would on any computer and keep dozens of application windows open simultaneously, according to Nokia. The device is currently selling for €500, or  $750 in the United States.

The N900 was launched at Nokia World in early September and was initially slated for release on September 27. That date was later moved to November.