If enabling R&D mode results in a successful boot, why keep off the watchdog monitor? It is there for a reason, no. It is there so if there is a lockup, the Nokia will reboot.

What happens if there is a segfault and the watchdog is off? This is not a regular PC and I don't see a hardware reset nor a control-alt-delete would resolve things.

I would rather work with a safety net than have access to the N800 and then some buggy code gives it the final bork.

In the line of work I'm in, I am always without a safety net. Don't want it off on my Nokias. Let my Nokia reboot a dozen times until I get a stable screen. As for my N800, I am thinking of writing it off and taking the brick to the Nokia store if the depot does not want to repair it.

Sigh.