Apple still hasn't figured out their mistake from the original Mac. They refused to allow other entities to clone their system and thus ruled out the diversity of competition that created the PC industry. They could have made untold billions off of selling their OS, but like IBM foolishly decided that their was no money in software there was only a future in selling hardware. This ignorant, anti-competitive, fearful belief has relegated the Mac to some 14% of the market when Mac OS products could have been over 90% of the market had they allowed cloning of the system. Like Sony with the Betamax, a captive OS is almost certainly doomed for failure.

Now they are doing the same with the IPhone. Sure the IPod was successful, but we already see it's market disappearing.

Apple is afraid of competition. They could have driven a stake through the heart of the Android phone market. They would have been collecting royalties from Samsung, HDC and a dozen others but greed and fear stopped them.

I won't be supporting their anti-competitive technology. I will continue with systems where open competition improves he technology and offers me a higher degree of quality and service.

Its not that Apple is afraid of competition its more that Steve Jobs is a control freak.

Touchy subject Kevin:

True story; was at Disneyland last week with the kids and grandkids. We kept track of each other via cellphone, as some preferred rides others did not. At one point, while waiting in line, I got a call and opened my 4 year old cellphone. I could hear someone back behind me saying "Did you see how OLD that phone was!"

Not being wedded the to the damned things, it does just what I want. I can send/receive calls. It's primarily a backup in case of emergency. I have no need to talk to someone while waiting in line at the bank, picking up groceries or while driving.

Personally, I think most of the people who "talk" to others while going about their daily activities are the same ones who sit like a lump of coal when finally in the physical presence of those they "have to talk to 24/7".

My brother is a electronics geek. He HAS TO HAVE the newest and fastest of everything. He's always on the 'bleeding edge' of technology - and complains about what it costs him.

Proprietary hardware and software are hallmarks of Apple, and the primary reason I will never own anything Apple.

Garandfan,
A few years ago I heard your same argument a little differently. Back then, I heard folks ask what do they need a cellphone for? What can a cellphone do that a regular old landline can't?

The benefit of smartphones is that they are a lot more than just phones. I've been using various incarnations of smartphones for years now and I find them to be very helpful for work and home. For instance, your trip to Disneyland. There are numerous apps just for Disneyland/Disneyworld that have maps of the park, give up to the minute status of how long the lines are, work with the GPS to show you where you are and can even pinpoint where other people in your party are in the park.

I've been using the iPhone for the last couple of years. I use it not just for the phone, but it's my GPS when I travel, player for music and audiobooks, and has many apps that are great for my job. I have downloaded many reference books that I use for work onto the phone, so instead of carrying around a huge, heavy library of reference materials, I have them all loaded onto my phone for quick easy access. If I need to look up something I can search the Internet. For example, I was at the doctor the other day and they asked for the number of my pharmacy. I pulled out my phone and looked it up in seconds.

Overall, for me a smartphone is about having tools and data that are important to me in one easy to use device. I'm not an iPhone fanboy. I'm not trying to say that the iPhone is the end all be all. My point is that whether its the iPhone, Android, WinMo, or Blackberry, Smartphones are fantastic tools for us to use.

"fantastic tools for us to use"

Yes, it's a "tool". My point being that if you have no pressing need for a "tool", why buy it, other that it's NEW!. I know people who have all the NEW gadgets, and they just sit gathering dust...or are only used on occasion. But they'll argue that THEY HAVE IT.

Kevin,
I have similar feelings. I work in IT in a very demanding group supporting our key business groups (I am not tech support, but I was in the last century, and currently direct support teams), and as a result I've had most of the "hot" business phones in the last 5 years. The Palm Treo, 3 flavors of black berry, the iPhone 3, the Droid and the Droid 2 as well as many take home trials of other phones. I've been on Sprint/Nextel, Verizon and AT&T.
While I like the Iphone, IMO the overall experience for a business person that needs his phone to access mail and to get calls whenever and wherever he is, it failed. And most of that failure was the AT&T network problems. I had to disable 3G access for it to be even moderately dependable in most of the Philadelphia metro area. The lack of flexibility and control was annoying but not a deal breaker. But in 2g mode, only it's interface and large screen for reading mail made it nice to have.
After a bit over a year I was able to go back to a BB on the Verizon network. The screen was small and the apps were limited and in short supply, but it worked damn it! Everywhere. And AT&T support... more than once I had to prove to them they had a network issue in southeastern PA. Until I did it was always blamed on the phone, my office or the local tower they din't own. Until I proved they owned the nearest tower. Horrible, combative support, and this was with a business account that had over 7000 AT&T phones.
Anyway, the Droids, wonderful phones, but there has been some pain with Google, Moto and Verizon pointing at each other whenever anything doesn't work as expected. Never had a more versatile phone, and the level of control that I can exert over it is wonderful since I am a hacker at heart.
My wife wants an Iphone on the Vz network when she can. I hope it works as well as the BB and droids do on that network. But I can't see going back after I've been droided.