Palm Said to be the Next to Target iPhone

iPhones are not $99

Refurbished iPhones (which were defective and returned) cost $99 if you were able to get one of the small quantities made available at some AT&T stores.

Not to mention the expensive service plans the iPhone requires (which are between 75% and 100% more than equivalent Sprint plans and even 15% to 25% more than AT&T's own plans for non-Apple devices).

Not everybody wants a pretty, expensive Apple-made toy loaded with restrictions on how, when, where, and what software you may install on it. Not everyone wants a phone with a horrible on-screen keyboard.

A "smartphone" that restricts what software you can install? A "smartphone" that deletes applications that Apple decides you shouldn't be able to run? A "smartphone" that cannot sent multimedia messages, cannot cut and paste, that cannot record video, that doesn't support even basic open development? A "smartphone" where every application must first be approved by Apple -- delaying releases by weeks or months and banning any software that Apple deems "not worthy?" A smartphone that REQUIRES Apple's proprietary iTunes software to even work... iTunes software that runs very poorly on Windows, and isn't even available for Linux?

C'mon, give me a break. Paying for that is like paying for the privilege of living in prison, but polishing your chains to a pretty, shiny glow.

Apple makes great products, but they are arrogant and full of themselves, and do things that make using their products intolerable for anybody who wants to do anything beyond video games and web browsing.

Palm will do just fine. Not all of us are ready to be converted into Apple clones, loaded with excuses as to why The Great Apple should be able to control every aspect of how, where, and why we use our phones.

Dude of DE @ Jan 06, 2009 21:56:40 PM