I think this is the crux of our disagreement. You think that the very idea of an OS is to allow the user to play with the OS. I think that the very idea of an OS is to provide the core functionality, but otherwise stay out of the way.

In your world, the more of the OS you can access the better. In mine, the less you have to access the better. (Except when with my developer's hat on, of course )

I do not know about BB. Never played with one, although I have seen a few and liked them to the point of considering one. But I have a long experience with Palm OS. I used a Palm phone for nearly 10 years. Yes, the same phone. During those 10 years, I had never felt the need to go down to the OS. That's how well it was designed. It fulfilled all my needs and stayed out of the way.