Mobile computers are like pants, you find what you like and can't imagine how other people can wear something else (those damn baggy ones that show 8 inches of the idiot's boxers confuse me).

I can tell you I'd been die-hard Palm since the PalmPilot Pro through the treo 650. Loved an iPaq for a while after that. And I bought my wife the Touch. I could easily get by with any one of them - and if it came down to the built-in apps I certainly would. But there hasn't been a single device I've mentioned that I didn't add 3rd party apps to address my needs.

As has been mentioned, the power behind the nxxx devices IS the 3rd party apps. It IS the community development. Any reticence toward installing 3rd party software is, to me, stunningly incomprehensible. Why? This isn't shareware for your 98 box...this is *nix development at it varied stages. Of course there are issues. Give me one piece of software that has none.

I guess my point is, if you're going to post a tirade about the shortcomings of the device, while not being interested in doing ANYTHING to address them, what are you trying to achieve? The only options I can think of are: editorial commentary, or convincing yourself that you really want a different device.

If it's to be an editorial commentary, consider making it significantly more impartial and do more to present it as such. If you're trying to convince yourself that you should get something different, don't be surprised when the people in a FOSS-based forum tell you to do just that. Not because we're trying to be jerks, but because our culture is NOT one that will spend an exorbitant amount of energy trying to keep you "in the fold."

Do what you want, man. If you need a hand, we'll help. If you call us clueless, we'll fire up the bbq. We recognize the shortcomings, but we're intimately aware of its strengths. It's not for everyone, but it is for me. I feel no need to apologize if it isn't for you.