@mrojas: yup, it is.

The 'problem' for most ppl who can 'hack' (loosely used) is that they can tinker with everything in the software layer, but when it's time to find the portable device that suits them, they're completely dependent to hardware producers because they can't MAKE their own devices. In this sense, they NEED companies like Apple, Nokias, and RIM with their own separate Agendas and business model.

Our niche market is not big enough and it never will be, because 'normal' people just doesn't want to waste their time to tinker too much with their 'appliances'. So we have to take this into consideration and make use of what's out there to get what we want. Once this reality is understood and accepted, I think it's easier to weight the options and make your decisions.

Yes, Apple hates us cause we're not a part of their agenda
I sometimes feel that the apple-hatred voiced in many forums is due to 'unrequited love' They want a part of apple (the hardware for example, or the popularity Apple has gained due to the design and marketing excellence) whereas Apple didn't design the product for them in the first place. And they ***** when the unsupported 'jailbreaking' is disabled in the latest OS update.

I mean, I'm an iPhone user that jailbreaks the OS.. but I also know that I'm the one taking advantage of Apple in this situation for my benefit.

As for multitasking, it's definitely a double edged sword.. on portable devices with limited resource (cpu, memory, screen estate), it has to be managed very smartly. I think Maemo 5 is very close to doing that. We'll have to see.