Hmmm...I think you're right, people aren't complaining about the "stock" OS, they're complaining about the apps officially release from the parent, and in some cases the hardware. And I'm sorry, but there isn't really much of a point in saying the Navigation on android used to suck, any more than there is a point to comparing Android 2 to Maemo 6. I'd go out on a limb and say that the quality of the "core" apps is a legitimate gripe, not a could be. Hardware differentiation in smartphone is pretty subtle nowadays and while it does make a difference, it's really boiling down to the user experience which is in large part dominated by the quality of the software.