I have not decided if the strict control exerted on Apple products is good or bad. Bad in that you do not get as much flexibility in using different products and apps. Good though in that the product works as advertised. I think that the iPhone / Touch is such a great product because there is no other PDA or smartphone that works as easily or effectively. There are certainly flaws and shortcomings in the iPhone/Touch product like the lack of a keyboard option, larger screens or higher resolutions.
I think that the iPhone will become the defacto smartphone just like the iPod is the de facto portable media player. I hate the iPod, it has a small screen, no expansion and is expensive. But no other product has such a simple to use music and video purchasing system and sync feature. The other portable media players lack a consistent DRM mechanism and sync ability. M$ depreciated their "Plays for Sure" DRM in favor of their Zune player which used something different. With the switch MS told their "Plays for Sure" users that after a certain date the servers that authenticate the DRM on the players will go off line and you will not be able transfer the media content to another player in the future. Of course the DRM is going out on music, I am not sure about video. However the point is that iTunes music that I bought 6 years ago will still work on my new product and that consistancy is why iTunes and iPod is the standard.
The same thing is going to occur with the iPhone where the platform will become popular, easy to use, fun and consistent. Once they achieve a critical mass then dethroning the iPhone will be next to impossible. Even though the Android looks promising, they will have an uphill battle although the multiple carriers that will carry the product may pull them ahead. I suspect that if the Android takes off that the iPhone will be unlocked from ATT. The Palm is dead even though the Pre looks promising. The years of inconsistancy with the windows mobile platform have finally doomed the product.
The BlackBerry is only a good option if you are hopelessly attached to your Exchange Server or a critical application on an large enterprise level. The lawyers that I knew with BlackBerries worked at the state and used their Blackberries to keep in touch by email and coordinating their calendaring. They loved the product since they were always on the go, different court dates and changes in situations. I have heard of hospital systems that use the Blackberries to performed two way messaging and reporting lab results. Such a system worked well since JACHO wants more documentation and tracking of the reporting and response to critical labs or events. Blackberries are great products in these situations but for an individual user or small group it is just a phone and weak PDA. I have a Pearl PDA, I hate it but I am stuck with it for now. There is just no use for it, very few apps and those do not work well.
One thing that I have noticed about the iPhone is how single people or small businesses can be greatly enhanced by the iPhone. A construction contractor that told me how his iPhone revolutionized his business. With the ability to map his location and quickly access the web were a great help to his business. His office can email doucments, locations, etc that can help keep him on task and on track. He just did not have this capability before. I hear these stories all the time about the iPhone. I have yet to hear someone tell me how their Windows mobile changed their life. Again I think that Windows Mobile is dead in the water.
that is my take on everything PDA / Smartphone. Buy an iPhone you really will not go wrong.
Geoff
