I wonder how long until Apple gets too big as well though (assuming it's not already, better or even best doesn't mean good). Perhaps an entirely new corporate model is due, sort of like GE but on a micro/ultra-micro scale for the satellites.

Either way, the phone loses points for me on the touch screen. I need physical recognition of input. Take that and my general "toss it in my pocket" abuse of phones, it just doesn't fit me, the screen would have more scratches than a NFL QB's back within two weeks:D.

Can't wait for the iPhone to come down under. I'm using a Windows PDA and although it does sync with my pack using PocketMac, it's a pain, as the sync is not stable all the time.

Len,

That was mostly back in the pre OS X days. I can't really fault the user to much since Windows apps had to append the file extension in order for the file to be associated with the correct app. The enduser did not have to do it so was not aware of its significance.

Mac users did not need the extension because the OS dealt with file associations differently so they were not aware of the significance.

All of that changed with the internet age. Now you are sending files all over the place that pass thru multiple machines along the way to their destination, usually UNIX boxes.

The only way to get the file to the other end "intact" was to fall back to the least common denominator, add a file extension.

All modern day OS's append the file extension by default. Windows hides it but it's still there. Most Mac apps show it and every one gives you the option to hide/show it which is different than the old days of include/don't include it. Regardless it's a visual thing and the actual file itself has an extension same as Windows.
The only time it should become an issue is if you send/receive in a file format from an app that the sender/receiver does not have. Example would be a .dfx from a 3D or CAD app. Not a common app for the average user.

Here's something you'll like about OS X. PDF functionality is built into the print engine. No matter what app you can make a PDF. You just send it to print and in the print dialog box is an option to create a PDF instead.

Everyone can read a PDF.

no phone can be all things to all people. I'm mostly talking about the elegance and design. Compare the iPhone to any of the candybar phones (like my Cingular 8525). No contest.

Instead of pocketmac, use MissingSync by Markspace. Been pretty flawless syncing my Smartphone/PocketPC with both iCal and Entourage (and Entourage syncs with our exchange server, so everything is on the same page).

PC vs Mac? All I know is this: My OS shouldn't need packets downloaded to it almost weekly. I shouldn't have to manually start a software tool whose sole intent is to check the legitimacy of my OS's serial #. Vista tells me all too bluntly that I need new machinery to run it. And MS's new productivity suite, Office 2007, is about as intuitive as sex with a Martian.

I'm over it (Windows).

On Macs for years. No trouble with Mac/PC Adobe Photoshop, GoLive, files etc.

Only two "real" problems (which turned out NOT to be MS Office-related):

1. Powerpoint: files were sometimes slightly altered - we traced it back to missing fonts as described earlier.

2. MS Word: people on PC's were sometimes unable to open some of our documents - we traced it back to the fact that these people had cheaped out and instead of buying MS Office, they had instead installed discounted school versions of MS Office on multiple machines. Never found out what the problem was. Solution was to have them buy a "real" copy of MS Office, or, for some of the real cheapies, save our documents as ".rtf" files rather than ".doc" files when these few needed to see something.

So not really software cross-platform problems, but instead human nature problems.