I consider myself quite a techie. I used to build my own PCs and was quite proficient with Windows. I used to edit and "clean out" the registry by hand. I've even modified the resource files in some applications to make the keyboard shortcuts work to my liking, and much more. So as a technically savvy person, I feel quite confident in saying that the iPhone 4 is by no means all flash. Its multitasking may not be "true" in the sense of how a desktop computer multitasks, but it's a portable phone first and foremost, and my expectations are markedly different. On a technical level, iOS 4's multitasking features totally kicks the nuts off any other smartphone out there. It provides what is needed on a limited scale without killing the battery. If that's not thinking different, then I don't know what is.
I'll grant you the limited bluetooth features, but the rest is rather frivolous. Ringtones are easy to make... I don't know what workaround you are talking about. It's totally cake. Offering the ability to customize icons would either overburden the OS to provide what really is a pointless feature, or open it up to security vulnerabilities by letting people (and as a result... hackers) access and edit their phone's contents directly. Yes... Android makes this easy to do by letting people do what they want. The malware count for Android is also on the rise as a result, while there continues to be zero for the iPhone. Sure, a technically savvy person will know how to avoid this stuff (or figure it out the hard way). The average person is FAR from technically savvy though, as evidenced alone by the sheer volume of virus-infected Windows PCs out there.
I understand why Apple does what they do and I'd rather they left the iPhone secure as-is for the less-savvy masses. For the technically savvy, we can either get an Android, or just jailbreak their iPhone and do what we please. I'll eventually re-jailbreak mine to get back a ringtone randomizer I used pre-iOS4, and some widgets. Yeah, I'd rather not have to do that, but it's not a big deal. These are rather petty non-essential wants as it is. I am solidly in the iPhone camp because overall, it is technically superior to everything else out there as it is.
I said most and not all, so you didn't really have to lump yourself into that category of people I mentioned since you're clearly not one of them. That aside, can you actually provide proof to the claim you've made about malware on "the rise" on the Android OS ? I don't mean articles supposing that it is possible for malware to rise in the future, (because the same can be said for iOS*) I mean hardcore evidence of what exists now, and how it's on the rise ?
As far as the multitasking thing and saving battery life, that's cool and all, but don't call it something that it's not. It's faux tasking if anything, and doesn't necessarily match or better the multitasking functionality found on the Android OS, which has a truer form of it over all. Nothing is perfect, after all these are fully mobile platforms, but I'm just comparing feature to feature in an attempt to decide which device would suit my needs better.
Ringtones. I didn't say it was difficult. I just said it was a bit of a work around. I can take any unmodified Mp3 or probably AAC or wma file and make it a ringtone on an Android device. With the iPhone, I have to either whip one up in garage band or do some footwork in iTunes. I know, because I've done it before and have a huge batch of ringtones saved.. want some ? haha..
As for "the rest" and it being frivolous.. I'm not going to call you a liar, but I guarantee that if said features were available for the iPhone, you guys would once again be singing the praises of Apple and how much better it is on the iPhone than any other phone out there.. And I wouldn't exactly call customizing ones phone frivolous. It's about separating yourself from the herd of sheep in your office or the gaggle of friends you hang out with. It's about being able to use a design that YOU came up with and integrating it into that thing which has become part of your life style.
In this day and age, we all communicate more on the net and mobile devices, than we do on a personal level.. even when we're in the company of people we're hanging out with ! Having a different MMS or SMS tone or eMail tone creates some separation, and inspires ideas etc.. Call it corny, but it's hard to deny. And please, don't give me that crud about the hardware not being able to handle such tasks ! That's ridiculous and you know it !
I concede that me talking about it as if Apple will ever change their policy is a bit silly, since it won't happen, so I'll just stick with what I originally told you... "let's not get too crazy with that, eh?" Because your original statement that "there's only two types of people", holds NO truth to it whatsoever, sorry.
You kooky kids...
Doug