Step 1: Print out all 100 thousand docs and draw different little smiley faces on each of them. Step 2: scan all your docs back in as jpegs. Step 3: import all those jpegs into iPhoto and use "Faces" to magically organize them - just like on the television commercial.

OK. that is funny. Someone decided to mod me funny for saying that the parent should be modded funny. But just to clarify, it was the "weevil" which I found funny... and he is the only one in this thread that has not been modded funny. So now I suppose I am going to get modded offtopic... sorry.

mod ^ funny, very funny

If this guy is to be believed, according to Rick Fox, spokesperson for AT&T there is an 'early upgrade discount':

or just 'Hydraulic' - but i was to busy debating someone about the new iPhone vs Pre to do it right the first time, or the second ;)

Its not exactly like every other carrier on the planet. AT&T has an exclusive on the iPhone. They are milking that for what its worth (and I don't really blame them). With other phones, you can switch to a new carrier to get the latest greatest shiny new phone at a huge discount. Of course that huge discount won't be so huge if you factor in the cancellation fee on your original contract... but its better than nothing.

fair enough

Fly-by-wire vs HUMAN controlled debate

there, fixed that for myself

I think you are overreacting to the phrase 'battle-tested.' Its a commonly used phrase that does not mean specifically someone who has been in an actual war. It just means they have real world experience. We say things like, 'that teacher has been battle tested in the Public school system,' or 'that broker has been battle tested through good and bad markets.' Its a common American English usage.

As to the rest of your post, I think you are over reacting there too. It actually summarizes a very old debate. The original poster is NOT in fact the first person to make the statement, 'an American company errs on the side of individual freedom while a European company is more inclined to favor an approach that relies on systems' - it cuts to the very essence of the debate. Just google 'Fly-by-wire vs computer controlled debate'. You will find numerous references to the cultural differences that drive both philosophies - by member of the aviation industry on both sides of the Atlantic.

What is interesting is your comment that 'the answer is statistics' - both sides use statistics to support their argument.

I don't have a problem with what AT&T is doing. I get their logic. But for me personally, this is one more reason that I might just go ahead and try out the Pre. (the other reason is because it works with iTunes). I will miss my Apps, but at least my iPhone will effectively be an iTouch.

I guess AT&T has figured this in. The only reason to give a discount to upgraders would be to lock them in for another 2 years. I guess they figured that enough people will pay full price or stick it out until the end of their contract that they don't need to provide an incentive - not now anyway. They might be right... im not even sure what i will do myself yet (have not looked into what ATT cancellation fees will be, how long Sprint will try to lock me in, etc).