1) The \Recent flag is used by plenty of mail clients.
2) Substring searches are used for, uhm, searches.
3) Sieve equals filters. Plenty of users out there use filters. If you say "you can create them from the gmail interface", then you're only proving that third party clients aren't compatible.
4) The \Answered flag is pretty hand since most clients will properly detonate when a mail has been replied to (or not). The tag being lost is pretty bad, since it will just confuse the user.

The motor vehicle was not equipped with any of the above actualy. It's equipped onto the driver's head.

Sure, they're standard, and it's cool if gmail implemented them compeltely

Yes they are, they decided to implement their IMAP support in a non-standard way.
Also, plenty of other issues ARE their fault.

I've never used activesync in my life, and yet have not had issues with my email providers. Maybe iOS needs IMAP support? You know, the standard protocol that almost everybody supports (I'm sure there are exceptions).

Also, Contacts != Mail.

- Their IMAP support is broken (as they themselves have documented; you can google that).
  - If you use the webmail view, and real IMAP folders, you'll end up with a mess on both sides.
  - There's no way to manage filters from a third party cliente (eg: via Sieve).

Can't use just freeze an XP VM (eg: snapshot it) and use just that?
In case of a security issue, just rollback. You can keep on using XP, and don't really need a browser if all you do is use those two pieces of software.

Sure, you can get laptops for as low as 100USD.
But, as of a month ago, the cheapest laptop with a Haswell CPU, an SSD and 8GB ram, was a MBA.

We're talking about the same specs, if you lower the specs, of course you can get cheaper price elsewhere.

Actually, as of 2013, Apple computers are generally cheaper than other companie's equivalents.
I know that's why I got my MBA 2013.

Why would you want to exit if it's flawless?
Also, plenty of things are unstoppable withough killing them, notably, many deamons.

More developed countries are cheaper, why is this news?
I live in Argentina. I pay 60USD for 3MB. Some (worse serviced) ISPs offer 5MB for that price.

South Korea is first world, and a VERY developed country, it's only natural that it's chepear than countries that are not.

And that's their undoing.
Show the user 10 captchas:
If none match -> It's an old bot
If some match -> It's human
It over 90% match -> It's this new algorithm.

There, solved!

"slightly lighter" to a SINGLE book. Plenty of people have to carry many books to, for example, the university. I walk about 2.5km and back every day to uni. Carrying a bunch of books with me is out of the question - it's just not good for my back.

Also, it will get more people to use Apple software, hence, reducing changes of those users moving to another OS.

No, you should not trust him. It's for this exact reason that the procedure was published so you can review it yourself, and see if your results match his.