And still, we here that Verizon plans on doing the same after a while--precisely why I am moving back to a dumbphone and just buying a multi-use device like a Zune or an Archos. I even see friends with iPhones just run their contract out and use them as PDAs/iPods. Why not? Run to Wal-Mart and get a Straight-Talk phone and plan for less than $100, and not even be in a contract. Even today's dumbphones have a helluva lot of features for the money.

Agree. And that's why I drive a 2001 S-10 versus a '81 Chevelle. But I don't expect that the first oil change 25,000 miles after I bought it would do any good about extending its life.
Example--my brother-in-law is one of the few Jedi Masters of IT. He can wax philosophical about who has the edge on flops regarding intel vs. AMD. Yet, cars are consumer products to him; he just puts gas in it and goes. The 'lil yellow lite that tells him to check the engine means a trip to the dealership or Oil Can Henry's.

The same with these pieces of equipment: if we are knowledgeable and confident about our abilities, we can mod them as we choose (I run Windows XP with BlackBox, and have VirtualBox ready to run Kubuntu). Otherwise, most people want a microwave for a computer (and good luck with getting these same people to set the clock on their VCRs....).

Back to car analogies...

Simple explanation to a 30 year tech in the biz, versus my expertise (seven years max):

A PC is a '72 Chevy Pickup; a Mac is a Mercedes coupe.
A MB has a certain aesthetic, but its built with specific options in mind: handling, power, braking, etc.
The Chevy can be modified to ANY extent, and with low expenditure compared to the MB.
I am not saying that the MB is not modifiable, but you have to go to someone like Brabus to do it...as far as the truck goes, the guy down the street can help....

And this is where we get that "consumer vs. programmer" argument. If that's the case, would a lot of *nix fans that like CoD be bitching at the company for NOT making a version that is compatible? Where's the target audience?
And yes, you can say that the general public isn't aware of alternatives, but if the OSS crowd doesn't make a user-friendly product (HELLO! WI-FI DRIVERS!!!111), then why are they still the 'Third Wheel'?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! XDDDDDD
And that's exactly why the CongressCritters get away with what they do; if everyone took a chunk out of their day to pay attention to CSPAN, etc., then they would be thoroughly outraged. BUT, in today's parlance, you would be wise to call our system Republican Consumerism: just enough moxie to care about how your candidate looks (wasn't that Massachusetts' example, if any), but realizing that you give half a shit to care....

Which pisses most people off, but is the true MO of Congress. A good reminder: All NEW contracts null and void the previous ones, 'by using this product,' sort to speak. Same with government: If I make you sign a contract for five years to not disclose a product's production/action/etc., and you do, CLAIMING the 1st Amendment to free speech....
Good luck with that. The newer contract, regardless of knowledge, is the most requisite one. My contract supersedes the old, flimsy one that courts only use when there is GROSS negligence on behalf of the plaintiff...
And -- IANAL (only if she asks), but I am a trained paralegal. Which means that I can make leaps into ideas and interpretations of laws, but its the lawyer's call. And he's supposed to know Courtroom Procedure, which is a whole 'nother ball of wax.

And who is to say this might NOT happen???

Be careful with that mindset.... To steal an idea off of Bill Hicks for a moment: There's not that much babysitting money going around these days to buy (insert precious, talentless tone-deaf artist here)'s album, is there?
Hell, I can hear how bad Britney Spears' was back in '97. Now she has more money than Midas, and you're telling me that no talent stops people from buying albums?

Precisely why I give 0.5 of a shit on how much the new phone costs when I sign a new contract. Regardless, the phone will be outdated (features/apps, carrier bandwidth, etc.) at the end of the contract anyway. Had a T-Mobile MDA (HTC Wizard) that was outdated a year after I bought it, although the rates never changed with my carrier for my plan. The phone finally died after three years, and now I have an Omnia with Verizon. The retail price vs. the subsidized price is drastic with these phones today...