[whpalmer4]

Originally Posted by endoftheQ

I downloaded iOS4 that rendered my iPhone 3g unusable.

That is most unfortunate, but weren't you able to roll back to 3.1.3? I've been holding off on upgrading my 2G iPod Touch due to the stories I've been hearing, and the lack of a "must-have" feature to make it worth the risk. I'm more willing to jump into things like Omni sneaky peeks where I don't have to worry about not being able to go back if I don't like it!

But as I'm going to do throughout this post, let's consider what the alternative might be in a different ecosystem, and see if it is better, not just different. My understanding is that many of the Android phones sold thus far cannot be upgraded to more recent versions of Android because someone in the food chain doesn't want to play along (not having an Android phone, the need to retain the details in my aging memory was deemed insufficient). Given that Apple is supporting your hardware/software configuration, one might reasonably expect that your situation will improve, though perhaps not sufficiently.

I've had an App deleted without warning and without my permission. On asking for a refund, I'm told to contact the developer.

Didn't Amazon do the same thing with some materials sold through the Kindle store?

What was the reason for the deletion, do you know? Is that something the developer can do on their own?

If an app bought for an Android device goes poof in the night, do you have any better recourse? I really don't know anything about other vendors' App stores.

An App took money out of my iTunes account without warning me (via in-App purchase). I've been told to contact my credit card company for a chargeback.

Again, isn't that likely to be the case anywhere? I suppose it isn't a concern if the ecosystem in question doesn't allow in-App purchases! Frankly, though, I'm a lot more comfortable with giving an app the ability to spend money if there's a guy with a big stick (Apple) providing and policing the mechanism than I would be typing CC details into an app where there has been no screening. You know that Apple will flip the kill switch on an app that rips people off, but is there even such a mechanism for Droid apps in general?

Oh, and since I've had my iPhone and iPad, I'm not permitted to purchase Apps from anyone else, 'allowed' Flash, etc. etc. Why? 'coz Apple says so!

You aren't allowed a built-in APL interpreter, either :-)

I haven't been able to do any of those things on my Nintendo Wii. I can't even back up my purchased media!

While it is true that Apple isn't allowing you to buy apps in a completely unrestricted market, and has chosen not to provide Flash, those restrictions apply only so long as you insist on running only Apple's preferred OS configuration. Microsoft insists that you have a crappy experience running their software on your PC, but the experience changes dramatically if you're willing to go to the trouble of installing Mac OS X or Linux or NetBSD or whatever floats your boat. So it is with the Apple hardware when you jailbreak or install Android. You just don't get to enjoy the benefits of the walled garden and live outside it simultaneously.

I guess for me, it all boils down to a bottom line of "build something I don't like, I won't buy it" and the flip side of that is that I don't have any right to demand that they build something I will buy, if the prospect of a sale to me isn't sufficient incentive. Apple isn't the only seller of phones that run apps, or music players, or laptop computers, or operating systems. While one might be justifiably upset that they refuse to provide Flash (because you think that their device is otherwise the best choice), for example, it's not like Steve woke up one day and said "that's it, hit the kill switch, no more Flash on the iPhone" — this is not a case of bait and switch. The things you don't like are largely as they were when you made your purchase, right? Was anything materially misrepresented to you? I suppose if you bought an original iPhone thinking that there would never be an App store to tempt you into spending too much money on numerous bits of software fluff, you might have some justification for being upset :-)

I know that I really should be venting on an i-hate-apple board somewhere, but there are a lot of Omni users who, like me, have been long-time loyal fans of everything Mac and I respect their opinions (even if I sometimes don't agree) over those whose previous Apple experience is confined to owning an iPod Shuffle.

Okay, you're unhappy, and your return period, if any, is over. What would make you happy now, and what would prevent future unhappiness?

It comes down to this, after serious consideration, OmniFocus is the only reason I don't feel able to junk my iPhone. If it were available via the web, on Android, or could be sync'd by another client, I would do so in a flash (no pun intended!).

If you really want to switch phones but keep OmniFocus, picking up an iPod Touch would give you that freedom immediately. If you buy it used you don't even have to contribute to Apple's coffers. You could contribute to mine, instead :-)

Is there something I'm not 'getting' or am I being 'unreasonable'? I would genuinely be interested in other Member's thoughts.

Nah, I think if you've carefully checked out the grass on the other side of the fence, and it really is greener and doesn't make your allergies flare up and doesn't harbor venomous snakes you should consider moving. Just make sure the wife agrees :-)