Having bought my first Apple-related equipment a year ago (4G ipod nano to make use of the car's ipod connection given its lack of mp3 capability), I have stayed away from Apple as much as I can (being, well not a M$ fanboy but more of an Apple hater than anything else, moreso because of the associated fashion/cult status/the 'Apple products are better than anything else' mentality displayed by certain Apple fanatics who, I imagine, would happily bomb M$ or try to destroy Windows in order to create more converts and for world domination).

For a while, I've been toying with the idea of a smartphone. Needing email access, good internet access and PDA functionality I looked to HTC products, in particular the Touch HD. However, this was quickly dropped by HTC relatively sooner than expected after launch. I waited with baited breath for its successor, which turned out to be the HTC Hero. Not as sleek nor as slim as the Touch HD. Still torn further still, I had a play with an iphone and some HTC products, the latter of which were great. Still undecided, I waited. Until today.

My finger slipped.

I've ordered an iphone 3GS 32GB in white (black was unfortunately not available) from the CPWH. Not sure how it'll turn out or whether CPWH is at all reliable but given O2 appeared to be sold out, it was something I was going to ponder. I didn't.

Soooo.....did I make the right decision?

Do it or one day (80ish )you will be sitting there thinking What if.?????

Well, ultimately only you can decide if it's worth it.

My iPhone was certainly worth it.

I've heard of more and more people getting an iPhone recently. Quite a few are, like you, people who would usually avoid Apple products.

The iPhone could be just like the iPod for Apple, and attract people to the platform.

Posting this from my iPhone. I bought an htc Touch pro last year, as the iPhone didn't do everytging I needed. Now, with the 3.0 software, it does pretty much everything I need. It always had a bettet interface than the htc, although that did some things better.

I bought an iPod Touch in June, whilst travelling regularly to England. I found, with the iPod, that it was easier to use and more responsive than the htc. My only real problem is the app store. it is an excellent idea, but the current application vetting process is seriously flawed. Apart from that I don't have any real problems with the platform so far.

So jailbreak it then. *shrug*

Jailbreaking it won't help the developers which are being dicked about with by Apple's reluctance to specify what the policies for acceptance are and changing their minds on whether an app meets these policies or not on a whim...

As I've said, countless times, the App Store concept is excellent, but Apple's current policy is seriously flawed. It is unclear what the rules are and they seem to using a moving goalposts system for accepting applications. They need more transparency and they need to make it very clear what criteria an app needs to follow to be accepted.

They should also stop people like Phil Schiller egging on developers to develop a specific application, because he can't wait to use it, then reject it from the store, once it is submitted!

Meh.

HTC Hero all the way.
When I finally buy it.

Err yes it would.

You could then get the GTalk app that seems so important to you.

I don't know how well the sync works on the Windows side, you may have to embrace iTunes and that may cause you a moments regret as a Windows fan. However since I have got my paws on mine it has never left my side. I love it. Once I figured out how to get the SIM card in it was a doddle to to get up and running.

I think that you overall you will have few regrets.

Never really liked the things...

I think they're a giant waste of money in all honesty. Don't get me wrong, the hardware is impressive, the interface is impressive... But they're so bloody expensive! Then to top it off you're locked into an awful contract (it's expensive for what you get) and you'll be downloading apps by the dozen once you get the app-bug!

Also no hardware full-qwerty (OMG I couldn't spell qwerty just then!) keyboard.

Then again if it makes you happy then it was definitely worth every penny

Np, I couldn't. Like a majority of apps which are in the store, or are rejected, the Google Talk app isn't available outside of the app store either.

It also isn't important to me, it is an USA only service. Goolge Voice is just the most high profile app, especially as it was requested by an Apple executive, only to be rejected once it had been written!

I also don't want to jailbreak my iPhone. It s the principle of the matter. Apple are not transparent about the process, are acting in a seemingly draconian way and the whole process is so opaque that developers don't really know whether their app will be accepted or not, until after they have spent the time and money to develop it and then submit it!

I'm not for jailbreaking iPhones or joining the vocal crowds switching to Android or BlackBerry (or the people using a 9mm pistol to shoot their iPhones). I like the iPhone and the idea behind the App Store. I just want Apple to be clear and open about how the vetting process works, so that it is fair on developers!

From the windows side..and yes using iTunes will make you regret, cry, scream and rant as you use such an abortion of a program that makes you wonder why Apple cant code for such a minor OS. It is a program that could be so good but seems intent on becoming a bloated monstrosity.

Putting the sim in was a doddled, though I think It was because I remembered from getting the 3G where it showed you how to replace the sim card that putting it into the 3gs was so easy.

Though it is quite nice on the Mac…

I guess one problem with Windows is that there are so many variants…

Maybe it is porting that is the problem, Windows apps rarely are any good when ported over to the Mac. I have used some and I as a result I am full of pity for Windows users they are such a pile of junk. Though maybe on the PC they work just fine.

It is quite possible to be a mac user without being completely nuts and unrealistic. We managed to leave the worst examples over at the Dennis forums. The macbooks are great, if a little pricey at the top end, the imacs are still a bit of a joke and the mac pro is somewhat compromised. The OS is nice, if not much better than a good linux distro, however it wipes the floor with Windows 7. Still not a big fan of the company - they come across ever so slightly psychotic in a "The Godfather" sort of way, but I'd happily have an iphone if I could justify paying the tariff costs. As it happens I spend a tenner on an o2 simplicity tariff and that does me fine.

Have fun with it!
The latest version of itunes isn't too bad on Windows Vista x64, seems pretty stable but not as nice and integrated as it is on the mac.

I switched to using iTunes on my Windows PC last year, it is much better than older versions. It doesn't seem to slow the machine down to a crawl any more and it is very stable (I haven't had a crash yet). It seems that Apple are slowly pulling their act together, with their Windows products.