You're probably right Squil, though I'm sure most iPhone owners don't know what it is, nor cares...they just 'want the iPhone', for some inexplicable reason. 

Well there are numerous reasons like:

• Familiarity
• Fashion
• Interface quirks/nuances
• Network effects like "friends, app stores, etc" which are improved as people buy more of a product.

Obviously the nerd rage over the iPhone popularity is probably unjustified because the things which make the iPhone or iTouch popular are always discounted and the features which noone cares about are always promoted. Who the hell cares if Android can be customised if only a select few actually do it?!

Its the same reason why the PS2 was more popular. I remember I had a friend who cringed every time someone bought a PS2 and he called them retards because he thought that interlaced graphics were about the worst thing even invented. He used to simulated puking everytime the PS2 was mentioned because of it. But newsflash, noone cared and the PS2 was the best selling home console of all time.

Btw: I use Symbian, im a Nokia guy. I paid $150U.S. for an unlocked N5230 with GPS, resistive touch screen etc. Its not as slick but im not going to be paying hundreds for features im not actually interested in. Its a great almost smart phone and it actually does last more than a day on charge!

Yeah I normally try my best to speak for the 'silent majority' on these boards, but I can't bring myself to defend the 'sheep mentality'.  You try to make sense as to which is the enticing feature unique to the iPhone that makes it so desirable, and more often than not it's superficial aesthetics, or 'just because'.  There's nothing wrong with it obviously, but when did we all become such mindless drones that the media can manipulate so easily? 

Fast turnaround on their part. Must have been hemorrhaging money, because most failed technologies still live longer than this...

It's best if you include the companion piece.

Amusing, but I think the arguments are a bit more paper-thin.  Problem with a battery? Pot, kettle, black? How about the option to replace it instead of waiting for a repair?

I'm not a photographer either, but who's going to complain about higher-res photos? Or a faster processor and network to load apps and Internet pages quicker?

Speak for yourself, only yourself and that way you won't insult anyone by making assumptions about what other people want. Theres no sheep mentality, there are just people who get pissy about other peoples choices which have nothing to do with them.

I didn't mean to offend anyone - people have their reasons and don't have to justify them to me.  Fair enough.  Generalisations are for simple minds.  I'm done with the pretentious social commentary into the psychology of the iPhone consumer now... 

There is certainly some sheepishness to Apple fans. My mum bought a MacBook because "I just can't use Vista," of course when asked what was wrong with Vista she couldn't come up with anything, but everyone else seems to be getting MacBooks so she should too

That goes both ways, though. Many of the "Apple haters" I've come across go out of their way to avoid the products for reasons just as  silly or nonsensical.

Besides, if your mom bought a laptop PC, what would be her excuse for not buying a MacBook? Clueless customers are clueless, no matter what they buy.

Oh, also... funny vid (@famousringo)