My phone has more than adequate battery life
Once again, you're judging based on things that you've read rather than actual experience.
"true" is perhaps not the right word - "full" would be more appropriate. Yes, the iPhone can run background tasks, but it is severely limited in what background tasks can actually run.
I have an app on my HTC Desire that puts a notification in my notifications bar that tells me how much data I have used for the month. Very useful as I don't have an unlimited plan
This app sits in the background and measures all data sent to/from my phone. That would not be possible on the iPhone because of its limited APIs.
Similar things, like monitoring how many minutes you use on the phone, or how SMS messages you send/receive, are NOT possible on the iPhone but perfectly possible on Android.
If you're "a 30, 40, 50 something with a beyond FT job" then I would think you'd value your time. Widgets save time. FACT. They're not gimmicky - they stop you from having to go through screens and make information available at a glance. If I want to turn WiFi off when I'm not in range of a hotspot, I just hit my WiFi toggle. I don't have to go settings > networks > wifi > on/off. You could put a calendar on your homescreen that lists your childrens' upcoming medical appointments. I use the trains a lot when I travel down south, and I can put a widget on my home screen that shows all departures from my station. Widgets are useful and save time.
iPhone OS4 is a sign that it's finally starting to catch up with Android but there's still a way to go yet