Ah yes but Apple's device is a data-centric one (yes even with EDGE the coverage for me is better than 3G), I consider it more a hint at the future of mobile computing. You clearly just need a trad mobile phone. There's a huge market filled with traditional phones. Go and get one of them.
Now, I'm not saying that the iPhone is a bargain and I'm not saying it has broad appeal but it _does_ have appeal and some of us consider the pricing, while not great, to be affordable and worth going for.
You're right though we all have our opinions.
Actually I do have a need for data occasionally, I like the option to view files too but with current software on the iPhone its not exactly going to happen very easily.
But this is what gets me, its called an iPhone, yet apple market if for web browsing, music/video playing (and trust me the net on a small screen is not nice -been doing it for years on a p900 with a decent browser too) - if the phone side of things is so unimportant they might as well just reincarnated the Newton but with data access - but again the software is lacking.
Oh and where I live o2 is useless and edge is never going to happen let alone 3G from them, vodafone, orange and even t-mobile are already here with 3G. And I'm not exactly out in the sticks either.
Its just going to be the magpie crowd that buy this phone, not people who need a device that does more than look pretty - even the reviews by british shows (gadget show) are saying basically the same.