No, I actually fully understand your point. It's not a hard one to grasp. And I don't disagree. But the only remedy I see to this obvious problem you have pointed out would be government intervention...and as I have already said, I don't see it happening anytime soon. Yeah?

But how do you penalize a company for giving something away? They can do it, because they do it better. There is no legislation that has ever suggested that a company MUST charge a certain price for a product that doesn't have some sort of negative externalities associated with it (i.e. over-consumption of alcohol). Price floors have only ever been mandated in agriculture, wages and the alcohol industry. And something tells me that if legislators go up to bat with Google on this one, Google will win.

And set an example for handset makers that price-fixing for component parts is okay? I don't see why you believe this is frivolous on AT&T's behalf. Price-fixing is an ILLEGAL practice, afterall. AT&T paid the inflated price for those handsets due to the fixed price of the LCDs (which is quite often the most expensive component of a handset) and then found out the dirt behind it all. You wouldn't want your money back after you found out you were being ripped off?

And just to point out, this is quite evidently not just a "non-issue" considering LG and Sharp both have already had to pay up in the past for this very practice.

What, no Michael Jackson reference?

The only place you can order it online and have it delivered to your home is the Apple Online Store, I'm pretty sure. If you order it from AT&T they'll only ship it to the corporate store of your choosing to be picked up in the morning on the 19th.

Pacman?

Although not incorrect, the headline is misleading. This phone, as stated by 't' does not support AT&T's 3G network.

I'm not trying to toot Apple's horn here, but Palm should realize that a launch prior to the traditional iPhone release date is not going to win them as many trigger-happy consumers as they would like. It's more like a shoot-yourself-in-the-foot move, because I guarantee you people that are willing to jump ship from their current carrier will wait the week in between launches to see what Apple's new iPhone has to offer. And more than likely, they'll give into the iPhone's allure.

Because it's Google. (They think) they own the world.

Hey Google...don't be evil. ;]

I wish I wouldn't need to wish.*