@dfi:

It stands to reason that if 288MB RAM vs 192MB RAM is the only factor in how smooth the Sense UI performs then Sense UI at the minimum uses 96MB of RAM. You seriously want that thing running on your device in that case?

So no, I think there's probably optimizations there for hardware. I really don't think these fancy new UIs are all that RAM hungry. The nifty effects are a function of 3D acceleration/compositing, and little else. It's not swapping that's bogging those UIs down.

I think the reason other smartphone manufacturers don't make a big deal out of copy-and-paste is because, well, it's not a big deal. For a smartphone, it's kind of like an ad boasting about a regular phone being able to make calls. It's just kind of a given.

Apple is the only company that can call copy-and-paste "amazing" with a straight face. Those boys in Cupertino are awfully full of themselves.

Jay: yeah, I don't "get" HDMI out on a freakin' cellphone.

Malcolm: I said "consistently", meaning the majority of smartphones should have a resolution over 320x480, not "some". It pisses me off that smartphones have largely languished in the territory of 320x240 or 320x480 for what seems like forever.

And to the others: HDMI out? OK, I guess. Personally I don't get it, but whatever.

Shouldn't mobile devices consistently have resolutions above 320x480 before we start worrying about playing HD content on them? Just a thought.

"Of course we're willing to bend the rules, average customer spends about $54, the very minimum an iPhone customer can spend is $70. Higher value to the company = additional flexibility."

Blackberry and WinMo phone users pay just as much per month, how come they don't get breaks?

They're dealing with customers that refuse to abide by the 18 month upgrade policy that they supposedly agreed to in their original contracts. What makes you think they won't try to weasel out of their contracts the second AT&T loses exclusivity?

Once again, whiny iPhone users get their way.

Who in their right mind wasn't aware of the standard 18 month upgrade eligibility limit associated with subsidized phones? I just don't understand where this righteous indignation is coming from. You knew the rules, and for some reason Apple is willing to bend them YET AGAIN.

No, according to the Apple store both are 2.0GHz. And both machines have the same integrated graphics, which means they both use shared memory. I see no reason why the lower-end Mini can't do 256MB for graphics memory as well. If Apple locked it down such that the framebuffer can't be expanded to 256MB without purchasing the more expensive model, that would be very, very lame of them.