I predict:

Apple is seeing a transition period in the near future that will change the way we store our data and use our devices. The technology is not there, and because we will be waiting for it to arrive on a consumer level (read: SSD, Snow Leopard, 3G), Apple is prepared to take a hit in the near future in order to be at the front of the game by mid-2009 when these technologies are more economically available.

All portable devices (including laptops) will have a proprietary lean CPU developed by Apple (reason for acquiring P.A. Semi) and optimized for the eventual release of Snow Leopard. All hard drives offerings will be SSD (less storage space is the impetus for Snow Leopard's lean apps).

However, we will no longer need huge amounts of storage on our primary devices because we will be able to sync to our 'cloud' of data. MobileMe is the tip of the iceberg (its potential has not yet been fully realized by the public), and with this new direction, we will see a home 'server', aided by Time Capsule and AT+T 3G network, that will manage, organize and store excess data that can't be permanently stored on devices like iPhone or an SSD based laptop. It won't really matter where your data is anymore -- it will be accessible from anywhere and from any device because of Time Capsule and MobileMe.

End prediction.

I also had this problem. I took it to the apple store, they basically went through the same process you described in the post, and couldn't solve it. The tech went into the back, got a little white box, and sent me home with a new phone. Problem solved! Now why won't my car dealership give me the same service when they can't fix a problem?

If I could afford one I would totally buy the Burton jacket with iPod controls for snowboarding -- pain in the a$$ otherwise to take glove off, take ipod out, and push buttons on tiny scroll wheel, while submitting said ipod to snow/water. Same is true for any cold or wet weather situation. I say fabric buttons = awesome idea.

Can someone start a flikr pool and competition for this?

I don't think the majority of Mac users would be concerned either way. Apple knows that their duty is to provide their customers with the extremely high level of user satisfaction they've come to expect, and if Apple thought AMD processors were the way to go, I doubt customers would really care. The processor is only as good as the machine it lives in.

Just curious... anyone have any idea why the font on the 'iTunes Store' isn't smoothed? Aliasing is so PC.

Interesting to note, this was designed by none other than former head of industrial design at Apple, Robert Brunner.

Oh, and of course there are bigger, more important issues in the world. But does that mean we should ignore consumer's rights and freedom of speech until we pull out of Iraq? That's exactly what they want you to do. Jesus, you idiots.

For anyone that cares enough about this topic to have read this far, then I recommend reading Free Culture by Lawrence Lessig. It's an easy read, and gets to the root of this whole situation. And though I agree with David to a certain extent, bloggers REALLY need to learn such things as substantiating their opinions (like he did later).

Just tell me when they're gonna freaking launch this sucker... they've really been taking their sweet time... as far as I'm concerned it's almost already obsolete and it hasn't even been released in the US