> The iPhone was a success not because it was the first, but because it was the first really usable device

This is both true and a horrible rewriting of history. People loved their Blackberries. The term Crackberry was invented before the iPhone was even a rumor. And don't tell me it wasn't mainstream, it had taken over most of the business and government market. It was confined to those markets, but within those huge markets it was utterly mainstream. But even before that other people loved Palm devices.

The capacitive touch screen was a clear advance - but don't tell me there was no "usable" device prior to that.