as long as it IS a 'better experience.'

And if it IS a better experience I don't quite get how you equate that with being 'beaten with a stick.'

You're right though, they DID get the iPod right which is why it STILL dominates the mp3 player market even when others have failed (Zune anyone?)

I think it's safe to say that the iPhone has revolutionized the smartphone market and you're right, Apple has profited from all this. They got it right and made money. This is bad?

What apps does Apple offer? Well, there's iPhoto, iTunes, iDVD, iMovie, Garageband, Addressbook, Mail, Keynote, Pages, Numbers, among others. Then there's the OS that they built. As with Windows, the majority of apps are written by other companies. What applications does Dell or HP offer? Why does it matter?

There's the iOS store with it's 300,000+ apps for it's mobile hardware but you're right, Apple tries to make sure they work right so that YOU aren't stuck trying to 'absorb that odd hardware/software combination.' If you enjoy that sort of thing, hey, more power to you.