My relationship with my iPhone over the last two years draws a lot of similarities to my relationships with that of the opposite sex.  I've been with the iPhone since June 29, 2007 but have had many affairs with other phones since only to come right back to it.  Ok, that sounds bad, no I've never had an affair or cheated on my wife, but I'm so good at finding the slightest imperfection.  Anyhow, as close to perfect as the iPhone has always been I've always found those slight and sometimes major imperfections that just drive me crazy.  This has led me to many phones in the past two years beginning with the hideous AT&T Tilt.  Following up the mistake that was the Tilt was the Nokia N95-3, then back to the iPhone, then the N95-4, back to the iPhone, Nokia E71, back to the iPhone, iPhone 3G, Nokia N85, G1, back to the iPhone 3G, Blackberry Bold, Blackberry Storm, Xperia X1a, back to iPhone 3G.  I still have the Blackberry Bold and use it as my workhorse, but all of the other phones have either been sold off or put into retirement.

 Enter the Palm Pre.  Wow.  This phone has the most breathtaking UI I have ever seen.  The screen is slightly smaller than the iPhone's but has the same pixel count making it look as crisp as any screen I've seen with the exception of the Bold.  Multitasking (using the cards is awesome), full Facebook integration, free turn by turn navigation, a slide out keyboard that I really liked, nice camera with a flash, and a beautiful design.  What was there not to like?  I had a two week fling with the Pre where I was simply in love.  The only things currently lacking from the Pre would be apps, video, an onscreen keyboard, and flash support.  Flash support and apps are already certainties to come and on screen keyboard and video are highly likely to show up via an update.  The browser was on par with the iPhone's and dare I say it, I actually enjoyed using it more than the iPhone's.  Pages such as Myspace and Facebook update realtime in the browser and they support the full site including the IM feature of Facebook.  Data speeds on Sprint were blazing fast.  I constantly was showing 2.3 Mbps in speed tests.  I still was uneasy about switching to a CDMA carrier however. 

 Then came June 19th.

 Despite all the posturing I made here at EIC and EPre, I was on the way to work on that muggy Friday morning, perhaps still having my decision making impaired by the festivities of Thursday night when I found myself drawn to the AT&T store as I passed.  In my mind I thought "well, it's not like I'll have a chance to get one anyhow" and I would be spared another purchase and the wrath of my wife.  To my surprise I walked into the store and there is not a wait.  Not even one minute.  It was busy no doubt, but the reps descended upon me like vultures.  I guess they all recognize me now.  Anyhow, naturally, I settle for the cute little blonde so I can have some eye candy while still wrestling in my mind with whether or not to actually follow through with the purchase.  Then I start playing around on my Pre on Twitter, reading reviews of the 3GS while she's gone to get one from the back, and finally I decide (like I always do) "what the hell I can bring it back in 30 days".  I used the same rationalization with my purchase of the Pre!  In my mind I figured it was fate as it just couldn't be that easy to get the 3GS without preordering.  I was in the store at 7:50 and out by 8:15.  As I was walking out I was thinking about how crazy I was to spend 13 hours over two days waiting for the iPhone 3G last year only a few days after knee surgery and popping pain pills in line at a pace that would make Dr. Gregory House (House, M.D.) jealous.

 It has now been six days and I am amazed at how much the 3GS feels like a new phone.  Almost all of the complaints about it I've had in the past are gone.  This thing is blazing fast, the oleophobic coating on the screen to my surprise works great.  Voice control is pretty sweet although it is not without issues.  Spotlight and the ability to search within the mail app take away two of my bigger gripes.  The camera, while still not on the Nokia N95 level, has made a huge leap.  32 GB alleviates the need for me to have to pick and choose what I put on the phone and leaves room for videos from the camera.  The phone in general just seems much more stable.    I still want multitasking and there is no doubt this phone has the specs to support it.

Apple has nearly perfected the iPhone and it is nearly to a level that I can't complain a whole lot about it.  Not saying I won't snatch up a Pre if a GSM version with more storage is released, but for once I can see myself totally content with it until the next one is announced at WWDC 2010.

 In the end, it really was a tossup.  The build quality of the Pre is not on par with the iPhone's.  The apps and build made the difference to me as I am sure it will most people.  Having alot of money invested in apps on the iPhone and unfortunately in iTunes songs it was just more practical for me to go with the iPhone 3GS.