[Advantage X7500, MDA Ameo General] fortissimo:
As a very long time reader (and from time to time poster), and owner of a first hand x7501 model (still do), I beg to debunk your post about the iPhone and also the WM devices.

Because I also have owned an iPhone 3G for a year and 9 months now, so I really can compare both. Have you ever owned both?

"< 3 hour battery life?"

I don't think so. I have used my 3G a lot, every single day, it's great. I know the 3GS has lower battery life, but it depends on how and what you use it for. A gross statement saying "< 3 hour battery life" is no proof. On the other hand, I have owned my x7501 for longer than my 3G, and I found the battery life on the x7501 not good if the cellular part is turned on to 3G, despite having a rather large battery. You are really not convincing me, who own both.

"Multi-tasking?"

I have done it on my iPhone 3G and so have many. The 3GS is even better as it has twice the RAM. All you need is jailbreak it, and install Backgrounder. If you install Kirikae, you can swap the tasks even easier. My 3G is not as good as RAM is a bit limited. However, multi-tasking on iPhone OS is better experience than on WM (inc. Athena) b/c WM has a bit of lag when doing any actions, and iPhone OS responds a bit better.

"Referencing info while on a call?"

You can do it. And that doesn't even require a jailbreak. I bet you have never owned an iPhone or you would know about it. I really hope you walk the walk, and not just talk the talk. Just hit the Home button, and you are on the Home screen again. Apple made their own apps multitask capable natively, don't you know that?

"Locked dead into a calling screen?"

Ok, during a Call, either incoming or outgoing, there is a brief moment that that screen has to be on top, but that takes as much time till the call is either received / answered or dropped (forwarded etc). I forgot if it is such on WM, I have to test it again (I have no SIM in mine right now). But it is not "locked dead" as you put it, it is merely during the time it takes to ring. You can revert back to whatever you need, after the call is received / answered. Not sure what a big deal this is. And I don't even know if WM has completely not affected by this as you implied.

"surfing the web while on IM+?"

Do you know that IM+ on iPhone has Push and thus I don't even need to have IM+ on while surfing on the web? And if I do, I can also launch IM+ as long as I have enough RAM. Does IM+ on WM have Push?

"Sending and receiving YouTube links via AIM, GoogleIM, MSN...?"

iPhone has copy and paste, and various apps also can do links sending also (but mostly email) directly. iPhone can do AIM via either AIM native app (free), or other IM apps inc IM+, which also can do GoogleIM, and MSN. Only there can be more features about MSN (now call Live actually, where have you been?) on WM than on others, but that is not a fair comparison as it's Microsoft camp. Most links can be launched directly. IM+ has their own web browser or you can launch into Mobile Safari at your own choice. Can you choose browser via an IM app directly on WM?

"With wordpad opened to take notes?"

There are various note taking apps avail on iPhone. It is Pocket Word, not the "wordpad" as in Windows. They have very different features. Not sure how to compare here, but since Pocket Word doesn't come with most WM devices, I think it is not a good comparison. But regardless, you implied that iPhone can't do it, and it is wrong.

"All that happy with iTunes?"

Which one? The one on the desktop? True, I'm not totally happy with it, nor am I totally happy with ActiveSync either. You think ActiveSync is perfect? At least iTunes is easier to use for lay people. I'll give iTunes credit on that. If you are talking about the one on iPhone, I personally don't use it much, but few people complain about it. At least if you want to knock it, please give specific and comparsion notes. Not just a sound bite knock. Does the WM Media Player handle Podcast (or similar feed) easily?

"Don't like being able to read/write, UL/DL, or stream your files wirelessly from your network shares?"

Really? There are apps to do it, some easier, some harder, but tons to choose from. I notice that both platforms can do it, but some can be done easily on iPhone (but you need the other side to have the right stuff). For WM, I can't see how easily it can be done natively, may be I miss something here. Which native app can stream directly without extra help via WM? Help me out. You are making a broad call here, but I will say that all you said can be done via the iPhone, but it depends, b/c you put it too broad.

"Prefer not being able to watch virtually any movie format, listen to virtually any audio format without conversion?"

What do you mean virtually any format? can you play HD stuff on it? What about MPEG4 which chokes most WM devices except the latest stuff (and not Athena)? What about MKV? What about H.264? "Virtually any movie formats"? What an exaggeration! You are so biased that you are willing to exaggerate and lie. I think most desktop formats cannot be played on the Athena smoothly without re-encoding. iPhone has some limitations, can do less codecs, but not too bad. There are some third party apps that can help. Some apps are not that great, I admit (but they are jailbreak apps, so not really official stuff). Regardless, you are really out here. Similar for audio format without conversion. Can it play a ripped DVD-Audio, or HDCD? What do you mean by virtually any?

"Would rather not be allowed share your phones internet connection with your laptop via usb, bt or wifi?"

Let me tell you this. Without jailbreaking, I can already share my iPhone's internet connect via BT and USB natively. No big deal. With jailbreaking, I can share it with WiFi also. Athena can only do USB and BT natively, while many WM might not even have ICS included. Both platforms can use PDAnet. I have tried and used various versions of WMWiFiRouter, various versions very buggy and have routing bugs and stability issue. I have tried PDAnet and MyWi on iPhone and found both have some bugs, but so far usable, while later versions quite usable, but MyWi has a bug but doesn't affect normal use (only after quitting it). How many of this methods have you tried and compared? Would rather not be allowed? You know nothing about the iPhone it seems because iPhone Tethering has been big news out there, even non iPhone owners read about it.

"Well just wait a couple of month until fennec aka firefox mobile comes out with full flash 10 support and custom plug-ins."

It is a few months now. Where is Firefox / Fennec? Firefox has an alpha build for WM, and announced no more development, similarly for Windows Phone 7. But you seem to read into the future and was so sure of not only current things but (then) future events.

I'm no Apple fan boy, I own more Windows devices and Windows Mobile devices than Apple devices. Even today, I own Toshiba e830, e805, MWg 503g, and x7501. I have owned even more in the past. I have been on xda-developers for a very long time now, but most of the time I do not see as a gross exaggeration or untruth about any comparions either within platform or across platforms. I like my Athena and I was going to sell it and can't decide. But I use my iPhone daily and not my Athena, even though collectively I have a lot more experience on WM than iPhone OS.

"Oh, yea?"

Oh, yea? You are totally debunked, dude. Find some facts first!