This is the fifth time I've rewritten this article. I didn't like the first four efforts because they made me sound like either a puling Apple hater or an Apple apologist.

I like to think that I'm neither. When Apple does something good then I should write about it as quickly as I might if they've done something stupid. At least, that's what I've aimed for.

The reason I'm having such a hard time committing to what I want to say is that, in essence, I'm not sure what it is I want to say.

I know what I want to talk about is the iPhone and the environment Apple has carefully built around it, and I believe the reason I can't settle on any one thing to praise or complain about is because there is no one thing I can praise about the iPhone that I can't also complain about.

For example, the iPhone 3G has a GPS receiver built in and it works great with Google maps and other applications that make use of it, but it doesn't offer compass headings, so some really cool applications, even true turn-by-turn navigation is missing.

Another example is the iPhone's ability to use information between applications. I can touch a phone number in my email and it is dialed, touch an address in my address book and a map showing the address location is shown. However, not all applications share this ability, most notably, Apple's Notes app. I can type in phone numbers and addresses and names and the Notes app stores them for later reference, but that's it. I can't touch a name and have associated information appear from the address book, I can't touch a set of numbers and either bring up the phone or calculator, and web addresses do nothing when I touch them in Notes.

See what I mean? For every good thing is to talk about on the iPhone there's at least one comparable thing that's not quite so good.

And don't get me started on things that are missing altogether from Apple's uber-phone. Chief on many people's list is cut/copy/paste.

There is no explanation I've heard that satisfactorily answers the question of why this feature is not available on the iPhone yet. Less capable smart phones have this feature so it can't be that hard to do -- especially since the iPhone's operating system is a version of the same famed OS that runs Apple's Macs.

Another almost-there feature is Bluetooth. You can connect cellphone headsets, but you can't connect stereo bluetooth headsets. Why? You also can't connect other Bluetooth devices like keyboards. Again, the iPhone is running OS X, a tried and true OS with device drivers galore. We should be able to connect our iPhone to Bluetooth printers, speakers, and any other device we can think of. We can't and the only reason I can think of as to why we can't is that Apple, for some mysterious reason, thinks that's a low priority, too.

And speaking of what Apple doesn't want, what's up with kicking applications from the App Store because they compete directly with Apple products? Why should Apple care if a vendor attempts to out Apple Apple? It's healthy competition and, if anything, Apple should welcome it instead of banishing it.

Understand that I'm all for Apple keeping a close eye of the content of the App Store. Quality applications inspire other quality applications and Apple's offerings are usually a good yardstick to measure against, but Apple acting like a king in some Greek tragedy where it must keep a wary eye on any possible heirs to its throne is silly and diminishes the iPhone as a platform. This is especially important now that real iPhone competition is starting to appear.

Well, there I go whining. I really don't mean to, but it so frustrating to have a device that almost lives up to its promise, that almost does everything I need it to do, but in the end it is still almost.

No matter how you dice it, the iPhone is a powerful platform that has done a lot to shake up a stale cellphone industry, but the full potential of the iPhone has yet to be realized. I guess I want to realize it sooner than later, if you get my drift.