jim said:
>   ...but one can walk into the front door of Best Buy
>   and actually try out (or buy) from a half dozen or more
>   different eBook Readers from the major vendors
>   (Apple excepted).

i woulda swore that i've played with an ipad in best buy...

but who cares?  so what?  if you don't like apple's policy,
then don't buy from apple.  it's really that simple.  really.

and if you think apple's policy will sink it in the marketplace,
you don't need to say anything at all, not one thing, do you?
just say "i predict it will sink apple in the marketplace" and
come back later, if it actually happens, and say "told you so".

all the handwringing just marks you as drama-queens...

-bowerbird

p.s.  but we all know that what you're _really_ afraid of is that
you're dead-wrong, and apple will be able to get away with it.
go ahead, just like tim o'reilly, and make a "bold prediction"...
so if you end up wrong, you'll have some egg on your face too.