Big deal. New cell phone hardware doesn't matter that much anymore. What's important now is software. And networks.

Two years ago, the choice between an iPhone or an alternative to the iPhone was mostly about hardware. Cell phones had always been about hardware first, software and networks second.

The iPhone decision back then was: Can I live without a keyboard? The upside was a huge, high-quality screen. Do I want to control apps with touch? Or would I rather navigate menus? What about that horrible battery life? On the other hand, look how thin it is. It was all about hardware.

Now the decision is different. Do I want the iPhone's thousands of apps or the Palm Pre's multitasking ability? Do I want Android's Google search centricity or Windows Mobile's Microsoft Office compatibility? It's all about software and networks.

Don't believe me? Try the following thought experiments: