.......with the line about binning macs............

"But by that logic we should all just accept the inevitable and cast our desktop Macs into the ocean, for the sake of platform simplicity."

Why do you spoil all your stuff with childish conclusions?

Voda has a point, and one that could be discussed constructively, not dismissed in this way. You may not like their CEO, but he isn't opening his mouth just for you to get cheap laughs.

At this moment, the number of mobile platforms is increasing almost exponentially (AOL?!!), and life is not only more complex, but more expensive - and sooner or later, the consumer will pay.

So why not delete the cr*p, and start again with a serious discussion. Thanks!

Don't use one of the many wireless technologies out there! Use OURS!!

I tend to agree with Sarin. And he could take a lead by getting in behind WiMAX to show how committed he and Vodafone are to his plea for unity. Vodafone, as the worlds largest mobile network operator, should take a lead in supporting and deploying ready-for-market WiMAX into its existing network of towers.

But the cynic in me says that instead we are much more likely to see Vodafone work with the other network operators on LTE as a rival, and deliberately incompatible, technology. We can expect America and Japan to continue their line of isolationism and market protection (they can barely handle the concept of GSM and UMTS). And so the theme will continue.

But in an ideal world - the first to market would win (WiMAX), be deployed globally, and the customer be given free reign to roam wherever they wanted without being kicked into touch for daring to use their mobile device in another land.

Paris, because she likes a bit of inter-compatibility

WiMax is primarily an IP infrastructure. SIP / Skype / whatever will happily run on top of it. LTE on the other hand is a more insidious creature that comes bundled with IMS - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Multimedia_Subsystem - which is just a way for the carriers to continue gouging their customers by preserving the current pricing structure over an IP network. The current structure has FAIL written all over it, hence the EU commissions need to rein in exorbitant roaming charges.

WiMax has the potential to introduce a flat affordable IP roaming arrangement, and rid us of antiquated differentiated asymmetric billing rates, which never has made any sense. ( Why different price to call A->B than B->A ? )