Awesome article, but I'd choose LastPass over 1Password personally.
I'd also check out the average iPhone 4 prices:
First, the cheapest:
$0/mo no text messing
$40/mo 450 minutes
$15/mo 200MB of data (a.k.a. 1 episode of V on Hulu per month, and a few emails)
$200 - 16GB iPhone 4
$500 - WiFi iPad
Total 2 year commitment: $1,820
Now, who is going to have an iPhone 4 with no text messaging? Or such a tiny internet plan?
Let's go with something more "design work friendly":
$5/mo 200 text messages
$60/mo 900 minutes of talk
$25/mo 2GB of data
$200 - 16GB iPhone 4
$30/mo unlimited data for iPad (I can't find new pricing, but I hear they removed unlimited)
$630 - 16GB 3G iPad
Total 2 year commitment: $3,710
The article linked also shows $102 worth of apps... yup, those tiny 1 and 2 digit price tags added up fast!
So, what is the alternative?
Well, for $300 more you can get a MacBook Pro with a Core i7, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and the Creative Suite Design Premium CS5. (you'll still want OmniGraffle for $100 if you want to make awesome flowcharts)
If you don't need to have OS X, you could also go with a PC laptop with a Core i7 and 4GB of RAM, Design Premium CS5, OmniGraffle, and a 3 year warranty that covers everything from hardware failure to dropping your laptop for $3170, leaving you $500 for a pay-as-you-go phone for the next few years.
No, you can't put a laptop in your pocket, and no, you don't have internet coverage unless you have WiFi.
Also, this is not a fair comparison for plenty of reasons.
I'm just saying that before you run out and buy a product, even if it is tried and true, be sure to check the alternatives first, and see what your Total Cost of Ownership is going to be... then ask yourself "What would I do with $3,710 and would I rather do that than have a sweet phone and tablet?"
Disclaimer: I have an iPhone but not a laptop... go figure.
