And what I do is not running SETI@home. I download podcasts on the phone using gpodder. That's much better than any option available on the iPhone. When I'm at home, I like to read some mails while podcasts are downloading and answer a call if somebody calls me.

When my wife is driving, I like to be able to read e-mails while Sygic (the in-car gps application) tells her when to turn right or left (running on the background).

These two scenarios would be beneficial to iPhone users.

In theory the iPhone is the best smartphone there. It is much more beautiful than Maemo5, of course, but, as I said, I do much more with maemo than with the iPhone.

Of course I never used iPhone OS 4. But the article shows that the Maemo has done it much better than Apple.

First, how is leaving a battery-intensive service on Android different from leaving a battery-intensive background task on iPhone? (The Flickr photo upload example)

Second, are you aware that data-roaming is off by default on Android and you have to explicitly turn it ON from the settings?

Second) How is this relevant? If you want roaming on, it doesn't imply you want apps to use it without your explicit request. Concrete example: leave Google Maps running logged into Latitude and it will merrily talk on the network by itself.

Because whatever Apple makes is laced with pixie dust and unicorn farts. Therefore their products are not limited to the quaint physics of the universe.