We're getting into historical details here, but as a short answer:
Patenting was once "invented" (excuse my english, I'm sure there's a better word - don't know why I think of this one now) in order to make as many people/companies as possible use new inventions, not to help the patent holder to build a monopoly.
The idea was that once you register and your claims are official, you can easily let competitors see how your newly invented machines work and let them rebuild them (following your conditions), because it will always be undisputed that you are the one who invented the machine. Without patents, you'd keep your invention secret so that nobody can build such a machine for his own business without giving you credit and paying for it.

We're seeing this perverted in two ways now:
a) Patents are no longer applied to machines that do production work. They are applied to each and every idea, like the infamous progress bar or the spring loaded folders mentioned above. These should actually not be subject to patents as they are there for everybody to see. Patenting them doesn't help the inventor to spread the invention.
b) Patents are abused now to prevent the spreading of inventions, not to help it. This is not the idea of the patent system.

BTW (I'm hyperactive these days):

Does anybody know whether or not one can install 3rd party applications to Apples iPhone?

From what I see in the demo videos on apple.com, it looks like it's a finite (though ample) set of applications. The fact that they stress it's "OS X-based", on the other hand, makes me assume users could just install applications (like a navigation system or an ebook-reader).

Any further informations out there? This could well be one of the points where Nokia's still ahead. (Desperately trying to find one)

The Apple device (why is it called iPhome?) does not have build-in GPS.
The camera of the N800 can be better use for video-chatting

The N800 does not have built-in GPS either, IIRC?

As for browsing, Nokia has the better screen but depending on what CPU Apple actually uses on the iPhone, they might be able to ship a more recent Flash player (and Java).

The tech specifications are out, by the way. The screen is 320x480. No word on what CPU is used - if it's ARM then it will actually be a good thing, since that means getting a Linux version of the plugin should not be that hard. According to the transcript, it's an Intel CPU - which probably means it's not ARM (Intel's XScale PXA line, which is used in PDAs, have been sold)

Most people don't, I agree. I, however, either need a phone that can, or a middle-ground device that can. Sure, my resolution requirement is a little crazy, but for $600, I would like to replace three devices, not two while ending up with a significant overlap. If I can't put my Treo, iPod nano, and 770 back into their packaging and hand them down to a family member or friend, without any regrets, then I'm going to have to pass.

Does that affect most people? No. Of course, do most people even care for the 770? Also, no. Apple's going to make a fortune off of this, no doubt, but I'm going to wait and see.

I bet Apple won't suddenly drop support for the current model when they release the next one.

Interesting effort from Apple (I am the owner of a black Powerbook and a G4 Cube, by the way) but the resolution is still crap. 770 has spoiled me: I will never buy another mobile device with less than 800x480.

I was just waiting to for the MWSF.

I just checked out the iPhone... Seems awsome!!! but to me it's just another smartphone like we have lots of them. Don't get me wrong i'm an Apple addict would do anything to keep Windows products out of the house

After the presentation i did place my order for the N800. Internet can't be as good as on the N800 in my opinion.

Exactly. I went from a palm lifedrive to 770 and there's no way I'm taking a step back down in resolution. My response to the iPhone was to order an N800. That said, I may get an iPhone when it's availble later this year, I was buying way too many phones, so a while ago I worked out what my hard requirements were and for me at least the iPhone might not even get to replace my N73. I'll know for sure when I find out more about the iPhones imaging and call management features.

But, just because I might not get one, doesn't meant that I'm not happy
because I own a fair sized chuck of apple stock. It's pretty much a win-win for me.

Yeah, that stock is not going to let you down for sure.

I was looking at the specs on the Apple site; they always have some small print that clarifies the battery life, but this is funny...

Are they seriously suggesting that the iPhone will play that kind of video? If it does, my hat's off to them. Then again, what is the point of playing 640x480 video on a 480x320 device? It will have to scale it!