Think I've lost my marbles?  A couple of years ago I would have thought the same thing.  What's changed? I'll get to that in a minute.

First, let's get past the cost issue.  If you're not planning to get you child a cell phone at all, then there's not much argument to be made here.  If, on the other hand, a cell phone is in your kid's future, immediately writing off the iPhone due to cost might not be so straightforward.  I'll admit, the iPhone is a bit more expensive than the cheapest cell phones, but did you know you can get one for less than $50 with a two year AT&T contract?  No, it isn't the latest model, but it is an excellent phone and one any adolescent would be proud to carry.  The voice + data plan will cost about $15 per month more than AT&T's bargain service, but if you're an AT&T customer already, their family plans will ease that pain a bit.  Also, by providing an iPhone you'll spare the expense of buying them an iPod (if you ever plan to).  The same goes for...