For a company like Verizon who shares the majority of control over the US wireless marketplace with only one other company, heavy handed practices such as this could easily been seen as abusive made possible by their market leading position much in the same way the government was looking to take Microsoft “down a peg” as you say.

Now’s as good a time as any to leave VZ. I left them years ago because they were crippling all their feature phones and disabling native features (such as transferring photos to your PC) so they could charge you obscene prices to use their added services. I came back for the droid, while AT&T was ignoring Android.

Now I’m feeling locked down and restricted, so it’s time to switch. I love Sprint for their plans and attitude but CDMA limits our choices – as does Verizon’s network – especially if you want a global phone. It’s not usually too painful as both Sprint & VZ offer a good selection but it’s times like these where the price we pay for using CDMA, American carriers becomes quite pointed. Incidentally, this is because Sprint & VZW refuse to allow any devices that aren’t theirs. At this point, you’ll always have more flexibility on a GSM carrier.

That is not happening here so again you have no point. VZ Navigator is included right along-side Google Maps and in no-way attempts to limit or prevent you from using non-VZ Navigator software.

It follows from your (ill)logic) that Microsoft should not be able to include Calculator software… or VPN functionality… Man, Microsoft’s inclusion of Solitaire in Windows sure is destroying the e-card gaming market…

I was debating between the new nexus & the razr. Thanks for making my decision easier.

Alas, you have no sense of history.