As with any new device, they always come with a "shake down time" as you so aptly put it.. I for one have had a Bold for a while now and consider the functionality of it second to none. I've also had the fortune to have used an iPhone and after careful consideration decided on the Bold as the better unit. Everyone of course is entitled to their own opinion, so you can either choose to go with the general consensus of the masses or try out the devices for yourself and come to your own conclusion
Here's just a short list of what the Bold can do in comparison to the iPhone:
1) Copy & Paste
2) Mass Storage Mode
3) Flash
4) Java Support
5) MMS
6) Themes
7) Micro SDHC Support
8) OBEX
9) Pin Messaging
10) A2DP
11) Spell Check
12) True Multi-Tasking
13) Speed Dial
14) Autotext
15) Full Qwerty Keyboard
16) High Level Security