[criddell]

> Why do users choose a platform?

In my family, some of the users chose their platform after asking me what to buy. I'll normally recommend Apple because the hardware is generally pretty good and their service and support through their stores is decent.

Applications usually don't matter, with gaming being the big exception.

If applications really were the biggest factor, Apple probably still wins. Through virtualization, a Mac can legally run more software than any other computer.

> Developers embraced iOS and Android over Symbian and webOS.

Users embraced iOS before developers. The day the iPhone was release, there were far more apps on Windows CE based smartphones but none of that mattered. So I don't think you can say it's all about applications.