"Why can't Apple be smarter and have iTunes download all information from the iPhone upon connection?"
I would imagine this is because the iPhone/Pod/Pad is expected to be a slave not a master.
When I hook my iPhone up to someone else's computer, it asks me if I want to overwrite everything on the phone with that data, not upload my data over theirs. Indeed, with purchased data going up from a phone the computer should need to be authorised etc first.
Whilst I accept that what you wanted to do should be simpler and more intuitive - I would be very unhappy were it automatic.
I would imagine this is because the iPhone/Pod/Pad is expected to be a slave not a master.
Why would this always be the case? I'd expect the mobile device to have more accurate/newer information than the stationary device, most of the time. If you're networking at lunch or a conference, and you put all that info into your phone, why wouldn't that be synced with the PC instead of the other way around?
I would imagine this is because the iPhone/Pod/Pad is expected to be a slave not a master.
When I hook my iPhone up to someone else's computer, it asks me if I want to overwrite everything on the phone with that data, not upload my data over theirs. Indeed, with purchased data going up from a phone the computer should need to be authorised etc first.
Whilst I accept that what you wanted to do should be simpler and more intuitive - I would be very unhappy were it automatic.