I'm not sure if I like it or not, but I do think that the PDA will more or less disappear once the smartphone has been perfected. I used to think that using a smartphone meant that you got a mediocre PDA and mediocre phone (and there's still some truth to that) but they're getting better. And I'll have to admit that if they can come up with something that adequately combines the features of both devices, I'd buy one. I don't usually take a bag with me when I leave the house, which means that my cell phone goes with me and my PDA doesn't. I'd rather be able to take both in one package.
But you don't have to get screwed by paying ridiculous prices for ringtones and wallpaper. As long as you do a little research before you buy and have a little technical knowhow, you can get around those things. They're mostly for the "unwashed masses" who don't know any better. For example, with my RAZR I can use any midi file as a ringtone (not MP3, unfortunately) and I can send and receive photos, all using bluetooth and it doesn't cost me a cent. I hate it when cell phone providers intentionally cripple their devices just to sell these services.