Alright, I hear you on that.
My gripes with Sony are the built-in web browser as the biggest fault. Understood that Opera Mini can fix this, but Opera Mini is available on any phone, as with Google Maps and the Gmail app.
The closest I came to owning a SE was the W810, but in the end, video recording and the web problem stopped me. Then whenever I tried to find a SE that would suit my needs (craving the awesome battery life) I couldn't find one with the basics like EDGE and 850.
I stick with s60 because of the app library. Others, like yourself, may argue that most of the apps available are done already on other phones, which may be true for a lot of them, but there are some very awesome gems among them. The most unique, I'd say, would have to be Symella and Symtorrent. What other OS allows you to download mp3's and torrents right on your phone? It amazes me.
Have you gotten a chance to play around with a 3rd Edition device or any s60 after the 6682 you owned?