Patent Wars And What Will Reform Do?

I'm trying to keep an open mind regarding this but patents are supposed to protect the inventors...when when Acer/HTC suggests that Apple should innovate rather than ligitate, I'm trying to understand their logic behind it.

I know that prior patents does keep competitors from using one's technology. And the way to work around it is to innovate or find an even better way to implement a trait or function.  

I think what Apple is doing is unprecedented so it's making a lot of people feel uneasy.  New rules and all that.  

From the patent reform information that I could find on the Web, specifically, Wiki, I can see why Google would want to push for it.  It seems that it would make it harder to bring patent suits while prolonging the process of litigation.  

And yet, many of the companies involved in the mobile patent wars, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Oracle support the Patent Reform Act of 2009.  However, even a wider range of industries are against it.  Obviously, this isn't a left versus right kind of thing.  

Perhaps if there is to be reform of any sort, maybe Congress can enact one solely for technology based patents and industries. 

Given my interpretation of the Patent Reform Act of 2009, I found it surprise that Apple supported it since they're the only suing a bunch of Android device makers.  I guess Apple is more concerned about patent trolls while they remain confident while they remain confident that should such a legislation pass Congress and sign into law by the President, it would have no impact on the current patent war.

At the same time, I don't see such a reform offering incentive to innovate since it does little to protect certain inventors who are without the armies of lawyers protecting their patents from infringement.

I'm just getting a feeler to all this.  I have much to research and understand.  I am tempted to get a patent bar just so I can understand what's going on.  (My science background allows me to do that.)