"Apple is hosting a media event today to outline the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) and "some exciting new enterprise features". There have been a collection of rumors suggesting that Apple may not be able to deliver the final SDK immediately. That hasn't stopped a number of companies, such as reQall (memory aid), Six Apart (blogging software), and Freeverse (sports games), from announcing their intentions to write iPhone native applications with the new SDK. Meanwhile MySpace and SlingMedia have been rumored to be early recipients of the unreleased development kit."
Love it or hate it, the iPhone is rapidly shaping up to be the 800 pound Gorilla in the US smartphone market, if not from a market-share perspective quite yet, certainly from a mindshare perspective. The iPhone is on fire, and Apple's announcement about the SDK is like gasoline on that fire - the iPhone represents a new, and quite likely lucrative market for developers to tap into (right Alex?). On the Windows Mobile side of things, we still have all that slick native Exchange support, so those iPhone users can keep their slick screen rotating to themselves. Uh, right? Wrong.
Apparently, Apple has licensed ActiveSync from Microsoft. Check it:
"Apple has licensed ActiveSync from Microsoft and will be incorporating native ActiveSync and Exchange support into the iPhone's existing apps (mail, cal, contacts)."
There were some kludges involving Plaxo to push Outlook data around, but native support means the iPhone now has the most potent feature for Enterprise markets. And if it's also easy to develop for, you'll likely see line of business applications appear for it - and that's not good news for Windows Mobile, which since the iPhone launch has had the unfortunate perception of being a stagnant platform (in the eyes of some).
Oh well - at least use Windows Mobile users can look up contacts much faster than the iPhone users can...for now.
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MMS (vs email), video, and flash are needed as well.
I own a Iphone and lived on it exclusively for the last 6 mos. I have less problems with this phone then any other I have had, perhaps I am lucky. Items I thought I'd miss I really don't - and seems are possibly coming back via 3rd party developers.
MS needs to wake up, it's an awesome platform that is indeed stagnant - come on Bill - windows 3.0 interface and core look/feel/layout is so 1995 and not conducive to a handheld - that alone makes me like the iphone more.
Flash we used in my company on the mobile platform and hated it so much we left it & redeveloped - its slow, expensive!(adobe charges per handset for the use), insecure and buggy as hell - I don't blame Apple for refusing to use it
MMS is more of a hassle than a blocker - but I would love to have it for easy MtM messaging.
Video stumps me except perhaps a problem with encoding or capturing with the current memory/processor setup???
Other than that, everything else is captured in the new update. I can see a product like Informant coming to Iphone - I do miss simply typing a name and it pops up like my BJ did. (My KB on iphone is now second nature, I type on it with no problems at all, two thumbed like my curve)
How often did we sit here and commiserate about getting simple updates to our WinMo phones to fix anomalies and missing features? Sometimes we got them after a year, sometimes in months, sometimes never. In 6 mos I have gotten like 5 updates that not only fixed items like safari layouts and sms problems - but ADDED new features as well. (without having to reload anything - all contacts, data, look feel, colors, wallpaper, ringtones all carried through with the update - hello MS!) This is a dynamic that as a consumer, and someone in the mobile industry, I demand now in my device/manufacturer/oem/developer - Apple has set the bar very high for consumer (and perhaps some enterprise now) customers. Adding in $100M in VC for iphone development is cool too. I wait to see if the SDK is usable and a good tool for developers.
Playing a game (or moving around an app)with accelerometer (moving phone) will be very cool - we talked about wanting that in a winmo phone 2 years ago!. Add to that custom gesturing on your screen and it's even better.
Let's see what the future holds and if MS wakes up and changes some in winmo7 and even more in 8.
Great post Edgar - right on the money! There's a lot that Apple did right with the iPhone, and a lot that Microsoft can learn from them...which is kind of sad in a way, because Microsoft should have learned these lessons years ago (like having a firmware update that doesn't force a user to re-load all of their data and settings).
The Apple update frequency (and Nokia's as well) has amazed me. I can understand that some updates require the hardware manufacturer to jump in. But adding new software only features like better browser, home screen or home screen management should be simple update. Sigh!
I don't think Microsoft will lose as much as HTC and other WinMo hardware partners. Microsoft still will make money from ActiveSync licenses to Nokia and Apple. And not to forget RIM will have the toughest battle.
PS: And Palm should call it quits, they are too slow.
Good post Edgar. I have also reluctantly moved to the iPhone and I'm so glad I did. I've been a loyal Microsoft user for many years and often fought the urge to move on away from Microsoft. I just don't feel it when it comes to anything Microsoft does anymore. I wish it didn't have to be this way but they have lost my loyality. I'm even thinking of a new MacBookPro next.
like having a firmware update that doesn't force a user to re-load all of their data and settings.
Ugh, that simple reason right there is why I waiting until last weekend to put the new Windows Mobile 6 ROM on my Blackjack. Just the thought of having to do all of that repetitive nonsense was enough to crush to my soul
I have had an iPhone for a few day s now and I am very impressed. I still have to fight with my WM devices to connect to my PC and sync. The iPhone does this with no effort. Exchange support is going to be fantastic. If you have a Yahoo email account it will do push with the iPhone. For now I can use IMAP for my exchange email and sync the calendar and contacts with itunes.
Once the applications start rolling out I think MS is going to loose some ground. They had better get it in gear soon.
well, I didn't really want it.....but I guess Microsoft is going to have to break down and make a Zune phone. I think it is VERY VERY bad to bring a consumer centric phone into the enterprise, but Apple is going to do it. Microsoft needs to build a Silverlight accelerator chip and slap it into a phone so they can have a snazzy interface like Apple. They also need to make it carrier independent. The huge complaint with Apple was the ATT exclusivity. The enterprise features come natural to Microsoft, but the consumer side of windows mobile has always been severely lacking.
Apple Licenses ActiveSync From Microsoft for iPhone
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