The iPhone will change the game. In more ways than one.
by Volker Weber
I have now used the iPhone for six months. I was reluctant at first. After all, the Nokia E90 is the best phone, hands down. If you can afford it and if you want to carry something that big and heavy. I still love it and use it every week. But ever so often, I leave it behind. And carry the iPhone.
BlackBerrys are also nice. They are the best email machines you can take along. But they suck badly at surfing the web. They are getting somewhat better with 4.3, but the experience isn't even close to an iPhone.
I heard you. The iPhone is not a business tool. Like the PC, when it was invented. I think it was Ken Olsen of Digital who said "who is going to buy this crap". IBM did not take it seriously, otherwise they would not have used somebody else's processor and operating system. However, it did change the game.
Today you may still see BlackBerry as the foremost business device. But this is about to change. The iPhone is simpler, it's easier to use, it's more fun to use. And I have recently talked to a big bad CIO who is sold on it.
The big push will be happening when iPhone 2.0 comes out. Which is next month. If you are not on Exchange, you will need to answer some new questions. Better start working on those answers. We have one for mail, Benjamin has written one for calendar (you did notice the author, didn't you?), Tommy has recommended DAMO, but there need to be more. If you have a working setup, let me know and I will link to it. This is going top be an ongoing topic.
Comments
Unfortunately, Nokia has proven itself to be a horribly managed company. A few years ago they were able to gain control of the development of the Symbian operating system.
They failed to capitalize on the distinct advantage of having control of an OS. Yes, they the greatest marketshare of all cell phone; but it means nothing because most Nokia owners come time for replacement will not consciously seek another Symbian device.
When you have a platform like Palm OS, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, and now Mac OS X Mobile, you can start to build loyalty to that platform.
Someone with an old Treo 500 for example is much more likely to look at the 700 series for something else. Likewise a BlackBerry user will want to upgrade to a current model before switching to another platform.
I've been a big fan of the Nokia Communicator series ever since "The Saint" with Val Kilmer was released.
The E90 does have almost everything including the kitchen sink. But they forgot the 3G on the data for the U.S. market. Not to mention the ridiculous price. Even if you spot it a $200 subsidy, it is still way more expensive than say an HTC 8925, which has almost all the same hardware; but does have global 3G data. The E90 was another wasted opportunity.
Apple will quickly eat up marketshare once the next iPhone is released, that is assuming they do not purposely omit anything that would make people hold off for the next version.
When the iPhone first came out, I made a list of approximately 15 flaws that made we wait. Only three were hardware related: Global (tri-band) 3G data, true GPS, more storage. Everything else is software, and many of the issues have been addressed (e.g. SDK).
Assuming they make up for shortcomings, enhance the current features (e.g. better camera, more storage, etc.), and especially with a subsidy, the sales should go beyond anything we've ever seen in any electronic device.
I would argue that IBM used somebody else's processor and OS precisely because they did indeed take the PC seriously. They took it so seriously that they decided that getting to market quickly was more important than designing and building it all from scratch. What they didn't take seriously was the idea that smaller, more agile competitors could take advantage of their use of off-the-shelf components and beat them in the marketplace.
Benjamin's post is eye-opening (at least for me). While he shows that it is possible, and that he is patient, I don't think that others will be so generous with their time or intellect. Especially those in upper management. Who gets caught in this? The Domino Administrator. And to add to the fire, a reasonably well read executive will point out that "Exchange can synch with the iPhone."
Not good.
To tell the Admins that they have to cobble together a solution means, to many, that there isn't a solution. I am worried.
I think Ken put it a little more formally than that ;-)
We're part of the trend... my CEO just got hers yesterday.
It is definetly an exciting development. Just take a look at the WWDC iPhone Sessions and Labs.
In my opinion, Apple is going the right way. They did it right with iTunes and iPods..... 3rd party companies offer iPod compatible accessoires instead of "mp3player" compatible. I think Apple and MacOS will outsell Windows within a couple of years..... you will see :)
By the way...... someone wants to sell his "old" iPhone??? I need one to bypass the waiting time for the new iPhone.
Mac OS outselling Windows? That I find very hard to believe. And the waiting time for iPhone 2 is going to be very short. I also don't see anybody wanting to sell an iPhone before the new one is coming out.
John, mein Lieblings-Senior-Manager sagte gerne "Darüber sollten wir noch mal nachdenken" wo ich gesagt hätte "Ihr habt wohl den Arsch auf".
Apparently, the iPhone 2.0 will come with MS exchange integration, a major reason why I haven't recommended the Version 1.0 to business users was its absence. This will change now.
I won't be surprised if iPhone sales will surpass Windows Mobile phones in the next year.
People bought Windows Mobile phones? Through choice?
(Except Bill, who knows it was a mistake)
Apparently 4x times more than Apple iPhones -> here
By the way, the new iPhone ?!?!?
From: iphon.fr
Don't use DAMO. Period.
You have once again become much easier to understand since leaving IBM. ;-)
