We've gone pretty far off topic from Mac Java, but I just have to
point this out:
Comparing the iPhone to other phone offerings from other vendors
based on technical issues like "open" or "extensible" is completely
missing the point. The iPod, a VERY closed platform, has >75%
market share in the "mp3 player" market, despite being years late
to the party, and missing lots of features that other players sport
(built-in radios, voice recorders, etc.). Open doesn't matter.
Extensible doesn't matter. Cool matters. "Just works" matters.
Usability matters.
It would be really neat if there was some way for us developers to
get our own stuff onto those iPhones. But whether we can or not
will have ABSOLUTELY NO IMPACT on whether the iPhone is successful
at stealing gobs of market share from other vendors. (Which I
suspect it will be.)
Apple may well have decided that doctors don't matter to them, and
I'm no expert in the area, but I understand that MDs buy a LOT of
smartphones and palm-tops, and they NEED their special software for
it to integrate with the hospital (in some cases) and run their
special drug library software (in most cases). A calendar, e-mail and
google maps won't cut it for them. If they can't run what they need,
they'll look elsewhere. One or two might be seduced by cool factor,
but they'll be carrying around extra weight all day as a result, with
both an iPhone and a PocketPC in their pocket. Apple would be
throwing away a lot of sales if they don't cater to those types of
markets, but, as I said, maybe they decided they don't care. Maybe
because they think they'll create new markets. (At that price-tag, it
seems like a huge risk to me -- teens won't be getting the iPhone as
Christmas/birthday presents, and even yuppies will have to admit
that's a lot of cash to spend on a toy -- but Apple has more market
savvy than I do, so I can only presume they know something I don't
know.)
I also filed a radar bug to request openness, and referenced the
other ones. My # was 4919140.
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