“I don’t own an iPhone, and I don’t think I ever will. That may come as a surprise to anyone acquainted with my long history of owning and liking Apple (AAPL) products,” Arik Hesseldahl writes for BusinessWeek.
“It’s not that I don’t think it’s an extraordinary device. Having tried it, I think it represents a fundamental step forward in what a mobile phone can be. And it sure looks like it’s going to be imitated six ways to Sunday,” Hesseldahl writes.
“But what I can’t take is how Apple is keeping the iPhone from evolving in a manner consistent with its corporate heritage. Over the years I’ve owned many wireless devices, including a Treo, three or four BlackBerrys, and tested my share of phones running Microsoft’s Windows Mobile and the Symbian OS, majority owned by Nokia,” Hesseldahl writes.
“In almost every case, I’ve had an important option I wouldn’t get on the iPhone: installing third-party software,” Hesseldahl writes.
“Apple insiders argue privately that the iPhone is a new device. In time, they say, maybe the development policy could change, though none say definitively that it ever will… So I’m not going to buy an iPhone. And until Apple commits to changing this ridiculous policy, I don’t think you should either.”
Full article here.
All this bloviating about iPhone and third-party apps has an excellent chance of looking rather silly in hindsight. Regardless, if you want to stick with a second-rate (or worse) smartphone and their baby Web browsers, horrible interfaces, minuscule low-res screens, styluses and/or sloppy uni-touch screens and/or forty tiny plastic buttons, incomprehensible menus, and buried and/or unusable features in order to somehow force Apple to begin offering third-party “Made for iPhone” apps via the iTunes Store before they’re ready to do so, then go for it.
Third-party apps or not: You can have our iPhones when you pry them from our cold dead hands.
My iPhone has already made my life a heckuva lot easier, just by being able to use the REAL Internet (not the dumbed-down version that passes for same on most phones) to check bus schedules, keep up to date on the news of the day, and communicate with my friends via email on the road.
And for the most part, the EDGE network hasn’t been as bad as I thought it would.
I could care less about most 3rd party apps — if they build in the ability to sync notes and to-do lists between the Mac and the iPhone (perhaps something in the new version of iCal?), that would take care of my needs just fine, and likely the vast majority of users as well. How many folks really need Exchange connectivity? How many need to take along Microsoft Office documents on their phone?
I think this should get the “Think Before You Click” label. These are people who are getting on the bandwagon of Landau, Griffiths, Breen, all three of which are chorusing “Apple is evil because there are no third party apps.” Give me a break. These three keep represeting the small number of people who hack their iPhones as the majority.
With less of a fuss, it’s the lack of apps has kept me from switching my family plan, going thru that broohaha, etc… I’ll eventually get one when we switch from Verizon, but for a device as powerful as the iPhone is, it’s awefully limited, don’t you think? No flash, no 3rd party apps? If it’s truely OSX, then why not make a portable version of iWork? I’d love to leave my laptop at home on my next work trip, just bring a cable for presentations, my Keynote presentations and some Pages docs on my iPhone. Maybe some backups on a firewire drive? Awesome. Oh, but that’s not possible yet… because it’s not tech feasible? Don’t think so. Apple better be careful, they’ll pull an “RCA” in the 70’s. (Invinted the LCD, then sat on it until it was too late…)
Yeah, well I won’t buy Business Week until it contains articles from National Inquirer.
Until the iPhone supports Pocket Quicken & FileMaker Mobile, I will be sticking with my Treo 650. Sorry, MacDailyNews, but my Treo 650 does more than the iPhone currently does — with the exception of WIFI Internet access. I even have a Slingbox client on my Treo! (Not that that’s too important to me.) But the key software programs I need on an iPhone are Pocket Quicken & FileMaker Mobile — I use those programs dozens upon dozens of time every single day on my Treo. Until that happens, I’m quite happy with my Treo 650.
iPhone is a new device. Europe is waiting!!
I agree with ChrissyOne on this. I’m not buying a new car until they can fly.
I am not buying an iPhone until I can write apps for it that do not require safari.
Just my $0.02
Just to get hits.
This is getting tiresome to see everyone jumping on the bandwagon for hits.
Meh, your loss…
So dont buy one Veruca.
I have nothing against the idea of 3rd party apps. But at the moment there isn’t a single one that I need. So until this, let’s call it a ‘killer’ app, materializes and is something I have to have, trading promising yet vague potential for a secure platform makes perfect sense to me.
-c
“I don’t own an iPhone, and I don’t think I ever will.”
My kinda people!
(only two post, you happy with this limited education?)
http://fakesteveballmer.blogsopt.com
1903 horse & buggy rider:
“I won’t buy a horseless carriage until they install cruise control and key-less entry”.
Good things come to those who wait… long enough.
yeah, don’t get an iphone. As a matter of fact,
cut your nose off to spite your face too.
There, take that!
OK folks, In case you have not been reading the news at MDN carefully, time to wise up. AAPL is going down hard. Just check out the headlines…. Microsoft with new zunes on the way, LG Voyager to be the iPhone killer, Now this guy promises not to buy an iPhone. Apple is doomed for sure.
Don’t say that! My Nest Egg is rolling around their factory!
I want an iPhone.
But I CAN’T use an iPhone until there is a way for it to replace my Treo 650. That means HTML Active Sync Exchange Mail for work (without having to involve my IT department), and Acrobat Reader/iSolo for books (I read a LOT when I travel). Oh…and silly me but I LIKE AvantGo on the Treo (whole “reading” thing again…without needing to be online at the time)
It’s a freaking computer. Why NOT allow 3rd party apps? Seems to me that’s like saying we won’t allow 3rd party apps on a MacBook Pro? Yeah right! (Which is THE BEST computer I’ve EVER owned BTW…)
“How many folks really need Exchange connectivity?”
The 95% of anyone working in an office. Its the standard.
Hesseldahl is highly respected and been a great advocate for Apple so far.
He’s misguided on this one though. His lack of objectivity and elitist nerdiness seem to have blinded him to a couple of facts: 1. Apple Computer is now Apple, Inc; 2. the iPhone is exactly what Apple announced it would be–a phone, and not a computer.
The bloggosphere is too busy putting words into iPhone owners’ mouths who didn’t ask for it. I haven’t met a single iPhone owner yet who’s complaining about Apple’s policy toward the iPhone. Personally, I appreciate the iPhone’s added security and reliability as consequence of their policy.
Unfortunately this minority of nerds and elite bloggers are making a disproportionate amount of noise for their numbers. I call it swift-boating.
Maybe this is the beginning of the end for the old-school Apple supporters who don’t agree with Apple’s latest direction. I have a feeling though, that they’ll be forgiving Apple, when Apple releases it’s next wave of technology.
Looks like Arik is not a regular reader of MacDailyNews or Blackfriars’ Marketing… or else his deadline appeared before this article:
Waiting for an iPhone SDK, improved Apple TV? Think Mac OS X Leopard
I’ve loong been a tremendous Apple fan but you guys are such homeboy apologists that you often leave all reason behind.
I’ll likely get an iPhone before they open it up to reach it’s potential but that won’t stop me from calling Apple’s stance on this what it is, incomprehensible. As presented it takes, as you’ve described, a wonderful platform and stunts it’s potential seemingly in the name of protecting commercial interests. Apple is doing just fine on the ledgers and they got that way by serving their users so I’m concerned when they seem to get the cart before the horse and are willing to screw their users in the name of more money. The idea, as recently reported, that they may open the architecture in a very controlled way (not a bad idea) but take 2/3reds of the software price for themselves seems like they’d be really screwing their developers too. I hope that rumor isn’t true.
I’m hopeful they are working to do the right thing to serve their customers but as they’ve presented themselves so far, it doesn’t make them look good in this case & we shouldn’t pretend it does.
Sorry MDN, you’re comment sounds like a child whining “my dad is better than your dad.”
The fact of the matter is some of us need the apps we use on those other smart phones. Here are some things my Treo does that I use all the time; but that I currently can not do on the iPhone:
Every single day I refer to Splash ID for some password, email configuration, network configs, PIN number, etc. I have it on my PowerBook and my Treo and it is the one app I can’t do without.
Everyday I take notes on the Treo’s memo pad. Yes, iPhone has notes but I can’t sync them back to my PowerBook like I can with my Treo. I need to sync them so I can convert them into memos and/or agendas. [Yes I’ve heard Leopard will support note syncing but I’m not going to get Leopard just for that.]
I use MultiMedia Messaging to send pictures to friends and colleagues, many of them are work related. I need that ability.
I also use Splash Shopper once a week to help me with shopping lists. I can edit them on my PowerBook or on the Treo and have them with me at whichever store I’m in. I also use Splash Shopper as a checklist program for things like packing before a trip, and preparing for a DJ gig.
I have a database of thousands of songs stored on my MMC card. As a DJ I am able to refer to that database anytime and anywhere I may be; including in cramped DJ booths that don’t fit a laptop.
Other things I do on a regular basis is look up words in a dictionary, translate between English & Spanish on another dictionary, and record voice memos that can be synced back to my PowerBook. I’ve also got a pretty cool security program – if I lose the phone I just send a text message to it with a special code and it will wipe the Treo’s memory and the MMC’s memory and lock out the SIM so it can’t be used.
But YOU think I should give up all these things because you think the Treo’s buttons aren’t as cool as the iPhone’s inteface.
Well I agree 100% that the iPhone is way cooler and the interface is awsome. But you’re comment is ridiculous because some of us have needs for these devices to do certain things that the iPhone can not do.
And let me add that using web based apps is not a viable solution for me. AT&T;’s data network sucks and I don’t want to store things like passwords and song databases on the web. And speaking of the web, yes the Treo’s browser sucks and the few times I actually use it I wish like hell I had an iPhone. But that is not as important to me as the functionality I do get out of the Treo, mostly from 3rd party apps.
I’m hoping we’ll see some huge changes with Leopard – I need a new phone and am purposely waiting to see if Leopard will bring changes to the iPhone…. But for now the fact of the matter is the iPhone is not a smart phone (what’s smart about You Tube? I still think that’s the most ridiculous add on I ever heard of). It’s the greatest entertainment phone ever made.
I’m certain that one day I’ll be able to do all those things on the iPhone; but for now I need those things so I need my Treo. In the meantime, you shouldn’t assume everyone uses their phones like you do, and you should get down off your high horse.
Still jivin that 1.0.2
DJ Rizzo and Peter,
I agree with you both, although, living in Berlin, I don’t (can’t) own an iPhone yet.
The latest podcast from Macworld http://www.macworld.com/ contains a reasonably balanced discussion on this topic, in contrast to the knee-jerk reaction of MDN and the hysterical outbursts of some of the posters here.