"Ness-Net" <no.richard@damnspam.nessnet.com> wrote in message
news:fZednQisfYVtG_7anZ2dnUVZ_oOnnZ2d@giganews.com ...
> http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=7348&tag=nl.e622
>
> http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com...rt-the-iphone/
>
> Doesn’t natively support push business email or over-the-air calendar
> sync. …
>
> Doesn’t accommodate third-party applications, including those internally
> developed. …
>
> Doesn’t support securing data on the device through encryption.
>
> Can’t be remotely locked or wiped in the event of a lost or stolen
> device. …
>
> Lacks a hard keypad that provides feedback, which isn’t ideal for rapid
> and accurate input. …
>
> Has limited service provider support and its carrier lock-in inhibits
> flexibility. …
>
> Comes with a premium price tag. …
>
> Is only the first generation. …
>
> Lacks a removable battery, so when the battery kicks it, so does the
> device. …
>
> Lacks case studies of firms that have deployed it enterprisewide. …
Mostly true, but it isn't a PDA for business use, it's an iPod, quad-band
phone, and web browser. Comparing it to the Blackberry or other Windows
Mobile devices doesn't make all that much sense.
You left out three really strange features missing from the iPhone--wireless
syncing, voice dialing and support for stereo Bluetooth headphones. I'm sure
that these will be added in the next generation.
However, while the battery is not user-replaceable, you don't throw the
device away when you need a new battery. You either send it to Apple, or go
to a third-party provider that can replace it, or buy a kit and do it
yourself.
There are a lot of features Apple could add if they wanted to appeal to the
corporate market, including 3G, slideout keyboard, replaceable battery,
sync-capability to Outlook, Corporate Time, Yahoo and Google calendar, GPS,
3rd party application support,, MicroSD support, bluetooth Syncing, WiFi
syncing, etc., but that isn't their target market. They want to keep the
iPhone simple and easy to use, not turn it into another Blackberry.
The question for Apple is how to address stagnant sales. All over the world,
reports are pouring in about slowing sales. In the U.S., they raised the
limit from two to five when they decided that they'd at least like to sell
more hardware, even without the AT&T revenue. In Germany it's been almost a
total flop, with T-Mobile selling only about 700 per day (mainly due to the
lack of 3G because much of Germany has no EDGE network, and using the iPhone
on GPRS is very painful). With iPhone sales stalled, it's likely the the 2nd
generation iPhone will address some of the missing features. In the UK sales
have been slow. The problem for Apple is that the iPhone is six months old,
and that's a generation in terms of phones. There are already many new
devices that have more features and ease of use that is almost as good,
though they all lack one key advantage of the iPhone, and that's the huge
amount of internal flash.
Personally I don't think the price is "premium" considering you can buy it
with no contract required. An 8GB iPod Nano cost $190. A quad-band unlocked
GSM phone costs about $180. You're up to $370 already, without a web-browser
and WiFi. So if you were going to buy these two devices anyway, the iPhone
isn't outrageously priced. I know two people (other than Apple employees and
spouses) with iPhones, both are using them on T-Mobile, and 19% of the
iPhones sold have not been activated on AT&T. That's nearly 1 in 5 iPhones
that have presumably been unlocked and are being used on other networks.
An iPhone costs $400 plus another $30-35 if you want it unlocked, which is
not unreasonable compared to the cost of other unlocked smart phones.
In short, the iPhone is neither as bad as some of its detractors claim, nor
as wonderful as the fan-boys like Oxford would like people to believe. As
with most technology devices, you don't want to run out and buy the first
version because invariably there will be missing features.
iPhone Climbs Past Entire NA Windows Mobile Market
Linear Mode
