9:22PM
iPhone Third Party Applications Speculation
I've been thinking about this whole iPhone third party application situation. Specifically, what is up Apple's sleeve? Well I certainly don't have any inside scoop on all of this but I do have an opinion.
* I think Apple is quietly putting together a software developer kit that is either already in the hands of a few choice developers with really strong non-disclosure agreement or about to be released to them.
* When it does release, I don't think the SDK will ever be generally available. I think it will be a relatively short list of select developers and grow over time ... s l o w l y.
* Apple will screen and approve everything before it is released to us plebeians. It is all about preserving the user experience. Apple will also make a few bucks off it since the stuff will only be available through iTunes.
* There isn't going to be a whole lot of innovation but everything that does release will be very slick.
* There will be more games than actual productivity type applications. This will crimp my zen.
There you have it. The MacSparky crystal ball. Now when I'm proven wrong, everyone can laugh.
Reader Comments (3)
I think your bang on the money Dave. I have just had my first play with a cracked iphone in the UK. Did warn the guy that if he updated to 1.1.1 he’ll end up with a really expensive, very cool paper weight!
Dave,
You're spot on, once again. The web apps being hyped on the Apple website have very little value for anyone. While true for iPhone users, its doubly true for iPod touch users who can only use 'em while in range of a wi-fi hot spot.
My initial experience is, they're clumsy and time consuming to use. Who needs to wait for a web page to load (even on wi-fi) before you can use 'em?
Personally, I'd rather pony up a little cash to apple for apps with TRUE value, rather than ride the hack/upgrade/brick merry-go-round that iPhone users are so familiar with.
Kenny,
I wouldn't write off all the web apps. The ones that combine web functionality are actually pretty useful. I use Tadalist.com and the iPhone client for newsgator often. But the "online" calculators and other non-web related apps? Bleh!
David