Filed under: Odds and ends, Developer, iPhone
Rentzsch: iPhone vs. Treo + iPhone Bug
As a loyal Treo user since the days of the first generation Treo 300, yesterday's iPhone announcement was a bit earth shaking. For the first time in years, my next phone is not going to be a Treo. Well known Mac dev Jonathan Rentzsche has a nice post comparing the Treo 700p to the iPhone. One of the biggest advantages of the Treo is the large number of Palm (or Windows Mobile) applications available for it. If it ends up being the case, as Dan reported yesterday, that Apple is not planning to allow for user installable applications on the iPhone, it's a huge strike against it. So Rentzsch is encouraging his fellow developers to complain to Apple by filing a bug report. Personally, I'm really disappointed in Apple's decision to lock the iPhone down, so maybe if enough folks complain we can get some positive action out of Cupertino (though I'm not going to hold my breath).
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Oki said 1:27AM on 1-11-2007
honestly i have a treo 650 and 680.. not many apps run on these things, they usually crash it. only things that recently programmed for the treo .. which is not much at all
Reply
Non Believer said 1:28AM on 1-11-2007
>> Dan reported yesterday, that Apple is not planning to allow for user installable applications on the iPhone, it's a huge strike against it.
Reply
Victor said 2:18AM on 1-11-2007
I have a Motorola PEBL and run lots of mobile Java apps on it. The iPhone should at least support mobile Java apps if it doesn't allow user installable applications.
Reply
mike said 2:28AM on 1-11-2007
Lame. Apple store reps say the within a month Apple will be accomodating developers who want to build apps for the iPhone.
Locking out 3rd parties? Yeah right. Dude, it's a Mac.
They can also make Widgets for this thing since...
... it runs OS X...
Reply
PXLated said 2:37AM on 1-11-2007
I read that one of the reasons is a bad app could affect the cell network so it's a concession to Cingular. Maybe they'll just need some kind of "safe" certification process.
Reply
How-to-Tie-a-Tie said 2:54AM on 1-11-2007
Yeah like Skype...
Reply
Brendan said 3:06AM on 1-11-2007
Why not just sell apps through the iTunes Store? It is the perfect setup.
Reply
Dan Woods said 3:20AM on 1-11-2007
I don't want to appear as the Devils Advocate, but Apple do have their reasons for not allowing third party apps.
For an example, start up your Palm and use VersaMail; one interface. Now use Kinoma Player; a completely different interface. Next up, Real Player; different again.
The Widgets in the iPhone are designed in-house by one company. each app is going to work together with each other well. None of the Apps will have major memory leaks because a developer is too lazy to do proper memory management.
Google Maps is a perfect example; Google did the back-end, while Apple did the UI. It works perfectly. now look at PacMan on the iPod, Namco did the Back-end and UI, It sucks. Now look at Vortex on the iPod, Apple did the Back-end and UI, It's perfect!
If you have a specific need which requires a 3rd Party App, the iPhone isn't for you. If it does everything you need (like the majority of people) it's ideal
Reply
Tyler said 3:43AM on 1-11-2007
I think a lot of people (myself included) will get the phone for a phone, not a "smart phone."
Doesn't bother me, and it'll be more stable. Hope there won't be a "sad iPhone icon" that you see when the OS can't boot. Kernal crashes? Etc. Can't wait for these to hit the streets!
Reply
Rene van den Abeelen said 6:21AM on 1-11-2007
Is that really SO important? I want an Apple PDA for years, and I'm very happy that finally one is coming, so I can scribble notes and check & update the calendar that's running on my Mac.
The camera function is of no use to me since I always carry a Sony 5 megapix camera with me. iPod function: nice, but I have some 60GB music on my Macmini in the livingroom so I have to figure out how to sync only the most dear music to my iPhone. Make a 'playlist iPhone' I think.
I use my cellular phone just a few times a week, and the iPhone will perform a bit better, I think.
Once the built in camera reaches 5 megapix or more I can dump the Sony.
And then: waiting for the iDrive (the Apple car), the iSuck (the Apple vacuumcleaner) the iCool (Apple freezer) and so on. ;-)
Reply
icerabbit said 10:26AM on 1-11-2007
Third party development is a must.
Would you have coverflow, widgets/dashboard, itunes, ... without third parties paving the way first?
I want to be able to view & make small changes to received attachments, draw up drafts for different things I still use pen & paper for and then scan & email it. With iPhone / Apple Phone I could just droodle directly on screen and email away.
Apple really does not fill every need and if they want to appeal to a broader audience, especially a more business & corporate one (where the $$$ are to pay for many of these devices); then 3rd party apps, which they may not have even thought about nor would Apple ever invest in making them; will be developed and help sell more devices. Just make the developers have to adhere to certain requirements & testing.
PS: what's with the partnering with Yahoo & Google ... and leaving .mac as the fifth wheel on the wagon again. They coudn't do a free push IMAP account with .mac ???
Reply
Gruff said 11:15AM on 1-11-2007
>PS: what's with the partnering with Yahoo & Google ... and leaving .mac as the fifth wheel on the wagon again. They coudn't do a free push IMAP account with .mac ???
@icerabbit, think about it...
a) If you were a Windows users, would you really want your email branded ".Mac"?
b) Yahoo and Google likely ponied-up some bucks to "partner" with Apple
c) Apple could still (and possibly will) transfer .mac email to Yahoo to process, giving you push email in the process
d) Can you say ".iPhone"?
Reply
Alberto said 11:25AM on 1-11-2007
I'm desperately need this apps in my future iPhone: one similar to "splash-id" and another one to take drawing-notes ;-)
Reply
Daniel said 1:13PM on 1-11-2007
Without third party apps the iPhone is dead to me. I use a 700p, and the program I use more than anything is a third party app called 2Day. I have a pastor friend who has Bible software on his phone. Is apple going to release iBible? I think not. Third party apps are the difference between the iPhone being a sleak phone and it being a platform. Sleak phones come and go, platforms live for a long time. You might as well go buy a betamax.
Reply
Philip said 1:18PM on 1-11-2007
Gotta have my password list app and pocket quicken on any pda. No third party apps will kill my dream of having the iPhone.
Reply
mr.dave said 1:28PM on 1-11-2007
If you want installable apps, this is not the phone for you. Granted it might hurt a little at first, but Apple appears confident that they'll be able to offer most of what the general consumer will want. However, I do think they'll open up development eventually, it could take a few months or a few years, but it will happen. I think some are missing the big picture and that is what this means for future apple products. Imagine a tablet based, touch interface macbook that can make cell phone calls :)
But really folks, remember when the iPod came out? It wasn't long before big improvements were made in the apps, interface and general design. This product will develop the same way. I mean at this point it is just an iPod that runs a custom version of OS X and happens to be able to make phone calls and surf the net. It isn't meant to be the ultimate smart applicance, not yet anyway.
Reply
Chris said 8:48PM on 1-11-2007
Apple's not opening it up to developers for a couple good reasons found here: http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/apples-jobs-more-iphone-apps-coming-before-launch/9320
Reply
Matt said 11:02PM on 1-11-2007
People keep saying that Apple's success comes from tight control of the platform.
That's true for the iPod, but it's not true for OS X. Many people have loads of third-party applications installed on their Macs--and yet, the platform is successful.
Those apps aren't going to be on the iPhone, and that's a shame.
Reply
Churry said 3:57PM on 1-12-2007
I had a Treo 300 series and now have a 600, but the apps I've installed on them can easily be replaced with internet access and Apple's own software.
Reply