Lack of 3rd party Software - BIG negative?

[Mavoz#IM]

Is it just me...or is the lack of third party software for the iPhone a fairly significant negative of the iPhone????

Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of worldwide iPod marketing, has confirmed that while the company is encouraging third parties to design peripherals for the iPhone, as is the case with the iPod, “There is no opportunity right now for third party development”. He told Macworld: “Right now the opportunities are limited to the accessory market.”
http://www.macworld.co.uk/ipod-itunes/news/index.cfm?newsid=16926

In amongst all the hype of this admittedly really cool looking iPhone...I would have thought the lack of actually being able to install all manner of useful software apps a pretty BIG downside on this supposed ultimate smartphone??

One of the things I have always loved about the Palm OS is the wide variety of apps available for it....

I personally would miss: being able to install:

Complete Bible in various versions
Card Games
Other Games
Translation Software
Measurement Conversion Software
Golf Scoring Software
Office files
Dictionary
Enyclopedia - Wikipedia
GPS Software - Tom Tom Maps
and a whole range of other useful little apps as the need arises....they don't have anywhere near the 'cool' look of the iPhone..but they just do useful stuff!

Apparently there are about 29,000 apps available for Palm OS...in all manner of genres....

I'm not convinced that iPhone can claim it is 5 years ahead of everything else...when it currently would seem to offer very little of some of the useful little apps that ARE available for Palm OS.

Of course when these apps do become available...the iPhone will be great.....but for those of us who like some of the additional options available via Palm OS...how long will we have to wait??? When the dust settles...some reality may set in.

 

[hannip]

The reasons why I think Apple is doing this.

1) They want control of all apps that go on the iPhone. What is behind that control? Some say that it's so Apple can certify it runs ok and meets their standards. I'm sure making money has something to do with it too.

2) Apple wants Cingular to consider this phone as a non-PDA class phone to get the cheaper data rates.

Remember, this phone is targeted to the iPod type consumer which are not power users. Will it cost them in sales? Maybe, but probably not significantly. Would I buy a phone that doesn't allow me to choose what apps to install? No, but I'm not the target consumer.

 

[surur]

It very much depends if its a phone user upgrading (who wont even notice) or a smartphone user downgrading (who will certainly notice). There are many more normal phone users, so it may not be a problem, but others have said the type of person who would blow $600 on a phone probably already has a BlackJack or a Dash or a Treo or a Blackberry.

I think at the moment we all assume, because it is Apple, it will be a success no matter what. The Playstation 3 however serves as a reminder that not all follow-ups to a successful franchise are successful, especially when they get arrogant.

Surur

 

[MacUser]

The reasons why I think Apple is doing this.

1) They want control of all apps that go on the iPhone. What is behind that control? Some say that it's so Apple can certify it runs ok and meets their standards. I'm sure making money has something to do with it too.

2) Apple wants Cingular to consider this phone as a non-PDA class phone to get the cheaper data rates.

Remember, this phone is targeted to the iPod type consumer which are not power users. Will it cost them in sales? Maybe, but probably not significantly. Would I buy a phone that doesn't allow me to choose what apps to install? No, but I'm not the target consumer.

I think you make some very insightful points. Still, I think that Apple is going to be focusing on loading that Widget window with a NICE variety of apps pre-loaded, similar to when you buy a Mac computer.

Also, I strongly believe that Jobs will open the window to 3rd party developers...perhaps approved developers?

 

[meyerweb#CB]

This decision by Apple makes it clear this is a consumer product, and not a business class device. Without the ability to add software to read / edit MS Office apps, use business class email (Sorry, but push Yahoo Mail ain't gonna cut it for someone who needs access to their corporate Exchange server), add security software, etc., no businesses are going to buy into this device. And no individuals who need to use it for business are going to be satisfied, either.

In spite of Apple's description of this as a "smartphone," it's not. Whoever described it as an "entertainment phone" hit the nail on the head.

So the question is, how many people will pay the asking price to combine their iPod and their phone in one device, and have the latest in "cool"? Time will tell. It won't likely be me, however.

 

[samkim]

I think there are two reasons Apple is not opening the device to developers:

1. Supporting developers is expensive, and it's not clear that third-party apps will increase sales of iPhone sufficiently to make it worthwhile for Apple.

2. Reliability is of critical importance in a phone, and third-party apps can only reduce reliability.

 

[Malatesta]

MobileOpportunity

"Why can't you add software to the iPhone? Because of Windows."

I think this is not about controlling the iPhone's user experience. I think it's about controlling the iPhone's users....

I think Steve doesn't want any of his differentiation being copied anywhere, and that includes the third party apps.

Click the above title to read more. Good stuff.

And considering that Apple is threatening to sue for PPC Themes that look like the iPhone, this looks quite accurate.