Take Two

The New York Times had an interesting article yesterday suggesting that the iPhone was on the cusp of becoming the new corporate productivity tool and would unseat the Blackberry as the default communication/ email device. Here is one Apple-o-phile’s thoughts on the the matter. Allow me to offer mine:

It’s not going to happen.

Here’s why- despite Apple users’ messianic devotion to all things Steve Jobs (you know who you are), he is decidedly a control freak. This is why Apple will remain a niche product which is unfortunate because they make really cool stuff. The reason the battle for OS/PC supremacy was lost by Apple was their decision to not license their software to outside developers. Think Betamax. This relegated them to only the hardcore Apple devotee and disenfranchised (I love that word) folks who wanted to get software/apps from a variety of sources/developers. Game over. Enjoy your 5-8 percent of the market.

Along comes the iPhone, a potential game changer due to its sleek design and uber functional browser. However, there is no good integration with Exchange (a must for the business market) and the touch keyboard is dicey, although you can get used to it. The Exchange issue is now being addressed (one year hence) yet, due to control issues, service is only available on AT&T’s (very shaky) network. Not interested. This is why there is a massive market for unlocked iPhones which happen to become bricks when you combine “unauthorized apps” with official software upgrades. Way to hate your customers.

This is why I am a devoted Blackberry user and am long RIMM. I’m also long AAPL because of their cool stuff. They’re just not going to replace the Blackberry any time soon.