Recently, Macworld.com and Computerworld editorialized the following:
“What doesn’t iPhone do? Unlike most smart phones, the iPhone doesn’t have voice-dialing, voice memos, 3G Internet access, Word or Excel support, one-handed operation, or video recording. It can’t be used as a laptop modem. The battery can’t be replaced. It doesn’t support removable storage. The calendar, task list and e-mail won’t sync with Microsoft Outlook.”
To put it bluntly, Macworld couldn’t be more wrong. First, Mac OS X already has Word support via TextEdit, so there is evidence that iPhone may indeed be able to open Word files. As to one-handed operation, for the most part iPhone does support one-handed operation, it can tap, click, access Home, and load web sites with just the thumb… while being held in one hand. In fact, Multi-Touch was designed for most basic uses to be transacted with one hand.
Last we checked, nobody has even asked Apple about Bluetooth DUN profiles (for Phone As Modem) on iPhone… but Mac OS X certainly has the ability to serve internet over Bluetooth. Cingular may step in the way of that, but the point is simple; nobody (outside Apple) knows if iPhone can be used as a modem or not… all other Cingular devices can be used as a modem.
iTunes has not been updated to support iPhone yet. With Apple’s iCal and Address Book support not (yet) on the Windows platform, it is perfectly logical for Apple to route into Windows (and Outlook’s) PIM support to attract to a broad iPhone audience. Apple hasn’t stated what PIM support there will be for iPhone, but with companies like Mark/Space already serving such a purpose, it is highly unlikely at least a third party solution won’t be available shortly within launch.
Unfortunately, many outside the phone sector have declared themselves wireless experts. Simply because Mac OS now lives inside an (unreleased) cell phone, they chose to consider themselves know-it-alls on the subject. Our advice: Stay tuned, we’ll tell you what phones can, and can’t do… when it actually is disclosed.
