iPhone 3.0

Is it just me or does the rest of the world see through all the hype around the iPhone 3.0 release? So many promises yet nothing of any real substance to make the iPhone a "contender" in the enterprise space.

Oh sure, adopting Microsoft's ActiveSync was a smart move, but to take credit for "exposing some hidden features" like business policies is, uhm, blowing your own horn a little too much for my liking. The iPhone is still so far behind the BlackBerry, one doubts they will ever really catch up. There's no way the worlds most popular smartphone manufacturer is going to sit on their hands and watch while iPhone hypes up their second rate business phone.

Don't get me wrong, I like the changes the iPhone has brought to the market. But do any of you really consider "automatic software updates" to be a leap in technology? It's sounds really cool that they've sold 800,000 software applications, but aren't a lot of them only a few dollars? Unless you were one of the 7 or 9 idiots who bought the "I am rich" "application" for $1000 only to find out it was just a screen saver, you're not helping change the course of smartphone history. Besides, who'd really want to be remembered as one of the nine dumbest people on earth who would pay $1000 for a screen saver...while there are thousands of starving children that could really use a nice screen saver!

The only thing that iPhone 3.0 shows us is that with the right amount of hype, you can make people believe almost anything.

BlackBerry wins again!

Who are "The FIVE"?

Are you as curious as I am about who the "Rich Five" might be? Who can afford $1000 for a screen saver?

Other questions that are starting to burn:

Will the Five sell their exclusive application?
Will Armin find another way to sell his screen saver?
How much more is the application worth, now that only 6 people on the planet own it?
Will one of the "The Five" sell their app on eBay?
Will they sell their iPhone along with the installed "I am Rich" application?
What would the app be "worth" if millions could acquire it?
What if YOU were the only person on the planet to own the app, would you sell it to make a buck?
Is Apple right to crush "freedom of choice"?
Will Apple become BIG BROTHER and control other apps or content of the iPhone?
Will "The Five" leverage their unique opportunity?

Sucker born every minute or too much money?

You'll need to decide for yourself, but there is a controversy brewing over Apples control of their iTunes store.

The web is awash with references to the article hyperlinked to the title. It is about 5 users who paid $999.99 to purchase the "I am Rich" application for their iPhone, that makes the screen show a picture of a glowing garnet.

This application was "worth" the price of admission for at least five iPhone users, before Apple pulled the plug on the smart and industrious German developer Armin Heinrich. There was no misrepresentation what so ever and the description of the product matched its functionality exactly...so what's the problem?

The problem is that far too many people have become used to doing incredibly stupid things, then whine and complain to whom ever will listen, to bail them out of the results of their own stupidy (or personal purchase decision). The "government" usually picks up most of the tab for most people's stupidity...and then makes laws to govern at the lowest common denominator. We are slowy "dumbing down" society by pandering to the bottom rungs of the food chain. Laws are always made to "govern" the most stupid and irresponsible among us. Do people need a law against stealing to remind them that it is wrong? Apparently they do...and the list grows every year. Intelligent people don't steal (truely intelligent people) and it isn't because some line of text in a judges book of rules, tells them so. NO, these laws are soley there to control and manage the stupid people who can't figure out the simple "rules" of life.

Anyway, all my ranting aside, take a look at the article and make up your own mind.

We say, who are Apple to decide what is fair when it comes to a private developers application pricing strategy? Think about all the other ways a strategy like that would harm the way anybody does business in a free market economy.

SHAME on Apple for trying to regulate against freedom of choice.

Here is Armins ad on iTunes:













Here's what people are saying: