Blackberry anyone?

[flyingcheesehead]

That may be. I certainly don't have the budget to challenge, say, Microsoft or even Apple. My point is Apple's forcing mobile developers to buy Macs is probably hurting their market.

I bet I know why Apple did this...

The tiny impact that not having XCode on Windows for iPhone development will have, will be more than made up for by the number of developers who go "WOW! This is a GREAT system to develop on! I'm going to write for Macs too!" Call it the "developer halo effect."

 

[jesse]

I bet I know why Apple did this...

The tiny impact that not having XCode on Windows for iPhone development will have, will be more than made up for by the number of developers who go "WOW! This is a GREAT system to develop on! I'm going to write for Macs too!" Call it the "developer halo effect."

Well--the last thing Apple needed to do--was pour resources into porting Xcode onto Windows which wouldn't be easy. It would have also delayed the release of the SDK which was already delayed plenty.

Really--a $600 cost of entry--is nothing. It doesn't seem like Apple is having problems getting developers.

 

[TknoFlyer]

Why exactly is Apple so evil for having you pay for Mac OS?

Wow. Sen-si-tive.

 

[jesse]

Wow. Sen-si-tive.

Not really. I am just pointing out how silly it is for you to say how much Apple is screwing up by not letting you develop on Windows, while Microsoft does not let you develop for Windows Mobile on Mac OS.

 

[TknoFlyer]

Not really. I am just pointing out how silly it is for you to say how much Apple is screwing up by not letting you develop on Windows, while Microsoft does not let you develop for Windows Mobile on Mac OS.

Um, no. That may be what you inferred, but that's not what I said.

The problem with iPhone development is it requires a Mac.

This is exactly your position regarding WinMobile on Mac, is it not?

I did say Apple would blow the doors off iPhone/iPod Touch app development with an SDK for Windows. That's simply a matter of math considering Windows' control of such a huge percentage of the PC desktop market. That's not saying "Apple is screwing up."

Since my day job is based on Windows, I already have sunk costs in Windows. Mac owners already have sunk costs in Macs. Developers on each are prepared to create mobile apps for their relevant camp without any additional expense. Attempting to develop outside that camp presents a...oh, what's that word...? Oh, "problem" to be resolved with the outlay of additional cash - and $600 for a Mac suitable for development work is just a bit optimistic even if one were inclined to buy one with 6 AUs laying around.

Again, I wasn't bashing Apple. I was simply lamenting the fact they don't offer an iPhone SDK for non-Macs.

 

[jesse]

and $600 for a Mac suitable for development work is just a bit optimistic even if one were inclined to buy one with 6 AUs laying around.

Uh. No. You can go buy one new for that--which will have everything you need--use your PC keyboard / mouse and monitor.

I still maintain--that this is the smallest issue--if you're seriously planning on developing a powerful application--the $600 cost of entry--into a tool that be used or other things..really isn't a concern.

I'm not rich and I'm saying the above--and would pay $600 if I thought I had an app worth developing right now. It absolutely amazes me sometimes how much effort someone will spend so that they can avoid spending a few dollars. People don't value their own time.

 

[TknoFlyer]

You can go buy one new for that...

A Mac Mini starts @ $600 new. Add a bit of memory and decently sized hard drive (y'know, things developers need) and the price starts rising quickly.

I still maintain--that this is the smallest issue.

Then let it go. I voiced my opinion. You felt compelled to attempt to convince me I'm wrong. You won't. I've done the math on my end and I don't see the ROI for my buying a Mac just for iPhone development *at this time.* I fully admit that balance may well shift and when it does I'll invest the resources.

In the meantime, why don't we just hang our hats on where we agree: Symbian development is a PITA and flying is fun.

 

[jesse]

A Mac Mini starts @ $600 new. Add a bit of memory and decently sized hard drive (y'know, things developers need) and the price starts rising quickly.

You're developing for a phone--not a super computer--it works fine. Tons of developers out there using the stock Mac mini.

In the meantime, why don't we just hang our hats on where we agree: Symbian development is a PITA and flying is fun.

agree

 

[ggroves]

Wow. Sen-si-tive.

Apple is never called out for their protectionism. They are lauded for fighting the evil Redmond empire.

To the original OP, if email is your primary need, the Blackberry is best, hands down. If you like gizmos, go IPhone.

 

[CJones]

To the original OP, if email is your primary need, the Blackberry is best, hands down. If you like gizmos, go IPhone.

Thanks for the input folks...

I finally got my wife to give some more 'definitive' reasons for wanting a crackberry. She said her main reasoning was to be able to use it to keep organized. She runs several Weight Watchers meetings, along with being in school, and needs to be able to keep track of inventory, schedules (work and school), email (work and school), etc. easily without having to lug her laptop around with her all the time. Oh yeah, and she says she wants something 'cool', too. Blackberry or iPhone for these requirements?

 

[RMCN172RG]

Thanks for the input folks...

I finally got my wife to give some more 'definitive' reasons for wanting a crackberry. She said her main reasoning was to be able to use it to keep organized. She runs several Weight Watchers meetings, along with being in school, and needs to be able to keep track of inventory, schedules (work and school), email (work and school), etc. easily without having to lug her laptop around with her all the time. Oh yeah, and she says she wants something 'cool', too. Blackberry or iPhone for these requirements?

Syncing the blackberry and outlook for calender and contacts is pretty easy and seems to work well for me at least so far.

How are you tracking inventory and if you want it mainlained on the phone will determine your direction there. The blackberrry can read Word and Excel files.

 

[TknoFlyer]

She said her main reasoning was to be able to use it to keep organized. She runs several Weight Watchers meetings, along with being in school, and needs to be able to keep track of inventory, schedules (work and school), email (work and school), etc. easily without having to lug her laptop around with her all the time. Oh yeah, and she says she wants something 'cool', too. Blackberry or iPhone for these requirements?

Well, I don't think anything is going to beat the iPhone for "cool factor," but any smartphone (iPhone, Blackberry, Palm, Windows Mobile) should suit those requirements.

One limitation of some of these devices (certainly WinMobile) is one calendar on the device, but iPhone 2.0 introduced support for multiple calendars and I think at least a couple Blackberry devices support this. Depending on what system your wife uses as her primary calendar system (Outlook, Google, Live, etc.), this limitation may be a major factor.

 

[CJones]

She is mostly Google-based (Google Calendar, Gmail, etc.)

As for inventory, she is working off of pen-and-paper right now, but as her inventory grows and she has trouble keeping track (bi-weekly physical inventory isn't very efficient), I'm trying to push her towards using Excel more.

I guess what would be 'really' slick is for her to get something Android based so I can write custom apps for what she needs... hmmmm......

 

[alaskaflyer]

FWIW I am mostly "Google based" and my iPhone calendar and contacts syncs to my Google Calendar and contacts through a third party (free) service and my Gmail account through IMAP. Of course you can use the Safari browser to access Google online apps such as calendar and gmail directly too. In addition I use Toodledo.com and the Toodledo iPhone app for "to do" lists which sync across devices and the web.

You can subscribe to "push" email services to deliver messages to the iPhone via an Exchange-type server just as with the Blackberry but I have not found any that are free >yet< (unlike the calendar and contacts sync.) I am personally happy with IMAP fetching every 15 minutes, I don't need to read an email the moment someone sends it. If I did I would avail myself of that part of the iPhone functionality and pay a third party to provide the push.

Someone else can chime in on how well a Blackberry meshes with the Googlemonster.

IMHO whether or not you want the iPhone vs some other device hinges on 1) how much you would like to browse the Internet; 2) how much you want to use all these third party apps for this and that; and 3) If you like iPods vs some other mp3 device and would like to carry one gizmo around instead of two or three (see thread on the Kindle.) Oh, and how much you are tied to a specific carrier, of course.