I will offer this addendum. Just this past Thursday I released my SECOND webapp (Allows for X10 home automation control using the iPhone - see http://www.ayefon.com for details) and submitted it to the Apple site. In ONE DAY they had reviewed it and posted it and it even won a staff pick (thanks guys). Imagine my surprise when I sold TWO copies the first day. That weekend I sold a bunch more and it hasn't even been a week yet. If this is any indication of how well the "iPhone App store" that Steve Jobs outlined on March 6 works, it will be fabulous. Back when I looked at doing J2ME apps with Cingular/ATT their deal at the time was a 60/40 split. Apples is 70/30 and that app store icon will be on every iPhone with the 2.0 software release. For years the J2ME folks have been promising that "huge" mobile device market but in reality the telco app signing/development process has all but killed it except for entertainment apps that don't need the locked up API's. Apple not only charges a more reasonable "cut" but they truly have a marketing plan that works, if the present webapp store is any indicator. I've made more real money in the last 5 days with iPhone webapps than I ever did with the my entire J2ME effort. I'm sold.

I haven't gotten into the SDK yet because that takes a Mac and I'm still working on getting one. But from what I've seen of the API in the vids it looks like you'll have robust interface to your PIM stuff. If you've got your Mac, you can download the SDK and dig into it.

Hey Don,

Does the iPhone SDK allow developers to SYNCHRONIZE their iPhone applications with desktop applications on the Mac?

For example, one of our favorite things about the Treo is the 3rd-party programs we can purchase to synchronize our desktop Quicken files with our Treo's Pocket Quicken; our desktop memo pad to our Treo's memo pad; our desktop database program to our Treo's memo pad; etc.

Does the iPhone SDK allow any of this type of syncing ability?

Thanks!

The interest from companies in developing native iPhone apps is staggering. I’m fielding several inquiries per day from companies who want real apps built today. To help developers and projects find each other I’ve created a community called iPhoneIncubator.com. Post your resume or project.

Nick Dalton - Author of 101 iPhone Tips & Tricks

I have to say I had the same reaction as you to the jobs position. I had been working on several Google android apps, but based on apple embracing the corporate exchange world, and the significant numbers they have been posting, I am making the switch.

Bought my first macbook last Sunday, and have been loving it. Learning Cocoa development is a little hampered by the Xcode 3 changes, (most tutorials are built using xcode 2 and the differences are enough to throw a newbie developer), but the concepts are pretty straight forward for folks with a Java background familiar with mvc.

Rich Dominelli
Former Windows Mobile, Android developer.

I think you've figured it out...everyone else will too, in a couple of years, and by then avant garde developers like you will be way ahead and making cash on iPhone apps (and probably on OS X apps, which, incidentally use Cocoa as well).

The most important point overlooked by the numerous people applauding an iPhone JVM is that of the lowest common denominator UI that is SWT. It's gonna be a mess, no one but Sun will really miss it by the time the app store is opened, and, notwithstanding all the above there is no way a standalone JVM would be allowed in Apple's app store.

Anyway, congratulations on your entrance into the mac developer world, with viewpoints like that I'm sure you'll love it (and incidentally the mac is great for java development too :)

I would say that you have hit it right on the head. When I heard what Apple is doing and how they have set up the apps for the iPhone and the built-in debugging, well.... I expect the number of apps for the iPhone to EXPLODE as of June 30.

Will there be issues? .... Of course!! But they will be minor and quickly resolved. RIM is already running scared. They just announced that they WILL BE (future tense) coming out with 3 apps for the Blackberry and that there may be a touch screen Blackberry in the near future.

But they just do not get it. Everyone has a touch screen and that is not what is pushing change, its the SOFTWARE, dummies.

Anyway, enjoy your new Mac and let us know what you think of the Mac experience.

en

very, very interesting. be sure to let us know by the June release of iPhone 2.0 how it really works out for you!