Okay, it's not that big of a surprise, but Good Technology's latest data from their enterprise customers confirm that yes, iOS is killing Android in the business world. In the first quarter of the year, the iPhone 4S accounted for 37% of Good's activations, followed by the iPad 2 with 17.7%, while the new iPad is already claiming 12.1%. The iPhone 4, original iPad, and iPhone 3GS occupy other top spots before Android devices start making the list. By comparison, they scored only 26.1% smartphone penetration and 2.7% tablet presentation. These stats continue the trend initially identified by Good in January.

Of course, Good is often the go-to solution for companies wanting to roll out and manage something other than BlackBerry, which means we don't have too much context on how well the traditional enterprise leader is faring by comparison, but we've seen lots of studies detailing RIM's downward spiral, and plenty of others corroborating the growing popularity of iOS devices in the enterprise market.

Part of the reason for the Apple's success relative to Android is the uniformity of the devices. Like BlackBerry, iPhones and iPads come from one end-to-end vendor and so, while they have their own benefits and drawbacks, those benefits and drawbacks are a constant. Once you know how iOS works on ActiveSync or Good, you know how all the iPhones and iPads deployed in your enterprise will work on ActiveSync or Good. It makes everything from rollout to support easier.

With Android, Google has left a lot of the implementation details up to the individual manufacturers and carriers, and so ActiveSync and app compatibility can vary from line to line or even device to device. Having that many more targets drastically increases complexity for both deployment and support.

Apple has also been making it a point to focus on enterprise-friendly features and to tout business adoption figures in their conference calls. Obviously, it's paying off.

Has your boss issued you an iPhone? How many corporate Android handsets have you seen around the office?

Source: Network World

Apple is pushing the benefits of using an iPhone in business with the launch of a new webpage on its site. The new page is simply titled "iPhone at Work" and it runs through a reasonably extensive lists of business orientated apps and features.

Stay on top of your business and accomplish everyday work tasks in a whole new way. With iPhone and amazing apps that get you the information you need at a  moment’s notice, your work day is anything but ordinary.

It appears that more and more businesses are looking to integrate the iPhone into their IT infrastructures. Apple wants to ensure that it has the information available to IT professionals when they need to make the big decisions!

Source: Apple

ChangeWave recently surveyed 1,604 IT personnel with buying power in their company, and of those planning on getting tablets in the next quarter, 84% are siding with the iPad. To properly set the context, however, only 22% of the surveyed companies said that they were in the market to buy tablets for their employees. We already knew that businesses were big on iOS tablets, but that figure is actually up from 77% in November - clearly the new iPad is spiking interest in businesses as well as consumers. Even BlackBerry, the traditional leader in enterprise, only demanded 3% of corporate tablet demand. Samsung's took second place, albeit far behind apple with 8% demand.

Is anyone really surprised by results like this? Although it continues to highlight Apple's vice grip on the tablet market, there's still plenty of room for the tablet market itself to grow. An IT folks out there on the verge of rolling out iPads to the workforce? Have any of y'all already pulled the trigger?

Source: ChangeWave

A survey issued Monday by IDG Connect shows that 91% of business and IT professionals use their iPad more for business communication than personal needs. They also found that over 25% of employers deployed iPads to their employees.

Other numbers included in the survey -

• 97% of professionals use the iPad for reading
• 70% + now buy fewer physical books and newspapers
• 72% of iPad owners carry their laptop less
• 66% say the iPad has partially or completely replaced their laptop

iPads are not only a cheaper option than laptop computers for employers but they're also much more portable. If an iPad suits an employee's business needs it may be a better option financially than a laptop. 83% of the employers surveyed also said they would not consider another kind of tablet after using the iPad.

Source: The Loop

RIM today announced BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, something they're touting as "The Next Generation Enterprise Mobility Solution for BlackBerry, Android and iOS Smartphones and Tablets". Really. Says so right here:

We are pleased to introduce BlackBerry Mobile Fusion - RIM's next generation enterprise mobility solution - to make it easier for our business and government customers to manage the diversity of devices in their operations today," said Alan Panezic, Vice President, Enterprise Product Management and Marketing at Research In Motion. "BlackBerry Mobile Fusion brings together our industry-leading BlackBerry Enterprise Server technology for BlackBerry devices with mobile device management capabilities for iOS and Android devices, all managed from one web-based console. It provides the necessary management capabilities to allow IT departments to confidently oversee the use of both company-owned and employee-owned mobile devices within their organizations.

While RIM is still struggling to get PlayBook to 2.0 and BBX superphones into the hungry hands of the CrackBerry Nation, this could be an interesting way to hedge against Enterprise BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trends that skew users away from traditional BlackBerry's and towards iPhones.

Still, consumers would probably still prefer BBM for iOS...

Source: CrackBerry.com

I run a company called PXLFIX locally and we specialize in iOS device repair, web development, and consulting. I rely on my iPhone everyday to not only keep my appointments and consultations straight, but as a tool to manage all aspects of my work life. Every iOS upgrade has made it easier and easier to stay organized. And where iOS fails, many third party apps have stepped up to the challenge quite well.

Client management

This is one of the most important aspects of my business. I need a way to sort through contacts and organize them efficiently. Fortunately iOS makes this task easy. I've made groups within my Mac address book that will sync across all my computers, iPhones, and iPads.

The ability to be able to send contact cards to clients and business partners is also extremely important. With my iPhone I can simply send a contact card via text or e-mail. I use contact cards not only to store ways to contact a client but notes that I may want to remember later.

Task Management

I've always depended on apps like Things or ToDo by Appigo to handle projects and task lists. Since the introduction of Reminders in iOS 5 my habits have changed a bit since Apple has made it even easier to handle tasks without the use of third party apps.

I'm also a die hard iCal user. I frequently use shared calendars and sync all of them across all my devices so I can access any of my information from any computer, iPhone, or iPad. I always had issues doing this back in my BlackBerry days. Either calendars never stayed synced or there was no easy cloud syncing option for Mac users. That's changed a bit since then but I still find that my iOS has offered better solutions than most other mobile platforms.

Working on the go

Besides using my iPhone for wireless hotspot tethering I have a tendency to need to work on the go or while traveling. Between my MacBook Pro, iPad, and iPhone this has never been easier. When it comes to web development I can use HTML and PHP editor apps on my iPad to make changes to client's websites on the go. I can also develop websites on my iPad and easily pick up where I left off when I get back to my office on my iMac.

I also use apps such as LogMeIn Ignition from my iPad and iPhone while on the go. If I ever forget to save a file to my Dropbox or Box.net account I can easily access it from anywhere as my iMac is always connected to the internet. Long gone are the days of forgetting files and documents or transferring them via physical media devices.

I can even balance our books and do our accounting functions on the go with QuickBooks mobile. So whether I'm in the office or traveling I always know where we stand and what's going on back at home.

Payment systems

As a small business we use Square in order to accept credit card payments from clients. The adapter will plug in to my iPhone or iPad and allow me to accept payments on location or from the office. As long as I have a wifi or cellular connection I'm good to go. This is extremely important considering the nature of our business and the need to sometimes take payments at a client's location instead of our own. This has never been easier with systems like Square or Intuit GoPayments for iPhone and iPad.

Overall workflow

We are a company that has instituted an all Apple eco-system. While our solutions may not work for everyone my iPhone is not only a device I enjoy using but one I heavily depend on to conduct business on an everyday basis. Everything from my reminders to my appointments to my client management and file systems can all be accessed and updated from my iPhone. And where there isn't a built-in iOS feature to meet my needs I've found third party apps that fill that gap.

My iPhone makes my life easier and more stress free on a regular basis when it comes to business. The best part is after the work day is over I can also use my iPhone for play. It really is an all around work and play device that I depend on in several ways each and every day.

As a side note, we will be offering mail-in repairs sooner rather than later. We also do Twitter and Facebook giveaways from time to time as well. You can check us out on our website or on Twitter and FaceBook in the mean time!

On Monday morning I picked up several shiny new iPhone 4S handsets that my Apple Business rep had set aside for me earlier in the week. I knew I would be traveling over the launch weekend and I needed quite a few phones, and my Apple Business rep couldn't have been more helpful in arranging everything.

One of the best things I ever did for NickelFish was to register as a small business client with our local Apple Store. The experience and service the Business Team provides is absolutely incredible. Knowing that you have a reliable resource at your disposal that can help you with almost any issue you run into is very comforting. As part of an initiative started [last summer, Apple has been reaching out more to local companies, and it's been a great move.

The funny thing is, I only registered as an afterthought. I was there one day about a year ago buying a laptop for one of our staff members, and the person I was working with saw my business credit card and offered to help me join. I honestly didn't think about it prior to this, and I figured it wouldn't hurt. I met the manager of the Business Team (who has since become a friend) and he said he would add us to the Apple local directory for vendors, and would let interested parties know about our capabilities if anyone inquired. Again, I figured, can't hurt.

Over the course of the past year, I have been able to email or call at any point and ask tons of questions, reserve equipment for purchase, set up service appointments and just generally feel that we're completely cared for in our hardware and software needs. As a business customer, you're sometimes also eligible for discounts, depending on what you're buying. In addition to this, we've had leads sent our way for web and mobile development projects through our association with Apple.

But the most important part of the entire experience for me is that every time I speak to someone at the store or stop by for a visit, every single team member I interact with is exceptionally professional and makes me feel like a VIP. It seems silly, but there aren't all that many places in which you can get this level of service without paying a crazy premium. The Apple Business Team places a high level of emphasis on making business customers comfortable and providing a completely frictionless experience. They truly are a partner to your company, and if you're running a small business and using Macs, I highly recommend investigating with your local Apple Store and reps.

Indiana lawmakers are now considering buying iPads for their 50 senators and 100 representatives. Many schools and government bodies have already implemented iPads to replace certain physical media such as textbooks.

Republican State Senator Brandt Hershman says he already uses an iPad for personal and business use and that it may allow for more transparency in the legislative process. It could also allow easier communication and response from local government.

Given I live in Indiana and own a tech based company, it's great to see our local government adopting technology and keeping up with it. Not only does electronic media provide a great way to help the environment by eliminating paper waste but it also shows that technology is an important part of our society. The fact that our local government is starting to acknowledge that and is trying to use it in a more efficient way is definitely a step in the right direction.

[The Loop]

Task management apps for iPhone are released into the App Store on almost a daily basis. My iPhone is not only a device I enjoy using in my personal time, it's instrumental in the way I conduct business and keep myself organized.

Between running my own business, contracting for a few companies, and writing for TiPb, it sometimes becomes a task to remember where I need to be or what I need to be doing. I have yet to find an app that combines all the tools I need but the mix of apps I use do a pretty good job of keeping me sane. Follow along for my top picks and to let us know what yours are as well!

Wunderlist

There are several list and task apps on the App Store and I've been through several of them. I recently found Wunderlist and fell in love. Not only is it dead simple and have a beautiful interface, it also allows you to share your lists with others who use the service. Myself and my partners have a shared task list for our business. If I add an event or a meeting, it automatically syncs to their iPhones and iPads as well. Wunderlist also supports push notifications. And the best part? It's free!

[Free - iTunes Link]

Evernote

I've also tried several note taking apps but Evernote still remains my favorite. It's dead simple to use and has a gorgeous interface. I use it frequently while in meetings or for jotting down notes when I'm consulting with a client. I can e-mail my notes to the people that need them before I even step foot out of the meeting.

Evernote also allows you to add tags and different notebooks. I have tags for home, my business, travel, and everything in between. I don't have to weed through dates and all my notes if I don't want to. I can filter all my notes by only the tags I want to see at that exact moment. Evernote is also free but does have a paid subscription if you'd like more monthly storage space. I use Evernote quite frequently and have never ran over my free monthly allotment.

[Free - iTunes Link]

Also check out:

• Top 5 notes apps for iPhone

Due

Due is rather new to the App Store and has quickly earned a spot on the first page of my home screen. I have a bad habit of dismissing reminders and then forgetting that they went off. Due solves this problem for me. I can set repeat reminders and even if I dismiss the push notification, the app will continuously bug me at the intervals I defined until I open the app and actually mark the entry as done.

The overall interface is extremely slick and setting notifications couldn't be easier. Some task management apps are a pain when entering tasks, but not Due. Heck, you don't even have to set a reminder title if you don't want to. You can also tweaks the settings to what you use most commonly. I typically set reminders for about 2 hours later so I have that as my default time. If I need to, I can change that. You can also set repeats and push the reminders back by minutes, hours, or even days in one quick tap.

[$4.99 - iTunes Link]

Droplr

There are many times that I want to share an image or a file with multiple people. This is where droplr has really come in handy. I can upload an image via the app and then e-mail the shortened link to as many people as I'd like. I can also tweet it or copy the link within the app as well. I especially love that they have a free Mac client as well. The iPhone and Mac version will also sync back and forth with each other. This is very convenient for when I'm taking pictures or screenshots on my iPhone that I need on my Mac. I don't have to e-mail them to myself any longer. I can simply upload them via droplr and pick them up in droplr on my Mac.

[$3.99 - iTunes Link]

ToDo by Appigo

Although Wunderlist is now my daily task management app, ToDo by Appigo will never lose its spot on my iPhone. While it may not be as easy to use, it's an extremely powerful task management app. I use it now for detailed projects that have separate deadlines and that have to be done in parts. If we are working on a web design project, I may want to set different completion dates on a project timeline. This is where ToDo really shines. I can organize a project in any way I like. I can mark individual parts of a project done and set reminders on the other parts.

ToDo is worth every penny if you need a very detail oriented task app. They've also just announced a Mac version with sync as well. So if that's what you've been looking for, look no further.

[$4.99 - iTunes Link]

Your top task apps?

Although, there are the top five task management apps that fit my lifestyle, it doesn't mean that there aren't other great ones floating around out there. Be sure to check out our Picks of the Week and iPhone App and Games Forum for more recommendations, and if we missed any of your favorites, leave them in the comments below!

Research in Motion has announced BlackBerry Enterprise Server support for iOS -- namely BES and RIM's newly acquired ubitexx technology, will soon be able to provide management and security features for iPhone and iPad.

“The multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution is designed to address a growing market and respond to requests from enterprise customers who want a secure multi-platform device management solution from a company that already delivers the gold standard for enterprise mobility,” said Peter Devenyi, Vice President, Communications Platform Group at Research In Motion. “We recognize the opportunity to continue leading in the enterprise market by providing customers with a common platform to help simplify the management of a variety of mobile devices.”

iOS -- and Android for that matter -- won't get all the fancy features BlackBerrys on BES enjoy, including the new BlackBerry Balance feature which silos work from personal content, but they'll get enough to make it very interesting for IT departments.

Microsoft once faced the choice of keeping ActiveSync a competitive advantage for Windows Mobile, hurting their platform but helping their devices, or licensing ActiveSync and gaining infrastructure share at the expense of device share. They chose the latter and now ActiveSync is a key part of iOS, Mac OS X, GoogleSync, and many Android devices. RIM had chosen to keep their technology for themselves... up until now and it begs the question -- if they're going to let BES go cross-platform, could BBM follow?

And what if any increased competition will Apple's new "iCloud" services offer in the enterprise space?

Full BlackBerry World PR after the break! Anyone counting the days until you can hook your iPhone or iPad into BES?

[CrackBerry]

RIM Announces Multi-Platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution for Smartphones and Tablets Device Management Solution to Provide Security, Management, and Control of BlackBerry Devices, Plus Secure Management for Other Mobile Devices

Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM, TSX: RIM) is announcing today plans for a multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution for managing and securing mobile devices for enterprises and government organizations. The solution will make available the market-leading management, security and controls of BlackBerry® Enterprise Server and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Express for BlackBerry® devices plus, through RIM’s pending acquisition of ubitexx (creator of the ubi-Suite device management solution), the solution is expected to incorporate secure device management for Android and iOS based devices and tablets, all managed from a single web-based console.

“The multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution is designed to address a growing market and respond to requests from enterprise customers who want a secure multi-platform device management solution from a company that already delivers the gold standard for enterprise mobility,” said Peter Devenyi, Vice President, Communications Platform Group at Research In Motion. “We recognize the opportunity to continue leading in the enterprise market by providing customers with a common platform to help simplify the management of a variety of mobile devices.”

The single web-based console is being designed to provide IT administrators with a simple and efficient way to distribute software and manage policies, inventory, security and services for BlackBerry devices, as well as other mobile devices. IT administrators will be able to manage devices over-the-air, including activating devices, distributing software and applications, locking or wiping devices, enforcing and resetting device passwords, setting IT policies, and managing optional mobile applications for end users. Certain features are expected to remain exclusive to BlackBerry devices because such capabilities are built into the design of a device’s operating system. Examples include RIM’s industry-leading push technology, network and data usage efficiency, behind-the-firewall access to enterprise applications and systems, and many of the over 550 IT policies available through BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The recently-released BlackBerry® BalanceTM technology (see separate press release issued today), which supports the use of a single smartphone for both work and personal purposes without compromising the security of corporate content or the privacy of personal content, will also remain exclusive to BlackBerry devices.

Overall, as is largely understood in the enterprise market today, organizations can expect a range of security, manageability and controls depending on different device platform capabilities, with some devices further limited by the design of their operating system.

The multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution will be comprised of optional architectural components based on the configuration of an organization’s mobile deployment and their operational needs. Optional components will include BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express for BlackBerry devices, and a separate, secure device management server for Android and iOS devices (based on the foundation of ubi-Suite from ubitexx). It will be possible to deploy multiple components in a virtualized environment on a single server. Note: Registration for a product preview of the ubitexx solution is open today at www.ubitexx.com/preview. The multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution is planned for general availability later this year.

This week I took at look at Peak Meetings HD for iPad and so far, I like what I see. I mean, meetings, meetings, meetings. There has to be a good way to capture meeting information on iPad, right? Sure you can just type your notes out, but wouldn't be great if you could use templates for your meetings? How about have them in an organized format? Read on to find out!

When making a meeting, you can choose what type of meeting its going to be. Informational? Update? Problem Solving? What Peak Meetings attempts to do is to help you organize, prioritize and most of all, streamline your meeting notes. Peak Meetings does this by giving you some key sections that are customizable that vary based on the type of meeting you have. Let's look at a basic meeting:

• Title
• Goals
• Agenda
• Notes
• Location
• Attendees
• Project

With Agenda type of meeting, these bullet points are divided even further into four sub-topics:

Topic- the title of what is to be discussed

Timing- how long this topic should last

Responsible- who is presenting this (gets populated from the Attendees section; more on that later)

Details- specifics for this topic to be discussed

Problems- why/what and ideal outcome

Options- pros and cons list

Solutions- needed and hurdles

Actions- responsible person, due date, details

After you have cataloged all of the above information, you can then write even more details in the notes section. Think if it as a way to summarize your meeting at a high level; the details are accounted for above.

Next you can enter in location information such as 4th floor, meeting room B. There is even a specific area to enter the access code for a conference call. To top it off, you can enter attendees for the meeting. Attendees are pulled in from your contacts or can be entered from scratch. Finally, all of this information is great but unless you can tie to a project, it is ultimately not worth it. So, you can add multiple projects as needed to your meeting.

Once you gave taken all of your meeting notes you can easily email them. This, my friends is where it all starts to come together. Remember when you added "attended" contacts to your meeting? Well, now when you email it, your attendees emails show in the compose email window! Very nice.

The next thing that you might be thinking is, "Gee Chad, I have weekly meetings where the agenda, etc. is always the same". No worries my friends, you can easily select a meeting and duplicate it.

That sums up Peak Meetings HD for iPad. This app fits nicely in my workflow. For example, as many of you know, I love Evernote. Well, I also send a copy of the meeting via email to Evernote when I am done with the meeting. Now I have a consistent, nicely formatted meeting notes instantly searchable.

[$9.99 - iTunes Link]

Pros

• Great way to streamline you meetings!
• Customizable with types of meetings
• Universal app- bonus!
• Email your meetings from the Attendee list
• Duplicate common meetings

Cons

• Can't create your own sections, but is very flexible to suite most needs
• No built-in backup or sync tool

The Wallstreet Journal is reporting that Apple has been poaching sales staff from RIM in order to better compete in the enterprise sector with the iPhone. Some of these converts have been high-ranking members of RIM's staff.

In the past 18 months, at least five members of RIM's enterprise-sales team have left the company to join Apple. This includes Geoff Perfect, who served as Head of Strategic Sales at RIM for nearly five years before leaving in April 2009 and joining Apple a month later as Head of Enterprise iPhone Sales, according to LinkedIn, the online networking service for professionals.

In addition, Joe Bartlett, Steve Marshall and Peter Decker from RIM all transferred over to Apple earlier this year.

Although Apple has been making recent headway with respect to the enterprise sector, they're clearly on a mission to step things up even more. But will taking staff from competition be enough?

[WSJ]

'Tis the season to be gifting and with iPhone and iPad increasingly making their way into business, there will be a lot of workers and enterprise users to shop for this year. That means not only devices like iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad all wrapped up and ready to go, but all the great apps and accessories that go with them. Is there a special business user in your life? If so, here's TiPb helpful holiday gift guide!

Don't need anything for a business user? Check out the recommendations anyway, something great might still catch your eye. If not, no worries, we'll have plenty more holiday gifts guides coming your way this month!

At the desk

Apple's dock is sweet and simple but it doesn't fit with any cases, even Apple's own. And that's just not how we do business. Instead, we love the Seidio Inno Dock Jr. for iPhone. Its elevated, adjustable dock connector can fit almost any case you throw at it. It's not as long-lasting as a one piece, less adaptable dock, but it's inexpensive enough to more than make up for it. A great iPad alternative is the Griffin A-Frame. And an extra Apple cable and power adapter is always handy.

• Seidio Inno Dock Jr. for iPhone
• Griffin A-Frame
• Apple USB Power Adapter w/ Sync Cable

When it comes to apps, the recommendations get trickier. If we're at our desks, we have our computers and computer apps, so iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad become secondary displays, something we want around for glance-able information or utilities, and something we can take with us. Appigo Todo and Omnifocus both take different paths to the same goal -- getting things done. Appigo Todo has great sync options, Omnifocus ties in location, but both let us quickly make sure we're on task. PCalc, especially for accounts, engineers, developers, and number-crunchers of all types, let's us quickly get answers while leaving the problem up on the main computer for easy reference. DropBox and Box.net are great online storage solutions with excellent iPhone and iPad apps so you can quickly peak at a file, watch a video, or listen to some music you've kept in sync from any computer you own.

• Appigo Todo [iTunes link] or OmniFocus [iTunes link]
• PCalc [iTunes link]
• DropBox [iTunes link] or Box.net [iTunes link]

On the road

When our business keeps us behind the wheel, a good car kit is essential. Whether we want to keep our iPhone perfectly positioned for turn-by-turn navigation, or the law requires us to keep our hands free for calls and music, the iGrip Universal Fit Vent Mount (or one of its handy alternate configurations) along with the BlackBerry VM-605 Bluetooth Premium Visor Handsfree will get us where we're going. (That's right, we're actually recommending a BlackBerry accessory, it's that good!). And when we need something to plug it in, right now we're wrapping up the Griffin PowerJolt Plus because it will not only keep our iPhone or iPad juiced up, but it lets us charge something else as well via the 12v socket, built right in.

And yes, we have tried to car-mount our iPads, but that big screen just moves around too much for our safety-concious liking. The Bluetooth works great though!

• iGrip Universal Fit Vent Mount
• BlackBerry VM-605 Bluetooth Premium Visor Handsfree
• Griffin PowerJolt Plus

Once we're set up, we need that navigation and entertainment we were talking about. Navigation is really an embarrassment of riches on the iPhone and now that we have streaming background audio in iOS 4, music and media are catching up nicely as well. When our business takes us places where data isn't accessible, Navigon MobileNavigator is a big download but keeps all the maps on-board and ready. The TeleNav powered AT&T Navigator is for when we want to travel light and prefer to sip our maps online. Navigon is pay-up-front and also gives us international options if we want to buy them. AT&T Navigator is subscription based and carrier specific. While we're driving, Slacker Radio is a great choice for lots of stations, and with local caching there's no need to burn through data. Audible.com audio books can also be a life saver for when we commute. We don't have much time to read so listening to everything from the classics to the latest best sellers while we drive is a treat. Both require subscriptions and make great gifts year-round. If all mileage matters, Trip Cubby is just what the expense department ordered, and Trapster helps us avoid giving all that money back in speeding tickets (just saying...!)

• Navigon MobileNavigator or AT&T Navigator
• Slacker Radio app or Audible.com app
• Trip Cubby and Trapster

In the air

Whether we travel regularly or just to the occasional conference or trade show, we're never be able to get enough power. While there are battery cases for iPhone, if they have an iPad, iPod, and other gear as well, a more universal charging solution, like the Ventev PowerCELL is in order. Good usability on the plane is also important, and for iPad nothing looks as executive or works as well as the Marware Eco-Vue. It has a built-in stand for easier typing, strap for one-handed carrying, and eco-leather finish for style and protection. For iPhone, something lighter and less bulky for better pocketability is in order, and the Case-Mate Barely There certainly fits that bill. And when we really need to get work done, an ultra-portable Bluetooth keyboard, like the Freedom i-Connex Mini Keyboard, is just be what the holidays ordered (don't tell Steve Jobs!). Just pair up and start typing, on the plane or in the meeting.

• Ventev PowerCELL for iPhone and iPad
• Marware Eco-Vue for iPad
• Case-Mate Barely-There Case
• Freedom i-Connex Mini Keyboard

To keep track off all our travel arrangements, we use TripIt. Just email all flight, hotel, and other confirmations to the TripIt address and it automagically populates our iPhone with all the details and extra information like airport maps. Since the app is free, a pro subscription makes a great gift and then TripIt even notifies us of any change in flight times. When we need to get some extra work done, both Documents to Go and QuickOffice keep us productive (and if the flight has Wi-Fi, we can even keep in sync with our cloud storage). Since all work and no play makes us dull boys and girls, we also load up with iTunes or Amazon gift certificates so we can download iTunes movies, TV shows, and iBooks or Amazon Kindle books. iBooks is frankly the better reading experience but Kindle has a much bigger library and works on a wide range of devices, so it comes down style vs. quantity and compatibility.

• TripIt Travel Organizer
• Documents to Go or QuickOffice
• Apple iBooks or Amazon Kindle

Your picks?

Remember, you're part of Team TiPb too, so if you've already picked the perfect gift for your iPhone or iPad business user, or have the perfect idea for one, let us know in comments!

Business and iPad are two words that seem to be coming together more and more often. Apple has now added a couple big business profiles to their site showing what a few of the bigger players experiences have been like since mixing the iPad into their current business routine.

Among them are Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, NYC Prosthodontics, charity: water, and RehabCare. A Hyatt employee had this to say -

"I don't carry a calculator. I used to subscribe to all the journals: the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times. That's all disappeared. It's all on iPad."

If your business or employer has decided to implement an iOS device into their business model, let us know below as well as how it's going!

[Apple, via TUAW]

The popular and award-winning Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite is now available for iPad. The application enables robust viewing, editing and creation of Microsoft Office Word and Excel files and integrates with mobile cloud storage providers such as Apple’s MobileMe, Google Docs, Box.net and Dropbox. Quickoffice has been completely redesigned for the iPad and offers improved menus and functionality.

• Power edit mode – make edits across an entire document or spreadsheet with a multi-edit toolbox. Quickly format text, numbers, paragraphs, backgrounds and cells without opening and closing multiple menus.
• Single-screen viewing – an intuitive way to navigate horizontally and vertically through folders and files, and conveniently review file information within a single-screen view.
• Advanced touch controls – manage files with simple-to-use touch, tap and drag controls with an advanced connected file manager. Scroll in any direction and drag and drop to email, move, copy and delete files on the iPad or on supported remote storage accounts.
• Smooth page scrolling – single-touch navigation to preview page thumbnails and jump to any page in any size document.

I know Chad must be bouncing off the walls in excitement over this app. What about you? If you pick this one up, be sure let us know what you think!

[$9.99 - iTunes link]

Mercedes-Benz is providing iPads to 40 lucky dealers across the country so that they gain access to the company's point-of-sale dealer system on the showroom floors.

"Mercedes-Benz Financial today announced that it is putting the Apple iPad into the hands of its dealers, becoming the first automotive finance company to give dealers mobile access to its proprietary point-of-sale dealer system called MB Advantage. In doing so, Mercedes-Benz Financial is one of the first companies to adapt the consumer-oriented iPad as a mobile business tool."

And why not use iPad as it will provide the dealers with wireless mobility, information and flexibility - directly at their finger tips.

Video after the break! And yes we are aware it will not play on your iPhone - blame Mercedes-Benz for using Flash...

Apple.com/business has published a case study of micro-blogging darling, Twitter. Not surprisingly, Apple.com gives Twitter a lot of love for loving Apple products, especially the iPhone:

When it comes to availability, iPhones accommodate peoples’ needs to work remotely and stay connected with the Twitter team. Stone notes that Twitter remains loyal to iPhones even though other handset manufacturers offer them free equipment.

Not surprising. The price of a thing is seldom equal to its cost. If a free product takes you more time or resources or requires greater infrastructure to support, the cost of using it can rapidly grow higher than the dollar price of even a premium product or service.

For businesses that thrive on the technology the iPhone best supports, web, media, and a certain strategic perception and mind set, paying for iPhones is probably a much greater value than any "free" phone.

Last year, during the iPhone 2.0 SDK Event, Apple unleashed a slew of enterprise-aimed initiatives. Phil Schiller took the stage to showcase Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync licensing, as well as 802.1x, Cisco VPN, certificates, remote wipe, configuration tools, and more.

Schiller didn't show up at the iPhone 3.0 Sneak Peek event (not until the apres-Q&A at least), and Apple didn't announce something as spectacular as Exchange support this year. But was there anything compelling for businesses this time around?

First, it's important to dispel a common internet smartphone fallacy -- not all businesses are the same. Not every business, not even every megacorp, is staffed entirely with suits devoted exclusively to messaging 24x7. Many may be, but not all. Business comes in wondrous diversity, and iPhone 3.0 might have a few things that appeal to these diverse businesses.

• Anti-Phishing. Added to the iPhone Safari browser, this technology hopes to protect users from malicious websites that try to steal login, credit card, or other serious data. As more and more attacks target enterprise users (especially executives via "spear phishing"), more security is better will be a theme we'll be returning to often.
• Call log: For those who need to document their time and activities on the phone, the greater detail provided in iPhone 3.0 will be welcomed.
• Create meeting invitations: Okay, so iPhone 2.0's ActiveSync implementation wasn't exactly full featured, with one of the most often-talked about omissions being the lack of any meeting invitation creation functionality. Check that box off with 3.0.
• Encrypted profiles. We're not sure what this means for the iPhone yet, but encryption in general -- providing it's strong encryption -- is typically of value to businesses that need to protect both their own data, and the data of customers. We do know that iTunes 8.1, in conjunction with iPhone 3.0, allows for password protected encrypted backups. This is a great addition for the very same reason.
• Languages: Business is increasingly international. Thanks to its virtual-keyboard, the iPhone can seamlessly transition from one language to another without requiring a different model or the physical transplantation of keys. Adding in Arabic, Hebrew, Greek, Thai, and other new languages to 3.0, to go with Japanese, Chinese, and all the languages added to 2.0, makes the iPhone of even greater value to frequent, multi-national business travelers.
• LDAP: The lightweight directory access protocol is now supported for Contacts, which will allow an iPhone to hook into the enterprise directory store. Apple has it's own, open-source CardDAV protocol as well, but the focus on LDAP this time around is likely to mean much more to far more businesses right now.
• Notes sync. It was a long time coming, but with 3.0 users will be able to sync notes back and forth between the iPhone and the Mac's Mail client. Yeah... that's it so far, but Apple will need to provide a Windows alternative at some point, and we're hoping for full-on Exchange and MobileMe support as well.
• OTA Profiles: Over the air profiles... yeah, we're stumped to. Profiles typically imply greater and more specific control, so this could be a benefit, but we'll need to wait for more information.
• Proxy support. Another expansion to the iPhone's internet prowess, the ability to use proxy servers will make life easier for businesses that make use of, or require, various types of proxy connections. (And yes, insert Hulu for international users comment here...)
• Revoke certs. Again, details are sketchy, but with 2.0 giving us certificates for 2 factor authentication, we're guessing 3.0 lets us take those certificates away when and as needed. Again, more options and more security is better for business.
• VPN on demand: Another feature we don't have details on yet, but with 2.0 Apple provided the ability to connect via secure virtual private network protocols. However, the feature had to be manually enabled and disabled. We're hoping this makes it a more seamless experience.

Again, there are different types of business. Other new features may be of value to creative professionals, for example, such as YouTube accounts, Audio/Video tags, and live streaming. What's likely to be of more value to everyone, however, are those 1000 new APIs Apple also announced at the event. These will let businesses themselves create customized, highly functional apps for their specific user needs.

Apple focused on these too, such as the new accessory access for the SDK, which lets peripherals talk to the iPhone via Bluetooth or 30-pin dock port. We saw demos of this being used in the medical field for blood pressure and diabetes instruments. It's not hard to imagine the iPhone serving as a control, data visualizer, and ubiquitously connected communicator for all manner of special tools.

Hook it up to a scanner, a camera, a car... The possibilities are endless.

In-app email, embed-able Google maps, peer-to-peer (P2P) Bluetooth connectivity, custom data types, and other hooks into the system will no doubt prove invaluable to some businesses as well. Not as sexy as last year maybe, but we're thinking it could prove to be far more powerful in the long run.

The BlackBerry will probably remain the king of corporate email messaging for now, but Apple's play for the enterprise market continues to get more compelling, and more importantly, more creative. By providing features and functionality at a pace no other company is matching, and focusing on the many different types of businesses and business needs, their presence and preference in the enterprise will only grow.

All play and no work makes TiPb... pretty happy really. But with the GRAND PRIX done and the great prizes won, it's time for us to get back to business, and that means a new contest with even more App Store apps, more TiPb reviews, and more ways for you -- our readers -- to win... AT WORK!

Once a week for the next few weeks we're going to review 2 business/productivity Apps head-to-head and app-vs-app. But here's the twist: there are so many Apps, we can't decide which ones to review. So the TiPb iPhone Forum will decide for us!

Every Thursday we'll be posting a poll up in the iPhone Exchange and Enterprise Forum containing the candidates for review. You vote on your favorites and we'll review the top two. Voting closes on Saturday, and we review on Wednesday. Based on our review scores, we're going to pick the winner of the head-to-head... and TWO of you, are going to win that app! (Technically: an iTunes App Store gift certificate in the amount of the winning productivity app).

TWO of you? Yup, each week, one TiPb iPhone Forum member who votes (or posts on the thread) and one blog reader who leaves a comment on the review will EACH win a copy of the winning App!

We'll randomly pick a voter and commenter and announce the winner the next week on the following AT WORK review. (First winner announced on second review, second winner on third review, etc.) So make sure you hit them all!

One more thing: TiPb reserves the right to throw a final twist in at the end.

The first Forum Poll is up now, so head on over and vote for the Instant Messenger you most want to see reviewed App vs. App! (And most want to win, of course!)

Contest details after the jump...

Them Details:

• Open to USA and Canada only (Sorry, we can't get gift cards to the other countries)
• Only one comment/entry per “AT WORK” review counts (but feel free to post as much as ya like!)
• Eligible comments/entries MUST include a valid email address. If we can't contact you, we can't send you your prize!
• Contest will run once a week until all five (5) App vs. App AT WORK reviews are complete.
• We’ll announce the previous week’s AT WORK app winner with the next week’s AT WORK review posting.
• You can win no more than twice.

A strange thing happens around the corporate office when I whip out my iPhone and check email, place a call, or browse Safari. There is first silence, then Also Sprach Zarathustra (theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey) slowly builds to a crescendo and my office colleagues gather like early man around the mysterious black monolith.

You see, like most offices across the land, we use mostly Blackberries. Now, I'm not sayin' that these BB toters are Neanderthal, pre-man or apes; I mean, they have to have opposable thumbs to work the keyboard, right? I'm merely pointing out that my iPhone is the ONLY iPhone on the premises and somehow I get my work done and keep track of my schedule, contacts and email, just like everyone else. Read on to see if your iPhone can survive in a hostile work environment!

Will It Work?

If you read a previous article of mine, Trippin' with my iPhone, I discussed the merits of the iPhone as a great travel companion and a multi-functional consumer's dream device -- truly a little slice of heaven. Writing that article really got me thinking about how I could effectively use my iPhone at work -- no jailbreaking, no SDK, just the pure, unadulterated Jobsian iPhone fresh out of the box. Could I compete with my BB denizens?

Some of the criticisms I've endured at work go something like these:

• "You don't have true push email."
• "Where's your task list? How will you get anything done if you don't have a task list?!?"
• "You can't receive and accept important meeting invitations." --- hmmmm. Not sure this is a BAD thing. I'm-not-saying-I'm-just-saying.

Even with the much-anticipated 3rd-party apps and forthcoming Exchange support, I've found my iPhone to be a worthy business phone. Although I am sometimes scoffed at by my BB toting peers, I remind them of the aforementioned iPhone upgrades and tell them in my best John Lithgow's Dr. Lizardo of Buckaroo Banzai fame voice: "Laugh-uh while you can, monkey-boy!"

Can the iPhone compete in its current incarnation as a business phone? There are several reasons why I believe it can. I'll now go into further detail about each of those reasons.

Let Me Pencil You Into My Calendar App

In my experience as a Palm user, WM dabbler and a little time on my brother's Blackberry, I've found the iPhone's Calendar to be at least on par with the rest. I can enter the Title and Location, Start and End time for the appointment or activity, set it as a repeating event, set an alert to remind me, and even enter some additional notes. My only gripe is the redundancy required when saving an appointment. There are a few times I've entered everything and forgot to touch "Done" when I was finished. Unlike most of the competition, the iPhone saves nothing unless you tap that "Done" button.

The other drawback is the inability to accept appointments and meetings. The way I work around this is accept (or decline) the meeting on my desktop, then when I sync my iPhone, it's all there in the Calendar. Easy as pie. For me, the iPhone has worked fine for my business and personal calendar.

Visual Voicemail - Anything Less Is SO Twentieth Century!

Even the concept of Visual Voicemail; the ability to see my voicemail graphically, then pick and choose which ones I wanted to listen to, delete, or call back in any order; sold me from the start. I used to dread voicemail and tolerate it as a necessary evil. I have never enjoyed skimming through all of my voicemail to get to the one that is REALLY important. Now, it's a breeze on my iPhone. Tap, listen, delete. Tap, listen, do nothing = saved. Voicemail is now painless and, dare I say, fun. That feature alone has made me the envy of my colleagues.

Make Contact with your Contacts

The iPhone makes even something as mundane as your Contact list a joy to work with and browse. I just flip my finger and scroll along, or even easier, just tap the letter corresponding to my contact's first or last name (depending on how you've arranged your contacts). It's also extremely easy to add a photo to a contact -- either take a new photo on the spot or choose an existing photo from your iPhone's Photo Albums. Contacts on an iPhone and contacts on anything else (BB, WM, Palm, etc.) are all pretty much the same regarding content, but the iPhone's interface just seems to do it all with a bit more style and panache. Again, a worthy Contact app for the business world. If I need to accept a virtual business card, I just do it on my desktop and sync.

Email - It's Not Just For BB Anymore

Let's face it. The BB is an emailing machine. When you think corporate email, you think Blackberry. This has been THE greatest shortcoming of the iPhone being a competent business device, particularly on the enterprise level. With that said, are you wondering how I am getting my corporate email without a BB? I have an answer for you. Gather around; listen carefully; I shall whisper softly this marvelous secret.

Ah, shucks. It's really not a secret, it's just more about schmoozing your I.T. department than implementing some kind of secretive technological wizardry. I merely asked I.T. if they can change a setting on the server to forward a copy of all my work email to my .mac account (or you can go with AOL, Gmail, etc.). Presto! I now get all my work email on my iPhone by virtue of my .mac email address. This does create some redundancy (email at both my desktop work email account AND on my iPhone), but I don't mind. If I delete an email on the desktop, it updates my iPhone, and vice versa. With all due respect to my BB Email Monster toting cohorts, I don't feel like I'm really missing anything. If autocheck every 15 minutes isn't soon enough, then the person trying to reach me can text or call me.

Without A TASK List, How Do You Get Anything Done??

I must admit, I miss the native task lists I can create on my WM and Palm devices. Notes on the iPhone just doesn't cut it. However, there IS a workaround on this point too (bet you figured I had one, eh?). For me, it's as simple as creating a Calendar entry for a task needing completion. I just look at my Calendar, and there's the reminder. Once I've completed the task, I delete the Calendar entry.

Conference Calls the iPhone Way

Yes, other devices can be used for conference calls, and the iPhone is no different in function. Like many other things, however, its not about what the iPhone does, but HOW the iPhone does it. Recently I hosted a conference call with a colleague in California, two in Utah, and an attorney in the Philippines. I was sweating it a little because it was an important call and I had yet to use the iPhone's Conference Call features. The request for me to host the call was a last-second decision and I hadn't even read up on conferencing with the iPhone. Fortunately, user interface is really where the iPhone shines.

I called the main number for the conference and entered the access number for "host". With the three State-side colleagues now on the call, I placed them on hold and dialed the attorney in the Philippines. Once getting him on the line, I just tapped "Merge" and we were now all on the same call together. I used "Speakerphone" and could hear and was heard loud and clear. It was a smooth and seamless conference call experience, all handled from my iPhone. That, my friends, is good business.

Wrapping It All Up

Is the iPhone a perfect business phone? No. IS there a perfect business phone? No again. However, I've found that I can use my iPhone at work and still perform pretty much all the basic business functions that my other phones can perform. I would argue that the iPhone is superior in some areas, like the ease-of-use in setting up a conference call. When in the business world, I want something that just plain works and does it in the easiest way possible so I can save time and, therefore, money.

Even now, the iPhone is a worthy player in the business world. I am very excited to see how much more useful the iPhone will be at work once the 3rd party app and Exchange floodgates are open.

Until then, leave a comment (or two!) about your work-related iPhone experiences or what you think the future will be for the iPhone in the workplace!

[Ed: We're bringing back the Wait-a-Thon and making it regular again. Sorry we dropped it off there for awhile, folks. With all those 3G and iPhone 2.0 rumors flying about these past couple of weeks, it almost felt like the release was already here. In the meantime, comment on any post tagged "Wait-a-Thon" for your chance to win a $100 iTunes Gift Card!]

This is not a response to Crackberry.com's excellent article, Top 10 Reasons Why the iPhone Is NO BlackBerry. Quite frankly, the iPhone doesn't need a response; it's the rest of industry that's so desperately trying to find one to the iPhone.

I don't know about you, but it's getting more than a little tiring hearing everyone compare themselves to -- and constantly try to rip-off -- the iPhone. I can't surf a website or cruise the main without some claw-handed Crackberry addict, neck-bearded Palm artifact, or frazzle-haired WinMob frustrati glaring and frothing with barely-contained envy at the perfectly balanced, seamlessly integrated, lustfully convergent iPhone held ever-so casually in my grip.

They know the iPhone is beyond cool. Sure, they cling to their once innovative, formerly revolutionary (at least in the case of Palm and RIM) devices, the ones overwhelming nostalgia or massive business infrastructure investment won't let them slam to the ground and stomp into the call-dropping, web-mangling, constantly crashing oblivion they so richly deserve.

So the comparisons to the iPhone just won't stop, despite the fact that the iPhone is pretty much incomparable. Don't believe me? I've got ten reasons to back me up. And these aren't minor feature gripes or personal peccadilloes. In proper Apple fashion, these are just 10 simple little words...

10. Communication

It’s right there in the name: iPhone. Steve Jobs said it himself at Macworld 2007: the killer smartphone app is voice. How ironic, then, that so many other smartphones so often kill voice.

Making and receiving calls without my phone freezing or crashing, as my previous device did almost daily, is huge. Unprecedented simplicity in everything from easily finding my way back if I navigate away from the phone app, to elegantly handling call holding, muting, and multiple output sources like Blue Tooth, to effortlessly setting up conference calls is huger still. I can’t remember how often I got lost, couldn’t get calls off my headset, or accidentally hung up on people with the confusing hackjobs that passed for interfaces on my previous smartphones.

The iPhone also introduced desktop-class HTML email rendering and “just the internet”, AJaX powered, standards compliant web browsing, along with interface innovations for SMS, .MAC gallery transfer for photos, and the ability to email YouTube videos, photos, and web links at the tap of a virtual button.

(The browsing is so good, ironically, everyone from Amazon to Facebook to popular blogging plugin makers are providing iPhone-optimized web pages now, lumping every other device into the substandard “mobile” experience or the abortive hell that is WAP).

While some may grumble that this or that power-user feature, or device-specific protocol is missing, Apple has proven they can deliver updates faster and better than anyone in the industry (going from version 1 to 1.1.4, with 2.0 immanent, in less than a year and adding significant capability in the process).

For the user, the interface is the app, and for Apple, their interfaces are remarkably back-end independent. So, if the iPhone needs to improve SMS, or add IM or MMS for now until the differences between desktop and handset protocols evaporate, well Apple’s already got patents pending for that as well.

In the mean time, as most of the iPhone commercials show, having music or video or web pages fade away when your phone rings only to fade right back when your done -- that's truly killer.

Listen up, communication-centric users, especially those who want the internet in their pocket, are all over the iPhone.

9. Media

The iPod is the king of all mobile media, with an over 70% share of the US market. People love them their iPods and Steve Jobs has repeatedly said the iPhone is the best iPod Apple has ever made.

Just look at the stats: up to 16GB of flash storage, a 3.5”, 160dpi wide screen display, and seamless integration with the #1 music and leading downloadable media store in the US, iTunes.

Apple can also extend iPhone media in ways their competitors can only dream. From high-end Final Cut Pro for Hollywood scale video production, to (Mac) desktop Garage Band podcast and ringtone creation, to Apple TV syncing and streaming the same iTunes content to your big screen TV, Apple literally can create, manage, and deploy iPhone media from end-to-end. They can do it easily, and what’s really scary (for the competition) is that this is something the iPhone merely inherited. (Imagine what they might just be preparing for the future...)

No one else, not desktop monopolists, old media stalwarts, or upstart email monsters, even come close.

For media-centric users who don’t want to fill their pockets with a second device just for voice and data, the iPhone's barrier of entry is zero.

8. Gaming

Though not to anywhere near the extent of media, Apple has been integrating gaming into the iPod -- and into iTunes -- for years now, and with the SDK Roadmap event, they’re getting serious about putting it on the iPhone as well.

EA’s Spore and Sega’s Super Monkey Ball (among others, including Apple’s homegrown Touch Fighter) were given the spotlight, taking full advantage of the iPhone’s unique video and audio power, accelerometer, and multi-touch controls. Sega even said they’d so underestimate the iPhone’s potential they had to fly in another developer just to crank up the graphics. Wow.

No other smartphone, even today, can boast the 1 year old iPhone’s raw feature set (chips + sensors + inputs + display). As for gaming handhelds, the Sony PSP can’t fully match it (though their dedicated chipsets and vast software library clearly give them a huge advantage... for now). Only the Nintendo DS, which sports touch and mic, is competitive (massive understatement given they’re the sales leader in mobile gaming).

But here’s the thing: while other smartphone are playing copycat and catchup with 1.0, the iPhone is poised to go to 2.0, and while dedicated gaming kits have undeniable advantages, they can’t make cell phone calls, can’t play iTunes media, and can’t do a host of other things the iPhone delivered on day one.

For anyone who wants to game and doesn’t want to carry around a second, dedicated box to go with their media-savvy phone, June will score for the iPhone as well.

7. Business

Make no mistake, the aforementioned iPhone SDK event didn’t only reach out to gamers, it offered a firm handshake to business as well. Exchange ActiveSync (not to be confused with the confusingly named desktop Windows ActiveSync), 802.1x, Cisco VPN, remote wipe, Enterprise “App Stores”, and a host of other features were released as part of the iPhone 2.0 beta.

What’s more, unlike RIM's technology, which uses a single Network Operations Center (NOC) to handle all Blackberry data transactions -- making the service infamously prone to failures and terrifyingly susceptible to security compromises, state-sponsored and otherwise, ActiveSync offers a direct connection between enterprise server and user client. No Chinese or Singaporean RIM-supplied proxy snoopers, no Indian data disconnections. With ActiveSync, each individual business' server would have to be individually compromised or blocked, a vastly more difficult task.

For Microsoft users worried about a “premiere” experience, having an Apple client may just redefine their concept of "premiere". And for open-source advocates, Apple’s been their from the beginning, with full support for standards like IMAP, and community-friendly initiatives like CalDAV.

Bottom line, the iPhone is in a unique position to appeal to almost all business-centric users who don’t want to lug around an second or third device just to watch a movie or play a game on the flight home, or call their loved ones when they land.

6. Convergence

Communication, media, gaming, and business. In one or two of these areas, other devices currently have an edge. That is, if you’re happy with the idea of carrying around a feature phone, iPod Touch, Nintendo DS, and Blackberry all strapped to your utility belt (I’ve been there and it wasn’t pretty!).

Convergence, however, doesn’t begin or end with just the iPhone. As we touched on before, Apple is the first, and so far only company to truly deploy spherical integration across their product line.

Apple designs its own hardware (iPhone handset), engineers its own operating system (OS X) and software (built in apps like MobileSafari Touch and the Google Maps client), creates its own accessories (docks, media cables, headsets, etc.), offers its own ecosystem (from Macs to the Apple TV, from iLife to Leopard Server), sells them all in their own retail Apple Stores (which bested Tiffanies last year in earnings per square foot), handles their own carrier activation via iTunes, provides value-added services (iPhoto books), runs its own cloud services (.Mac) and ties into other cloud service providers (Google search, Yahoo! weather), offers the #1 music marketplace in the US (iTunes), which also provides TV, movies, and a staggering amount of free audio and video podcasts, iTunes University, and other free content, and is about to be joined by the App Store, which may just do for 3rd party App sales what iTunes did for music.

Verizon commercials like to show a virtual network of technicians following its users around everywhere they go. Just imagine that commercial with Apple’s 360 degrees of integration backing up every iPhone user.

When it comes to convergence, nothing else matches the current iPhone’s capabilities, never mind its next-generation potential. Anyone looking for the “one device to rule them all” will find it all elegantly wrapped up in only one package: the iPhone.

5. Development

Okay, numbers 8 and 7 -- and thus 6 -- are still in beta. Fair enough. But what’s driving that beta is an SDK the likes of which has never been seen before in the mobile space.

Sure, some platforms use Sun’s “Compile once... er... often.. run anywhere” Java language/interpreter, or Microsoft’s Windows-in-name only kit, and others delve deep to the metal on Palm’s sold and bought-back and locked-in-stasis OS.

Apple, much as they miraculously managed to cram a UNIX-based OS, BSD networking, Open GL, and other desktop class systems into the iPhone, also delivered a remarkably mature, surprisingly polished SDK based entirely on their existing Mac Objective C and Cocoa (dubbed Cocoa Touch for the iPhone) architectures.

Far from the afterthought or hurried response partisan pundits paint it, thanks to Steve Jobs’ legacy from NeXTStep, its frameworks, and its processor independence (it’s run on PowerPC, x86, and now Arm), Mac developers instantly gained the ability to dive right into the system, while those familiar with other flavors of C quickly ramped up thanks to powerful tools like X-Code and Interface Builder.

(It was stated repeatedly during the SDK event that demoes were produced in just two weeks, mostly by developers who’d never touched Objective C before in their lives. Amazing.)

A desktop-class OS with desktop-class development tools leads to something no other smartphone maker has ever been able to deliver to consumers before: desktop class mobile Apps.

Even a cursory look at who’s announced development plans for the iPhone reveals an impressive list of real companies making real apps... maybe even Microsoft and RIM.

Combine all this with a serious attitude towards security, ensuring the platform doesn’t become unstable or an easy target for malware, along with an unprecedented delivery system in App Store -- which will put every App in front of every iPhone user, including free Apps for free, and numbers 8, 7, and 6 might actually underestimate the iPhone’s ultimate appeal.

Basically, anyone who wants to run anything on the next great platform wants an iPhone.

4. Design

While software may sell systems, when electronics became mainstream consumers began to shop not only with their brains but with their senses and their tastes.

And if there’s one thing Apple has plenty of, it’s taste.

From the translucent berry-colored iMac and clamshell iBook that re-ignited Apple’s consumer push, to the iconic brushed-aluminum, rounded-rectangular slab that all but makes the computer disappear inside the ultra-thin current iMac, MacBook Air, and iPhone, Apple (or more specifically, the team led by perennial design award winner, Jonathan Ive) seems to hold the magic formula to modern, drool-inducing, industrial design.

Indeed, Apple has not only shaped this electronic generation, it’s shaped the design path of many of it’s copiers... er... competitors as well.

Let’s face it, for a long time garish gray or neon paint over chintzy plastic bodies that looked at though they were assembled from old lego parts with build quality straight out of the Soviet salvage committee were all consumers had to choose from. And, as the saying goes, while consumers don’t always notice good design, they sure do notice it’s absence. Apple knows this, just like they know for good design to be great, it has to be functional.

See, it’s not that Apple “just works”, it’s that Apple designs things, from first transistor to final trim, to “just work.”

Why else, at this very moment, would Jonathan Ive be jetting between NASA and Shenzhen finalizing some futuristic, light and yet durable stealth-like composite that will form the outer shell of the next most lusted-after consumer electronic device -- the iPhone 3G?

So that when consumers see, touch, and use it, it'll be just like the first iPhone -- what they want.

3. Usability

I have a two-and-half-year old godson who, first time he picked up the iPhone, figured out how to navigate in and between photos, effortlessly type his ABCs and 123s on the soft keyboard, play with his numbers on the calculator, tap to show and hide video controls, use the camera, flick through the weather, and transition between them all with the solitary hard button on the device face. And not only that, he enjoyed it so much he wants to do it again and again (and again!) every time I see him. (If Apple would just add dial-by-photo, I swear he could call me on his own already).

Give him any other smartphone and you know what he could figure out? How to use it as a building block or a projectile (and with my luck, the latter). A quick search of YouTube will show he's not the only infant interfacing with the iPhone either.

We've seen a lot of iClone skins and sku's, attempts to duplicate the most superficial aspects of the iPhone, but what few competitors understand is that its not the gradients and transparencies, not the special effects and animation that make the iPhone's software revolutionary -- it's the user experience.

Sure, I could lecture on about how animation hides transition, allows for error recovery, lends analog comfort, taps into intuitive understanding, and makes use of precious space in truly Tog-worthy fashion, but what’s the point?

Apple has made the smartphone so elegant and easy that a two-and-half year old not only can use, but really wants to. And they've done the same thing for adult consumers.

2. Brand

The little forbidden fruit with a bite out of it ranks up there with Superman's S and the Golden McArches as one of the most recognized brands in the world.

Apple brought the first consumer computers to market with the Apple II, the first consumer GUI machines to market with the Mac, the first consumer MP3 (AAC if you want to get technical) players to market with the iPod, the first consumer music download service to market with iTunes. And in so doing, they’ve earned a reputation for cutting-edge, consumer-driven innovation.

Sure, Blackberries have their addicts, but the cult of apple is legendary and, as outlined before, far wider reaching than just the smartphone space. You can't buy that kind of brand projection, trust, or loyalty (just ask Microsoft).

When Apple negotiates innovative features like Visual Voice-Mail, pressures carryings to lower data rates, gets Starbucks and AT&T to stop gouging and start giving away free WiFi at their hotspots, their brand is leveraged to benefit consumers.

When Apple Care or the Apple Store swaps out a 8GB iPhone with one dead pixel for a 16GB replacement, or instantly commands a managerial intervention for any unsatisfied email response, their brand is being protected to consumer advantage.

Other smartphone makers, who worry less about their lesser brands often abandon you the moment your credit card clears, or dump you to outsourced OEM ping-pong at the first sign of trouble. Is it any wonder the iPhone continually tops user satisfaction surveys?

1. Leadership

Apple is far from the sales leader in the smartphone space, yet they’ve instantly become the de facto market leader. When every other company is racing to copy Apple’s hardware and interface, and all competitive product releases are tripping over each other to proclaim themselves the iPhone (or Apple) Killer, they can’t be doing anything else but following.

Palm almost patented Zen with their original Treo, but then they got comfortable and stayed there, with the original Treo, long after the world -- and technology -- moved on. Blackberry made mobile email so addictive it's likened to a drug (and for the record, please don't drop and drive), but buried their head so far up their email they seemingly forgot about everything else. And Microsoft... well, if Zen has an opposite, it's Windows Mobile, an OS whose power is matched only by its legacy handicaps and user impenetrability.

So now Palm is raiding Apple talent. RIM either wants to be the iPhone or just on it. And even die-hard Windows Mobile pundits have given up on Microsoft's ability to deliver on even their most realistic of vaporwares.

That leaves Apple, alone atop innovation mountain. And luckily, that’s just where one Steven P. Jobs likes to meditate.

It’s impossible to discuss Apple’s leadership without discussing its leader. If any one factor encompasses Apple’s (and the iPhone’s) current success, it’s the CEO. Perfectly melding unsurpassed customer savvy with unequalled industry prescience, his singular focus and uncanny aesthetic have not only brought Apple back from the brink, but made it the greatest second act in tech history.

It's largely due to Steve Jobs that no one else has, or can come close to the iPhone. Who else besides Jobs or Apple could sit on something like the iPhone for close to 3 years without so much as a peak or a peep. Who else could ditch the floppy one generation (iMac) and the optical disk the next (MacBook Air)?

Every great artist (like Johnny Ive’s design team) needs a patron and every benevolent dictatorship (like Apple Inc.) needs its guiding mind. As long as Apple has Steve Jobs, the competition can try to copy iPhone 1.0 all they want. Jobs is already putting the final, tiny touches on 2.0 and has his sites firmly set on 3.0 and 4.0. And that's fine because Apple -- as it proved when it killed the iPod Mini and replaced it with the Nano -- is really the only one who can compete with Apple anyway.

Jobs has always said Apple makes the devices they themselves want to use. Well, they make the devices an ever increasing amount of consumers want to use as well.

Conclusion

So, there they are. The top ten reasons that every other smartphone maker on the planet keeps comparing themselves to the incomparable iPhone. Come WWDC in June, the official SDK release, and -- dare we guess? -- iPhone 3G debut, it's only going to get worse (and harder!)

What do you think?

[Ed- Digg link...]