Chapter II: iPhone turns into an applications platform
When Steve Jobs sneezes, everyone pays attention. On Thursday, he blew out the doors on the iPhone with an array of alliances and applications that make the device less of a phone and more of a powerful computer in the palm of your hand. You can see where the so-called smartphone is heading, and Apple is leading the way in terms of usability. The choice of networks--no 3G as yet--isn't an ideal choice, however.
With more processing power and memory, plus shrinking components and smarter software, you will end up with a supercomputer in your hand. And if Steve Jobs has his way, Apple will have a generous share of the market and lead on the innovation front.
In reality, Apple is late to the smartphone corporate e-mail and applications space, and the iPhone is still a blip in the overall market. But, for those who care about fit and finish, usability and aesthetics, Jobs is unbeatable. You have to wonder what he will pull out of his bag of tricks next, and if he doesn't have another major hit, how Apple will fare.
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Steve Jobs unveils the iPhone application platform
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)
Dan Farber is editor in chief of CBS Interactive News, which includes CBSNews.com and CNET News. He has more than 25 years of experience as an editor and journalist covering technology. E-mail Dan. 
I found the "The choice of networks--no 3G as yet--isn't an ideal choice, however." statement puzzling as AT&T supports HSDPA which is considered 3G (although not as widely deployed as EV-DO in the U.S.). See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-Speed_Downlink_Packet_Access
Did you mean this as an iPhone implementation rather than a network statement? AT&T's CEO has also confirmed a 3G iPhone is on the way.
Regarding "Apple is late to the smartphone corporate e-mail and applications space, and the iPhone is still a blip in the overall market.", also a head scratcher. Apple announced it was targeting the consumer market initially, and even in that mode has captured 28% of the U.S. smartphone market, easily surpassing Palm's Treos and Windows Mobile after years of effort by Microsoft and is now second only to RIM's BlackBerry devices. While it's true that Nokia looms large outside of the U.S. and smartphones are a small percentage of the overall handset market, the "blip" description is therefore not unique to Apple.