Palm, then, is clearly a shortimer on shaky ground as Apple has managed to several up their opponents at every turn, and I’m having doubts that they will show up to this party with 80′s grade wine coolers. The iPhone is, after all, Apple’s flagship product already in its short life, besting even the powerful and battle-ready iPod (yeah, the iPod Touch is an iPhone without the phone, so you do the math). This new iPhone is just in time to sate the upgrade needs of the original iPhone owners whose precious non-3G gizmos 2 year contracts are coming up.

Interestingly enough, it appears that Palm is struggling right out of the gate by releasing webOS 1.0.2 today! Reports on PreThinking.com are already saying that the update makes the phone faster and adds a clock widget. Wow. I’m not surprised, since its a very Palm-like thing to do, but its not the kind of message that Palm should want to put out there. Regardless, there has been a great deal of buzz about the Pre and people appear to be loving it, with thousands of tweets hitting the nano-blogging nano-sphere as people pick up their new handsets at a local Sprint store.

The excitement is clear and many of the reports being posted about new Pres is very positive, which is a good sign. The other question is, “Who will win, Apple or Palm?” Fortunately, I’ll break out the old saw and say that neither, its the consumer who wins. Apple set out to completely revamp the mobile market and it did so in less than a year with the first iPhone. It has taken less than three years now for the competition to start catching up, and (this is my opinion) the Palm Pre and the new webOS is the first to offer a valid challenge to Apple. Apple wins, Palm wins, and we all win.

We get a pair of kick ass pocket computers for cheap! Nice work, fighters!

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Even in its short life, the iPhone has already captured a sizeable percentage of the smartphone market, and that grab continues to rise. The iPhone is a very complete product and it offers a range of features that no other handset does. At least, not until now.

Just take a look to the left, and you’ll get a small idea of what the G1 is all about. A lot of people use Google for search, but millions use GMail and a Google Maps. Google’s Android, a Linux-based OS, was designed to work directly with these Google functions, and more.

If the rumored price of US$199 is accurate and T-Mobile is not subsidizing that and offers some more open plan options, Apple might very well have a good fight on their hands. At the very least, it should force Apple into offering updates which it has been claiming aren’t needed.

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After all, what is the point of one-upping Apple when your efforts fall flat on their face anyway? I beg your pardon if I’m hammering at this point, but what purpose did it serve Sprint to pre-announce the Instinct as an iPhone killer? They must really feel like asses now, or at least they will come Monday when Jobs whips out yet another “One More Thing”. His Steveness, after all, has created a PR system which doesn’t talk, doesn’t proselytize, doesn’t dole out freebies to anyone who asks, and isn’t warm and fuzzy. Apple PR is cold, efficient, quiet, and very, very effective.

One of the largest and most captivating aspects of this Soviet Bloc-style PR defense is the huge amount of speculation and hoaxing which seems to swell enormously in advance of any Steve Jobs keynote address. This is yet another one of Apple’s greatest PR tricks. Each and every time a MacWorld Expo or WWDC rolls around, Apple is fed a huge number of ideas and concepts from some of the brightest minds in design; Apple’s rabid phanboiz. Do you honestly think it was chance that Apple was developing the iPhone for a few years, especially considering the ongoing interest in the Apple Newton line of PDAs?

It should have been made even more clear when Apple finally revealed that they had been developing the Intel version of Mac OS X alongside the PowerPC version the entire time. If that doesn’t clarify that Steve Jobs, his executive team, and the board don’t have their pulse on the future, I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t think it indicates an otherworldly precognition, but it does indicate a genius and aptitude for technology which none other appears to have. How, after all, do you explain the iPod phenomenon, Apple’s ridiculously rapid rise to sales parity with HP and Dell in the laptop market, their newfound dominance in the high-end workstation market, the iPhone taking a huge share of the smartphone market in less than a year, and their seeming ability to hit every single market they’ve targeted with a bullseye.

Okay. There’s one market they can’t seem to get right, no matter what they do (or don’t do, which may be more apropos); the enterprise server market. Right now, Apple is flailing around like Microsoft in the early days of Windows CE, trying deperately to find a way to seat itself in the market. Their current strategy is to make everyone believe that Mac servers are only for newbie dorks with SMBs who are seeking to improve the ease of use of their network. Fiddlesticks. That them thar is Unix, maties. Its been the single most powerful OS on the planet for over 30 years. Its no n00b toy, even if Apple has made it that way.

If I had my way, Apple would create a new division called Apple Enterprise and they would go head to head with the likes of HP and Dell, forging relationships with Cisco, Citrix, VMware, Foundry, EMC and a range of others to heave itself from the depths of the doldrums. They’re doing that with the iPhone ala 2.0 of the software, but that’s just for users. Apple really needs to offer a real end-to-end offering if they are to win back the world. I predict, at their current rate of halo adoption they will have 40% of the overall world market in 12-15 years. If they slam a homerun with a complete enterprise-grade backend, they could do that in half the time… as long as they honor Windows users with real security.

So, in reality, Apple appears to be playing a waiting game, or at the very least they are holding something big back in the server space that we can’t even imagine Apple doing. That, however, is just like the rest of their PR. We have no idea if they have something cooking back there, and I could simply be ignorant about thier plans for enterprise deployments. We’ll just have to wait and see, just like everything else. If Apple keeps this kind of PR going, it will end up being very, very unlikely that any other major player will be able to predict what Apple is doing. With that logic, its also extremely unlikely that others will catch up with or surpass Apple at any level.

Keep your eyes peeled for the kickass announcements at the WWDC. If you want to know what’s going on now, MacRumorsLive.com has the best feed. Load it and let it roll, Web 2.0 stylie, dawg. No need to reload the page.

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Why do I have this job? I cannot tell a lie, but I do what I do because I love gadgets and small gear and I enjoy having such stuff around me. I started in 2001 with PDA Handyman and migrated to the new name in 2007. In the seven years I’ve been online and expressing myself I’ve reviewed at least 200 products. No, not one of those reviews has ever involved gutting a fish, scooping poop, or scraping barnacles, but on occasion I get some really thick and noxious mud slung at me.

I’ve not seen as much mud slinging as I have with the Nokia N95 8GB review I wrote up a few months ago. Its one of the largest, single hit generators on the site since I published it and it has drawn some comments. All of the comments have been negative and many have stated that I should move into another field of interest. I have to admit that I’m a little surprised that, over a phone review, I’m called stupid and its even suggested that my father should have avoided taking part in my conception.

Harsh, to say the least.

I’m not exactly sure what drives such passion about a phone, though I think its more likely about the Symbian OS which is used almost exclusively on Nokia handsets. Its not unlikely that the intense love for Psion PDA devices which are no longer marketed has spilled over onto Symbian devices. Symbian OS is, after all, a direct descendant of EPOC32, the OS used on such legendary mobile computers as the Psion Series 5. There is still a rabid user community, and Symbian keeps that alive.

In case you weren’t aware, there’s also still a thriving Apple Newton user community, though its quite a bit smaller and I don’t hear people calling the iPhone Apple’s new Newton. In the past I’ve written bits Newtons, about my personal collection, and about the people involved, and not once did I ever get insulted. I won’t speculate about the differences between the Symbian and Newton user communities, as such observations would be useless. Maybe, however, there’s strength in numbers?

We have ample historical evidence to suggest that large numbers do have a tendency to try and push their ideals and values on others. That makes my job seem as if I am a solitary mole attempting to move an entire mountain. I’m also painfully aware that The Dojo is not one of the top sites for mobile device news and reviews. Engadget and Gizmodo fight tooth and nail for that distinction, so much so that it even garnered a feature story in a recent Wired magazine.

Okay, they don’t actually review anything. They both adopted the Slashdot model and re-spun it to fit for gadget frenzied 20-30 somethings. Neither site escapes being targeted for their presumptive biases, though. Commentors clamor loudly about both site’s unnatural love of Apple and its products. I myself, don’t shy away from making clear statements about my affinity for Apple and my disdain for master copycatter, Microsoft. I even make a comparison of the Nokia N95 8GB to Apple’s iPhone and note that I don’t see the Nokia as a smartphone.

My reasoning is simple. All phones have calendar and addressbook functions and the vast majority of them are capable of receiving and sending email and text messages. Most these days can even take pictures and videos, have Bluetooth built in, and have some kind of media playback capabilities. You don’t consider Motorola’s RAZR to be a smartphone, do you? Smartphones are Palm Treos, Windows Mobile, RIM Blackberry, and iPhone devices. Most of them have touchscreens and incorporate the extended functionality seen mostly in PDAs.

All of these devices also have some form of a full keyboard and do not require multi-tap or T9 to enter data. This is primarily why I don’t consider devices like Motorola’s Q to be a smartphone. Sure, it has a keyboard, but so does the LG Rumor and I seriously doubt anyone considers that a smartphone. There is an extended functionality afforded to users when you have a touchscreen and a keyboard, the mobile version of a keyboard and mouse on the desktop.

As such, the Palm OS, Windows Mobile (the non-smartphone version), the iPhone, and the upcoming touchscreen version of the Blackberry UI offer a great deal more functionality and developers are free to be more creative. I’d be amazed if any developer thought there was a market for a Word or Excel compatible editor for the Nokia N95 8GB. There is a PDF reader, though. Reader.

Of course, this discourse will likely draw fire, as well. Some people will take Microsoft’s definition of smartphone as writ. Microsoft calls its non-touchscreen version of Windows Mobile its Smartphone Edition. This is a pretty common ploy for Microsoft since the term Smartphone had been in generic use long before Microsoft decided to jump into the pool. As far back as the early days when Qualcomm’s pdQ hit the scene in 1997. Funny story: Qualcomm actually referred to it as a “palm-sized phone”! Really? What phone isn’t? HA!

All that detail, I’ve found, generally causes readers eyes to glaze over, which is why one of the guiding principles of PDA Handyman/MoboDojo has always been that less is more. Get to the point. Don’t tread water when you can simply climb on shore. I hate reading 500+ word stories which are simply re-hashes of press releases, which often contain far too much verbiage as it is, when everything important can be boiled down to 100 words, tops. There is a conflict here, though, in reviewing products.

You can’t just say “It sucks” or “Its sublime” and get away with it. A reviewer needs to impart his opinion to the reader so that the person seeking information about a new product feels that they have a personal, human connection to the product through the reviewer. This is inherently complex and riddled with issues, since each and every person has an opinion about everything and they can easily differ from person to person. I’m sure it would be very easy to locate reviews of Nokia’s N95 8GB which position it as the most brilliant product ever.

I can’t fault these reviewers. They have their own opinion and I respect that. I don’t agree, but I respect it. Its one of the primary reasons why I don’t use movie reviews to determine if I’m going to see a movie. I’ve seen plenty of films which I enjoyed but were critically panned. No, I don’t consider those movies to be art, but if I enjoyed it, who cares about the little plot holes, bad acting, or continuity errors (ahem… Star Wars: Episodes 1-3). I still very much enjoy the battle and action scenes for their vibrancy and attention to detail.

I can easily imagine watching a movie on the Nokia N95 8GB, as well. Its screen is as vibrant and detailed as Luke Skywalker free-falling onto the assassins hovercar in Episode 2. Then again, its slideout standard phone keypad is as cramped as Hayden Christensen’s acting in the same movie.
So, just like the movie reviewers I ignore when selecting a film to view, I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who ignore my product reviews. To the contrary, I’m sure there are people out there who appreciate my reviews. I just wish more of them would note that on occasion.

Am I asking for validation. Sure. I’m human, just like anyone else. Of course, I also still welcome the dissenting opinions, but would like to ask that you leave my father out of it. He’s not the gadget hound I am and wouldn’t really appreciate the value or quality of such a corollary.

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What could it possibly mean? We can easily speculate that Apple will officially release iPhone 2.0 at the show, which is held at Moscone Center June 9th through the 13th, since they’ve already told everyone it will come out in June. There’s also a buzz around the idea that Apple will introduce the second generation iPhone hardware which could add 3G capabilities. We also know that Mssr. Jobs can’t surprise us with the iPhone SDK, the Apps Store, Exchange integration via real Microsoft ActiveSync, or even the iFund program. What draws the attention is the image above which shows two Golden Gate bridges and the statement “A landmark event. In more ways than one.” The question becomes two what? It could be a cryptic way of stating that iPhone 2.0 will be released, in which case most people will be disappointed, since we already know its coming out.

Since its an image which has clearly been Photoshopped, it could portend a future where Apple gets back into digital imaging. Back in the mid and late 90′s when Apple was hawking its seminal Newton MessagePad line of PDAs, they were also vending some of the most accessible digital cameras of the time, the QuickTake. Like many other projects at Apple at the time, the returning iCEO, Steve Jobs, axed the QuickTake line. The only other imaging products Apple has released have been the iSight which was discontinued after the technology was integrated into MacBook, MacBook Pro, and iMac products. You can also find cameras in the iPhone and iPod Touch, but this is no different than other PDAs and mobile handsets.

Lets walk through some of the other possibilities. It can’t be the MacBook or MacBook pro since these form factors are well loved and well entrenched and we’re well past a second generation with these systems. Its unlikely to be the MacBook Air since it just came out and is being well received. We’re already working on the second generation of Apple TV. The Mac Pro and iMac has been upgraded several times since its release. The iPod and the Mac Mini have been through several iterations each. Apple doesn’t get all excited about software, monitors, or general accessories and we’re already on the sixth major version of Mac OS X. Apple also doesn’t shout from the mountaintops about its Xserve line and other behind-the-scenes systems, which have also been through many versions.

That leaves the iPhone and iPod Touch which are both in their first version. This leads me back to the thought that I find it hard to believe Apple would try to generate so much hype to simply re-announce something everyone already knows is coming out, Apple’s iPhone 2.0. This leads me back to the feeling that Apple will be releasing the second generation of the iPhone and iPod Touch hardware. That would mean the obvious, 3G network access, possibly an EVDO or HSDPA capable version. That, however, is unlikely since Apple still has 4 years left on its exclusivity contract with AT&T. They could be expanding storage to 64GBs or adding an expansion slot. They could also be rolling out a new, less costly, smaller version of the iPhone like the oft rumored iPhone Nano, possibly with another carrier.

Well, whatever Apple is planning, you can bet that there will be a “One more thing” in the offing.

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We want to thank all of our readers for six years of great support and sticking by us through thick and thin (and ignoring my periodic brain farts), and we look forward to another six years of some of the most amazing portable devices, software, and services that we can report on for you.

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