WOW!

So I decided that since Sprint can't stop from creating billing errors every month, as well as other, unsavory problems, I'd switch carriers. Decided on AT&T. Got an iPhone. There is irony in that that I won't even begin to explore. It's so ripe for the taking, there's just no reason to pick it.

As any iPhone owner knows, there is currently no third-party application support. That's going to change starting around February, but for now, you're limited to "Web Apps." What exactly are "Web Apps?" They're essentially crap ware, that, in many cases, you can't even give away. See, Apple decided not to release third party support, saying that robust apps would be presented online. Yeah. That went really, really well. Good job, Apple.

It's not even surprising they're opening third party app support. I've monkeyed around with a handful of web apps, and wow, do they ever suck. The concept is nice, but the execution is just horrifyingly lacking. Even browsing the Top 10 on Apple's site left me just feeling rather irritated in general. I tried an online version of Duck Hunt, for example. It's so slow to register key presses and so choppy in general, it's just not even worth trying. Same goes for a few other games I tried. Have to tap 5, 6 times to get some to register that you're touching the screen. There is no joy in this process. Certainly no entertainment value.

The interesting thing is that, for a time, I had opened my phone to the possibilities of third party apps. Oddly enough, nothing interesting out there, either. There are a few useful ones, such as a nifty light game, and ... you know, right now I can't even remember. There's a rather simplistic voice memo program, an instant messaging app, etc. eBook reader was another one. But nothing that I really can't live without.

So what does third party application support mean for the future? Well, as much as I hate paying $20 for an app for my phone, maybe we'll see something worthwhile come out that will fill in the gaps in the current iPhone software. More PDA-type support would be nice. Oh, and a Google Talk app. (I don't even care if it doesn't support voice chat.)

The possibilities are endless, it's just a matter of how many people pick up the slack. I'm about ready to migrate from web-based coding to application coding just to try my hand at device programming myself. With Google's phone OS coming out, there's that to consider, too. We've got potential like crazy, let's see what can be done.