I agree - The iphone/ipod touch like devices are the future of computing. having said that, I wonder if apple will open up the iphone or at least its apps to other device manufactures?
That may sound crazy, but didn't apple lose the computer OS wars to windows by not licensing the apple OS back when it still had a chance?
Eventually other manufactures are going to come up with a shared nearly adequate alternative to the itouch/iphone interface, and through cut throat competition with each other they will eventually produce devices at half of apples equivalent retail price and apple will start to lose its potential market share and once again become a niche player rather than the markets dominant force.
I'm just speculating of course - is this going to play out the same way as the OS war? (except with googles "android" replacing microsofts windows) or is this more like the ipod story? (with apple being the dominant).
Should apple license the iphone/itouch to other device makers? (thereby taking a cut on every phone sold)
Or should they "stay the course" and shout "bring them on!"?
it could be the difference between apple selling 1 billion "itouch interfaces" a year (including a couple hundred million devices of their own) or selling less than 50 million devices a year (not terrible, but still only 5% market share, and remember no one will be buying standalone ipods in 5 years time)
1 billion "touch interfaces" licensed at $10-$20 a piece = 10 to 20 billion cash a year in almost pure profit!
Even if they don't license the iphone OS, Does anyone think it will be long before we see linux/android/windows mobile emulators to enable people to run the iphone apps on non-iphones??? (maybe this is why apple is insisting on apps only being sold threw itunes - to make it as hard as possible to get the apps on other phones!)
my 2c.