Wednesday, July 11, 2007

How will you know that the iPhone is ready?

Is there a test, a sign, that the iPhone is really ready for use by serious geeks? Something beyond the "we had to drop it at the last minute because we were going to miss our dates" omissions like "cut/paste, search, tasks, notes synchronization, working Outlook synchronization [1], etc". 

I think so. I think, assuming that aforementioned blindingly obvious last-minute panicky omissions are fixed, that a good test will be FileMaker Mobile 8 for the iPhone:

FileMaker Mobile 8 - FileMaker

FileMaker Mobile 8 is a companion to FileMaker Pro 9 and and FileMaker Pro 9 Advanced designed specifically for Palm OS and Pocket PC handhelds. FileMaker Mobile 8 lets you easily extend your FileMaker solutions beyond your desktop to mobile individuals and to workgroups by syncing with all FileMaker products....

pda photo

Load tables, field names, and data from your existing FileMaker Pro databases with just a few clicks. Specify shorter field names for easier viewing on your handheld. Supports multiple field formats, such as checkboxes, date and time fields, and notes fields... View, modify, find, sort, add, and delete information on your hand- held in an intuitive interface. Sort data by tapping a column heading. FileMaker Mobile 8 works with select Palm and Pocket PC devices... FileMaker Mobile 8 now lets you take important information on the go and sync to solutions hosted by FileMaker Server 8 or FileMaker Server 9 for greater workgroup productivity.

If and when FileMaker Mobile works at least as well on the iPhone as it claims to work on Palm devices, then the iPhone will have arrived for the tiny, warped, twisted, group of people like me ...

[1] At least as well as a modern Palm device, which is a darned low standard.

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