I really like my iPhone. For me, it's the best cell phone I've ever had, which includes Windows Mobile 6.0 and Android 1.6 devices. Each of them had pluses and minuses, but the iPhone truly gives me a convergence that I have never had before. But more than that, it's handy. I rarely have crashes or any issues, which seemed to be a regular occurrence on my other devices.
There was an interesting interview from by Phil Schiller of Apple talking about their approval process for their App store. For those of you unfamiliar with this, Apple has a store that allows sales to iPhone and iTouch users of various applications. However all of the programs listed on the App store must be approved by Apple, and with Apple controlling the hardware, they have the final say on what's available.
Is that a bad thing? Possibly, but there are some huge advantages for things being controlled by Apple in that there are less chances for applications that are maliciously built to take advantage of users. One of the greatest things about the Internet, its openness, is also a huge problem with SPAM, phishing and numerous other security issues. Android continues to improve, but it also doesn't have the consistency or ease of development in their applications, which might cause problems as the platform matures.
I know that I get nervous about installing any third party products on my database servers, even when they are from great companies like Red Gate, Quest, or SQL Sentry. I just fundamentally worry about stability. I would love an "app store" like Apple has for the Microsoft server products. Some way for Microsoft to both review, and then stand behind the products, while allowing anyone to submit an "app" for review.
That would possibly allow more innovation, and more enhancements for the platform. I don't know what types of small apps would even be possible, but I know there are some amazingly creative people out there, and if a great SDK were made available, we might see SQL Server grow in ways we can't even imagine today.
Steve Jones
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