When I first started using a Psion PDA I used to religiously sign onto a BBS system everyday to see what new software had been written for it. This was so long ago that I was using Compuserve (remember them?) and the thrill of finding new software every day never left me. I have no idea why, but there was something special about finding and installing new software on a PDA which I never felt when finding new PC software.
Over the years this trend has continued with new releases for Palm OS and Windows Mobile and to a lesser extent with BlackBerry and Symbian. We now have a situation where we can log onto iTunes and every day will find a raft of new games and apps that have just been approved by Apple- the momentum is huge and the choice is almost too much to comprehend, but it satisfies sad people like me who need their fix.
I fully understand that adding lots of new software to a smartphone is the ideal way to destabilise it, but that doesn’t seem to apply to the iPhone. To be fair to Apple the locked down approach helps a lot in this area and it is difficult to imagine trying out new apps every day on a Windows Mobile or BlackBerry smartphone and not run into problems.
The iPhone has struck the balance here between reliability and quantity which none of the others have quite managed yet. Some say that apps are not important- pah!
The problem with the iPhone is the layout and all of the icons you quickly build up. Lots of apps is nice but the way they are presented is cumbersome. But I love the big choice!