One of the heavy query surround the iPhone since its January preview was whether developers outside of Apple would be able to make software program that would flow on the sound .

And just 18 days before the iPhone ’s June 29 liberation , Steve Jobs stood on stage at theWorldwide Developers Conferenceand told software system God Almighty that Apple had find an answer : a “ sweet ” way to support outside iPhone development .

unluckily , if you ’re think that Apple really addressed third - party development in Steve Jobs ’s tonic , you ’d be awry . While many hoi polloi — include myself — have clamor for support for thingumajig and applications , Monday ’s announcement in reality did nothing at all to speak either payoff . rather , it told developers that since Safari on the iPhone is a full - flight web web browser , they can utilise Ajax and CSS to make nice , pretty Web - based program .

Now , do n’t get me wrong , you’re able to do quite a moment with Ajax and CSS , as the demo of an Apple - created address book lookup cock show . However , tool create using this solution arenottrue lotion , as compared to the other programs on the iPhone . For instance , you ca n’t tap on the program to set in motion it . There wo n’t be an image on the iPhone ’s covert , next to Apple ’s ikon .

Instead , to go one of these Web software on your iPhone , you ’ll have to launch Safari , then either visit a URL or select an already - bookmarked first appearance from your Bookmarks listing . You ca n’t apply them in places where there ’s no Internet entree — like on an airplane — as the mesh will be required to connect to the program ’s URL . And as Christopher Breen point out , we ’re 18 days from launch and we still have no idea how much the data plans will be ( nor how they ’ll be structure ) for the iPhone . If the programme let in monthly limit , then each clip you pass a third - party program — even if that app does n’t really need to utilize the Internet for any reason — you’ll exhaust up some instant to download and melt the programme .

For a developer , there ’s a Brobdingnagian difference between being able to give your drug user an icon on the iPhone ’s screen and tell them to load up Safari and claver a Web page . As a substance abuser , the first feels like a “ real ” root while the instant feel like , well , visiting a Web varlet . And as a exploiter , I bang I do n’t desire to have to re - download ( particularly if I ’m make up for it each time ) these applications any time I use them . I require them on the iPhone ’s screen , the right way there next to Apple ’s offerings .

There ’s also the issue of money . developer who create a political program they ’d wish to betray will have to put it on a password - protect Web page — after all , the programisthe WWW page . And that open up up all kind of security and account proceeds that make the matter more complicated . Even if it all worked , I do n’t see developers making a stack of money off of what are essentially nicely - initialize Web pages .

at last , there are limits to what can be done , programmatically , with Ajax and CSS . Those demarcation line are high , of line , but I believe something like a customer for outback access to my home Mac ( a program that be today for my Treo ) is lead to be darn nigh inconceivable to get out off in the internet browser - only place that Apple has furnish to developers .

For the actual innovation to be see , Apple must give developers access to the entire iPhone , not just its web web browser . I require to see what nifty useful tools developer can come up with when they can , for instance , create apps that use the multi - touch port in new ways .

To rephrase a couple of developers I overheard as they were leaving Monday ’s tonic : “ They sat down and work on this problem of developer entree for six month , and all they could come up with was ‘ create a connection pageboy ? ’ I ’m not impressed . ” While I doubt Apple has spent six month on the issue of developer accession — the party has been much too in use work on finishing the phone itself , I ’m guessing — I do consort with the conclusion many developers seem to be sound at this week ’s conference : I am not impressed with Apple ’s current solution for giving software package makers access to the iPhone .

Just a couple week ago , Steve Jobs had this to say about the matter of third party applications on the iPhone : “ I remember some time later this year we will find a way to let third party write apps and still conserve surety . … We would like to solve this job , if you could be just a picayune more patient with us , I think everyone can get what they want . ”

If Jobs had been referring to Monday ’s announcement when he made that statement 12 day beforehand , he would hardly have used the phrase “ subsequently this yr . ” The implication here is that this web browser - only example is a quit - gap solvent , and that there ’s a more full - boast approach in the works for later this year . Let ’s go for so .