Stuck with texting and the "Less Than Free Business Model"

We are living in very interesting times as far as arrival of the personal computer/communicator goes. I'm not sure we Europeans really get what is happening as we "stuck on texting" as Robert Scoble has observed. In a July posting he said:

But here’s where my own observations in London’s tube (the subway system here) come in: the UK is stuck on texting. That’s all I see most people do with their phones.

That rut that Europeans are stuck in is going to doom them.

Nokia simply does not understand how important the Web is and it’s because they ride the same subways and see the same behaviours.

"Text-blindness" may also keep us from seeing what happens next. In a very interesting blog post Bill Gurley looks at the disruptive influence of Google on the "turn-by-turn" mapping business. Google not only uncut the incumbents, they reduce the price to below zero. Yes, if you build a phone and put Android on it (and hence gain the ability to use their navigation software) they pay you - the phone manufacturer - to use the software. How? Advertising. Who'd use Symbian - even if if were free?

And who'd bet against something similar happening in desktops, notebooks, tablets, .... At least Apple will be left with hardware to design and sell. Unlike Microsoft.

iPhone fuss

Thanks to Kathryn for her illuminating comment about my previous iPhone post.

So, the first thing I take is that the Apple-AT&T deal has pulled down a garden wall. This is great and it may have taken the iPhone to cause this to happen - certainly if I were Apple, cutting a deal I'd have wanted the whole web available to my customers. I know that here in the UK, the mobile web has been opening up slowly for some time. At the recent Wireless 2.0 conference in Bristol one of the presenters said that a few weeks previously, for the first time all five of the UK networks were operating openly, passing over all the traffic that they should.

Secondly, the iPhone is a great PIM. I really like having my diary, contacts available on my "carry it at all times device" (a.k.a. phone). Are you listening Nokia - the N800, N810 needs a decent PIM.

Thirdly, there is some really great integration of applications into the iPhone - "clicking a phone number on a webpage and dialing it," checking my position on Google Maps" (my Nokia symbian E50 lets me do this - but I doubt many owners do it).

Maybe the coming together of these features in a neat package is a great leap forward?