Microsoft considering Office functionality for iPhone

The fanboy Apple/Microsoft debate may rage on, but don’t doubt that both companies are viewing the iPhone as a big profit opportunity. Fortune has been talking to the Specialized Devices and Applications Group at Microsoft, who are responsible for Mac-friendly software like Office for OS X, and the team there are keen to stress that they’re seeing the coveted Apple cellphone as a prospective platform.

How iPhone Touched the Gadget Industry

Touch-screens have been around for years, but gadget-makers have begun putting them into more and more devices. The iPhone played a big part in the trend by incorporating its multi-touch technology in a smartphone. It's not just handsets that are getting into the act, however. Cameras, gaming units and tablet PCs are only a few of the categories in which touch is growing in presence.

iPhone Wins Bronze in Global Smartphone Race

The iPhone's shortcut to success is consistent with Apple's approach to novice-friendly technology, said Ramon Llamas, an analyst with IDC. "Coming in as a newcomer, Apple already had a lot of great things going for it. Apple is all about simplicity when it comes to hardware and software. Look at their Macs and iPods -- simplicity is built in their DNA. It was just a matter of pushing that to the iPhone line."

Mac Bloggers Update OS X, Upgrade Apple TV, Ponder Missing iPhones

"The new version of Apple TV makes the device somewhat more appealing to the small group of people who already do a lot of video on iTunes. It's not a large group, and at this price, most of them could just as easily turn to their cable video on demand system to watch movies," James McQuivey, a vice president of research and analyst for Forrester, told MacNewsWorld

The Enterprise and the iPhone

The new business-oriented features Apple unveiled recently will no doubt enhance the iPhone's allure for the corporate crowd, but there's no guarantee they'll win over die-hard BlackBerry fans. RIM has established itself as the supplier of choice in the corporate environment and has even started making inroads among consumers.

iPhone AppStore currently requires WiFi

Although Apple CEO Steve Jobs said, during his SDK introduction presentation, that the iPhone App Store would work over both WiFi and cellular networks, a new screenshot of the store (running on iPhone OS 1.2, currently in beta and unreleased to the public) from Boy Genius Report apparently reveals that a WiFi connection is, at least for now, required.

The BGR gallery includes some other great shots of iPhone OS 1.2, including Exchange setup, other pictures of the App Store and more.

An iPhone App Wish List

The Web-based applications to which the iPhone has been limited have weaknesses, including that they are usually slower than programs installed directly on the device, and they can only be accessed when users are online. The new development tools are the same used by Apple's engineers and will let programmers create software that iPhone owners can install directly on their devices.