Just a Thought - iVote For iPhone

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There are many things the mobile professional needs to stay in touch and at the top of his or her game beyond business class airline seats and a suite at a DoubleTree hotel. When a notion hits, for instance, it doesn't matter if you are cruising at 30,000 feet or in a meeting with your boss, you need to pay attention to the thought and, more importantly, you need to get it written down.

I've known people who carried little notebooks with them and would, from time to time, stop and jot down notes about the thoughts that occurred to them at any given moment. One guy called these notions 'Seeds', and he said that it often took a lot of cultivating to turn a seed into a full blown idea that was worth something. Is that what true business is all about?

Mobile professionals also need to communicate, not just with voice, which is pretty much covered by mobile phones these days, but with the increasing array of other communication protocols available. During the course of my day, for instance, I could be in a conference call, e-mailing a customer and IMing an associate all at the same time. Multitasking is not new; what is new is where and how we do it. With today's technology, not even the bathroom is a safe haven from customers and managers looking for answers or needing your help. (My cell phone may be in my pocket while I'm in the can, I'll refuse to answer it if called while there. A man has to draw the line somewhere.)

A mobile pro also needs a diversion every once in a while. Let's face it, the fastest way to fry your brain is to spend 5 hours on a flight going over the details to your proposal for the umpteenth time. And when you get to your destination you will need to deflate, relax, chill, and do something that will help you deal with the worries, butterflies and whatever else there is that keeps you at less than your best. A game can do wonders in this respect, even wrist-jerking shooters can divert your attention enough to let you look at the more serious stuff from a fresh perspective. (Makes you wonder why corporate America don't have game rooms in the office.)

So, those on the go need something that will do all the above, and do it with style and class.

I've played with many of the devices that are being offered to mobile pros these days, and while some go a good ways toward fulfilling the needs I've outlined, nothing fills them well enough to be called The Mobile Business Solution. The Blackberry, for instance, does a wonderful job with e-mail, staying in touch can hardly be easier, but writing anything more than a few sentences will test the patience of a Buddhist monk. Forget about doing anything more than reviewing documents, and don't even think about watching movies, or playing any decent games.

In fact, I'd lump all similar devices with the Blackberry, including the Palm Treo 650 or 700P, and Motorola's new Q, the Blackberry wannabe. They are great for specific tasks, but are lacking in other areas such that it makes them less than perfect for the majority of the people they were designed for.

Notebooks, on the other hand, do it all, but are bulky and don't have the mobile connectivity that Treos and Blackberries have. (Though that is changing as new devices and services allow laptops to connect to the web anywhere, not just at WiFi hotspots.)

This is where Apple needs to step in. The mobile pro needs a device that lets them easily access and edit e-mail, documents and other items, and communicate as simply as with a cell phone. Is this device an Apple branded phone? Maybe. Could it be Apple's version of Microsoft's Ultra-Mobile PC? Perhaps. A combination of the 2 devices? Likely. But make no mistake, this device should be aimed at a niche market, and expect to pay a premium for it, which means it may not sell like iPods at Christmas, or wind up like the Newton. Then again, maybe by aiming the device at business people, Apple could avoid the Newton Curse, and find that they can't make enough of them.

I also believe Apple could do for business what is did for music. This 'Mac-Mobile' would be the exective's iPod, and .Mac might evolve into something that could find a home in corporate IT shops. Once established, the device could find other niches to venture into. Cellphone makers won't need to worry, there's plenty of room for Apple to carve out a piece without offending anyone.

I don't have a clue what such a device would look like, and frankly, it doesn't matter, just as long as it is as easy to use as my Mac and my cellphone, and does what I need it to do while I'm out and about. Which means:

• As I jot down notes, update my calendar or address book, my Mac-Mobile device can sync it with my Mac or my .Mac account no matter where I am in the world.
• I can edit all manner of files, maybe even create a slide show, which can then be uploaded to my .Mac account for sharing, all without ever having to lug along a laptop.
• I can get e-mail and IMs using industry standard protocols, include voice and video chat (iChat mobile? Yeah baby!).
• I can play networked games.
• And I can make a simple phone call using my preferred service.

Other's have tried to give us these features, but no one has done it right for all of them. I believe that now is the time for Apple to step up to the plate; with their famed industrial design team, they are bound to come up with something better than what's available now.

iPhone? iDon't care. Just give business people what they need, and Apple's got my vote.