Chuck: I disagree that Apple and Google are on the same side in this case. Unless Apple makes the iPhone able to run Google’s “operating system” for mobile internet applications, the iPhone and the Google system are two quite separate platforms that are competing both for attracting applications developers, and for attracting users (and mobile phone companies). Just like Apple and Microsoft were competing for PC software developers and PC users 20 years ago.

I just don’t understand your argument. I think both Apple and Google are flying by MSFT, who stands there wondering what went by. It’s so obvious that Apple will be coming out with a MacBook touch. Look at their apps in Leopard and their website redesign. MSFT will not be able to compete in the touch market. They have already failed.

Exciting times ahead!

A bit under two years ago, I was visiting a friend in the Philippines. She had an up to the second super-fancy cellphone, a Nokia 6600, which she was very proud to show off. (Many in this poor country don’t have cars, so cellphones are the more common status symbols.)

A few days later, she came up to me and said “I think Celly is sick.” Well, Celly was. She had a cellphone virus that was sending XXX-rated MMS messages to everyone it could figure out existed.

Fortunately, most of her friends had cheaper cellphones and so they weren’t able to receive the puzzling messages. But it was still embarrassing — and expensive, because the messages it was blasting out cost 2 pesos ($ 0.04) each. Multiply that by a lot being sent and you have a US$300 phone bill — which, for someone making $1,000 a month, has to be thought of as catastrophic.

Fortunately, I was able to eradicate the virus and stop the bleeding. It took me about an hour to do, most of which was spent getting to the nearest Internet cafe where I was able to look it up and download the free removal tool from F-Secure. Needless to say, she was thrilled to get her phone back.

Ever since then I have really worried about the value of openness in an environment where a virus can cost you serious money.

I’ve played around with the third party applications on my iPhone and I don’t think any of them is really worth the risk of a very expensive virus infection. Safari gives me great web applications, which is 90% of what I need, and the remaining 10% is Terminal to talk to my web servers, which seems to be available in even the most restrictive environments on other platforms.

Hope that was of interest.

D

Interesting side notes I didn’t want to edit out entirely:

It’s worth noting that the phone virus problem seems to be downplayed in the US. I think this is because relatively few people own phones like the 6600. Most phones sold in the US appear to be cheap junk that can’t run any kind of third party software, thus preventing the spread of viruses. My friend probably got the Nokia 6600 because her best friend had one. Her best friend owns a popular bar/restaurant and so we can see the virus might have spread from a customer who also owned a 6600 or compatible phone.

If Android took over the world, it would lose this major advantage and we’d be likely to have horrible virus problems.

The Nokia 6600 user interface was a nightmare. It was difficult for me to figure out how to open the web browser through the phone’s confusing menus and tiny, unmarked buttons. Actual virus removal was child’s play compared to that interface. No wonder there is a Filipino iPhone owners’ club which has people paying about $150 to unlock phones brought to them from the USA.