As a device, I marvel at its elegance and capability so far beyond the sorts of devices that telephone companies have sold me over the past 15 years. I had a WorldCom phone once that required four screens to get to the address book. I do wish that Nokia was a stronger player as I usually admire the simple elegance of their devices. My teenage son prefers his call & text only Nokia to a hand-me-down iPhone.

One of Blue Pane’s senior developers believes that Microsoft should not be counted-out in the mobility arena if their late and strong entry into the game box (X-box) market should be taken as a sign of their strength when focused. I feel that Apple’s advantage is that they have a clear vision of what is the value of mobile communications or computing much more than an advantage of design or engineering skill in producing portable telephones.

Not so much has been made of their advertising on the phone strategy, iAds. In customer discussions since the advent of the iPhone, I’ve suggested that the ambition of Google, Apple, Microsoft, even Yahoo is to be a mediator of search on the mobile device so that they will reap the attendant advertising revenues. iAds and the FaceTime feature (video chat over a wi-fi network) promise the prospect for a new way of shopping and solving problems. To me, it could be the Apple Store’s authoritative, personal touch brought to the mobile device.

Let’s talk about BP and the oil mess in the Gulf in a related manner. BP professed good corporate citizenship – which I believe to be sincere – and then bought-up every url related to the disaster so that they could control the discussion. Of course, this failed and became a source of major media (sic) discussion portraying them as manipulators which harms their reputation even more. It’s a world of everyone knows and sometimes or too many times inaccurately knows. The opportunity or wonder of the improvements in mobile computing, e.g. iPhones, Droids, iPads, Twitter…., is that we can help each other to know accurately and timely. We have to start by distinguishing in-control from the fear of not being in control and sincerely trusting by enabling those whom we purport to serve.

I’m almost embarrassed by being such a champion of Apple’s products (really, it’s philosophy). I find them such a comfort and inspiration as I see too many once reliable institutions sliding into the ditch.