Monday, July 07, 2008

iPhone apps will not be able to synchronize with the desktop: OmiFocus

I'd asked again, recently, if iPhone apps would be able to synchronize with the desktop.

A month or two ago the Omni Group was writing about OmiFocus as though desktop sync would be possible.

Now they write: 
The Omni Group - OmniFocus for iPhone and iPod touch 
...Synchronized with your Mac via .Mac or WebDAV...
Yech.

Bad, but not surprising. This has been a hole for a long time, so we kind of knew Apple was going to short us on this one.

I assume Apple is guarding the sync conduits to ensure DRM of iPhone media. If so, it's a telling indicator of how DRM requirements will negatively impact iPhone usability.

Oh Android, I really do wish you were providing more competition.

Incidentally, Apple has given its own iPhone applications an enormous competitive advantage. Only they can synchronize with the desktop. So, Apple, any chance you're going to provide a task management tool?

No, I didn't think so.

Yech.

PS. How can Apple claim to be providing Exchange integration if the iPhone can't handle Exchange tasks at all?

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