Taking Sides In the iPhone Debate

Apple’s iPhone won’t ship until this summer, but technology pundits continue to debate the smartphone’s merits.

University professors and their students sound particularly upbeat about iPhone. Consider this podcast from NYIT Professor Paul Lipsky, who described the iPhone during a recent radio interview. Lipsky, like The VAR Guy, has used the Treo in recent years but sees substantial opportunity for the iPhone as a consumer and business device.

Other pundits think the iPhone is overkill, and won’t fulfill its promise as a multi-function device for phone, email, movie and music services. Skeptics include the Baltimore Sun’s Michael Himowitz.

The VAR Guy has neither tried the iPhone nor formed an opinion about the $500 device. He is an outspoken proponent of Apple hardware and software, however. And he recently abandoned his Treo because of frequent system crashes. For now, he’s relying on a simple low-cost cell phone. But that could change when the iPhone finally arrives this summer.