More missed points

Detractors are quick to play up the limitations of the iPhone, which are set by Apple itself. Some limitations, such as third-party application installs and enterprise support, will be taken care of with the June software release. And the long-rumored 3G iPhone is apparently just around the corner.

But there are other limitations that won't be as quickly remedied. Although the iPhone and iPod lines support the most popular music store in the world, the fact that that store just happens to belong to Apple and offers support for only a limited amount of available codecs doesn't sit well with some. But Apple would rather support specific codecs -- and support them well -- than spread itself thin supporting too many options poorly. It's the same philosophy Apple applies to its computers and operating system. What you leave out is as important as what you add in when it comes to ease of use.

As new iPhone features and support for enterprise use become available, the iPhone's reach into dyed-in-the-wool geeks resistant to Apple will expand. For those looking for a multifunction device that is actually useful in everyday life, I can say this: The iPhone remains the most user-friendly device I've ever had. Others agree.

Perhaps the most telling of all statistics comes from a March ChangeWave survey in which 79 per cent or four in five iPhone users said they're very satisfied with their devices. The next highest percentage of happy owners came from BlackBerry users (54 per cent are very satisfied), and LG and Sanyo owners (40 per cent who said they're are very satisfied). The statistics speak for themselves.

Given the dramatic evolution of the iPod since its introduction in 2001, it's easy to see how, over time, the iPhone could spearhead the next major computing platform. Just in the next few months, we have the expected arrival of faster -- and possibly redesigned -- 3G iPhones, along with the release of a software development kit that should result in a slew of new apps.

Given that I couldn't resist moving from the 8GB model to the 16GB model when it came out, I see little chance that I'll be able to hold off from getting the next model when it finally appears. By then, I expect third-party applications for the iPhone to make it the Star Trek device I always thought it could be.