So - Iphone 3G brings a big crunchy decision for me:

- I have a friend with the first Iphone.... taxi driver / Indian software freak come genius / good guy dude, and his Iphone struck me as great relative to what I do. I especilly liked the business stuff it could do for me, viz:

- faster start up than than the tedious boot up on my laptop - which is a pretty smart and new one but with Vista etc, life is slower than turning on the phone. My man can look at instant email at the brush of a finger!
- access it seems to almost all the standard Microsoft software (Office stuff) and a keyboard you might use (the Samsung is oh so clunky even if I can roam when in Sing and KL etc)

- Iphone 3G looks even better and at a way competitive price so I need to decide... here's why its tough:

I have a great Telecom bundle of services - and despite what many say these guys have been great over many years - fixed line, faxability, mobile, mobile broadband, among the very first broadband users was I, etc... and no complaints. CDMA looks like being replaced by GSM come November and maybe some offerings which might match the Apple Iphone - or not.

Iphone 3G means a new network, some smart people but right into "pink" and fashion which ain't me... is the network going to work so we can really milk the features? Are they sufficiently geeky here to really chase the product hard and make it hum? T/com sure get heaps out of very basic stuff in terms of functionality - which is what counts to us cashflow freaks.

So the decision criteria look like:

1. ability to do a large number of Microsoft based chores (Office). Can it? Will it improve on what I have?

2. ability to replicate Outlook 2007 ???? I have seen talk of Microsoft exchange but I don't "do" servers in my business. I do make Outlook 2007 really grunt - and if you know how, you can make it it do great things for your business.

3. reliability of the network nationwide... are we nearly there yet Dad? I don't do Sex and the City - I do do business.

4. at least as good phone capability as a 17 year old? i.e. predictive with add to dictionery and contact sync with Outlook and the bells and whistles.

5. am I losing by compromising my service across two providers. Money probably but if there are benefits it isn't an issue.

6. All and I mean all my business is heavily electronic and heavily Microsoft - will this venture into MAC space create problems?

So I am trying to figure what things to take into account - then track down the answers.

Thanks for any comments on any of this as I try to figure a good way to make a quality decision.
Brent