The importance of AAPL's event on Monday isn't a new iPhone

Michael Gartenberg | June 06, 2008, 02:58 PM

There's certainly been a lot of speculation about what Apple will or will not announce on Monday when Steve Jobs takes the stage at their Worldwide Developers Conference. (there's also this event going on next week but I don't think anyone has noticed). Whether there's a new iPhone (that perhaps supports 3G) is interesting but not what's important. The real important news next week is news we already know. The iPod and iPhone have now become a software platform. I've talked in the past about the iPod as a hardware platform. Starting Monday, it's now a full software platform as well. That's super important because it means developers will the iPod and the iPhone places that AAPL alone could not, that no individual company could.

Everyone wants to be a platform, that's because platforms are powerful. But there's a natural catch-22 to platforms. Developers typically are not interested in developing until there's a solid base (like a million + units) and device companies can't get that base without third party apps. Apple has broken this logjam quite well, giving a real user base of millions of devices to developers who seem eager to flock to it? How eager? Well, this is the first WWDC in history (correct me if i'm wrong) that's totally sold out. That means Apple has successfully gone beyond the core Mac developer and attracted new blood to their offerings. That means mobile developers and other creative types looking to get in on the platform as early as possible.

Yes, Exchange support is important for getting the iPhone into corporate hands. And a new 3G iPhone (or phones?) would be great. And a super cool update to .Mac would be wonderful. But the real magic of next week can be summed up in one word. As the fellow in the video below knows really well.

Update - Steve Rubel and I think alike. I agree, it will come. Bear in mind Apple TV is just a Mac for all intents and purposes so attracting developers would be super simple. Remember, Apple likes to attack problems one at a time and solve them. They do not take a shotgun approach toward this stuff.

And one more worth reading as well.