Or I'll put it another way ...

[Steve Lane]

matthew_heusser at mcgraw-hill.com wrote:
> If a small business has 10 employees that use the wireless
> web for collaboration/data storage ...
> 
> Let's say they are a pest inspection company.  They do an inspection
> report on a PDA (that's separate from the phone, but we'll assume), obtain
> a digital signature, and upload the results to the a server via the verizon
> phone.  They can also get emails about changes in route/appointments
> via email, and not interrupt customers during a visit.

a very fair example; it's very similar to the
apps i've done, and the usage patterns of those
apps.

> For 10 employees to reasonably use verizon wireless, that's a tab of
> about $2,600/month, plus they'd have to pay for application development
> to make that work.  Even with economy of scale, where it's a chain & the
> corporate HQ pays for the app dev cost, the monthly fees are still prohibitive.
> (My figures came from Joel S. at
> http://www.joelonsoftware.com/stories/storyReader$148)

i've read the article.  Joel's figure of $284/month
doesn't "feel" right for a business that can pay
for bulk usage for its employees.  i don't know 
exactly how much my clients are paying for their usage.
a wild guess would be $100/month, but that may even
be too high.

your point is well-taken, though.  if the cost of
the thing exceeds its value, it won't be successful.

the Motorola Startec that Joel used is awkward at
best, unsuitable for the web at worst.  i've used
it extensively while developing an app, and
recommended to a client that they ditch them
and get the Kyoceras instead.  if i was
forced to use a Startec daily, and had to write
a column on the device or wireless web in general,
that column would probably have much more vitriol
than Joel's does. :)

the major advantage of the Kyocera for me is that
it can make real form elements, so you can design
a useful application that doesn't require -any-
typing.  and there seems to be plenty of need for
such applications out there.

finally, application development for these things
is cheap!  you've got Perl and a webserver and a
database, and that's all you need.  the apps
themselves that i've done are all very simple;
they may take a day max to build from start to
finish.  and you don't even need a graphic designer :).
--
Steve Lane <sml at zfx.com>