Montreal Tech Watch

Apple launched today the iPod touch. Unlike the new iPod nano or the iPhone, which are meant mainly for leisure, I believe this product is going to be a driving force behind web development and web entrepreneurship in upcoming months. As announced by Steve Jobs, it has the same browser found on the iPhone, which is the full-featured Safari v3.0, minus Adobe Flash and Java applets.

For me, the iPhone was a distant future, much alike reading reports about japaneese watching TV or blogging with their cell phones. The prospect of getting it in Canada was conditionned by Rogers offering an unlimited data plan for less than $100, which won’t come anytime soon. Developing web apps on an iPhone had also technical barriers such as optimizing websites for internet speeds similar to a dial-up connection.

Now, at CAN$329, the device is fairly priced and I believe it’s going to be sold like hot bagels. The integrated wifi also means people can connect on the road to high-speed internet.

If you are not convinced yet, remember that Apple sold their 100 million-th iPod on April this year. Just consider a market of 100 million mobile users. This opens brand new perspectives like mobile social networking, mobile IM, and apps like twitter or kakiloc get all their meaning. So go read Safari’s technical documentation, buy an iPod touch (as a business expense), and get those ideas pumping. As you know, the first movers will get the advantage.

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