As a developer of iPhone applications my job is more challenging because Apple has set the bar so high, that you must have incredibly functional applications and they must be good looking. There has to be a WOW factor to the application.

This is a challenge for any application developer because we are all new to the platform. If you are a seasoned Cocoa developer you have a leg up on the mechanics of iPhone development, but what do you really know about hand held devices? What about other mobile software developers? Sure they understand the concepts of mobile computing, but the development environments are totally new. Then there's that WOW factor thing. Windows mobile applications just don't have that, so those developers will need to get into the groove of iPhone development. If you are starting from the ground floor, you have to learn how develop for mobile devices and learn the Apple way of software development. What could be more exciting!

With this said, I believe that the initial round of iPhone and iPod Touch applications that will be available at the "grand opening" will be nothing short of stellar. By bringing on third party application developers, Apple has stacked the deck in goal to dominate the mobile device market.