As we’re all getting more insight into the iPhone program, it is coming to light that some folks are fortunate in getting into the program and others aren’t. There is a lot of armchair quarterbacking of how Apple should be playing the game, but I suspect is delays of getting companies and developers signed up is a function of the number staff folks available to support the developers during the beta period.

Given the number of folks out there without early access, I feel that I have to step up to the plate and deliver a high quality, application that meets the high stands of an iPhone application.

How easy was it to switch over from running on the iPhone Simulator to using an actual device? Well I was stunned to find out just how easy it was. To all the Apple engineers... Job Well Done!

I first build the xCode project for My Eyes Only with Beta 1. I used that project through all the beta releases including beta 6. When I got device access and provisioned and iPod Touch, by following the multi-step instructions, I was ready to compile and run on the iPod. When I compiled with to the iPod target it didn’t compile. Sad Face. But if I build a new Cocoa Touch project in xCode, compile and run, well like magic it ran on the device. That was just so cool! But I still have a problem, my project didn’t compile.

I’m the kind of person that looks for the easy way out, especially when time to market is key. As a wannabe Indie, I need to get product into the market. So I thought to myself, I can struggle through the compiler errors or perhaps try make a new project from scratch and add all my file and compile and run and see what happens. So I did. And it worked!

WOW! Was I jazzed. I mean, it just worked like magic. My application that had been running on the simulator ran on the Touch without a single line of code changed. Did it work because I was some kind of genius engineer? No. It just worked because Apple has some genius engineers, and development manager and project managers and product managers.

The bar is high.

I feel very privileged to get early device access. Being a wannabe Indy in start-up mode and getting device access is key to achieving success. The iPhone OS is going to be a long road and being on the tip of the spear is a good place to be.

I owe thanks for another Indy developer for pulling some string for me and getting help from Apple evangelism. I’m not going to name-names at this time, but those who have helped know who they are. I will give credit after July 11th.

I’m grateful for you help.