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An IM Patent for the iPhone?
Ian Lamont writes "Apple has filed a patent for IM on portable devices, which could mean that it's getting ready to launch an IM client for the iPhone. The filing is titled 'Portable Electronic Device for Instant Messaging', and covers methods for sending, receiving, and viewing ongoing conversations. The proposed GUI is similar to Apple's current interface for SMS. As for why iChat wasn't enabled for the iPhone earlier, there's some interesting background and analysis here, which also includes a discussion of AIM for the iPhone. IM also came up in the discussions last year about the most-wanted features in iPhone 2.0."
You can tell that Apple is still the same company they have always been when they are patenting functionality that is already on most modern cell phones and is noticably absent from the iPhone.
So not only is Apple late bringing this feature to market, but they are trying to patent something which has prior art in products which are already competing against their own.
Bravo Steve Jobs!
*slow hand clap*
Forgive me, maybe it's my geezerhood speaking, but I don't understand why anybody would want IM on a phone in the first place. Text messages yes, for if (say) the girl you're calling is in a movie or at the OBGYN or somewhere where she can't take a call right now, but IM? That's INSTANT message.
Why would you IM when you could more easily and cheaply just talk? English class maybe?
*wanders off muttering about foolish young people...*
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
Just imagine the fun when people start trying to say that.
Back in the day, you used to have to do something innovative to get a patent...