Jean-Louis Gassée argues that because the personal computer industry has matured, smart phones are the future.

He’s exactly right, with one niggle: “smart phones” aren’t the future. Mobile is.

“Smart phone” is a ridiculous term today. In 2005, when a Palm Treo or Blackberry were the most advanced mobile devices, it was perfectly accurate. They were still primarily phones, but with email as well. That just isn’t true today. Now, the phone part of a mobile device is just a small element. They are mobile communication devices, whether they use the web or a cell network for it.

“Smart phone” is also terribly restrictive. Pocketable mobile devices aren’t the only devices of the future. It’s now quite clear that tablets are, too. Mobile devices, in the general sense, are the growth market.

Apple should and will continue developing the Mac, but as far as growth and serious innovation are concerned, the PC is drawing to a close. For this reason, it is not only reasonable, but necessary for Apple to shift primary focus to mobile development. Their company depends on it.

Max Chafkin’s profile of Tim O’Reilly:

At first, O’Reilly accepts this advice. Who can argue with the idea that customers should get what they want? But as he thinks it over, he begins to see things differently. “[A] small voice within me said, with a mixture of dismay, wonder, and dawning delight: ‘But that’s just what we’ve always done: gone fishing with strawberries,’ ” he writes. ” ‘And it’s worked!’ “

Daniel Jalkut just released MarsEdit 3.

Support for WordPress pages, custom fields, integration with iPhoto, Aperture and Lightroom–what’s not to love?

Apple may be investigated for limiting what tools developers can use to develop for the iPhone.

Absolutely ridiculous.

Jay Yarow comments on Microsoft canceling the Courier project and HP canceling their Windows 7-based tablet:

This is terrible news for Microsoft. Windows is Microsoft’s biggest profit driver, and if the consumer computing industry moves toward tablet computing — where Microsoft is quickly becoming a nobody — it could be in trouble.

While Apple is selling a ton of real, actual tablets, Microsoft doesn’t even have one in the pipeline. Ouch.

Apple is creating a new market while their competitors are still trying to design a product, let alone get it to market.

Just like the iPhone, this is working out exactly how Apple wants it: they are (1) taking a strong market share position, and most importantly, (2) are defining what the new device is. Their competitors are playing on their terms.

Fusion Ads launches their touch network.

Michael Mistretta:

The most interesting observation I’ve made while watching my own usage patterns is how often I will click a Fusion ad on my iPhone simply because of consistency — I know what to expect, every time. Shawn Blanc said it best during one conference call, “It doesn’t even feel like an ad. Just a little friend that’s peeking down, waiting to share something new with me.”

Craig Hockenberry:

My niece also discovered some of the games I had on the device. One, Abca, was a hit because many people could play it at once. I’ve always played the game by myself and was surprised at how much fun it was to have other people guessing words simultaneously. A group of people transformed the software into something no developer had ever expected.

Loren Brichter’s latest project was just announced. It’s called Textie.

It’s dead-simple: it’s an SMS and MMS-replacement application. You can send free text and photo messages to people with the application, or to any phone number, and their response shows up in Textie.

It looks great. It is free with Fusion Ads, and you can turn off ads for $1.99.

I’ve been excited to see this. Can’t wait to use it.

Update: Just played around with it for a little while. It works really, really well. I don’t see why this couldn’t replace the SMS app entirely for me.

Here’s the biggest issue: each time you send a message to a mobile phone number, it comes from a different number. I don’t know how this can be overcome by Textie, but this makes it annoying for anyone who doesn’t have the application to receive text messages from it. At this point, unless I’m missing something, it doesn’t really appear useable for me with my friends who don’t own an iPhone.

SoundPaper is an interesting iPad note-taking application. It records audio while you’re taking notes (in class, for example), and when you tap on a word, it automatically jumps to that point in the recording.

Neat idea.

(Via Jorge.)

HP has bought Palm for $1.2 billion.

Really interesting move, and it could potentially be a great one. HP wants WebOS, and wants to use it across multiple devices.

Apparently Palm will operate as a business unit within HP, and at least a good portion of their management will remain. HP, then, isn’t just interested in Palm’s assets–WebOS, engineers and patents–but in the whole thing. It sounds like HP wants Palm to, more or less, become their mobile devices division.

There’s no doubt that HP wants to compete with Apple and Google in the mobile devices market. They certainly have the opportunity to do so–WebOS is fantastic (and the only mobile OS I’d consider if I didn’t have an iPhone), but they need to do it right. They need a focused product strategy–one or two phones that they can focus all of their resources on–so they don’t dilute themselves.

Having a large number of different devices in the same category might give the consumer a “choice,” but it also confuses them on what HP is offering. HP needs a thesis: this is what we stand for, and we think it’s really great. Some might not like what they stand for, but at least they stand for something, and at least people would know what it is.

Multiple products in the same category also dilutes the power of their R&D and development teams, because they’re spread thin. Choose the best thing you have to offer, and develop the hell out of it.

Hopefully they choose that route instead of shooting themselves in the foot by creating all kinds of different devices.

App Cubby, makers of Gas Cubby and Trip Cubby, just announced the App Cubby Jr Sale.

It’s the anti-sale, which is neat. David Barnard and his wife are having a second child, so for this week, all prices are doubled. It’s a chance to help support a developer and family.

If you are interested in his applications (which are quite good), this is a great way to support a good guy and his family.

John Rust’s iPad review:

Since receiving the iPad on launch day, I’ve used it exclusively as my on-campus computer. I can count on one hand the number of times my laptop has left my desk, and every single one of those times was not completely necessary. Had I known what I know now, I would have bought a 27? iMac instead of a MacBook Pro. I don’t need a laptop anymore – the iPad is all I need.

I’m not sure if I’m willing to give up my notebook. I *want* to–an iPad and iMac combination is certainly more elegant–but I still do design and photo work away from my desk, which the iPad (currently) can’t do. This may change in the future when I have my own apartment and thus a home office, but I still like to be able to work from anywhere.

The same is true for writing. The iPad is more than adequate for writing articles that doesn’t require a lot of sources, but while writing heavily-sourced papers, there’s no better way to do it than on a Mac. I can keep all of my sources open in a separate space and write in Page’s full-screen mode. There’s no way to write a paper like that on an iPad.

The iPad, though, would make a good companion for writing papers on the Mac. Can you imagine an application that holds all of your sources, allows you to annotate them, and then automatically syncs your references to your Mac? That’d be fabulous.

WWDC 2010 will be held June 7-11 this year.

The panels are almost entirely focused on the iPhone OS, but the biggest news is only iPhone or iPad applications are eligible for the Apple Design Awards.

Focusing on the iPhone OS shouldn’t a surprise this year–Apple will not be announcing 10.7, and thus has little to talk about for the Mac. They are releasing a significant iPhone OS update, so they have quite a bit to discuss.

The biggest news is not including Mac applications for Apple Design Awards. Why not just make separate awards for the iPhone and Mac, so each can get the focus they deserve? It may signify Apple is planning on breaking WWDC into two events, one for iPhone OS and one for Mac OS.

These changes shouldn’t be totally surprising. The iPhone, in just three years’ time, is now 40 percent of Apple’s business. That’s incredible. Apple is becoming a mobile-first company, and now WWDC is reflecting that.

Apple has very little choice in this. Mobile devices is the future of the company, and Apple is currently in a battle of the utmost importance with Google in the mobile market. They are trying to define the market for the next decade. If they don’t win this, Apple’s future is in question.

Aaron Mahnke:

The thing about Steve Jobs that continues to amaze me is his timing. He releases devices into the world at just the right time. Like a surfer catching the wave at that perfect moment in order to get the best ride possible. Jobs introduces revolutionary new products when the world is on the cusp of admitting that they have a need. Instantly, he fills that perceived hole in our soul.

It’s because Apple rarely creates a new product type altogether. Instead, they pay really close attention to new technologies and new kinds of products, and when they notice something, they think really hard about what purpose it could serve. It’s always about the purpose of the product, rather than just the details. The iPod allowed you to listen to your entire library anywhere, and enjoy it–the hard drive size, how it interfaced with the computer, the screen type– all that stuff was secondary to its purpose.

Once they find something new that could genuinely provide a great benefit to people (and fits Apple’s competencies), then they launch into it with complete devotion. They figure out exactly the way it should be, then figure out how to do that technically. And along the way, if they find out they were wrong about how it should be, they start over again. And again. They only release really convincing products.

Those are Jobs’s biggest assets: his ability to see the important products and what purpose they serve, and to relentlessly develop a product until it is absolutely perfect. Then, not long after, start over and replace it.

Matt Legend Gemmell:

In this profession, it’s critical to have a break-out area where you can think without the computer looking over your shoulder; where you can do your most valuable work without the siren song of an IDE. For the same reason that getting up and even walking to the bathroom can provide new perspective on a heretofore intractable problem, it’s in your own best professional interests to do as much of your work as possible before you handcuff yourself to your desk each day.

iPad understands this. The very form-factor of the device subtly discourages you from using it extensively at your desk; it’s more comfortable on the couch or in the armchair. It wants you to be somewhere that your mind is clear.